Random Snow Fall in the State of New York

Hello my fellow Humans!!!!

Well this week has been a blast!!!!! Lots of Laughter! Getting lost! And preparing for another baptism!!!!

So as you all know last week we had a baptism and I am so excited to say that on the 5th we will have another 2 baptisms!!!! 

So we have some pretty awesome investigators right now and they are all doing wonderfully!!! We have one particularity that is coming to mind right now. Her name is Karen, she is a sweet older lady who taking care of a daughter with severe brain trauma from a few years ago, and is also taking care of 2 of her grandchildren because both there parents had passed away. So a few days ago we met with her and went over the Plan of Salvation. WOW that was a powerful lesson!!! Karen had lot of deep questions such as, " I know how I felt when I lost my daughter, do you think God felt the same way when his Son died?" It was amazing being at that moment, the spirit really took over. Sister Gneiting and I really have no idea what we said after that for we both know that the Spirit really was working through us. At the end of the lesson everyone was crying and Karen said "you answered my question, I feel a warm hug all around me right now. And I now know for my self that God felt as I did when His Only Begotten Son died." It was so amazing to see the spirit really work with so many people!!!!

Haha she also made us some "Mormon Muffins" they are oddly enough really good!!! Here is the recipe:

Mormon Muffins!

-2 cups of boiling water

-5 teaspoons baking soda

-1 cup shortening

-2 cups granulated sugar

-4 eggs

-5 cups all-purpose flour

-1 teaspoon salt

-1 quart buttermilk

-4 cups all-bran cereal

-2 cups bran flakes

-1 cup chopped walnuts

Combines water and backing soda. Stir until dissolved. Cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition

Combine flour and salt and add to cream mixture alternately with buttermilk

Fold in both cereals and nuts

Fill greased of paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full

Bake at 350oF for 25-30 minutes until they test done

Muffins batter may be kept for 1 week in refrigerator and baked in smaller batches in desired

Also this week we sadly had to drop a Investigator as well, and that lesson was pretty intense too. It was with a guy names Marc. Marc wasn't taking what we were teaching him seriously, so we had a good talk with him. During that lesson a thought came to my mind of something someone told me during my mission. So I grabbed a pen and asked Marc to try to drop the pen. So Marc continued to drop the pen and I explained to him that he dropped it i said to try to drop it. Then he hand me the pen back and I explained that you cant try to love the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Either you do or you dont. After that we both shared a sold testimony of how we know the Gospel can and will change his life if he would let it.

I know that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ will bless everyone's life as we live it to its fullest. It is amazing to see how the Gospel truly has changed so many peoples lives as I have been on His mission. I know I am just a instrument in the Lords hands and man it is amazing to see how through the spirit peoples lives have been changed. I truly love this Gospel and I am so grateful to be a servant for the Lord.

Saratoga Springs!!!!!!Saratoga Springs!!!!!!

So I love Saratoga!!!! It is great!!!!! My new companion Sister Gneiting, is wonderful its only been 4 days and i have already broke her. Haha! It really has been 4 days filled with lots and lots of laughter! 

On Saturday we had a Baptism for some really sweet people, Marji and Cliff! I was so happy I was able to be there for there baptism! The spirit was so strong! Marji's Sister and her family were even able to come! Goodness I just love seeing people enter the waters of baptism.

Also this week we picked up a new investigator named Amber. The Sister tracted into her not to long ago. We met with her one of my first days and wow it is wonderful to see how the Lord really does prepare his children to enter the waters of baptism! She has many challenges, but she really feels that the message we she will help. I am so excited to meet with her again!

So a little fun info about Sister Gneiting, she is originally from Nevada. But her family about 3 years ago moved to Good old Payson Utah. She has been out on her mission for 15 months. So she goes home 2 transfers after me. She has 2 sister and 1 brother. She likes to sing and dance and just go crazy!!!!! Also she went for 1 year before her mission. She is normally like calm cool and collective. But little old me and my craziness have broken her and now she crazy just like me. :)

It weird being in a ward again, I am so use to being in a Branch that I was a little overwhelmed with all the people in this ward! I have only met about 1/8 of the ward. Its so big we fill a whole chapel plus the over flow! Yeah its really different! But the people i have met are pretty awesome!!!! The members here are great missionaries!

OH!!!! Cool story!!! So on Saturday we volunteer at a soup kitchen, while we were there i was humming church songs because I was passing out dessert and pouring drinks. Then a guy came up to me and Sister Gneiting and told us that we have a glow about us and that he wanted it. So he asked us where are church was and if he could start meeting with us. So we gave him the info and then on Sunday he texted us. He told us that he was sorry that he could make it to church but we would like to meet with us on Tuesday. So we are so excited to help him know why we are so happy and have what he called a glow.

Also this week I have been thinking alot about Charity. Because I really wanted to love the people here in Saratoga and a part in Preach my Gospel really stood out to me. "Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself." Its amazing to see how through the little things we are able to develop charity for all of Gods Children.

This sweet has been great!!!

Thank you for all your love and support! I will see you all soon!

Off to Saratoga Springs

Well its sad to say but for my last transfer, I am leaving happy little Hamilton and moving to Saratoga springs to be the new Sister Training Leader. I will be serving with Sister Gneiting. I am so excited because I already know Sister Gneiting so it will be exciting! The Sister that will be taking my place here in Hamilton is Sister Maughan, she is super cool and i am so grateful that she will be Sister Rodriguez's 2nd companion. I was so scared that she was going to get a hard sister, but once again the Lord heard my prayers and once again answered them. 

