Last Email

Hola amigos!!

I can't believe its my last email I will be sending out. This week has been pretty normal missionary life haha! I am so grateful for the past 18 months and all the ups and downs that have come with it. I feel very same same but different ;)

This week we had an exchange and I was in the sketchy part of Richmond with a missionary that is in her first transfer. It was so much fun and we were able to talk to a lot of people and we saw some weird police action in an apartment complex called "la mancha" (the stain) . But we wen to this one place and everywhere we knocked someone answered. One lady let us in her house and she ws so so nice and Hermana Ulloa was so excited. It was so much fun:)

This week Hermana Clark met some guy on exchanges who seemed pretty interested in church. Well Sunday comes along and he came to church!  He was sitting down with some members when we walked into the chapel. When we sat down he told us that he was baptized in his country!  I don't know why this happens to me all the time but the people come and say they are members haha! We are in the process of trying to get his records from El Salvador.

On saturday night we had a video call with this guy that Hermana Clark had met on Facebook. It went for 45 minutes and we taught him the restoration. He seems to have some social anxiety but we talked to him about coming to church and he didn't really want to. Sunday comes and we get a message and he said there are too many people at your church. I can't come in. but we went out and got him and he came to church. He even stayed for priesthood and made some friends and we had a potluck afterwards and he came to that as well.

In the news of transfers,Hermana Clark is also leaving the area so new hermanas will come in and take over. I will be transferred to a new area.. I think in Utah? haha!

Tonight and tomorrow I will continue working in my area and then on Wednesday we go to transfer meeting and I think on Wednesday I go contacting in downtown Richmond and then we have a night at the mission home with a testimony meeting or something. I am excited :)

Press forward saints would be cool. If Brandt wanted to play a song that would be cool or if Heidi wants to sing. Either way. I would love it if my siblings participated in some way. I will talk more about that on Thursday.

your week sounds exciting. I am excited to come be with you guys. Definitely some bittersweet feelings. I love you guys so much and I am excited to be there with y'all.

Its so unreal that this is the last week  of my mission. I have loved my mission. There has been hard parts but also some of the most joyful moments of my life. I know that Jesus Christ lives and he will come again. I know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important thing that happened on the earth. Repentance is a joyful choice and it helps us to progress. I came on my mission to change the lives of the people here in Virginia but I have been impacted more then anyone that I have talked to. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the church that Christ leads. The Book of Mormon is true. I know it with all of my heart.

I love you all so much. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in one way or another on my mission. I have felt the prayers and support! I will be speaking February 17th. Contact me if you want the information!

Fresh Dead Chicken Head

Hola amigos!

This week we had some cool experiences. One of them being with a girl named Stephani who apparently wants to get baptized and we are going to start teaching her this week! So we are super excited about that. She is the ex daughter in law of a recent convert so its kind of weird but it works haha!

We went to dinner on Friday and this lady brings a dead chicken that she just killed in her backyard into the kitchen. She chops the head off and puts it directly on the stove then proceeds to pluck the chicken and put it in a bag and then she sold it while we were there hahaha. It smelt horrible but it was cool to watch!

On an exchange we met with a member to try and get him involved in  member missionary work and he told us how he always talks with his coworkers and was so excited to try and give out a Book of Mormon!

Yesterday we had a cool experience with a member and her non member husband. So he has been super against the church and whenever the missionaries are there he will talk to them but as soon as they start talking about the gospel he leaves. Well unfortunately his sister in law passed away over the weekend unexpectedly so we decided to go over and try and share a message. It went really well and he stayed for the message and the prayer. I was able to relate with him and help  him feel not alone. We testified of the atonement of Jesus Christ and its power and then he said once they get back from Texas that we could come back. It was an awesome experience and the Spirit was super strong.

I know that God has a plan and He is all knowing. I have felt peace since being back and I know that it has only come through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have also felt the strength of so many prayers and I felt very strongly that  I am functioning because of the people that are praying for me. This gospel is real.

I love you lots!

Crazy Week Back in Virginia

Hola amigos!

It has been hard but good being back. I find when I am out doing the work I am pretty good but mornings and evenings in the apartment are rough. Part of me feels like I am putting off my grieving by being out here because I don't think about it often. I know talking about it would be good but I just don't know what to say. But I am doing okay and will survive.

This week has felt soooo long. We did a lot this week so I guess that is good. We did get to go to Angel's baptism on Wednesday! It was so great. I have never seen him so happy. He didn't want a big baptism or a program or anything like that. So we got there, took some pictures, sang a song and said a prayer and then he was baptized. He was so so happy and it was awesome.

On Thursday we went and helped a recent convert move some furniture in her trailer and that was an adventure haha. There is so much stuff inside one trailer. One of the rooms you can hardly open the door because there is just so much stuff. But after that we both felt like we should go try this referral and we did and she let us right in. We taught her the restoration and she was excited to read the Book of Mormon!

