January 28, 2014

Hola familia y amigos,

This week was great!!  The work is just moving along!!  I love it.  We were supposed to have our golden investigator at church yesterday...but he decided not to come.  HUGE disappointment.  :(  We made sure he knew of our disappointment, you know, that is important.  Our ward is just amazing.  I can't remember if I mentioned this, but we get to go to Ward Council, which is FANTASTIC!!  And it's so great to see the discussions in there...sometimes they get heated.  Haha, it makes me just wonder how other ward councils are!  Hahaha.  Dad, now I understand what it is like to be in that meeting...

How funny it is that you saw that sister that came to FIND me and take me to the Singles ward!  Hahaha, sometimes I think of them and wonder how they are!  I'm surprised she remembered me!  Haha.  

I'm glad to hear that all is well in Missouri.  And that Kristen and Emily are enjoying BYU-I do...I mean BYU-I.  ;)  You make sure to tell them NO getting married while I'm gone.  Tell them to email me!  I miss them.  I'll send them a picture to make their day!!  Hehe. 

Can I have Jon's address?  I wanna see how he is enjoying Las Vegas!!!  I can email him or just write him a letter.  But please get me his contact info!!  :)  Thank you!!

We are having lovely weather!!  Just beautiful.  I love it here.  Everyone!  Come to Solvang!!  it's SO fun!!! :)  It's really fun because we live like 2 blocks away from downtown Solvang.  It's fun!

 

We have Presidents interviews this wednesday!!  SO EXCITED.  And nervous.  I know, I'm still weird and confusing.  I'm excited to talk with him, but nervous because it has been so long since I talked with him last...I've changed a lot.  So it'll be interesting.  

Well, sorry, not too much to write.  Same old Same old....I'll include some portions of my letter to President so you can hear about the investigators...

"This week we had a couple lessons with Karen.  She is just amazing.  We read with her 1 Nephi 8.  She had already read it before, but we wanted to go over it because it has such great symbolism.  It turned out Karen had already figured out the symbolism, she is just so smart!  She really loves the Book of Mormon.  We had another lesson and talked with her about church attendance, the baptismal covenant and the importance of the Sacrament.  We had a member present (they are good friends now) and the member took it away!  It went so well, and we are working on a church tour.  Karen wants to, but she wants her husband to come too.  Which is understandable.  Karen knows just how important families are in our church.  She knows that this is for families, so she has been trying to get her husband more involved.  So have Hermana Howell and I.  When we see her husband, Carlos, we always try to talk with him.  Karen is so neat, she told us that she feels the spirit VERY strongly when she reads the Book of Mormon.  And then she said it was the same feeling she gets when she is around missionaries, and Maggie, her fellowshipper.  It was so neat to hear that.  Karen knows that this is true.  She is golden.

Erik came back from Mexico!  We were so excited to see him.  He actually joined us for the 2 lessons we had with Karen, and then we had a lesson with him.  We talked about how his trip was and if he kept the commandments out there.  He kept the Word of Wisdom, it was neat.  Erik was offered coffee by his family, but he said no.  And they all told him he was weird, but he just told them, "I don't drink coffee any more."  We were so happy to hear that!!  And we also told him we had prayed about a date for him.  We feel that the 22 of February would be a good date.  Erik said, "Hmm, I will pray about it and I know that the Spirit will tell me if it is right."  It was so cool!!  So Erik is praying about that as his date.  He was supposed to come to church yesterday, but he decided to go to Santa Maria and visit his sister instead.  We were very sad, we really hope he will come this next sunday. 

We met with Cecilia.  She is very neat.  She has so many questions about the plan.  But we showed her a visual and explained everything, showed her some scriptures.  And Cecilia told us she felt it was right.  So she committed to pray about it.  She is a cool lady, she has been prepared for this message.  She fed us dinner that night.  (Every time we have been there she wants to cook for us, but we always had a dinner appointment, so finally we accepted.  She was so happy!). 

Hermana Howell and I found this girl, Kyleen.  She is pretty young, 15 years old.  But she really wants to know more.  We gave her an Articles of Faith card, a Book of Mormon, and a Restoration pamphlet!  She loves it.  She said she wants to read it to find out more because she has family in Oklahoma who has the Book of Mormon.  We didn't find this as a coincidence.

