Testimony

My dear friends and family, the day has come. I can't believe it's already been 18 months. has it really? well. I guess my time has come. You all already know that I am heartbroken to leave my people.

These are my brothers and sisters. These are God's children. And Heavenly father has sent me to help them come home. There comes a special love for people when your main desire is their salvation. When you see these people as God see's them, you can't help but feel his love for them. I have come to love them more than i would have ever imagined possible. 

I have come to love the gospel. I love studying it. I love teaching it. I have felt the spirit testify to me time and time again the message of the restoration. Each time i say the words... "i saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head...." the spirit bares witness to my heart of the truthfullness of this gospel. I know the gospel was restored through the prophet Joseph smith. I know that this is christs church, and he guides it today through his living prophet. I know the priesthood has been restored, and it is the power of God given to man to bring to pass our salvation. I have seen the preisthood work miracles. I have felt its power countless times.

I have come to love the book of mormon. I know that it is true. It is a pure vessel of the spirit, and has taught me more truths than any other book. It is the tool of the restoration. Everything is dependant upon that book. If you do not have a testimony of the book of mormon i invite you to pray and gain one. I know without a doubt that the book of mormon is true. 

I know that God knows me, and loves me. I have come to know my heavenly father through prayer. I know he loves each of us. I know he hears and answers prayers. I know he has a plan for us. I know he wants all of us to live with him someday. 

It has been a long hard journey, but I wouldn't change a thing. You know what they say "life is a roller coaster, but if it wasn't it wouldn't be worth the ride." I would not change a moment of my mission. I have enjoyed the ups, the successes. the baptisms, the happinesses, and the miracles. But i am also grateful for the sorrows, for the pain and hardships that i have come to know.

President Hall once said, "there comes a great strength in passing through trials." I have faced mountains on my mission. I have been brought to my knees time and time again, asking myself, what am i even doing here? What more can i do for my vineyard? and those are the special moments where I have come to know my savior. I know that my savior knows me, and knows everything I have passed through. He is my personal savior. He has strengthened me more than I ever thought possible. I know that he has walked with me. He makes up for all i cannot do. He atoned for my sins, and he atoned for my shortcomings. And even when i don't feel good enough, and i feel i don't deserve it, he is always there. 

The miracle of a mission is that it changes lives. even if i spent all my days as a missionary, and had no success, didn't change anyone's life, i know that my life has been changed forever. "every missionary can have at least one convert. One true blue through and through member of the church who will remain faithful long after the mission is over." That convert is me. I have been changed forever. And i am grateful for every day I have had here, that God has changed me. 

Love you familia. See you soon.

Love

Ness

Last week ever!

Dearest familia, this is the end. my only friend the end! haha no just kidding. Almost the end. Almost the last email I will ever write as a misionera de la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos do los ultimos dias. I don't have a lot to say, but I do have a story I want to share.

We have a wonderful man who lives in our neighborbood, his name is Eloy. He is about mid 50's or so, and loves to drink beer. But he is my best friend. We first met Eloy in the park while teaching Pedro. He was one of the very first lessons Hermana Jensen ever taught. We taught him for a little minute, but we didn't get very far cause he was too drunk to understand anything. Well Eloy has become our really good friend. We see him all over the neighborhood, sometimes drunk sometimes not. But whenever we see him he always yells to us "Mis Angeles!" he calls us his lil angels. The other day when we saw him he told us "you know angels, I hope that one day you find your prince and get married and have the happiest life cause you deserve every happiness in the world."

We always make a special note to invite eloy to church every week. He always promises that he will come, but he never does. Well the other day he was walking by and I said Eloy I want to invite you to church this sunday, it's going to be my last sunday here. He looked at me and said "my angel is leaving? NO!!!" he got so upset, he had to walk away, and he started crying!!! the next day we walked passed his house, and he was drinking with a few buddies, but he said "Mis angeles!!!" he called us over, and gave us some flowers and limes, and he talked to us for so long about how sad he is that his angels are leaving. He started crying again and he told me he would always remember me and keep me in his heart, and he wanted to give me a plant so I could always have a little piece of his spirit with me, and he was just being so sweet! Even his buddies that he was drinking with (who we didn't even know we just barely met them) they started crying too! they all kissed our hands before we left (don't think that's missionary appropriate) and as we walked away Eloy yelled I love you guys! It was a little strange, but so sweet.

