The cold is here, but we are working harder!

What an AMAZING week it has been! Freezing and snowy, but I love it! So much as happened this week so I will talk about it day by day:

My Companion Hermana R and I

Monday last week we taught an awesome new investigator in McDonalds... yep, we taught her in McDonalds. haha check that off my mission bucket list! it was a pretty awesome lesson. This amazing and prepared family were being taught by elders in Portland, and then we got the referral to visit and teach her since she moved here to Vancouver. Those elders still text here every day to read and pray. and she actually does that!!

 

Tuesday I was on exchanges with an English sister. We did a lot of tracting in the cold, and of course, the last door we knocked on let us in right away! WHAT!! that's rare! well once we got in she started asking us questions about the three degrees in heaven... soo we started teaching about the plan of salvation :) we come to find out that this family is being taught by missionaries in The Dalles when she goes to work down there! her daughter and her have been reading in the Book of Mormon!! this woman is so prepared! now when i say prepared I men she has gone through so much in her life to be where she is now!

 

Wednesday we had our Mission Christmas party! we started our day bright and early at 5:30! we went to the Portland Temple(gorgeous!!) all the 200 missionaries from our Mission went to the temple that day. I haven't been to the temple since July, so I didn't want to leave!!! but eventually we had to go. we all got together as a mission at one of the church buildings, we had dinner and watched a slide show of pictures. then we had President Taylor speak to all of us, he is so funny!!!  we took a mission picture then we had a hilarious talent show! some of the missionaries shared their talents! it was hilarious, the Spanish elders sang and did a rap.

Temple Trip to Portland Oregon.  I love the Temple!

Hermana V I trained :) ~  Some of the Hermanas!

Thursday was rough... no one was answering their door! but that's okay because in the night we had an awesome lesson with 2 of our investigators and a couple from the branch came with us to teach them! we talked about baptism and about how to know if these things are true, he said yes when he receives his answer he will get baptized. it was funny though because he is an active catholic and he said "well, I will first have to divorce myself from the catholic church before I join your church." haha it was interesting...

Need to get back to exercising!

Friday we woke up to SNOW! ahh it was beautiful snow :) the bummer part was we couldn't drive our car half of the day! my fingers and toes were frozen haha it wasn't fun. 

but friday we had 2 awesome lessons this day! one with our new investigator who wants to be baptized and another with a family that is related to someone the elders are baptizing this weekend, crazy family connections here in Vancouver!!! we had some interesting OYMs Friday... a lot of shirtless people out... it was freezing! and a lot of people that were "busy" but still had time to answer the door... my favorite thing someone said was "sorry I don't want to let the cold air in, bye.." and she shut the door, I thought to myself.. hmmmm well this message is pretty dang important for us to be choosing to be out here in the cold!!!! I also had a crazy guy get in my face... he was cussing and talking bad about Jesus Christ.. I tried to share things with him but he just kept say "what? I cant hear you.. what? you're crazy, what are you talking about.. man im too tough for you, you need to get me a preacher man." I thought, well technically I am a preacher... a disciple of Christ!! but hey, that's okay, I just ignored what he said and left.

 

Saturday it was freezing, again. well we invited someone to be baptized and she said yes!! for January 11th! hopefully I am here for that! if not that's okay, she is prepared too. we just have to help get all these people to church!!

 

Sunday was just a normal day at church.

 

soo yep it was a great week :) a freezing one!! I've never worn so many clothes before hahahahaha. I cant wait to go to the beach next year in the summer! for now I enjoy teaching and talking to people. I am excited to Skype home in 2 weeks, woohoo!  have  a great week <3 Merry Christmas!

I have been worrying a lot about my family this week... now that it is the holidays I think of them even more!! I worry and pray for them every day. in my study one morning I read this and applied it to me :)

"...continue to preach from that hour, and if [you] will do this in all lowliness of heart, in meekness and humility, and long-suffering, I the Lord, give unto [you] a promise that I will provide for [your] families;" Doctrine and Covenants 118: 3

WA Vancouver is beautiful! 

Transfers & Training again :)

Tamanawas Falls Washington/Oregon

So it is transfer week, and yes I am getting transferred.. after 4 1/2 months in beautiful Hood River Oregon and White Salmon Washington I am now getting doubled into the Vancouver Spanish Branch and I will be training another new missionary... Yes my 4th companion and my 3rd time training on my mission so far. The Lord trust me so much, I need to step it up and work harder! and WOW I hit 6 months this month.... I go home in 1 year. MY mission is the best time ever. I wish everyone could see how much I have grown and how much I have learned!

Well as my time in Hood River comes to a close, I am very sad to say goodbye to this beautiful place :/ but I will be back very soon after my mission is over!

For p-day last week we went on a super fun hike to a gorgeous waterfall that we could walk behind!(see pictures!) 

Hiking with the Z Family

Hermana S, Hermana V & me hiking.

