Angleton Transfer 2 Week 2 July 28 2014

So its been yet another wonderful week in the land of unimaginable heat. :)

Sister McBride and I are very low on miles since we have had to travel to the mission office 3 times this month so we had the joy of biking in 100 degree weather! :) It brought back so many memories of last summer in Silverlake. The sweat that is running in your eyes and down your back, but there is absolutely no relief. Sister McBride was a trooper even though I can only imagine what was going through her head all day.. haha She did freak out a little at how much we were sweating. "Sister back at home in Colorado I can go for 5 miles runs and not sweat this much!" It is true I have never been such a sweaty mess in any of the sports or activities I have ever participated in.. but I have never been so content with being sweaty either. hah I really just love this work so much that the heat doesn't seem so bad and the sweat isn't so disgusting. I know it sounds a little weird, but it is true. I know that this is where I need to be and that whatever effort I put in means that I will get that much more success. 

My favorite part of biking is getting me meet so many wonderful people! With all the biking this week we found 7 new investigators which is really awesome! Plus since most of the people in our area are African American or Hispanic we really stand out in our blinding white skin and dresses. We had so many people stop and talk to us that I didn't even have enough room in my planner to write down all of the information! It was so much that yesterday we only had 15 mins to get home so we had to have a mad dash back to the apartments. Those have always been my favorites. The sun is practically down so it is only about 80 degrees. Your bike lights are on and you are pedaling just as fast as your burning legs can go laughing the entire way home. :) We made it with 3 minutes to spare and treated ourselves to some Blue Bell Icecream! (Magic Cookie Bar- it is one of my new favorites) 

We had a family come to church this week! Bernice and Tony and then their 5 kids! They really loved it despite a little episode of separation anxiety from the 3 year old. :) They are excited to come back and "try again next week." Bernice is an investigator that the sisters were teaching about 8 months ago but she was having a lot of drama in her life so they had to stop teaching her. We went back to teach her.. well we actually just saw her outside and were able to help her with some of the feelings she had been having lately. We taught her and then she came to church with the family and has a baptisimal date for the 23 of Aug! :) They are so awesome. Paris is the 6 year old girl and she is my favorite!! haah We taught her how to pray a couple weeks ago and now whenever she sees us she always asks if she can pray. She loves God and she loves learning more about him. We we asked Bernice to be baptized Paris begged us to be baptized as well! We want to be able to so bad but we know that the extra preparation will only help her to know more about the promise she is making with God. I am so inspired by the faith and the prayers she shares with us. She is going to be a wonderful member of the church. :) They are so cool. 

In other news Sister McBride is very good at Spanish so we have been able to have a ton of lessons in Spanish lately. Sometimes my Spanish is a little bit of Portu-ish (Portuguese and Spanish) but we are able to teach and get to know people and that is sooooo much fun. It is great to be able to use the knowledge that I have been trying to gain. It is crazy how God always has a purpose to everything. He knows each of this children and he wants them to be happy. :) 

I know that we are being lead in this work. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we are blessed when we follow the commandments. I know we have a prophet on the earth today and he holds the power from God to direct us. It is the same power that was used to create us and to create the earth. It is the same power that heals and that Christ used when he was here. It has been given to us to be able to bless each other and bring salvation to all those who so wish. I know that it is needed and I know where to find it. I know that God loves us. He loves you and He is mindful of you despite how sometimes it might feel. Don't forget to keep praying. 15 mins if at all possible. It helps. It strengthens and it brings comfort.  

Our Savior Lives and we are so blessed to know him!

-Sister Earl

 

July 21 2014 Angelton Transfer

Hey peoples!

This has been a wonderful week! I absolutely love my new greenie (Sister McBride) and I am excited to see what will happen as we use our agency to act and change peoples hearts. We have the power to literally save people from their guilt and shame. We know how to access the love and mercy of the Atonement. The only way is to develop faith that leads us to repent (or completely change our desires to be in line with Gods will) and make promises with God like baptism. As we do this we are taught how to truly receive the Spirit in our lives and we have the strength to endure and to endure well. This is the only way and we have the answer.

We had so many miracles this week! So Sister McBride is from Colorado and Wyoming. She is the 3rd of 5 and is super pumped for missionary work! We already really love working together and love to find people to teach. The first day we jumped in with OYMing and found some new investigators. Our faith is being strengthened each time we study and talk about our investigators and members. 

We had a wonderful experience this week with one of the OYMs. At first the lady really looked like she didn't want to talk to us, but as we talked to her her countenance totally changed. She opened up and my heart just exploded with charity and empathy as she told us about her very hard and sad life. I just know that the gospel is literally the only thing that can help her. It is the only way and the only relief. People out there literally do not know where to go or what to do to have relief from their lives. 

I know this church is true. It is my biggest joy and my biggest investment. I have the assurance that I can always be safe with my trust in God. I know you can trust Him too. Think of a way that you can have more faith in Him. What are you holding back on? Make a leap of faith and see how He is always there, every time, without fail.

I love each of you! Keep being the wonderful people that you are! 

-Sister Earl

 

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Sister McBride! 

 

​Eating Mexican Food!

 

​A road that was completely flooded this week in the rains! 

Have a good one!

