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!

Happy two months!

Hey Family! happy two month anniversary! Surprise I have only been a missionary for two months.... just kidding. I wish that was real life. No today is Hermana Jensen's two month anniversary in the mission! But i decided i am switching places with her and I will stay here forever!!! Because it's just too much fun! here are the fun things we did this week.

So we are famous with all the kids right? well okay not even joking we are now teaching a small army of little ninos. okay well only like ten. We go over to teach the part member family, and all the lil ninos start running out of their houses "are you gonna teach us about God?" "I wanna sing the song about sunbeams!" so yeah we have a little gospel study outside on the steps and teach all the crazy dirty little neighborhood children about how jesus loves them.

Oh i just love those little ninos. the two girls Linda and Kimberly are progressing really well toward baptism. We took them on a field trip this week to see a baptism! (and by took them on a field trip I mean we had their mom drive us all cause we are on bike...) haha it was so fun. They loved it! they can't wait for their baptism!.. except then the next day they didn't come to church >:( so hopefully they will make their baptismal date. But anyways, they are the little joy to my soul for the time. I love teaching kids!

On the other hand, we also spent a lot of time this week with OLD PEOPLE!!! haha So we have started volunteering at a senior center and it could be the funnest thing ever! On Wednesdays they have a live band (like fancy old band with trumpets and stuff) and all the old people get up to dance! they kept trying to dance with us! and this one little latina lady is super hilarious and everytime we passed her she would start singing a song to us. Oh man. Old people are a hoot. I can't wait to be one!

well I just can't remember what else happened this week. OH. We had interviews with President Hall. He is just so perfect and always helps me with my life struggles. Newest life struggle: I just want to end my mission working so so hard, going 200mph and living every minute. But my compie can't go that hard. In fact, she might die at the pace we are going. President's advice Hermana Watts, the Lord knew you would be training. He knew who your companion would be. Take these next few months and make sure she has the best beginning to her mission. Be the companion she needs. The best companion ever! So... I get to learn patience and lots of love. But it's going to be the best two months ever!

Well fam, sorry this email is so lame and short and I have no pictures! AH! I promise I will be better! this week is going to be awesome and we will do crazy things. But I love you all so much!

Love,

Ness

We're Famous!

Okay fam here is the deal. I am pretty sure I tell you ever email how we are going to be famous someday. I mean we are in the heart of Hollywood! Of course we are going to be famous! Well here is the deal. We did it. We are FAMOUS! Just maybe a little different than you might think. We are totally superstars with all little children, homeless people, and all of the drunk guys here.

First I will start with the kids. Okay stop I just love all the crazy little kids here. They are so much fun. This week we went into this apartment complex and met a bunch of kids jump roping. So then obviously we challenged them to a jumprope contest. They were actually way good. Jumproping in a skirt... a lot harder than you would think. But it was so fun! as we were jumproping with this little group of girls all the neighborhood kids just started coming out of the woodwork! "Hey are you the church people??" "I wanna jumprope with the church people!!" haha they are my new favorite! you see our genius plan is to win the kids hearts, and then the parents will listen to us!

Okay well then that exact same night we go to a different apartment complex, and run right smack into a squirrel funeral. I kid you not there is a group of like 15 kids trying to dig a hole in the ground to bury their pet squirrel that fell out of the tree!!! hahaha they were the funniest! Okay so the squirrel wasn't exactly dead yet... just dying. So being the missionaries we are we gathered all children and we prayed for their little baby squirrels. I just love kids. They make my life so happy.

