longest week, shortest year

WHAT!!!!! dang its been a super long week, I feel like I haven't talked to you all since last year ;) ahhh, okay that joke is old. haha but what the heck, I come home this summer... eeek! well im excited haha. my mission has been amazing so far!

Brrr it's cold here in Vancouver Washington.  Comp Hermana R & I.

lets see if I can even update you all on anything.. its been a crazy week! well like I mentioned we are supposed to have a baptism this week... as of right now we don't know if that will happen.. Satan is working so hard on our investigators, the cute little girls we are teaching are super sick :/ we are praying so hard for a miracle! if not this weekend, then next weekend for sure :)

Monday we had a funny moment... we ran into a part member family in Winco who are in our branch here, but they are from Chile.. any way the husband isn't a member and so we were giving hugs to all the girls and then he gave me a hug and a fat kiss on my cheek HAHA I didn't know what to do!!! I was so embarrassed, he didn't know!! hahahaha so oops. later that night we were tracting and found an old guy from Ukraine, he spoke little English.. all he could say was a couple words.. he was so proud of what we are doing that he hugged us too. BAHAHA trust me, I try so hard to extend my hand for a hand shake, but they go in for a hug, its awkward when they don't understand English either!! well we continued tracting and found a cute English lady, we introduced who we were and she said "yeah I know..(smiling)" we said "Oh how did you know?!" she responded "I see your tag" we said "oh awesome!! so you speak Spanish!?" she said "no... I speak oh man what is it(mumbling to herself) well its not Russian.. OH its Mexican, I speak Mexican!" HAHAH we started laughing and responded "oh really? what do you know how to say?" she said "hola...." and that was it hahahahahahah. it made my night, now I don't feel too much like a gringa ;)

Luggage over the head brings good luck in travel  ~  Representing California

Tuesday, new years eve!!!! well last year I spent the night dancing and having fun.... this year I spent it teaching people and sleeping... hmm... but ill share with you what we did in between that :) hahaha we had district meeting, taught an investigator, then worked and had dinner with members... I ate cabeza be vaca... yes, cow head. it tasted just like beef. and later that night a member form el Salvador made some bomb tamalies and gave us some! so we did a Hispanic tradition. we got a suitcase and ran around the block, holding it over our head!! apparently it brings more opportunities to travel, we thought it was perfect since me and my comp both go home this year.. well we decided to make it more fun and dress up crazy haha. then we ate cheesecake and called it a night. we set the alarm to wake up at midnight and scream and bang pots together.. but I slept through that, my comp got up, blasted some church music and did it!! but I was knocked out and didn't hear a thing! hahaha so she just went back to sleep.

My New Years goals

Wednesday, new years day.. 2014!! I finished reading Doctrine and Covenants! awesome stuff :) we had no appointments set this day.. we did our weekly planning and then went out for the day.. by the end of the night we taught 3 lessons, one with a member present, and we got our oyms(talking with new people) and many other goals. it was a great day :) we ate delicious Colombian food with the whole family of the 2 little girls that we are teaching, the G/A family.

Thursday I started the day on exchanges with an English sister. then got back with my comp. we met a funny old guy who was telling us how he is a ladies man.. hahahaah it was hilarious! we had such an amazing lesson with the family we have been teaching for a while, J and R. we brought the garcias along.. they are all from the same country, and we shared a powerful Mormon message about the temple dedication in El Salvador... which is where they are all from!! it was amazing!! J accepted to be baptized on January 25th!!!! we will hopefully help her reach this goal :)

Friday i was on exchanges in my area with an English sister. we worked hard even though our number didn't show it. but that's okay :) we went to the library to do facebook and i overheard someones phone go off... their ring tone was a song from imagine dragons. the same ring tone i had at home. gah satan is putting things in my path to make me "trunky"(counting down the days to go home) haha oops.