So tonight I will be crying like a baby because a sweet member Sister Karen Rains is throwing me a goodbye party so then i can see all my favorite members and say one last goodbye to them all. I am so Grateful for that because I know I really am going to miss everyone so much!

So this week was pretty amazing! We have another investigator on date!!!! Lacey Wrights brother Justin said he was willing to be baptized at the end of November! It is so exciting to see the Spirit work with Heavenly Fathers children. This really is His work and I am just along for the ride. Also this week we had a wonderful lesson on the Plan of Salvation with Nikki and Keith. Their son Nick who is a member joined us. The spirit was so powerful as their son testified how he knew the the Plan of Salvation was true. There really is so much power from the testimony of members especially from children. Also this week we picked up a sold investigator, her name is Cathrine. She is the daughter of some members and she hasnt been baptized and she wants to learn more. So we are now teaching her. It really is amazing how the Lord really blesses us with so many miracles when doing his work!

I know that we can find joy in the gospel!!!! As President Nelson said, " When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives." Trust the Lord for it will always be through him that you will find happiness!

Thank you for all your loving support! 6 more weeks! I will see you all soon!!!! 

I know the Temple is the House of the Lord

So to start out this week, it has been quite the adventure! First off i want to say It is amazing being able to see the Lord work with his Children. So has we have been working with Nikki and Keith is has been so great being able to see the growth they have made from reading the Book of Mormon with them. Not to long ago they talked to us about going to church and OH!!! how happy I was, I know the Spirit really is working with them! 

So we have this awesome investigator named Janette! She is a wonderful Jesus love'n lady. So I am being able to see her because she has such a wonderful understanding that God is literally our Father in Heaven and that he is literally her father. And to top off how awesome Janette is she is studying out of the Book of Mormon. She doesn't just read it but she is studying it along side with the Bible and really gaining a testimony of its truth and divinity. It really is just wonderful!

Also on another bright note this week, our Investigator Steve is slowly but surely working on a getting a baptismal date. Currently at this time life is really hectic for him, but in our last lesson he shared with us how he knew it was true and that he felt so bad that the last few months he had been neglecting his faith and wants to start back up again. So that is a miracle in my eyes right now because when I first got here in Hamilton, Steve would just say he wasn't ready but now he has explains that it wont be tomorrow but it will be soon.

Also this week was another week with lots of Hay! But on the bright side of it all it is the last time we are doing hay because Hay season is over up here. On Friday we stacked 4 hay wagons that had about 120 hay bells on each wagon so it was lots of fun. Plus in the mist of stacking the hay bells I fell through some and i was rocking the splits as one leg was in between hay stacks and the other was on top. HAHA lots of fun and lots of laughs when that happened. But I got the Boys laughing when we were stacking hay because we started a race of who could hand the bales faster to Sister Loveland and dang those boys were going so fast i couldn't keep up with them. But it was lots of fun and  I sure am going to miss this family!

As well as this week we had to move Lacey's baptismal date to possible November 5th. And i know that Lacey really does know this Gospel is true because Sunday the 9th she got up all by herself and shared her testimony. The spirit was so strong and both Sister Rodriguez and I were crying, because there really is nothing sweeter then hearing the people you love share how they know the Restored Gospel to be true.

Finally this week, we were blessed in being able to go to the temple!!!!!! It really is wonderful being able to enter the House of the Lord!!!! We went with a Returned Less Active, Chris Moglia. She is super sweet. It was such a wonderful opportunity for me to be able to be there with her. While we were at the temple the spirit was so strong and I never thought i was going to miss the temple as much as i did. But i am grateful that i am blessed to live in a area where there is a temple so close by at home.

I love being a missionary and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have everyday to go out and proclaim the Gospel to all of Gods children. D&C 4:2-5, " Therefore,O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mid, and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;  For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith, hope, charity and love, with a eye singled to the glory of God, qualify him for the work."

I know the Prophet is called of God!

So this week had been pretty fun, to start we stacked some hay for our investigator Keith and that was so much fun! On of the boys that were there helping wanted to have a stacking race with me. Haha! Bad idea for him, because this cute little farm girl missionary can out stack a 18 year old weight lifting kid. 100 bales of hay later and I was throwing and stacking faster then her was :) HAHA!!! I still got it! I am a hay stacking master! LOL

Also this week we went on our exchanges and that was fun! I was with Sister Tesch most the day, and it is always fun being able to work with a old companion. While we were on our Exchange we had to make a stop at the mission office and while we were there Elder Lee ( the guy in charge of all the cars) gave all of us our own New York State license plates to take home! It was awesome and make me so happy!!!!

Also this week on Friday we had a lesson with some Less Active members we have been asked to visit. We planned on talking about the Restoration. But as we started we focused alot on the Restored Priesthood. It was really great, because the member we had with us had just read a talked from last conference about the priesthood, It really is such a blessing to have the Power and Authority of God here on the earth again. 

So this General Conference was quite a adventure, Saturday we watched it at some members house, then on Sundaywe watched it at the Gangs (the family i am always talking about). It was so much fun, minus the fact the Pam the member we watched conference at on Saturday caught me falling asleep and stuck a tissue up my noise! Oh i was so mad at her lol but i love her anyways. 

During Conference for some reason this year the only person i wanted to listne to was our beloved prophet. On Sunday morning as I heard his sweet words it brought so much comfort to my soul. For the spirit as so strong and truly testified to me that He is called of God and his words are straight from our Heavenly Father. As President Monson said, "Focus on the Fathers plan and all will work out." 

3 Nephi 14:15-20, " Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."