-Sister Earl 

Angelton Week 6 July 14 2014

Hey ya'll! It was another fantastic week here in the country!

I really love this area, but sometimes the mice, frogs, snakes and mosquitos are a little much. They are just everywhere all the time. Every night without fail we have 2 huge toads in front of our door that welcome us home. haah We are grateful for them though because they eat a lot of the bugs. :) We have had a bunch of warnings about snakes, but luckily we have not had any encounters with them. I might be able to stand up to a frog or a mouse.. but snakes will have me squealing. So I sincerely hope we don't get any on our front door eating our little frog friends. 

Our investigator Angel will be baptized very soon! He is such a cool kid. He really wants to make changes in his life and we are just overjoyed to help him. 

I got some great news about the Callahans in my last area! They have officially stopped smoking and are starting the temple prep classes! They have a goal to go to the temple before I go home so I can come!! :) I am super excited for them. :) :) 

Well we had transfer calls this morning, but we already knew what was going on... yesterday we got a call from the mission president telling me that I have been called to be a trainer. So Sister Tauasa will be transferred and I will be getting a new missionary on Wednesday! I am super excited, but really nervous too. I remember how I felt when I first got in the mission and it is just such a weird and terrifyingly awesome experience. I just hope I can help my new missionary feel the love that God has for her and how she can do this. God can help us do anything! He can empower us despite our weaknesses or whatnot. 

I know this is a sacred trust from the Lord and I am humbled by it. It seems like our Father in Heaven really likes to humble me. I still have a lot to learn, but I hope the knowledge that I have gained so far will help the new missionary to be excited about being a missionary. 

We will see how that goes. :) I am just praying for strength and patience. (Patience is something I am always learning too... as my dad could tell you.. I am not the most patient person by nature.. but anyone can change!!) 

Anyway, I love this gospel. I love my Savior and I don't want anyone to fall short of the blessings that God is willing to give us. 

We were encouraged by our mission president to take one time each day to pray for 15 mins. At first Iwas  a little skeptical but I can not even explain to you the difference in my prayers. I am learning how to really talk and reason with God in my prayers. After the first 5 mins or so I started to really dig deeper into how I was feeling and the things I needed to repent of. I was able to talk about each of the people we are working with and recieve revelation for them individually. I was able to feel the love that God has for me and everyone so much deeper than before. There is so much power in prayer.. and a lot of time we take it for granted. I encourage each of you to take 15 mins and pray.. really focus on your conversation with God. It is a different conversation than the 5-6min ones. 

I love all ya'll! Have a great week. 

-Sister Earl 

pics-Lake Jackson water tower and sunset.. that is not very clear.. but it was pretty. 

I jammed my finger playing basketball... some things just never change.. :P hahaha 

This is a random tree that had a face in it.. picture moment!

And then the others are just us being silly. :) 

have a good one! 

Angelton Week 5 July 7 2014

Sometimes tender mercies come in the form of Almond chocolate kisses. This week I was thinking about my mom and I was missing her for a little while, but of course as it came time to go to work I did my best to clear my mind and work with all I had. I had totally forgotten about missing my momma in the middle of the day, but we went to see a LA couple and had a very nice conversation with them. When we were leaving Sister Woodard stopped and said "oh wait a second, I have something for ya" She came back and handed me 5 almond chocolate kisses. :) The only thing that would have made it better is if they were frozen (since my mom always stashes hers in the freezer) but it was still a message that I received from my Heavenly Father that He knew that I missed my mom and He loved me. :) It is that kind of love that I see everyday, in little almost unrecognizable ways. If you pay attention God will send you some of these little moments and He will help you see them if you pray for it.

Happy 4th of July!! 

I was super happy that we were able to have a BBQ and eat watermelon :) We also were privileged to live sorta close to where they were having the a firework show so we got to celebrate in the traditional way and Sister Tauasa was able to experience her first 4th of July. It was funny she kept saying "Happy... uh what day is it again? oh July 4!" :) It was the best. She is hilarious. 

(picture from the BBQ) Sister Tauasa, Me, Elder Stoker, Elder Cordtz

One of the things about Texas is that when there are holidays everyone goes to San Antonio or Austin. The 4th of July was practically a ghost town in Angleton and Lake Jackson but we still got to talk to some people. :) It was a really good week and Sister T is great. 

-Sister Earl

Angelton Week 4 June 30 2014

Hey ya'll! 

Another great week in Angleton!!! Sister Tauasa is so much fun. We can have fun when it is time to have fun, but we always know when it is time to focus and work hard so we get along really great. We have a few people who are working towards being baptized and they are all really cool. 

Angel is doing great. He couldn't come to church this week because he was doing something with his dad but we are going to see him again today and he will come next week. :) He is really loving learning and wants to be baptized! 

I don't really have much to say today besides that I am very happy being a missionary and I know that we are being lead by God to do this work. I know he wants us to be happy and to work hard. He wants us to have fun, but to be obedient. I am grateful that He loves me enough to encourage me and to cut me down. I know He loves me and that He loves all of these wonderful Texans! 

Whatever you do, never doubt how much you are loved! :) 

-Sister Earl

pics- My cowboy boots and hat!! and the Angleton sign! :)