Saturday I was on exchanges with an English sister in Rainer, a small little town. such a beautiful area, it reminded me of Hood River! we had a full day teaching english people. here is an amazing experience we had: a while ago this sister and her companion had met a guy that spoke Spanish, she felt impressed for us to visit him so that i could talk to him. she couldn't remember where he lived. so we parked the car and prayed.... we then drove a little bit. we got out and started walking and felt impressed to go to this home, the door was open and all we could see were stairs. she wasn't sure if we should go in, but i just did anyway haha. i walked up the stairs and realized that there were 3 different doors, it was like a little apartment. we knocked the first door and lone behold, we found him!! Alejandro :) i started talking to him and ended up having a 30 minute lesson with him outside!!! ALL Spanish and all by myself! well i totally knew the spirit had put into my mouth the things to say because i was talking so fast and after that i couldn't remember what i said haha. but it as really cool, he is form El Salvador and he has a bible that missionaries gave him in his country! he still had it :) so i shared with him about the Book of Mormon and gave it to him. he was super excited and interested to read it, and wants to eventually come to church! it was an amazing miracle and was all done by the spirit :)

Bed for a queen!

sunday was again another amazing day. we didn't know if anyone was going to come to church. well we got out of our meeting and we had a voicemail from J! she said she wanted a ride to go to church! so we quickly drove over there.. she wasn't home and she doesn't have her own cellphone, but her husband said she was walking to the store.. we didn't know where, but me and the member i drove with felt impressed to drive till we could find her! we went a back road and found her walking, all dressed in her church clothes. i saw her and got out! gave her a big hug and she started crying.... i cant speak perfect Spanish so i didn't know what was wrong or how to help her. i just hugged her and told her i loved her... she was having a rough morning and just wanted to go to church with us! we missionaries and the members in the branch and the only people she knows here in Vancouver. she needed someone to talk to and she needed something uplifting, and church yesterday as so spiritual and truly for her :) ah it was a great sunday meeting! for dinner we had some more delicious Colombian food, haha my favorite!!! we also achieved our goal of talking to 10 new people every day for the week!! yay! we talked to 78 new people this week about the church and invited them all to do something! we never see the fruits of our labors, but we are planting so many seeds.

i truly love this gospel and i love these, people, my brothers and sisters! this is truly a hard work, so many people are prepared and now satan is trying even harder to stop Gods work... but he will never be able to!!! we are working even harder, i want to cry every day because we work so hard to help these people find the TRUE happiness they are searching for. i wont stop, ever!! i love you all, hurrah for this new year!! so many things will happen! don't give up, keep to your goals you have set!! 

Patience, rest, and a HUGE Christmas gift!

Thanks for family, friends and the ward at home for all the packages :) FELIZ NAVIDAD!

WOOOOOOOOOOOW. by far this has been such a crazy week!!!!!!! I am so beyond excited to Skype home on Christmas that I had a dream last night that I was skyping home. haha :) well here is my random week. 

Monday was of course an awesome lesson with our investigator on date, S. AH is so soo prepared :)

Tuesday we taught S again, we taught about the word of wisdom and law of chastity... it was the least awkward lesson I have been it, it went so well!!! again like I said, she is so prepared and gave up coffee. SCORE! ah it was such an awesome lesson. It amazes me how much people will give up so that they can have the gospel. I am so blessed to help her make this change in her life.

Wednesday was transfers, and officially we are a tripanionship! it is the best! we cover 5 stakes... its crazy! but we never run out of things to do :)

Thursday.. well I couldn't sleep. and then woke up early and was throwing up. yucky. so I caught some bug and had to sleep all day. I cried because I miss my mom, I didn't realize really how much she does for me! and my dad! and my sibblings! that when I was sick they would help me with everything :) but the branch here is just like family, a member gave me a blessing and another member brought me crackers, soup, and medicine. soo yeah Thursday nothing happened.

Christmas Angles!  Hermana M, Hermana R & me
(thanks to a member for this photo)

Friday I was feeling soo much better, I just had to rest to get my energy back! we had a branch Christmas party and we wanted to go, so we did. and good thing!! we had 3 families of investigators come to the party that we are currently teaching!!! it was a great turn out :) I love the Spanish people, they make the best food and know how to have a fun party with dancing! even though I wasn't allowed to dance :/

Branch Fiesta!  I wanted to sit on Santa's lap then
I remembered I'm not allowed to do that haha

Oh yeah I'm not allowed to dance as a Missionary ...
sad day ... you don't know how bad I want to dance :/