We also had exchanges with some hermanas and I got to go to the more sketchy part of Richmond so that was exciting :)

We also found this super cool lady in our apartment complex this week and we went back for the return appointment on Saturday and she wasn't there and we were pretty sad but we decided to  try again on Sunday and we ended up teaching her and her husband the entire restoration!! It was super powerful and the spirit was super strong. She had tears rolling down her cheeks after the opening prayer. They were super attentive the entire time and are going to study the Book of Mormon and we have a lesson with them on Wednesday :) We are so so excited! 

That's the cool stuff that happened this week haha! This next week we will be pretty busy too so i am excited about that. It still feels like I won't be home again for 33 years haha. Its also weird because I feel like I was just home but at the same time I never came home. Its hard to deal with this on a mission. I love you guys and miss you even though I just saw you haha!

Dec. 31

Mom and Dad,

I don't really know how to respond. I know that you know how I am feeling. Its been hard. On Friday I took the day to kind of figure out what was happening and tried to nap. Sleeping has been hard for me. But on Saturday I was back to work but we haven't had a ton happen which I am kind of grateful for because any time I talk about doing hard things or the Savior, I tear up then I try to hold it back and then I get a headache haha. I have felt the prayers of everyone though. I feel like I have strength that is not my own right now.

I am excited to be home with you all for the weekend even though it will be hard. We can do hard things. even flying alone haha I am super nervous about that but I should be fine.

My prayers are centered around our family and Christina and Wyatt. I hope they are finding some sort of peace during this time.

I don't have much else to say about this week since I talked to y'all on Tuesday and Friday haha. We had dinner on Christmas with this young couple form the ward that both served Spanish speaking missions. They are so cute and even got us stockings.

We have been studying the Living Christ and I am pretty sure I have shared this part with you before but it brings me a lot of comfort

"We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary" I know that is true for the life of Jesus Christ and I know it is true for Tyler as well. I know his life is not over and that we will see him again. I know it will be a while and that its not going to be easy here without him but I know that just like President Monson says "its as if he went into another room". He is doing other work and i know that we will be together again. It brings me a lot of comfort to know that he is a covenant keeper and has all the essential ordinances. The knowledge we have is incredible and I am so grateful.

I love you.

Feliz Navidad!

Hola amigos!

We had transfers this week! I am in Richmond and we go to the Chesterfield Ward! It is the only Spanish ward in the mission. So That's pretty cool. I am with Hermana Clark again! I was with her in Stafford back in February. So That's pretty cool! We are both new to the area this transfer so we don't really know the people we are teaching so we have been trying to contact them this week.

Saying goodbye to The Manriquez family and to Robinson and Zulma was super sad but it was good. President Manriquez sat us down and talked to us about the progress he has seen in us and it was super cool. He also had us share our testimonies and it made me tear up a little. I love Fredericksburg!

On Tuesday we had transfers and the first place we went to go do some finding we had an interaction with a pitbull. My companion got bit but it wasn't super bad  she has been a champ!  We definitely stay away from dogs though.

We had our Christmas conference and that was awesome. We focused a lot on preparing for the second coming and it was super powerful. We also got to play some sports and I forgot to eat breakfast so I had some issues there but I drank some Gatorade and Dr. Pepper and had some ribs and was all good. 👍

 On our second night we got a call from a member in the English ward that is Hispanic and she asked if we wanted to to caroling with her and her family to some members in our area. So we went and we ended up singing Christmas songs in someones bedroom through the bathroom door so that this person could hear. It was one of the weirdest things ever. On that same night we knocked on the door of one of our investigators and they were having a Christmas party but they let us in and gave us food. It was extremely awkward because the family was just staring at us and we were super out of place haha!

Church here was pretty great. It was just an hour with lots of music and lots of testimonies about the Savior. It was cool to hear a lot of through share their testimonies of Jesus Christ. I also finished the Book of Mormon this week and have done a lot of reflecting on our Savior. I know that He lives and that he is very aware of all things happening in our lives. I am so grateful that we can have a personal relationship with him. I know that He walks with us in this life.

I love you all! I am so excited to talk to you tomorrow! I hope you guys have questions in mind or something because I am so awkward and don t know what to talk about haha!

FELIZ NAVIDAD🎄

BAPTISM THURSDAY

Hola amigos!!

Hermana Coleman is visiting her mission with her mom and they were in Fredericksburg on Sunday. I will actually be playing basketball with her and president Manriquez today haha!

On Thursday we had Robinson's baptisms and it was AWESOME. there were so many people there supporting him and we had an interpreter for sign language there for his daughter. They told us that after the baptism that the daughter said there was a different feeling in their home. Robinson shared his testimony and pretty much explained the story of the whole Book of Mormon this week because He finished it so that was awesome. He seemed so calm and happy.  Then on Sunday he received the holy ghost and that was awesome. He also received the Aaronic priesthood and it was so AWESOME. He Is so excited to bless the sacrament next week. Even better, Zulma's mom is in town for  so Salvador and she was baptized a while ago but has left the church and is a Jehovah's witness but we invited her to church and she came and said she felt the Spirit and is going to come again.