We had exchanges with Hermana Siddoway and Hermana Linford.  I got to go out with Hermana Linford!  It was a blast.  We found some very cool people.  We found this girl, Belen.  She is super prepared.  She had the perfect questions.  We taught her the whole Restoration at her front door.  She just soaked it up, and we asked her if she would be baptized when she knows that these things are true, she said, "Well yes!  Of course I would!!"  She was excited to read the book of Mormon and pray about it.  And she is excited to listen to the other things we teach.  Belen really wants to know the truth.  We are very excited for her."

Have a great week everyone!! 

Love,

Hermana Ah Mu

P.S.  Something FUNNY.  Cecilia, the lady we teach.  Every time we see her the first thing she says, even before "hola" is, "Tiene un novio?"  "You have a boyfriend?"  Hahaha, we ALWAYS say NO!  That we have no time!!  She just tells us we need to get one or else we'll run out of time, get old and never have a novio.  Hahaha.  

January 20, 2014

Hola.  

Here is an excerpt from my letter to President Castro:

"This was a great week. We are teaching lots of people.  I love it!

So we are teaching Karen.  We have been teaching her since Hermana Howell and I got here, and she has been progressing the entire time.  But this past week we had lost her, we couldn't find her.  We went by multiple times to find her because she never forgets our appointments and we weren't sure what could have gone wrong considering the last lesson we had with her was the Word of Wisdom, and she loved that lesson!  But finally we found her, and she felt so bad.  But her new job just made her really busy.  But we managed to have a lesson with her and gave her a Proclamation.  We think that she will really like it!  She said she will read and pray about it. 

We met with a less active named Monty.  He is very cool.  He hasn't been able to make it to church because of knee problems.  He got surgery and now he is recovering.  So we came over and read a talk from the last General Conference: "You Can Do it Now"  Monty really liked it!

We met with Manuel.  He is cool.  He really is doing better now that we teach slower and ask lots of questions.  We taught him about Christ's Earthly ministry.  Manuel hadn't really ever read the Bible, so this was a really good lesson for him.  And he has agreed to a church tour!  We are excited about that. 

We met with this man named Ivan.  I feel like I have mentioned him before, he works for BYU.  He sells rare books to BYU.  And she he knows all about it!  Well, Ivan has a lot of potential.  He is a good man.  And he has many confusions on what God's plan is for us.  And well...really who God is.  And we really try to talk with him about it.  And he has told us that he has never talked to anyone about his beliefs until we came along.  So that is pretty neat.  We feel that he knows there is something different about LDS people.  We want to help him see why!

We had Stake Conference!  It was so great.  I loved it a lot.  We had a fantastic adult session in Santa Barbara.  It went really well.  There were many great speakers and videos shown.  I loved it because there was a youth speaker who talked about being anxiously engaged in hastening the work of salvation.  And she said, "That to me means we should be anxiously engaged in being a good friend."  Because that is totally missionary work right there.  And when are a good friend you will see that this gospel that we have would help everyone else around us, so we will share it by our example.  And by talking about it.  The Sunday session was great too!  I loved hearing from Salt Lake City."

That is pretty much my week.  I really love it here in Solvang!!  We have a lot of fun and the work here is just booming.  And I don't know if I have told you about our investigator, Erik, before...but he left for Mexico for a month right after we had finished teaching him all the lessons.  And so we were freaking out!  But turns out, today he is coming back!!  We are excited to see him and see how he is doing.  We hope that he kept in mind all the things we taught him before he left.  (aka: Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity, Keeping sabbath day holy, etc.).  

I love my new camera!!!  So much!!!  I will definitely be taking more pictures haha.  I am on the lookout for a new case, I may buy one today because Hermana Howell and I are going to walk around Solvang today.  (We're buying more of the pastries from that picture of our party with Ivan).  Haha, it was YUMMY.  I hope that all is well in Missouri.  I am so happy to hear that the illness has left the Ah Mu Family!!  I am so happy to hear that Jason is going on a mission.  IT'S THE BEST THING.  I always feel so unworthy of the many blessings that come from serving the Lord.  I love it, and I know that I am in His field.  We have to leave the harvest to Him.  We just need to be those fully functional instruments for him.  

I have exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders this week.  The ones assigned to us are Hermana Siddoway and Hermana Linford.  I'm excited.  Exchanges really help me!  Also!!!  Presidents interviews are coming up NEXT WEEK.  We love having interviews with the mission president!!  The is one of the last ones I'll have with President Castro.  But anyway, those are some things I am REALLY looking forward to!! :)  Have a great week Everyone.  Enjoy the pictures...