It really made me stop to think about the difference I have made here. Even though we only taught eloy maybe twice, and he never came to church, he didn't get baptized or come anywhere closer  to his heavenly father, We made a difference in his life. We made a lasting impression that he will never forget. We touched his life for good. I don't think I have ever truly realized what an impact being a missionary makes on others lives. We truly are angels in others lives. Sometimes I feel like a normal person, just walking around the streets saying hi to people, and sometimes I get discouraged and feel like I haven't made a difference. But Eloy really taught me that my service here hasn't gone unnoticed. People know who we are, and know what we have to share. People can see the difference in our eyes and our smiles. They know we have something different. When we have charity for others, that is what changes their lives. Sometimes, that's all they really need, just love. that's all Eloy needed, just to feel God's love.

I am so grateful for all the wonderful people I have come to know. They all have taught me so much. I am going to miss them all with all my heart. you know what grandpa watts always used to say "you've got a friend in California, a friend who misses you."

Love,

Ness

The Castillos :)

Hey! my familia! okay well here is the dealio.... SOOOO much has happened the last week and a half I don't even know what to tell you! But I guess I will just tell you a great story.

la familia Castillo, remember? the one we have been working with FOREVER!!! Well. they did it. They made it to their baptism. Oh my you have no idea how hard we have been working with them. It has been so hard, but so amazing. So so so amazing. We visit them every day, the house has been more calm, the kids are more well behaved, the Hermana has been more patient. it is just so unreal to see all the changes in that home.

So their baptism was planned for the 19th right? I think satan was working really really hard to make this baptism not happen. It was not good. the first trial was that my companion got the flu. she was out for two days, but we had to see them every day or they wouldn't make it to their baptism!!! so you know what we did? yep we took bed-ridden sicky pants Hermana Jensen to the castillos. I am actually pretty impressed with her, she made it pretty far before she turned to me and said I think I need to vomit now. So after she puked in Hermana Valenzuelas bushes I took her straight back home and to bed, called up the sister training leaders and said QUICK! we need an emergency exchange! Hermana Francis and Buxton quickly came to the rescue, and we left Hermana Jensen and Buxton home while Hermana Francis and I ran to the Castillos. We did a mock interview, which is basically we just told them all the answers to the questions they would ask in their real interview. And they were Perfect!

The day of the interview was equally crazy. It was a struggle getting them to the church, but we got them there! They were both so cute. They each have little side bags like sister missionaries, and cute little Linda took out her book of Mormon in the interview and was so excited. They said she did so good and it was one of the most amazing interviews. She is the sweetest.

Well we kept visiting them everyday, and on Friday night we were all ready. The girls were so excited, and to make the event even more special for the Hermana, we gave her skirts! some old skirts we had that we weren't using. She looked so good and so modest in them:) it was so sweet to see her face light up with our little act of kindness, and before we left we taught the girls the rainbow baptism song, because they wanted to sing their own baptism song.

Well then comes sunday. oh sunday. the big day. We show up to the Castillo's at 11:30 to help them get to church. The girls are all ready, they are just waiting, and the Hermana is getting out of the shower. Well then she comes out and says is the diaper bag ready? do the kids have their shoes on? that's it we're not going! I don't want to go, you're not getting baptized, forget it.

OOOOOHHH NOOO!!! stress emergency! we had to talk to her in a very soothing voice and it took a decent amount of shoe searching and diaper bag prepping, but we did it! We got them to church! (good thing too cause if they didn't go to church they couldn't get baptized!) they got to church, and it was all amazing. So so good. sheesh. Sundays are the most stressful days of missionary work I tell you what.

Well after church came the time. The baptism. oh man. Like I said it was a miracle the whole thing actually came together. We had a lot of help from all sides, and especially from padre celestial. But it came through! Probably not one of the most reverent baptisms I have ever been to, but I would say one of my favorites. The girls put on their white jumpers, and decided they looked like karate suits so they started doing karate. The little five year old kept wanting to swim in the font. Everyone got their late. The girls couldn't decide who they wanted to go first, they were standing outside the font saying no you go first, no you! haha. Then they all the sudden realized they needed to go potty. oh gee just everything was nuts. But the highlight of the whole thing: All the primary kids went up and sang the rainbow song. The two shining stars stood in the middle and sang with all their heart. It reminded me a lot of my baptism, and it was so special.

