Lice

Okay momma, this email is just for you! So remember how we got given the task of getting rid of lice in our recent converts hair?? Well yikes. It is the biggest nightmare that has ever existed.

Mom. It is the worst case of lice I have EVER seen. We were there for 2 and a half hours and didn't even make a dent!!! the mom has it, the three kids have it, the mean awful older brother has it, even the BABY has it!!! oh man. We washed the hair mom for like ever, and then we tried to comb out the nits... oh man. Yeah we didn't get like any of it out. We had to wash out the comb like every two seconds because there is just way too much lice. I would almost say there is more like than there is hair!

But enough complaining. I am going to go straight to heaven for getting lice in the service of others right? This is me and barnsey washing out OUR hair with lice shampoo...

dreams do come true!!! AGAIN!!!

Hey family! What's good? so here is the deal. About 5 months ago I had a way stellar email about how all my dreams were coming true and I got to be with my dream companion. Well awesome news the dream team is REUNITED!!!!! It is SOOO good to be back with Hermana Barnes. She is just my favorite. It's been fun to see how much we've grown, and all the new things we have learned. She is just my best friend!

here are some of the adventures we have had together:

well first we are on bike. I mean stop everything that in itself is a dream come true!!! I've wanted to be on bike my whole mission!!! It was a little rough in the beginning. especially cause I don't know anything about bikes! but it's okay, my bike (the beast) and I have settle our differences and decided to be friends. And also the guy at the bike shop is an angel and fixed my bike for free! (how was I supposed to know how to put the tire on correctly? I'm just a white girl!)

The next awesome adventure is every single day in our area! It's a missionaries dream! its super paisa (latina) and the people here are so so nice! I love Mexicans way more than white people. wait did I say that out loud? sorry America I take it back!  But for real. They are just SO nice! this one lady I just barely met invited us into her home and made us enchiladas! Almost everyone we see offers us water. And even when the people reject us I still feel way good about myself! I love it!

Another way way fun thing we did was we got to walk to church with a caravan of teenage girls! haha it was like a little parade! picture attached. the girls are all way awesome. they are the only members in their families, but they still come every week without fail!

We made a drunk man cry! We have an investigator named Beto, who is a big time alcoholic. We just met him last week and we shared a scripture and he was in tears just saying "I want to change! You have to help me!! I know you two will be my angels." 

We got to do this way fun service! we were trailblazers! (that's people who make trails right?) cause that's what we did! we made trails! holy tolito it was so hot and super hard manual labor, and I was for SURE feelin It the next day. But it was so so so much fun! now I am an expert ground tiller, and I can use a mccloud like no ones business.

but out of all the fun and all the adventures, we have seen so many miracles. I am so happy to be in this area. It is so amazing the people her are just amazing. I am so excited for all the adventures we are going to have in this area, and all the lord has in store for us.

Well honey lovers, I miss you and love you! Besitos!

Love Ness

The Lord is full of Surprises

Well Family. It's been a strange week to say the least. How about we start from the beginning. Once upon a time there was a little mission called the Great California San Fernando mission. It was a tiny happy mission with the happiest of missionaries. And then it got struck with the plague. No but for real. This huge poopy plague of depression, anxiety, strange health problems and all sorts of things. Well as a result, lots of missionaries died from this plague. (and when I say die it's just for the story purposes. They actually just had to go home from their mission early.)

 

So we lost two missionaries from the Burbank zone, one of them happened to be sweet Hermana Blacker, who I trained. well that left her companion Hermana watts (Ashley watts) companionless. So we adopted her!!! TRIO!!! it was so much fun! We had a blast being in a trio. It was like a sleepover every night! And we got to work two Areas, and go to two different wards on sunday! 5 hours of church! We got to introduce ourselves as the hermanas Watts and Labanc. and everyone asked us if we were sisters. So yeah. We spent the week in a trio just waiting for the call from president telling us what would happen with Hermana watts.

 

Well. The call Finally came. Saturday morning while eating my nice Yoplait yogurt president called and asked to talk to us each individually. so he started with me. He said "Hermana Watts there are some really strange and unexpected things about to take place, so just follow me for a minute. I know we are in the middle of the transfer, but in about three weeks there will be new hermanas coming in. I have called you to be a trainer of one of the new missionaries."