Saturday was great, we had a huge breakfast (like we do every transfer) with all the missionaries in the stake. and after that we went to Portland for zone meeting. and after to a baptism for a little girl in the branch.. and after that to dinner with a family from the branch. their little boy said the cutest prayer! we were saying a prayer to bless the food but this is what he prayed for instead "dear Heavenly Father. we are baptized to go to church. we go to church to be missionaries. we become missionaries to be sealed in the temple. we got o the temple to be the prophet. in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." hahah it was so adorable! we also went to visit R, J, M, and V! they are a family Hermana M and I found in August when we came here!! they were so happy to see me and I was so excited to see them! it was an awesome visit, J wants to get baptized and everything!!

sunday, surprise!!!!! my huge Christmas gift, I couldn't ask for anything better... R, J, M, and V all came to church! FINALLY after 4 months of trying they came, and they loved it :) the branch loved them! ahh it was a wonderful day!! they are planning to come back fro activities and they want us over to their home so that they can make us food from el Salvador! we are so super excited :D they literally are a miracle family and I love them so much! 

well over all it was an amazing week. and like I say in every email, so many miracles. big and small! but my favorite miracle of all is the miracle of people coming to church and feeling the spirit their :)

I am so grateful for my Savior and for his birth.. without this time we wouldn't have anything to celebrate, so remember the reason for the season and share your love to all! Feliz Navidad to all and I cant wat to see my family in 2 days on 

Skype!!

Trainer to 2 Hermanas ... & Ahh Spider!!

HOLA!!! well Monday night Hermana V and I felt we needed to have  REAL prayer..... we ended up praying for an hour straight about each individual investigator... it was such a spiritual moment that i cant explain it all through an email. Heavenly Father was trying his best to give us answers but Satan was doing his best to confuse us... we cried the whole time and we felt our room was filled with many people.... from the other side... we couldn't tell if they were the families from the people we are teaching, or if they are people waiting for their work to be done.... either way, THERE IS SOOOO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE!!!!!!!!! well funny thing, after we were done praying and received answers of who to keep and who to drop.. we went over to our white board and erased names... we looked and felt so silly.. we FINALLY had a real prayer and received answers, and we came to realize that the people heavenly father told us to drop where the people we were trying to work with, and the people he told us to keep where the people we haven't been trying with... it was the total opposite of what WE have been doing. I gained a strong witness and testimony that our will is totally different than His will. We need to go to Him for EVERYTHING, we need to receive answers from him and be very very VERY specific with our prayers. 

Windy & beautiful in Hood River, Oregon

There is a lot weighing on the shoulders of a trainer... the trainer is literally expected to do everything. its tough because that is now how a companionship works... now being in a companion ship of 3 (which i love) we all have to work equally together, the trainer just teaches and guides. and of course i don't have much experience as a missionary just yet, so therefore i don't know everything.. I'm not a perfect teacher, I'm not fluent in Spanish, and i make many mistakes. but that is how i learn and that is how i grow. i see my weaknesses and fix them!... i am learning every day. :)

well a funny thing, the little kids here are so bad! hahaha we were tracting in a trailer park and a little boy was flipping us off and trying to whack us with a stick!!!! haha well 

Wednesday we received a new missionary, Hermana S! LOVE HER! she is waiting for her visa to go to A.. we have no idea how long she will be here, so we are trying to train her fast :) I love being with two Hermanas ... and we are all 6 weeks apart(mission time). HAHAH therefore we are all so fresh and learning day by day with our espanol! Our tiny room is cramped with 3 beds but its all good.

Hermana S, V (grey, member that we live with & baby kitties), Hermana V ... I love them all 

Thursday we had a trainer/trainee meeting in Vancouver. It was amazing, i am so grateful Heavenly Father has allowed me the chance right now to fix my mistakes and be a better missionary and trainer. I am using it!!!! i want my mission to be am amazing learning experience, and wow, i am sure learning a lot! One profound thing the mission president said at the meeting was "i need every missionary to now be ready in 6 weeks...." HAHAHA this is going to become a very common thing, no more 12 weeks of training.. many many missionaries are continuing to come out! 