I love the castillos so much, and am so grateful for the chance I have had to work with them. Even though it was a lot of pain and heartache and work, it was so sweet in the end.

Well family, that is all I have this week. I love you so much!

Love,

Ness

iPads!!!

familia. spoiler alert. The email of today is not too long. and not too interesting. Well it was pretty interesting. and now it is not. first. Here is the big news. The California San Fernando mission is the next mission to get iPads!!!!! WOOOOO!!! We don't have them yet, but we get them next Friday!! How exciting! I'm not really sure all that that entails. I think we are going to start online proselyting, and other great things. I am not 100% sure on all the details, but i'll let you know next week.

Saddest news. I just read president's email and this is what it says:

"On a separate note, I have some disappointing news. I received a call from the Missionary Department that they have decided to postpone the rollout of iPads to our mission. It appears that there were some missionaries in another mission who decided not to follow the rules for the use of the mobile devices and used them inappropriately. The Missionary Department has decided to hold off on providing additional missions with mobile devices until they can review the situation and determine an appropriate path forward." 

wow. That just made me the saddest! Disobedience is the worst! it brings sadness to so many people! especially to me!! (and president hall, and the entire California San Fernando mission!!) and to the LORD! yikes. Just be obedient people.

In other more uplifting news, wasn't general conference just the most amazing thing on the whole planet! oh man. I was sad when it was over! Some talks that I really liked were the one from Jorg Klebbinger something I think was his name... where he talked about spiritual confidence. He was just so bold and told it like it was! I really loved that one a lot.

Another one that was probably one of my favorites was elder Bednar's talk about missionary work. Oh man he is great as well. I loved how he said "devoted disciples always have been and always will be valiant missionaries." the driving force behind everything we do is the love we have for our savior. If you all don't have a personal testimony of the savior and his atonement, I challenge you to obtain one. There were so many talks about revelation, and how we can obtain a testimony. I truly know that a sincere love of God and his commandments, an unshakeable testimony of the truth, are the only thing that will keep us safe in a world surrounded by the distractions and evils of the devil. I know that God lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is our savior, and that he stands at the head of the church. His church has been restored, and it is guided today by living prophets. I know that living the gospel is the way to true happiness. And if you are not all truly happy, I invite you to reflect and think about changes you can make in your life.

I love you all and pray for you always.

Mucho amor

Hermana Watts

Meet The Mormons!

So familia. Here comes the drama story of the week. Member like two weeks ago when I told you about the crazy lady that came by at 1:30 in the morning? Well. She came back!!! Yeah so Tuesday morning bright and early she comes knocking on our neighbors window being a little too loud and saying many mean things. Well she is yelling at freddy through his window and he is like go away i am sleeping, and then she was getting really angry and yelling at him about a phone charger, and all that jazz. Well then she is banging on the window so so hard that it breaks!! ah! So yeah our neighbors are causing lots of drama. And people are not happy about it. But it makes our life interesting:)

umm what else happened this week? I really have no idea! we had Hermana Jensen's six week follow up, and it was basically the worst meeting ever because all of the new missionaries are there just so excited to have finished six weeks in the field. And for most of their trainers this is our last transfer, so it's like the last six weeks! AHHH! we all got together and had a nice little meltdown due to the quickened pace of time. I can't believe how fast time is going!

Well. In other news. This week we were super lucky! and we got a sneak peak preview of the movie meet the Mormons! We had a mission wide conference and we all got to watch it together in the chapel. Missionary movie night! hooray! If you haven't heard about the movie, go visit www.meetthemormons.com. Then watch the preview. Then you will know! Here are my thoughts on the movie:

I was just really impressed by the whole thing! it made me realize how great and worldwide the church really is.  It is not just a Utah Mormon thing. you know, typical Mormon families living in Utah with their typical lives the dad works 9-5 the wife is a stay at home mom and all that jazz. But I was super impressed with just how amazing the members of the church really are! They are so diverse. They live amazing lives. It just testified to me once again that this is not just a church. It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is perfect, and good, and for everyone! And it all of God’s children deserve the opportunity to hear this glad message. It made me want to be a better missionary and to help the people understand the beauty and happiness that comes from living the gospel. I know this church is true, and I am so grateful to be a member and to experience all the blessing that come from living the restored gospel. I love being a Mormon!

