"I Think It's Gonna Snow! Let's Go Skiing For P-Day Tomorrow!" (week 21)

Okay here are some funny quotes from this week:

 

"Guys....I think its gonna snow today! We are going skiing for p-day tomorrow!!" -Hermana Knopf

 

Elizabeth ( a white lady we OYM'd): "The next time i see you will be in heaven."

Hermana Bennion: "No doubt...no doubt..."

 

Hermana Bennion: "Hi, we are missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints..."

Asian lady standing at the door (shaking her hand in front of her mouth): "hmmmmm......hmmm..... im sorry i'm christian." *closes the door*

 

Okay as you can see, this week was soooooo random!!! haha but it was tons of fun and so great!!! The quotes will make more sense I guess as I explain more about the week! It was hard but tons of crazy weird stuff happened. Really... there is NEVER a typical or normal day in the life of a missionary!!!! So here is what happened.

 

Monday, we played QUIDDITCH as a district activity!! Probably the funnest game I have ever played!! We all brought our brooms and mops and pretended that we were flying. Then we had some cherry balls that were the bludgers and the quaffel. It was such a blast!! And the second round that we played, we played with a snitch. it was a bottle cap. hermana knopf and I were the designated seekers. best job ever!! it took us forever to find it though!! eventually we did and we basically fought to the death for that thing. I got it though!! WOOOHOOO!! so fun. The things you do as a missionary!! But then later that night we went over to the Morenos and we did an object lesson with them about faith. Because Angel was getting baptized so we wanted to teach him faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost, and enduring to the end! So that was fun! Then we went over to a members home and had FHE with her and her daughter who is less active!! She even made a cake and asked her son to go get us pizza!! Too fun! I love that lady!!!

Tuesday, WEIRDEST DAY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!! Okay I will try and make the story short. Here is what went down. So we went to go visit a potential investigator but she wasnt home. Oh before that i ran into Hermana Johnson on her bike and my bike got messed up so I had to fix it. So i was just mad. Then we go to see the potential and she wasnt there. So i was just not happy and having a horrible day so I knew I couldnt teach with the spirit. So we sat on a bench and talked for an hour just fixing things that needed to be fixed and talked about how we could work in unity to help the area. very needed! So good. Then we went to the bike store to get our brakes tightened. The guy that was working was a little weird and kept staring at us and then his boss walked in and he had a SUGAR GLIDER!!!! soooooooo cute!!!!! and the guy working told us to pray for his boss. a little wierd but i got to pet a sugar glider!!!! So then we went to see Maria and she tells us she feels a little drunk from her medicine she took and the kind of music that people listen to when they are high was playing in her apartment. Then her drunk son walks in and I was like "Um do you mind if we turn the music off so we can talk to your mom??" Then we read out of the Book of Mormon with her. So weird. Then as we are about to unlock our bikes we had a bit of a scary encounter with a guy that lives in that apartment complex! It was about 2:45 and we didnt want to go anywhere else because we just didnt feel safe so we we went to a members apartment and she fed us enchiladas and we watched finding faith in christ! Then we went to get some stuff at the apartment and then head to the church to help Hermana Moreno with an application! but... she never showed up!!! So we played games with the young women and then taught them all a lesson! And ate yummy hamburgers!! :) Just a weird day!!!

Wednesday, was awesome!! We got a new investigator, Elizabeth and she accepted a date!!! She is so getting baptized!!! She has been taught before but never accepted a date and now is has!! SHe is friends with Hermana Moreno which is perfect. The lesson went sooo great and it was just awesome!!! Then we went to see Monique and serve her :) love that lady sooo much!!! We also taught Janie and found out she is progressing with the divorce and she just understands how baptism is a promise and a covenant and she is going to get baptized soon!!! we had a great talk with her and i love that woman to death. shes great!

Thursday, we helped the other hermanas move into their apartment!! sad to see them go but it was time!! haha it was a fun day though!!

Friday, we had interviews with president and trainings with the assistants!! we had a training on baptizing weekly and how we as a mission will be baptizing 1000 this year! the spirit was so strong in that training!! We recieved a spiritual confirmation of the people in our area that we have right now that will be baptized this year. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my entire life. sooo cool! My testimony of personal revelation was strengthened so much!!!

Saturday, we did exchanges!! Hermana Bennion came to me! We talked to a lot of crazy people, had a door slammed in our face, talked to an indian that has been to the visiters center in Hawaii, got the same family as a referral 3 times, got shut down alot, had a great lesson with a less active (surprise lesson but she gave us pizza), bikked like 10 million miles, had to wear sweaters because it was cold, and had a surprise noche mormona with the greatest members and investigator Antonio!!! What a great and eventful day!