Happy Martin Luther King Day!!  

Love,

Hermana Ah Mu

Our little party with Ivan.  He says if you're going to eat, then must do it right!  And serve it in a nice way.  Haha.

Hermana Howell and Hermana Ah Mu at the Los Angeles temple entrance.

Weekly planning.  It's a struggle sometimes, i needed some sugar.

Los Angeles Temple

January 13, 2014

Why Hello there,

iFeliz Compleanos papa!  Espero que tenga un buen dia.  

How's it feel to have a 20 year old daughter on a mission?  I bet you never even imagined that, huh?  Haha.  I hope that you have a great birthday,  I love you dad.  You are a big part of my life.  And it is because of you that I am here.

Sounds like it is still a bit chilly, huh?  It's like 80 here... :)

Oh yeah, this is the beginning to a new transfer!!  And I am STILL here in Solvang!!! :D  I am SOOO happy!!!!  I love it here.  My companion is still Hermana Howell too!  We will have some more fun this transfer.  I'm looking forward to it.  This area is a huge place of growth for me.  It's about the hardest time I have had so far, but also the most rewarding.  We see miracles, this area IS prepared!!  Heavenly Father really does prepare people.  There has been a promise made to all Hermanas that serve here.  (From President Castro)  If we are exactly obedient and work as hard as we can, we will see growth in the Solvang Ward, in the beautiful Santa Ynez valley.  So that's pretty neat.  

Thanks for the letters, I do have a question!  How'd you get my real address?!  Haha, did you google map it?  You should, the overview probably looks like a village.  It's cool.  I still haven;t gotten any package.   It doesn't look like I will get it until February....real bummer....I hope there wasn't any food in the package that would go bad.  If there was you should call the office and tell them. 

I forgot to mention, I got a FUN package from The Featherston's in the city that never sleeps (Winigan).  It was so great, I loved it!  I actually got it on Christmas Eve.  The Mission office couples place Mr. and Mrs. Clause and delivered all the packages they got to the missionaries all through out the mission.  It was sweet of them to do that, because it is an all day kind of thing.  

The temple.  It was SO great!!  I LOVED it!!  It was so fun to go there, we left about 8 am.  And got back around 6:30....it took forever, but it was worth it.  LA traffic stinks...and we weren't even IN LA.  Haha, I was so close to Beverly Hills and Hollywood...how weird is that?  That's something you hear about in movies, right?  Hahaha.  The video was AMAZING!!!  I just want to go back!!  I will try to go to the temple every week when I get home.  It would be so good for me.  

Well, I am not too sure what else to say.  But, I hope that you are having a great week.  I am sure that all is well.  Let me know if there is anyone else I can pray for or help out.  

Love,

Hermana Ah Mu

January 6, 2014

Hola familia y amigos,

Wow!  This week.  Crazy.  But fantastic as usual.  I am so happy to be here.  I am thankful for the privilege of being a missionary.  I can't say it enough.  

Anyway!  My birthday was fun.  We had a fun party!  It was just us 4 Hermanas that are serving in the Solvang ward.  But they took me to Taco Loco (An amazing resteraunt). And I we had cake.  They sang to me.  Haha it was fun.  I feel weird now that I'm 20.  I still feel 14.  

The weather out there....what a shame....I'm here in 75 degree weather!!  Hahaha, it's so fun!  But it does get pretty cold at night...like 35 degrees.  It's so cold for me now.  I just can't every come back to snow and ice!  I'm sorry to hear how cold it is out there right now!  I'm excited to get Owen's letter!!  I love hand "written sentiments."  MALL COP.  :)  And yes, you are right.  My Christmas break actually was about...2 hours!  And hour on Christmas Eve and an hour on christmas day.  Oh!  And I guess it was about three since I got ot talk to y'all on the phone then wait for my companion while she talked to her family.  Haha.  But yeah, The work moves on.  The only thing that made it Christmas-y was when we were having dinner with members.  And it was only because they had gifts.  And did white elephant and stuff.  Haha, but I was very happy to go back to work...that's what makes me happy now.  There really is nothing more satisfying than being dead tired when you get home.  

