Email - January 13

First of all thank you for your encouragement and prayers for me. This week was a lot better but still a little ya know. Soooo.... TRANSFER NEWS...

I am leaving... nope scratch that I am definitely staying hahahaha again... What the! Apparently the Lord has something/someone I need to help here still. I love it here. I would just really love to experience something different as well. I am still a sister training leader and I am being sent a companion, I don't know who it is until Wednesday. Today my companion left, this morning. She will be flying home tomorrow and she left so much stuff in our trailer... now I have to clean it out again! I think I am just going to live here the rest of my life :) Our next transfers are February 26th. I am excited for this next transfer but we need to find new investigators because all of our investigators are now recent converts. 

   This Friday we had 5 baptisms!!! Cathy Gray, Madyson and Lucas Gray were baptized. I love their family so much!! We have been teaching them forever!! I started teaching them with Sister Pinnock. So that was a blessing to finally see this baptism. We had Brandon May (16) get baptized. He is a friend of the Gray's and Cathy's boyfriend (Mark, who is a member). Brandon's family will hopefully be following after his example soon. Also Kenny Wright was baptized. His wife is a member. The sisters in Yuma taught him and prepared him and then his family moved to the Foothills so we got to finish teaching him and help him be baptized. It was really great!! Miracles happen!! It is amazing to see families come together in this amazing journey and eventually enter into the temple. 

   So yesterday the song "Now that we're Men" popped into my head during Sunday school, I thought it was funny. Ya know from Spongebob movie.

Email - January 6

   I went to Somerton for exchanges this week. It was really fun, I got to speak a lot of Spanish and got to ride a bike and eat Mexican food. I loved it! It is fun to experience new things because I haven't experienced any new areas on my mission.

    This week has been the hardest week of my existence as a missionary. I am done, my strength and tolerance and patience has been all used up. I never ever want to feel this way again in my life. I feel like I am a failure, I have been so depressed and I know the Lord blessed me so much during that Christmas week. I hate writing an email like this but, I have to get it out someway. Thursday, was the worst day I have had in my whole mission. My companion is driving me to heck and so sorry for rambling but Thursday came around and I just couldn't handle it anymore. She just tried and tried to crack me open and make me talk but I don't like to talk and especially to her. I just wanted to be alone and she wouldn't leave me alone. I really am depressed and it is hard as heck but I will NOT EVER GIVE UP!! I am glad I am the one suffering and it is not some other sister putting up with her. We just don't mix and I feel bad because I am bringing down the whole companionship. It is hard to have the spirit when we are not getting along. I'm really sorry for saying all this but it is hard to deal with it alone. I dread waking up in the morning, but I do it anyway. It is not fun. But I did not come out here for fun, I did not come out here for me, I came out here for the Lord, and I am not doing His work well because of these things I feel. One week left of this. I will probably be staying in this area unless they white wash it but who knows. I am absolutely ready for something new but I will probably stay here and I love it here. Sorry I am so unhappy and I am sick of holding it to myself. I know I will grow from this and I already have tremendously!

Email - December 23

On Saturday, Javier Gonzalez got baptized so that was exciting! Today he took us out for breakfast at Denny's. He said that to be baptized was the best decision that he has ever made. His whole family was there supporting him too, it was cool.

I love you and I can't wait to talk to you on Wednesday!! Have a Merry Christmas Eve. Tell the fam and the ward and the Hartsfield's that I love them!!

Email - December 18

    So lots of changes have happened this past week. Saturday, we had 2 ward Christmas parties. One for Mesa Del Sol and tons of our investigators came so it was pretty awesome. The ward has it at the prettiest place ever!! It is at this ranch that has a pond and boats and horses and it is just so beautiful! I want to buy the land! They had a GINORMOUS bonfire!! And steak! When we were there, we got a call from our zone leaders, they said that Sister Ward is transferring on Tuesday, so she needs to pack her bags. We were all super duper sad about it because she is just an angel and we love her. We went to the second Christmas party with the Spanish branch. I got told that I am speaking in the Spanish branch this Sunday... I am so nervous because no hablo espanol!!

   Last Sunday, we went to our churches and then we took off to Tempe that night with all the missionaries in the whole mission. We all went up for our Christmas Conference. Sunday night was the Mission President Fireside, which they have once a month but I have never been able to go because it is too far. It was the BEST THING EVER besides what I am going to tell you in a little bit. But they had new converts speak and I loved it! Usually missionaries bring recent converts or investigators to these things. They are hopefully starting one in Yuma soon! That night we stayed at the Brown's home (huge house) they are going to be a new missionary couple that stays in the office. Doing what my grandma is doing on her mission. They are so nice! The next day (Monday, this is why I didn't email you) we had devotionals about Christ all day and about the Temple and got to know all the missionaries in our mission and had a testimony meeting. I don't think the Catmull's niece is in our mission anymore. That night we had family home evening and got to hear a ton of musical numbers! It was awesome! So much musical talent, it's ridiculous! Then we slept again at the Brown's with all the missionaries from Yuma. This is the best part.... I GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! yayayaya I have never been so excited in my life and I was just imagining those people that live far from the temple and only get to go once in their lives. I was so excited I was tearing up! The Mesa Temple is drop dead amazing! No kidding! It is beautiful! And the new video, ahhh I loved it! I was so happy to be there and found so much peace! Guess what, I got to hug President Toone in the Celestial Room, I hugged a man! The biggest man ever! Have I ever told you how tall he is!? yeah so it was amazing! And then we drove home last night! And we found out for Mission Leadership Council Sister White and I have to drive back up Thursday night to Friday evening. Our week is shot!! And we have Javier's baptism this Saturday that isn't really planned, so this will be interesting and all of our baptisms for the 28th, who knows what we will do! And right now I am on exchanges with another sister. 