The last group of kids is this cute little family we are teaching. The familia Castillo. Stop I love them so much! so the mom Brenda is a menos active and The two little girls Linda and Kimberly are going to get baptized soon. Everytime we go we teach them a new primary song, and they just love us and make us feel so famous!

alright enough with the children. now onto the homeless people stories! mom you will probably die reading this part! haha! so we were walking down the street this week, and we met our friend Preacher (preacher is a homeless man in his like 20's and he's hilarious) well we say hi to him and he holds out his hand full of tacos and says I want you to have one of my tacos! and obviously we say no because it's not kind to take tacos from homeless people. But he says no I want you to take them. God blessed me with all this extra food and these tacos, and I want to bless your day. So we ate tacos with our homeless friend preacher! (don't worry mom they were from the taco truck, so they were very edible and not sketchy at all:) ) and then after we ate this poor homeless mans tacos, he insisted we take his burrito as well! What the heck preacher! so just like the other week when we walked around with stolen beer, this week we walked around with a burrito in hna Jensen's backpack! haha I love this area.

Oh man I just can't tell you how much I love being a missionary! it is an adventure every day. Aside from all the crazy things we did this week, I assure you we did spiritual things as well. We talked to everyone about jesus and how much he loves them:) I just love this work oh so very much. Sorry family but I am never coming home!!!! haha just kiddin love you! have an awesome week!

My Favorite People

Dear Family,

HEYYY!!! okay well I don't really know what to write about this week. So I will write you about the people here!

First person, my new compie. She is Hermana Jensen. From Kaysville Utah. she is tall blonde and beautiful and so I never stand next to her! haha just kiddin. umm yeah she is probably the cutest lil thing ever and just so excited about missionary work. I forgot how much fun it is to have a brand new missionary! They are just so darn excited and ready to work! But I keep forgetting she doesn't know Spanish, or doesn't know how to ride a bike in a skirt, or how to weekly plan or all these things. It's fun to be a new missionary again!

Second person of the week: our super star PEDRO!!! I love him so much! Pedro Flores-- newest member of the church of jesus Christ of latter-day saints! he was confirmed yesterday!! I am so proud of him! but the funnest thing ever, is even before he was a member we used him in missionary work! This week after one of our lessons in the park with him he was walking with us to our next appointment. Of course we had to stop to talk to everyone on the way and mid contact we would turn to pedro and say "this is our friend Pedro, he was actually just baptized last week. Pedro how has the church changed your life??"  then Pedro would just jump right into bearing his testimony "I know joseph smith was a prophet and that the book of Mormon is the word of God and Joseph smith translated it by the power of the priesthood!!" ................. thank you pedro.. we actually hadn't mentioned joseph smith yet but hey your testimony is way solid!

we are also working with another super star her name is Stephanie. Oh poor Stephanie. She is having a hard time with some pretty big commandments... not anything little like tithing or reading the scriptures everyday. Well. we had to move her baptismal date. But the saddest part is the reason she does what she does is because her family just doesn't love her! She just wants her mom to be happy and proud of her, but she doesn't get that love from her momma so that's why she does bad stuff. But she came to church yesterday, and LOVED IT! she is so cute. Then that afternoon she also went to a meeting for seminary. Yep she is going to take seminary. Are you kidding me! what kind of 17 year old who is not a member and who's parents don't push them out of bed at 5:30 to get to 6:00 seminary would wake up that early? only super star stephanie!!

We are also teaching this way sweet part member family the Castillo family. Yeah the two daughters are going to get baptized.... if they will ever come to church! dangit. But they love learning the book of Mormon stories song! we sing it every time with them. I love visiting them.

hmm lets see what else was fun? oh man there is this one sister here from China (not Spanish speaking. She is learning English) and she is SOOO funny! haha we had dinner with an English family, and these English sisters (and when I say English sisters I mean this Chinese sister and her English companion. And she was the funniest little thing to walk this planet! I want her in my pocket! She was going on and on about the food and how it's okay to eat lots and then at the end of the meal she starts cleaning the table, "this is how we do in China!" haha sister Xu.(pronounced shoo) My favorite missionary evah!!!

and the last cool thing we did is while contacting one night we met this drunk guy, and told him that Christ can help him change his life, and then I asked him if he would trade me his beer for a picture of Christ and he said yes! so then we finished our night contacting with a huge bottle of beer in Hermana Jensen's backpack. haha it was fun! Don't worry mom. We are still being safe :)

yeah that was our week. It was just way fun. Lots of adventures learning how to ride a bike, and how to be a missionary. But I just love having a new missionary! I especially love it because it makes me realize oh man! look how much I have grown! I used to not know any Spanish or not know how to talk to people! I am so grateful for the mission, and how it has changed me. I love you so much famiky thanks for your love and support!