I am excited to announce that my companion and I get to go to the temple tomorrow!!  I'm going to LA!!  Every missionary gets to go to the temple during the month of their birthday!!  So I am stoked!  I haven't been to the temple for too long.  And I'm excited to go to the Los Angeles temple.  It is a beautiful one!  I will be leaving my mission boundaries...how crazy is that?  But yeah, I'm really excited!  We are leaving about 7:30 am and getting back between 3 and 5.  Traffic...it kills ya!  

Also, transfers....in a week.....I'm too nervous!  I will be excited to announce where I will be!  

I hope that you enjoyed the pictures I sent.  I know that you very anxious to see new pictures!  Haha.  Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Hermana Ah Mu

Pictures!

December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas!! 

I apologize, not much is going onto the blog this week.  I have run out of time, I was emailing President for much longer than I usually do!  

But, I am grateful for this opportunity I have to be on a mission at this time.  President Castro told us on Friday at our Christmas Devotional, "Heavenly Father's greatest gift to us is His Beloved son Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ's greatest gift to us is His Atonement.  The greatest gift you can give them is your mission."  I know that there is no where that I need to be, except here.  This Christmas will be different, but in a good way.  There is no other time in my life that I can turn outward at the level that I am able to right now.  It is a privilege.  This will be a very memorable Christmas, it doesn't even feel like Christmas time!!  The only thing that will be different on Wednesday is that I get to call home.  We will still be proselyting.  But that's okay, because this is my favorite thing!!  I love this work.  Merry Christmas. 

Love,

Hermana Ah Mu

December 16, 2013

Hola familia y amigos,

This week.  Wow.  Solvang is so ready for Christmas!  They have Santa going around town on his sleigh!!  Haha he is a real hit!  This HAS to be the most conservative town in California!!  (I almost didn't think a town like this would exist).  It's funny, the people here all have strong beliefs.  About 80-90% of the people here are strong in a church, isn't that neat?  It does make work a bit harder though.  People are very set in their beliefs, and don't even give us time to talk.  But oh well.  

The good thing is though we are mainly Spanish here!!  Can you believe that??  We have sooo many investigators, and only one is English.  I can really see how the Lord has been preparing this area.  We can see how much a Spanish unit is needed here, and Heavenly Father is preparing people.  We had an investigator come to church yesterday!!!!  We had to get translation for him, that is the thing with having Spanish people come to an English area.  It is hard to help them feel comfortable when not many speak English and there isn't really translation set in place yet....now that Bishop has seen a Spanish investigator come he will REALLY set it in place, I know it.  

I knew that this was an amazing place when I saw that there is an Ostrich farm here!!!  How cool is that?!  Hermana Howell and I are going to go today.  HAha, it looks fun.  

Dad, do you know any Hippolite's?  I went on exchanges with Hermana Wright, a sister training leader in the mission and her Mom is Debbie Hippolite.  She was born in Hamilton, NZ and lived in Hamilton, New Zealand.  Hermana Wright knows there are a bunch of Ormsby's up there.  Haha, Hermana Wright also wants to know what tribe we are from.  Just curious!  Her grandpa's name is Ben Hippolite.

Hermana Howell and I got chased by a dog this week.  It was SO scary.  We found this house with a metal fence around the front porch, it with a gate so we run inside it.  I said, "Well, we were led to this door...we should knock it."  This woman answers the door, we do the normal "Hi we're missionaries from the Church of..."  ANd then she says, "NOPE.  Not interested."  Hermana Howell then says, "Well actually the real reason we're here is because this giant dog was chasing us and we needed to get away from it."  The woman says, "Well.  Good luck with that."  And slams the door.  The dog just kept chasing us....we finally got to the car.  That is the last time we will park blocks away...

Ha, well.  The work is really moving here.  I love it.  There is this quote that I LOVE.  It's by Henry B. Eyring:

"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. When He returns for His own He will have no problem recognizing me, my banner is clear”. 

I have that quote printed out and I taped it to my desk.  I read it everyday.  I love it.  

I am thankful for this opportunity to be on a mission.  It is a glorious work!!!  I can't say that enough!!  I love being a missionary.  I don't know how I have been so lucky to serve in the areas I serve!  I will forever look at my mission as a privilege, because that's what it is.  The greatest convert I see is myself!  And I always think, "Now how can that be fair?"  That's just how Heavenly Father is.  He blesses us so much...far more that we ever feel we deserve.  But it's because he loves us.  

Have a great week y'all!!! :D  Thank you for the prayers and support.  

Love,

Hermana Ah Mu