Well so familia, I will leave you with two thoughts for the week. 1. Go see meet the Mormons! and 2.  Watch General conference! I am so so so excited for conference. It is such a blessing to be able to hear from prophets and apostles who receive revelation just for us!  Make sure to watch ALL the sessions! I want to hear all your thoughts and input! And that is all. Sorry the email is short. Lots to say, little time. But I love you all so much! have the best week!

Love Ness

picture: we are training the castillos to be future missionaries. Meet sister Linda y sister Kimberly:)

So many things

Well mi querida familia, I don't even know what to title this email this week, because there are just so so so many little things that happened! strange. Where to begin.

Well we will start with the ward. so we have been working really really hard with the young women lately. The girls in the Spanish branch now go to young womens with the English girls, and they aren't mixing well. They don't really like it. So they asked us to go to help them out. Well we got a big old group to go! and by big old group I mean instead of the 2 girls that usually go we had 6 youth there. It was a combined activity and I can tell why it was so intimidating. Kids are crazy! I forgot what it's like being a youth. Man. I felt awkward and out of place, and I'm a missionary. And I had a companion who is basically assigned to be my friend! But there was the cutest little investigator boy there named Antonio, who is the shyest little thing ever! he reminds me so much of Easton! so he became my new best friend of the night.

Another fun thing we did this week was we had this dinner way way far away, and we were running late after it (as usual) trying to get to English class on time. Well mid way to the church I popped my bike tire, and so I had to ride the last 2 miles on a flat bike tire. I almost crashed like 17 times, but I couldn't stop cause then we would never get going again! We arrived to English class looking like the scariest, sweatiest, ugliest sister missionaries ever... but the class went really good! Hermana Jensen taught it like a champion!

and then what else happened this week. Oh. We got the low down on how all the refugee missionaries made it out of Africa! there is an elder that was reassigned here from that mission, and we got the lowdown on the whole story. Basically the coolest ever. No time for all the details.

Oh also, we had another fun clean the river activity. Except it wasn't really a river it was a dry river bed... poor little California is just in such a bad drought situation! So we picked up lots of trash and saved the environment one fish at a time!

another silly thing that happened is we decided to do a kind deed and give all of our recycling bottles to one of our less actives. she is the cutest, and they are just so so so poor. So we took our pluthera of plastic bottles, put them in a giant box, and strapped them onto the back of Hermana Jensen's bike. Well after a solid two pedals the box tipped over and all of the bottles went spilling into the street!! ahaha! good thing we are not engineers or anything!

Well. those are all of the silly things. Now for the best part. Sunday. Oh man. Best day of the week by far! so we started by going to the familia castillos house to help them come to church. Well we get there and all of the kids are all ready looking so fly in their church clothes and they are all so excited. Well then out come the mom in her pj's and she says "I'm not going. the house is a mess, I'm too frustrated, I am not ready, the baby isn't ready, I am not going." OH NOOOO!! all this work for nothing! talk about a stress emergency! so we get on the phone trying to get the kids a ride while trying to calm down the Hermana from her fit she is throwing. We may or may not have kidnapped the two little girls to take them to church. haha just kidding we didn't. But we did find a ride for only the two girls, so we took them. Well it turned out during the second hour of church Hermana Castillo came too!!! with the other 3 kids! oh happy days it was the best thing ever! We have been working all transfer to get that family to church. think they all really liked it a lot.

another amazing thing that happened at church, our friend Ramiro came! we haven't even taught Ramiro a lesson yet, he is just way too busy all the time. But we saw him Saturday night before church, and he said yeah for sure I will come. and he did! he actually got to church before we did due to the fiasco with all the ninos. haha. good work. oh it was just amazing to see the chapel so full on sunday! there were like 70 people there. And that is quite a lot for our little rama! (branch). It has been so fun working so hard with the ward, to help people come back and to help others come for the first time. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. It's where all your hard work and labors pay off. Seeing old faces in church and seeing how happy people are as they leave just makes my heart melt. I love the gospel, and the peace it brings into our lives. Especially into mine. I don't know what I would do without it. So next week at church, take a moment to stop and ponder, and appreciate the people around you and the sacrifice they are making to be there. But most importantly take the time to feel the spirit, and remember the reason we even go to church, to worship our savior jesus Christ.