 

instantly my thought is "OH NO!!! he is going to put me and my new missionary in the North Hollywood 4to area, and then I am going to end my mission exactly where I started it and I am never going to leave the Burbank zone my whole mission!!!!" but no. luckily that didn't happen.

 

He said "I am going to extend to you a release as a sister training leader, and you will be leaving  your area." WHAT! didn't see that one coming!!!

"Sister Watts is going to stay there and replace you, and you will be coming up to Santa Clarita to be companions with....HERMANA BARNES!!!! you'll be with her for her last three weeks, and then train a new missionary in that area."

 

Okay what. no way. I about died of excitement!! Reuniting the Dream team?! President are you sure? I think the world might just die of too much awesomeness. (oh p.s. Hermana Barnes' companion also went home early because of health reasons, hence she was companionless as well.) It is so incredible how all the pieces just seemed to fall right into place. Although it was so very strange, and completely out of left field, and no one saw it coming, I know that these changes are inspired. While I was talking with president I just felt so at peace with all the changes. I know that the lord is in the details of this work, and he guides it. He has the master plan and all we need to do is trust him, and everything will fall into place. The church is true and I love you all!

dreams do come true!!! AGAIN!!!

Hey family! What's good? so here is the deal. About 5 months ago I had a way stellar email about how all my dreams were coming true and I got to be with my dream companion. Well awesome news the dream team is REUNITED!!!!! It is SOOO good to be back with Hermana Barnes. She is just my favorite. It's been fun to see how much we've grown, and all the new things we have learned. She is just my best friend!

here are some of the adventures we have had together:

well first we are on bike. I mean stop everything that in itself is a dream come true!!! I've wanted to be on bike my whole mission!!! It was a little rough in the beginning. especially cause I don't know anything about bikes! but it's okay, my bike (the beast) and I have settle our differences and decided to be friends. And also the guy at the bike shop is an angel and fixed my bike for free! (how was I supposed to know how to put the tire on correctly? I'm just a white girl!)

The next awesome adventure is every single day in our area! It's a missionaries dream! its super paisa (latina) and the people here are so so nice! I love Mexicans way more than white people. wait did I say that out loud? sorry America I take it back!  But for real. They are just SO nice! this one lady I just barely met invited us into her home and made us enchiladas! Almost everyone we see offers us water. And even when the people reject us I still feel way good about myself! I love it!

Another way way fun thing we did was we got to walk to church with a caravan of teenage girls! haha it was like a little parade! picture attached. the girls are all way awesome. they are the only members in their families, but they still come every week without fail!

We made a drunk man cry! We have an investigator named Beto, who is a big time alcoholic. We just met him last week and we shared a scripture and he was in tears just saying "I want to change! You have to help me!! I know you two will be my angels." 

We got to do this way fun service! we were trailblazers! (that's people who make trails right?) cause that's what we did! we made trails! holy tolito it was so hot and super hard manual labor, and I was for SURE feelin It the next day. But it was so so so much fun! now I am an expert ground tiller, and I can use a mccloud like no ones business.

but out of all the fun and all the adventures, we have seen so many miracles. I am so happy to be in this area. It is so amazing the people her are just amazing. I am so excited for all the adventures we are going to have in this area, and all the lord has in store for us.

Well honey lovers, I miss you and love you! Besitos!

Love Ness

Our Miracle Family

Hey my sweet family. I have wonderful stories for this week. So listen.

 

Once upon a time there was a missionary who was just having a hard time. She was working really hard, and not seeing the fruits of her labors. For the purpose of our story we'll call her Hermana Watts, because that's her name. So this Hermana Watts is getting discouraged. With herself, with the work, with her investigators that seemed to be so cool and just aren't progressing. She just can't seem to figure out what she is doing wrong. but then she reads a scripture in Mosiah 23:21-22

 21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
 22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.
So this little Hermana does the only thing she can do. She prays. She puts every last little ounce of trust she has in the lord. Her and her sweet Japanese companion begin to pray that they will find the elect. The people really searching for the gospel. Not only that, but that the will find a family.
So what happens with this cute little companionship of downtrodden hermanas? The Lord says I think I will bless them with a miracle. I think they're ready. And along came Lyneth.