All my love,

Ness

Pedro :)

WOW! okay familia this email is going to be WAY long today. Bear with me here, cause the story is just awesome! it comes in two parts.

Part one: I have this companion and her name is Hermana Barnes, and she is super awesome. Like way way good missionary. And she has had one grand dream her whole mission: to BAPTIZE! She has dreamed and worked hard and planted the seed and not casted it out, but for some reason she just has never seen the fruits of her labors. She has never had any of her investigators be baptized. She has been so faithful, and worked so hard, but just has never seen it. She also has had a triple combination and bible in Spanish she has had with her her whole mission, just waiting to give it away to her convert. But just never happened. Well. So I get with Hermana Barnes the last three weeks of her mission and I say oh man. This is it. We are going to BAPTIZE!!! Well we had this way solid investigator Stephanie, that is really excited and willing, but it was just too rushed for her to get baptized in three weeks! So we decided it would be better if she wasn't baptized on aug. 10th (the last sunday Hermana Barnes has here.) Well oh no. How in the heck are we supposed to baptize now???

Part two: along came PEDRO!!! okay how do we explain pedro? The best explanation could be a miracle that fell straight from heaven. So here is how his story begins. He is 21, and from Peru. and actually he happened to be an atheist! But he started coming to our English class. Then from there, he wanted to know a little bit more about the church. So he started meeting with the missionaries Hermanas Hall y Glauser. He knows the bible like super good, and originally he just wanted to bash with the hermanas. But after a few visits he started opening up. They loved teaching him and would always tell us stories about him. Well.... as Pedro continues to learn more, come to church, and read the scriptures, he starts changing. One day he tells the hermanas "hermanas I have good news. Well, it's good news for me at least, I don't know if it's good news for you.... But I want to be baptized." The Hermanas are stunned speechless of course I mean Pedro the atheist wants to be baptized! They say okay when? he says as soon as possible. So they set the date for Aug. 10th......

Now you're probably thinking, that's nice... but how do these stories go together? Well my friends. Three days after Pedro says he wants to be baptized, he moves into our area.... meaning we become his missionaries. There you have it. A golden investigator handed right to us on a silver platter all ready to be baptized! Guess why he wants to be baptized?? so he can serve a mission!!

So we taught him all of lesson 5 (about priesthood and the temple and missionary work...) He is probably the cutest little thing that has ever existed!! here are some cute pedro quotes:

(sunday after noon after fast and testimony meeting) Hermanas what is a testimony? we explain a testimony to him. Two days later... "hermanas good news! I think I have a testimony! I was reading in the book of Mormon, and my heart felt all warm and then I stopped reading, closed the book and said this book is from God!"

Hermanas how long do I have to wait to get my priesthood?

Hermanas I didn't take the sacrament today, I didn't know I could cause I was fasting.

Hermanas, I took the sacrament today, and I felt something amazing! Like the feeling I felt when I got my testimony!

I swear he is the most golden human I have ever worked with. He is so amazing. And I think one of the most amazing things is not only did Pedro completely change his life and learn to trust in God and how to make covenants with him, but Hermana Barnes got to see her dream come true! Her very last sunday in the mission field she got her very first baptism!!!! And also, Hermana barnes got to give away her Spanish scriptures finally! To someone who will love them and cherish them. All four of us hermanas (Barnesy, me, Hall, and Glauser) wrote our testimonies in them, and on Sunday night Pedro called us crying because he found the testimonies. He is so amazing. The whole experience was just surreal. I am so happy for him and the covenant he has made and the completely different person he is. I am also way happy to have been able to see Hermana Barnes dream come true as well. I know it's true what is says in DyC 10:15--

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

I know God prepares his children. The gospel changes lives. And the church is true. I love you family! Have the best week ever!

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!