I love this gospel and my savior. And I love all of you!

consecration

okay familia! sorry I skipped the big email last week. I will tell you the problema... we just had an overall lack of diligence. We weren't working as hard or as efficient as we should have been, and it showed in the results of our week. So we repented and changed and decided to have a better week. And it was amazing! gosh I don't even know how to word this email so sorry if I ramble.

we'll start on a not spiritual note... haha so Thursday morning we woke up early... too early. Okay actually I woke up to Hermana Jensen throwing her stuffed shark at me at 1:30 in the morning. I had no idea what was happening so I just rolled over and started praying. Then I heard the crazy argument that was going on outside. Our gang friend drug dealing neighbor named sam who is the sweetest was in a fight with this crazy lady who was swearing and yelling very profane things that are very unpardonable at 1:30 in the morning.. so after listening to them argue we went to sleep and she came back at like 5:00 to yell at him again in some more foul language. I may or may not have spied on them through the window... :) I tell you. They always keep me on my toes!

continuing with drama stories, one of our investigators juan (who we call the chosen juan.. haha get it like chosen one! that one was all Hermana Jensen) but he is like way in love with us. He invited us to go out dancing with him this week. So we started taking our recent convert Pedro to his lessons to protect us! haha we have another creepy investigator that wants us to date his son. yikes.

and then one day this week just for fun hna Jensen made us a fort because we had to watch some training videos. haha she's just a hoot. So here's some nice fotos. anyways, now that you have been filled in on all the unspiritual things, now onto the spiritual things to restore your faith in me as a missionary of the lord!

so I have been studying diligence a lot. Cause I don't want to finish my mission being one of those trunky missionaries that just wastes time. I want to Finish Strong. Well in preach my gospel it says“I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There willbe no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.”

–President Ezra Taft Benson
I have really come to understand, appreciate, and gain a testimony of this principle. If you are not working diligently, you don't have the spirit, and if you don't have the spirit, you are not happy. One of the most amazing things I have seen is that diligence in planning really pays off. If you plan with precision, the lord is going to put people in your path. He will lead you to them, or them to you. So this week has been a week of being in the right place at the right time, and working on the timetable of the lord.
For example Monday we met this one guy named Marin who I had met like one month previously, and he remembered me. He asked if we could teach him. So we taught him right then. For our return cita we went to his house, and he wasn't there, but we found a family that said oh we know the missionaries, they used to teach us! and we were able to go back and teach them! they are way cool. Santos and Delmi. So we were guided there by marin who remembered me from forever ago! miracle!
Another time we were planning, and Hermana Jensen says to me hey remember that guy that was washing his car? we start trying to remember this way cool guy, decide we should try calling him, he doesn't answer, but later that night when we are out contacting guess who we run into? CAR WASH GUY!!!! coincidence? I think NOT!
The lord was just putting us where we needed to be at exactly the right time. It was really unreal how everything worked out perfectly. If we had a return appointment, and they weren't home, the Lord had the perfect backup plan waiting. So I really know that when we work hard, and do our best, the lord will make up the rest and guide us.
We also had the amazing opportunity to have a mission conference this week with Elder Bruce A. Carlson of the seventy. He is so cool! he used to be a General in the air force, so he told lots of cool stories about war and stuff. Most of which went over my head. Dad you would have loved them! We talked a lot about what it means to be a consecrated missionary. Or sanctification. What I really think is the most amazing thing about consecration is that it's personal. It's about turning your heart to God. Submitting your will to his. Like Christ did when he was on the earth. Whenever he was asked what he was doing he always answered I am doing the will of my father, or doing what my father sent me to do. He never thought of himself. His own agenda, or his own desires. He was here to serve his father. And that is the kind of missionary I want to be. More than just a missionary who sacrifices 18 months to serve the Lord, but a missionary who has truly become sanctified, and become and instrument in the lords hands, to carry out his will. I know this church is true, and the Lord needs missionaries "who love [him], truly, truly love [him], and love what our Father in Heaven has commissioned [us] to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world." Jeffry R. Holland.
So my dear family "Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Love you all so much!