Lyneth is a referral we received. So Miracle #1 we never ever receive referrals. So we schedule an appointment with her, and we go and teach her. She is absolutely amazing. She doesn't have a religious background, but believes in God and Jesus Christ. She has been looking for a church. So we get to know her, and right as we are about to say the opening prayer Miracle #2 her husband comes home. and instead of being very against missionaries like some spouses tend to be, he sits down with us, and says oh yeah I went to the Mormon school in Mexico. I almost was baptized but my mom wouldn't let me. WHAT? So we teach them the message of the restoration. Miracle #3 We were able to teach the perfect lesson perfectly tailored to their needs, and they loved it. The spirit felt was incredible. We set a return cita for the next day. Miracle #4 they were actually HOME for the return appointment. Miracle #5 her two sons were also home, and so we taught them as well. We taught them all about the book of Mormon, and they all promised to read it. Miracle #6 when we went back the next day Lyneth had read more than her assigned reading. She read right past the introduction and through all of the testimonies! miracle #7 Lyneth came to church. miracle #8 she brought her whole family! Our miracle family of 4! miracle #9 Lyneth and her family came super late, but for some strange reason, the Obispo decided to have all the youth get up and bear their testimonies BEFORE the sacrament, so the sacrament started late and our miracle family didn't miss a minute of the best part of the meeting:) Miracle #10 Lyneth wants to be baptized:)
I know God hears and answers prayers. I know he is mindful of us. Lyneth was an answer to our prayers. She is an elect. Not only did he bless us with the opportunity to teach an elect, he blessed us with a family to teach. I know trials strengthen us, and I am so grateful for the blessing that comes from each trial of our faith. I love you all so much! Keep being wonderful, and pushing through your trials, because there are great blessings in store.
Love Ness

WattsX2

Hey Fam! What's new? So get this. In this zone of mine we have two Hermana Watts. How cute. And I just happen to be her sister training leader, so logically, we are going to have to go on exchanges! And what does that mean? WATTS X 2 (or watts squared whichever you prefer...) It was a blast! We introduced ourselves all day "hey we're the Hermanas Watts" or "Hi nice to meet you my name is sister Watts.... my name is also sister watts". People were just all sorts of confused! One investigator, cute Mayra asked us, are all the misioneras going to be called Watts now? ha. Too fun.

 

Lets see what else happened this week. Well we had a great Mission Leadership council with president Hall, where we learned how to teach better. I tell you the gospel is so amazing and I am learning so much about it every day. But it's so hard to teach! okay false, it's hard to teach it simply! I just want to tell everyone everything I know, but that just doesn't go down well. And then you have to factor in teaching with a companion, and then of course the spirit is the real teacher, why should we even worry about teaching? yikes. The struggles of teaching the beautiful gospel. I'll be good at it one day, just you wait!

 

Lesson that I learned this week, is that if you invite people on the street to come tour the chapel it is not a great finding activity. No one came to our church tour... :( I know saddest days. Except! our atheist investigator Carlos. he is the sweetest. He knows basically everything about the gospel, he just can't feel that it's true. So everyone, Pray that Carlos Can feel the spirit!!

 

okay yeah my time is gone, love you lots and be good and happy!!!

 

Love, Ness

"It was the load"

Hey Fam. what's new? Well. The email today won't be too long, because to be honest this week was kinda hard! I don't have any crazy stories, no incredible miracles occurred, it was just a rough week in the life of a missionary. Had exchanges with Hermana McGlothin, and then Hermana Larsen. two great hermanas. We are teaching an atheist, and that's fun, and then last they were filming a movie right by our house Friday night, and they crashed a bus on the corner of our street. So I guess that was pretty cool.

 

But something I have learned a lot this week, is about trials. Why we have them, and how amazing they are to us. Really trials our a vital part of our mortal journey. God gives us trials and burdens to help us learn how to depend upon the atonement. I love the talk by Elder Bednar from this conference "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease". I invite you all to read it. he says "We are not and never need be alone. We can press forward in our daily lives with heavenly help. Through the Savior’s Atonement we can receive capacity and 'strength beyond [our] own.'" One thing I have been learning is that we can receive so much strength through the atonement of Jesus Christ. We don't need to carry our load alone. The savior is our constant companion, and he has done everything possible to help us live with heavenly father again. I am so grateful for trials. I am so grateful for my savior. I know this gospel is true, and I love my calling as a missionary.

 

Thanks for all your love and support. I love you with all my heart!

 

Love,

Ness