This week has been a miracle week yet again :) Well, i have some amazing stories to share! One is about The R family... The R family is a non-member family that is friends with a member family in White Salmon, the L family (he just recently got released as bishop) all the family speaks spanish. So sister L set up a dinner with the R family and invited us over to eat and talk and share a message (this happened in June). They were an amazing family. A month passed and we never heard any more about the R family.. well on saturday 2 weeks ago Sister L came with us to go teach on investigator on date, P.. well P she wasnt home :/ so sister L had a great idea, she would take us to visit the R family and see if we could teach them.. well the R family wasnt home either, but sister L said "now you know where they live, visit them soon." so 4 days later we felt a strong prompting to visit the R family.... and BAM they were home, the wife and the husband. They had just got off work. They were so nice and excited to see us! They let us in and we talked and eventually got to teach them The Restoration and give them a Book of Mormon. The spirit was so strong! well we were getting a return appointment with them and they said "why dont we have dinner again at the L's home!" we got oh so excited!!! we said yes and set up a day and time(this tuesday, right before i leave!) So we called sister L and told her the good news, she was so amazed and excited!! The L family are an AMAZING member missionary family!!! Because of them they have now brought The R family to the knowledge of this gospel :) I will have to keep you updated of what will happen tomorrow!

Thursday I was on exchanges here in Hood River with Hermana K. We tracted ALL day long! We had amazing experiences! It's truly amazing, Heavenly Father really does put prepared people in our path, all we have to do is just talk to them! One amazing experience was with a woman named O... Hermana K and I were walking to an apartment complex and about to start tracting, well I noticed a mother and her daughter sitting on the park, i said "hey lets go talk to her!" so we went over and started talking... O is so prepared, she wants to be closer to God and she wants her faith stronger!!! We taught her about The Atonement and Faith.. The spirit was so strong that we invited her to baptism and she said yes!!! AHH!!!!!! we were so excited! We  put her on date for september 28th! 

Friday I woke up to a BEAUTIFUL rainbow :)  full and bright rainbow! Well friday was an interesting day.... two drunk guys started talking and asking question and arguing with us.. why imperfect people are teaching a perfect gospel... It got me a little frustrated because NO one is perfect, all Heavenly Father has to work with are imperfect people! So i kept my chin up and testified and gave them a Book of Mormon. Hermana V looked to the drunk guy that was talking about Buddha and laughing the whole time. she says "whats your address...? what is the best time to come by?" they guy mumbles his address and says "visit me wednesday thursday friday or saturday any time" she says "sweet okay we will see you soon. here is our phone number and a Book of Mormon." they guy says "thanksssss, my phone number isss...... see you soon. you're all beautiful(and he winks at us)."  well hey, we got a new investigator!!

Sunday was an amazing day at church!! Finally after 4 months 2 some families finally came to church! It was a miracle!!!! This are progressing so much here in Hood River and White Salmon!!!! There will soon be a spanish branch, I know it!! We put another girl on date as well. Her name is M. The Elders found her and passed her to us. We had an amazing first lesson with her and she understood it! So we invited her to baptism, she said yes, and put her on date for september 21st! WOOHOO another child of God coming into the fold :)

so yes many many many miracles here in the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge. I dont want to leave!!!!! but I am excited to hear what happens :) I am excited to see what miracles will happen in Vancouver! I love you all so much, i'll talk to you all soon!! BYE :)  ~  Hermana Kelsey Jaeger

My companions and I having a little fun with shopping!

WOOOOHOOOO

Cows and Orchards everywhere!

WOOHOOO!!!!! I cant keep track of weeks, or time, or anything anymore!!!  We had pday on tuesday this week :)

So many exciting things happening with my family at home!!! Miss and love everyone!

This has been a hard week, not much luck teaching people.. mostly figuring out the people we have already found. 

This little kitty went tracting with us!

On an exciting note.. we are OFFICIALLY having a baptism this week :)))) C.M.M., I found him exactly 2 months ago... He is so beyond prepared.. AHHH beyond perfect! This guy is a golden one who has been WAITING for this gospel! WE have found more people this week, many nice people here, but are super busy working 14 hours a day in their orchards... I love this gospel. It is so important for EVERY PERSON on this earth to hear it in their language!!!!!!! 

Our tiny District in HR OR

Something else that was cool, today we went to the Portland Temple early as ever... My companion and I both received a name.. my companion received one for Susanna Bigler.. i freaked and asked if i could switch her!!!! Bigler is my mothers maiden name!! So I KNEW i needed to do her work!!! It was an amazing experience, randomly receiving a name(out of millions) and it is a direct relative. such an awesome experience! Yes, the temple was beautiful.. it looks like it belongs in Star Wars though. 

Yes, Finally Papa Murphy's .. it's been too long!

I am beyond excited for C baptism this week.. It is going to be sooo spiritual, and all in spanish ;) This weekend i will find out if i will be in the NEW Washington Vancouver mission, or staying in the Washington Kennewick Mission... stay tuned, i will let you all know :)

Cuidase!

-Hermana Jaeger

p.s. there is no better time to be involved in missionary work than RIGHT NOW! Share this amazing gospel with everyone, because not everyone knows about it! Be involved in any kind of missionary work, because when the Savior comes, what will you have to say that you did with all the time that you had...? Keep working everyone :) rest when you are dead! haha 

Amazing sunsets!  ~  Japanese dinner at a members.  We often eat with the Elders.

Surprise VIDEO!!!

We got a surprise video from a member where Kelsey is serving!  :)