haha the elders out here are like my brothers, we all tell funny and embarrassing stories to each other! friday..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA Funniest and scariest moment of my life........ So some nights my tummy doesn't do so well. so i take my journal and write while i am on the toilet... well this night i sat down, opened my journal and began to write, i saw something out of the corner of my eye.. i looked down.. THERE WAS A HUGE SPIDER CHILLING ON MY LAP... ! I screamed and jumped up... BAHAHAHA it was hilarious!!!!! my companions freaked out thinking someone was hiding in the bathroom.. when i told them they busted up laughing!!!! the spider was huge... i killed it and then took a shower. haha!! so many bugs are hiding everywhere!  

also i got a nice package from my family :) LOVE YOU!! well saturday we visited a referral in Trout Lake Washington... it was an awesome experience. we taught the restoration lesson and gave her a book of Mormon. it was such a powerful experience because i feel the need to testify so strongly about the book of Mormon. she said "well if i have questions who do i contact?" we smiled and said "US!!!!!" :) I have learned so much by reading The Book of Mormon and by teaching people! 

Trout Lake Washington

 Sunday i had a profound experience, during church i was thinking about what to speak/testify about(next sunday the high counselor is speaking and asked us missionaries to speak with him)... well i started reading my scriptures and then a ton of answers came to me! i frantically began writing them down!!! This work was supposed to be started yesterday.. we are all late! The time is NOW. literally is now, there are thousands of missionaries being sent around the world, WE NEED WORK!!!!! that work is through the members and through tracting.. missionaries cant do it alone! members don't need to prepare people to be taught.. that is heavenly fathers job! The members make a connection with people, have the missionaries go visit them, and then heavenly father will do the rest :) the worst that can happen is they say no, or they say yes and eventually get baptized! we are ALL wanting to end up in the same place, therefore we need everyone involved now! 

I have found who i am.... Finding yourself comes through studying the gospel, praying, and literally LOSING yourself in the work.. never wanting to stop working, not realizing what day or time it is... I am striving to work harder and harder. This gospel is so perfect and i want EVERYONE to hear it!!!! I know this gospel is true. I know it without a doubt!!! I love you all so much!!! adios!

Beautiful view of Mt. Adams

Week 1 MTC ~ "Its going to change me and strengthen my life"

Hola-

Last week this is what I memorized:  “Las familias son una parte central del plan de Dios.” (Families are a central part of Gods plan) 

I am so grateful for the love, support and sacrifice that has been made in my behalf. 

(Me and my COUSIN)

We honestly sacrifice so much to be a missionary, but it is so wroth it!  This mission is going to change and strengthen my life.  I learned that the way we serve our mission is the way we live our lives.  If you serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength, then it will be harder to go home than it was to leave home.

(My District and Amazing Zone Leaders)

(Me and Friends from home Elder Finnie and Sister Wright)

(So excited to see more of my friends Elder Escobar and Elder Holding)

Always remember that it is the Lords Mission and not ours.  So remember to be selfless not selfish.  No one can ever deny the amazing spirit here at the MTC.  I became homesick the first few days, but then when Sunday came, I was renewed of why I chose to serve a mission.  I couldn't think of a better way to serve my Lord than through serving him in my fullest capacity, giving him my everything.

(That's where I'm going ... Kennewick Washington)
Prepare now.  There is no better time for anything than to prepare now!!! Once you enter the Mission don’t look back, look forward because that is where you and your heavenly Father wants you to be. No one ever said it would be easy, they all say “it gets better”, but really I feel we just get used to it.  I love serving a mission.  There is no better way to be closer to God, besides the temple.

(Yes, I was happy to go for a walk across the street to the temple)

Always say your prayers!  Learning a new language is difficult.  Be strong and be prepared. I got a comforting message that it comes a little bit everyday.  Not all at once. I can testify that thru prayer anything is possible.  The spirit is amazing.  We must first understand the language of the spirit and then the real language comes to us.  I learned this also, “Obedience brings forth blessings, but exact obedience brings forth miracles.”  I love this saying!  It is so true!

(Yes I did fall asleep .. It was a long class)

I have such a strong testimony and love for the gospel. 

Amor, Hermana Kelsey Jaeger

(I get to see my best friend (sister) every day.  
God knew we needed to be near each other in the MTC)