Killer Weeeek!

Familia y Amigos!

How are you all doing?? This was a super good week. We got a TON done! We almost doubled our number of lessons taught! Maybe we're just really starting to get the hang of how we can work together to be most effective.

And we've been doing a lot of service for people. We actually were talking to Frances about all her animals and how she always has so much to do, so we offered and insisted that we help her with her irrigation system and with the animals. It was super fun! She has probably 20 different types of birds and a ton of chickens. So we collected eggs and helped feed them. I can cross off "collect an egg JUST laid by a chicken and still wet" off my bucket list. Hah! Then after, she fed us lunch. You could tell she had just gone shopping and bought a bunch of food to make this special for us. She even bought each of us a chocolate bunny for easter! She is such a sweetheart. She collects broaches and pins, so we got her one from the thrift shop in Kuna. You could tell it just made her day!

A huge part of missionary work is showing people love in any way possible. But not just through being an example. By ACTING. And when you love the gospel and have a desire to share it (and not let excuses get in the way), the acting part will become natural. That is one huge thing I've learned this week. Being an example isn't enough. It's a big part, for sure, but that's not all. EVERYONE can be a missionary. Showing love and caring about others is where it's at. DOING things for people. And another thing is sincerely praying for missionary opportunities and for the missionaries. I totally have a testimony that prayer works. When we need something, and ask for it, Heavenly Father will bless us.

ALSO, this week we got permission to go on facebook because of an AMAZING easter video that the church has come out with. If you haven't heard of it already, it's called "Because of Him." It's on mormon.org. It's truly beautiful. And please repost it on any social media. Everyone needs to see it. :)

You all are awesome and I hope things go well for you this next week!

Con amor,

Hermanita Shirley

 

PS Sorry no pictures this week. Our hookup isn't working.

...And stuff.

Familia y amigos!

This email is dedicated to a little lady named June who we've been talking to lately. She turned 93 this last Friday. She isn't Spanish, but she's the neighbor of one of the people we teach. So we stop by and say hi when we make it out there. She's still up and kicking. She tells us if she sits down and stops going, she'll stop indefinitely. So she's very stubborn, but even since we first met her, she's softening. And she says "and stuff" before and after every sentence she says. It's a trademark June-thing. We love going by there and seeing how she's doing. We're planning on coming and helping her with her yard and other things this next week. We are just being her friend and showing her how much we love her and the gospel.

There was a talk in General Conference about loving our neighbors and showing them how much the gospel means to you and that that's what they need sometimes (I forgot who it's by... Elder Scott I think). It is so true. June is a perfect example of that. Everyone is ready for a friend and wants to feel loved and appreciated.

We have a senior kid who we're teaching who is really interested in the church (I think I actually told you about him maybe). He actually works at a local famous restaurant, El Gallo Giro. We've talked about going to see him when he's at work, but we never did until this week. We had about 40 minutes left in the day before 9:00 (when we have to be home) and we had to figure out something to do because our appointment fell through. So we actually felt like that would be the perfect time to go see if we could run into him. As we were walking up, he actually came out and had to sweep outside. PERFECT TIMING. Not a coincidence! So we just got a few desserts (fried ice cream), talked to him a bit, and talked to another senior kid who works there and is a member. Anyways, it was a really cool experience. We felt kinda like we were slacking, but we had a purpose and saw the blessings that confirmed it's where we were supposed to be.

That's what Heavenly Father does. He gives us little blessings. Little ways to show us if we're doing the right things. Little "tender mercies" and feelings of comfort. That's one thing I've learned through this whole process of deciding to go on a mission and since being here. Heavenly Father doesn't normally answer in huge, fantastic ways. It's the little things. And feelings that you get when you do things. That's how I know the church is true and how the Book of Mormon is true. And Joseph Smith. If I try to think about it logically, it's kinda crazy and technical. But when I think about what I know and how I feel when I read the Book of Mormon or testify of these things, THAT'S when I know it's all true. The spirit testifies of truth. And that's how we can know ALL things. That was one of the big themes of General Conference, TRUTH. Or at least, that's what I got out of a lot of talks. THE HOLY GHOST TESTIFIES OF PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL TRUTH. That is so cool! I love the gospel. I know it's true.

Con amor,

Hermanita Shirley

1) June!

2) Our district this last transfer. More hermanas than elders!

Here we go again!

Familia y Amigos!

We had transfers again this week and for the first time, I'm staying with my companions!! Weird. And I'm staying in Kuna. They're not dividing it, so our trio is staying together covering the whole area still. Allllright! Here we go again!

As for things I've done this week, I made homemade tortillas!!!! That was one thing on my mission bucket list and I already did it! It was so easy, too. And I was dubbed the roller because mine were most round. HA! And they were delicious. I'm actually going to make those again!

Another monumentous thing that happened this week is I basically went to a visit all in Spanish, all by myself. Not by myself, but with a Sister in Melba who doesn't speak very much Spanish at all and I actually speak more than her... We were on splits. So I was talking the whole time. I didn't teach a lesson, but she had a ton of questions and I answered them!!! In Spanish. The lady we visited knows the Bible forward and back and had a lot of questions basically trying to prove us wrong. I didn't answer all her questions perfectly because I had never even encountered them before and didn't know what to say, but I brought it back to doctrine and just said what I could. It was intense! When we were leaving, I couldn't believe I had just done that. And I wasn't even nervous for it or anything! It was kinda an out of body experience that blew my mind a little. To give you a concept of this, my Spanish is pretty iffy. I can figure things out of how to say it in Spanish, but just knowing what to say is what I struggle with. That'll all come with practice and experience and study. I just have to have patience with myself.

Our little branch also had an activity on Friday. It was a sports night and we played volleyball. It was super fun and people came!!!! A lot of people, actually. People were really good and got really into it. In general, things are really really good. And I feel so good about the work we're doing!

This week, I studied more about action. Faith has to lead to action or there's no point in having it. And we do this when we have a purpose for doing it. When we know the purpose of life and that there's a reason for all things, it motivates us to act. This life is a time to prepare to meet God (Alma 34-study it.) and to always work to be better. It gives us a goal for life even when we feel like we're stuck or in a rut. And when we are working to be better and change every day, Heavenly Father will help us and strengthen us. I love that SO MUCH. He gives us purpose and then helps us to accomplish that when we show that we're willing to try and to act on what we know. It's amazing. The gospel is amazing and I know it's true.

Love you all! Have a safe, fantastic week!!

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Shirley

1) The puppy that Brother Zeyer bought.

2) We were given clothes and we couldn't pass up the photo op. of these lovely polka dotted dresses.

3) They're pretty thug, I know!

4) My perfect tortilla!

5) Maria Guttierez, who taught us to make tortillas! (She's a hoot!)

6) Whenever we help our branch president with his new house, he feeds us, whether we like it or not.

7) Let's just say this is not the first time this has happened. We have the exact same color schemes.

 8) KARCHER MALL!

 9) The seagulls have started to attack the fields.