We had our branch Christmas party and we had so many non members and less active there. It was a miracle!!

A couple of weeks ago we met a woman named Claudia Diaspz and talked with her for a couple of minutes but for some reason we felt SUPER good about her. So We texted her a couple of days ago and asked if we could meet with her and she texted and asked us what time church was. Well, she came and she then proceeded to tell us that she is a member and was baptized in Honduras when she was 8. So that was super sweet! And she is going to start meeting with the hermanas!

Also, last night we were teaching Jaime and Irene about the plan of salvation and they loved it. They had really solid questions and understood what we were saying. We invited them to be baptized on January 12th and they accepted the date! So that's exciting and the have plans to come to church.

As for me, I will be leaving Fredericksburg and continuing ad a sister training leader. Hermana Barton is also leaving Fredericksburg. We are so sad to leave! But excited for what is coming next. 

I have been reading a lot about the Brother of Jared and really have received a testimony that Jesus Christ is so aware of our needs as individuals and he knows what we can handle. I am so grateful for all the knowledge the book of Mormon provides and I know that the book of Mormon is a manifestation of Gods love for us. 

I love you all!

I'm Ready

Hola amigos!

I am doing great! We had sacrament meeting but the rest of church was cancelled. 

This week on exchanges we went to a English member's house and they gave us a cinnamon roll and it almost made me cry haha because it was homemade and Christmas and I was just so happy haha.

This week has been awesome. On Tuesday we went on exchanges and I was able to teach a guy from Africa and it was really cool. Then we went and taught this part member family about the love of God because the 15 year old daughter doesn't really have a belief in God and it was super powerful and really cool. then we went and shared Light the World with some a member family and this 11 year old girl told us about how she tried to give a girl at school a Book of Mormon. It was awesome. She was sad because the person didn't accept but she is determined to try again.

On Wednesday, we went back and taught Jaime and Rene (a cute couple we found last week). They had been reading the Book of Mormon and had prayed to know if it is true. They said they hadn't gotten an answer yet. We read 1 Nefi 1 and it was really awesome and they wanted to come to church but they had a funeral in North Carolina and couldn't come but we will be meeting with them again tonight!

Thursday was awesome. WE had a lesson with Robinson and Zulma and we had planned this super intense lesson about "leaving your nets" and we were going to be super bold and tell him he needs to stop drinking and take the step of faith and be baptized.  We sing and pray and we were about to start and he said before you start I want to say something and then looks at us and in English says "I'm ready quiero bautizarme (I want to be baptized)". He told us that he had been reading in the Book of Mormon at work and just started crying and he couldn't stop and he went home and told Zulma. He also said that when President Nelson extended the challenge to give something to the Lord, he knew he could do that. So after a ton of scheduling conflicts, he will be getting baptized on Thursday at 6. We will even have a sign language interpreter for his daughter. (the only person in the area that speaks both Spanish and sign language happens to be a member in Stafford!)

Also on Saturday we went to the baptism of Gisella in Henrico!!  Hermana Barton and I both taught her and it was so fun to be apart of. The Spirit was so so strong. Her husband is also not a member and I taught him as well. So when we got there I told Angel I wanted to talk with him and figure out why he won't take this step to an eternal family. So we sat down and he said that there were some things he didn't understand and didn't agree with and that he didn't have faith. Which he always claims. But I explained that faith is a principle of action and he is doing all the actions and if he is doing all the actions, then he is showing that he has faith. A light when on in his head when we were talking about that. We also talked about the kingdoms of glory and he said we should all be working towards the celestial kingdom. So we talked about the requirements to get there and we talked about the temple and he said Gisella wants to be sealed but he knows they can't unless he is baptized. So he said he would pray about what we talked about and make a decision on baptism.  It was a super spiritual experience!

Then on Sunday the snow came. We came to church and they cancelled the last two hours and it was super snowy and we couldn't drive. So we got a snow shovel form our closet and started walking to a neighborhood. We got a second shovel from a  member and got to work. We went to Roxany's house (our recent convert whose dad won't let us come over anymore) and shoveled her driveway. Her mom was so grateful and invited us in for hot chocolate. That was a huge step because we haven't had contact for a really long time with them. WE had hot chocolate and had  weird conversation with her dad but it was a miracle. WE also had a video lesson with Robinson and he was super concerned on what the brother of Jared's name is hahahah. he eventually googled it to figure out how we know his name haha!

mom I sent your email to our secretary so you will probably be getting emails about travel stuff because that is coming soonish. Transfers are not this week but next Tuesday so if you were going to send anything.. either do it this week or wait until Tuesday and you can get my address from the mission office after the transfer meeting.

It has been a great week! I love you all and Merry Christmas!!