    This past week our zone met a new time record of how many investigators at church, we had 35 and before our record was 27. As a zone we have 20 people on date for baptism. Miracles happen! In our area, which is down right awesome, we had 14 people at church, and we have 7 on date. At the Christmas Conference everyone was coming up to me and saying, I hear your area is doing amazing! It is so cool to think about how this area was "the struggling area" before, and now it is one of the best in the mission. I know that is because of obedience and diligence, miracles happen! 

    Also, I talked to Sister Toone this past week. We had a zone conference Sister White and I taught about sustaining ourselves in our callings, leaders, fellow missionaries, and the Lord in this work. I was so nervous, my self-esteem was definitely gone that day, but President and Sister Toone said they have seen an amazing change in me and that I did amazing, that they really felt the spirit. 

Uhm... I think that is all. But just know I am thinking of you all a whole lot! And finally it is getting a little warmer again back up to 70 during the day :) Suprisingly I don't miss the snow, which helps not getting as home sick. Well I love you and I can't wait to talk to you all :) :) 

Poem

Before this life , we live together as spirits,

We knew each other, very well.

You promised me that you would be my friend in this life,

And lead me to my Savior.

You promised me that you would keep me away,

From the evil and temptations of the world.

You promised me that when I lost my way,

You would be right there by my side.

Where are you now?

My spirit is gone, my heart is weak,

These feelings just don’t feel complete.

I need you now more than ever.

I lost my way, I fell off the path.

My friend, please come back and be my healer,

Lead me to my Father,

Keep the promises that you did make.

               Come find me now, don’t come too late.

Letter - December 7

My neighbors, two doors down, Laura (mother) and Standen (daughter) were baptized on November 30th. I don't know if I have told you about them, if not than I am surprised because they are seriously my two favorite people! So funny and so random, it kills me! They are my joy each day! Laura pretty much calls me her daughter. She has really taken care of me and loves me so much. I am so grateful to have her here. They crack me up! Laura has been smoking for YEARS and we helped her quit. She had a really tough time, but finally quit for good. I asked her what had made her quit this time. She said, "I want to be a member! I want to be baptized!" It was the most true and honest reply and I felt the Spirit through her. The elders had always tried to share the lessons with them, but they haven't wanted to listen before. I love them so much!

Laura (right) kept singing "Oom-pa, Loom-pa" while in the baptismal suit

Email - December 2

Transfer news!!!
dun dun dun...

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I am staying.... hahahaha whooo. So I am staying, my companion is staying. We are still sister training leaders and we are also training a new missionary together. Which means that we will be in a trio of sisters, in a trailer, with one shower, hahaha! This shall be an adventure!! I am really happy to be staying though, so that is good! I have family here, it is nice. 

Shout out to KELLI because she is THE BEST and sent me the cutest shirts ever! I miss her so much! It ain't even funny! Well, I miss all my friends so much!!

My thanksgiving was great! I had 3 dinners=stuffed!

I love you!

   This week was very emotional and stressful. So much work! But it is great because we need this work, right :) On Saturday, very happy day with the 2 baptisms, Kainoa Renaud, he is 18 and down right AMAZING! And Kylee Earl, she is 9, so adorable!

Email - November 18

   This week has been amazing!! I am pretty sure that my area has the most taught lessons per week in the mission, if not, then it has to be pretty far up on the list! But the Lord has prepared many people here to accept Christ in their lives. 

  I don't want to leave this area, haha. I am pretty sure I have about 20 moms looking after me here and I feel like I am home every house I go to. Some moms have been fighting after me to marry their sons when they return from a mission, haha. I am just so grateful for the people here that love me and I feel like they are all my family. It makes it easier to deal with the daily stress as a missionary with such wonderful ward families.

   Last Monday, for p-day, my whole zone went to San Luis, Arizona (look on map). It is on the border, like I saw Mexico. I saw the people lining up at the border entry. All hispanics there. It is probably 45 minutes from my area. Those missionaries in San Luis are in my zone as well. And I define that it is San Luis, Arizona because San Luis also goes into Mexico. This is where all our Spanish investigators go for the weekends, which means that we can't get them to church... very frustrating! Anyway, we played soccer, volleyball, softball, basketball with the zone and with some members in San Luis. It was really fun! Luckily today is a nice relaxing p-day where I finally get to get caught up on the letters I have received. I will write you a longer letter today. I have so many miracles and stories to tell you. P.S. we have two baptisms this Saturday the 23rd. Yay!! I will tell you about them.