Then Sunday, we had a baptism!! well it was a ward baptism but hermana moreno needed help with it so we made the program and i played piano and it was so fun!! Little Angel is just adorable!! i love him and his family so much. So that was super fun. And Maria came! She is such a trooper and she is so converted. I lov eher to death. But it was a great day! And I finally played piano in front of others. scaryyyy. it was fine though. OH! And we walked outside and it was... COLD!!! i had to wear a sweater and everything!! felt like utah! i believe it gets cold in texas now!! haha

Well i am all out of time but i love this gospel so much!! And i know that it is so true!! I am so grateful to be a missionary and to serve in this wonderful work!!! This gospel is so happy and i love it. Hope you all had a wonderful week and that this week is better!!!! Remember... i like candy and i like halloween and packages. but anyways i love you all!!!

con mucho amor,

Hermana Dorian!

Mud Isn't a Good Accessory As A Missionary (week 20)

I just wish that I could hook up my brain to some kind of a machine and record everything that happened in a day and then I would just send that. I wish I could remember everything that happened but I cant. Lamesauce. But I will try my best!! It was a good week though. Hard, but really good!

So.. Monday night after P-day we went to go try a few people! We got in to see Karla and Leonor though!! that was awesome!!! We watched a Mormon Message about the Atonement. Then we had to tell them that we couldnt go over for dinner Wednesday night because we were going to have a noche mormona so we told them we could come over the next night and eat. Then we saw the Morenos and talked to Hermana Moreno about Angels baptism! He is the cutest 8 year old and is getting baptizednext Sunday :)

Tuesday, we were having comp study and we decided we should probably have dinner with Leonor on Friday because Karla wouldnt be there and we might get more out of Leonor. So we called Karla and told her and when we got off the phone I felt terrible because she sounded so sad! So we prayed about it because we didnt know what to do. After we prayed, we decided we should just go that night so Karla could be there. So we basically played phone tag all day and finally set it up again for that night. So anyways we didnt have much to do because no one is home at 12 in the afternoon most days because everyone and their grandma works. But we did decide to go see Carmen, our less active we havent seen in forever! She says she wants to come back to church but she didnt come yesterday! So we will see what happens. Please pray for her! So then we went and just rode our bikes around the houses by Carmens apartment. We talked to a few people. One who was agnostic and worships nature, a christian who realized talking to us that he needs to start going back to church, and an indian lady that worships fire but has mormon relatives. And that is why I love Houston so much! haha the agnostic said that he had a better chance of converting us than we did of converting him. hmmm.... interesting. DOUBT IT!!! We have the Lord on our side and the true church! He will soon realize one day. Then later in the day we had dinner with Karla and Leonor. Where we ate pizza and the spiciest hot wings and then of course I touch my eye after eating a hot wing. But it was so amazing though that the Lord prompted us to go there that night because Karla spilled to us that her "boyfriend" cheated on her. That is a good thing though because she is still married to the guy she is separated from! She was living in sin and now she's not! We told her that this is good and she needs to change her life and go to church. We were bold but its because we love her so much!!! Pray for her too!! 

So then on Friday we had Zone Conference with Elder Golden of the Seventy! He is sooo cool. Him and his wife are great! He is a really reverent man and we were told to be very reverent too so that he would teach us more doctrine. And he did! I really learned sooo much! i dont have time to write it all but i learned a lot about baptizing and how to help strengthen weak wards which is what we have to be doing with our ward right now!!! I recieved a lot of revelation and it was just awesome!! I also had to bear my testimony in the meeting! nerve racking!! but it was alright. I know this church is true and I love bearing my testimony to people everyday. 

Okay one more miracle and then I have to get off!! But this week we invited a ton of people to church! Especially Janie! She hasnt come in 3 weeks because of work!! So yesterday morning we walked outside and it was rainy. I was like nooooo! Because Janie doesnt like driving in the rain because she had a sister that died in a car accident in the rain. I was for sure she wasnt going to come but we hadnt gotten a text yet. So we were waiting at the church and I was praying SO hard that she would come because she is Marias ride! And Eslendy and Eliud and Maria needed to be at church! So i just asked the Lord to give me the faith I needed!! And after the opening song I looked over at the door and I saw Maria!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! that meant that all of them were there!!! It was such a miracle and sooooo great!!!! We were so excited!!! Now we just gotta get everyone else to church because church is so powerful and its a commandment!!

I love this gospel and I love this work!!! I love you all and hope yall have a great week!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Dorian

You Know You're In Texas When......... (week 19)

So this past weekend and today mark a lot of things. Today is my 6 month mark which means I only have 1 year left!! And exactly a year ago I made the decision to serve a mission! And here I am, serving in the Texas Houston South Mission, speaking spanish!! A year ago I had no idea what I was going to do with my life and then I didnt have any idea of where I was going to go! All I knew was I was going to serve a mission and I was going to dedicate a year and a half to serving the Lord. And it was hands down the greatest decision I have ever made in my entire life. I have never been happier or closer to my Father in Heaven as I have been on my mission. And there is just a special feeling knowing that I am a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I get to share my testimony and the knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ here on the earth today. Its such a blessing to be here. And I love it so much. I love my mission, I love Texas, I love my companion, I love the Lord, I love my Savior, and I love my life!! :)

Now for the good stuff of this past week! So I dont have much time to write a lot but I will give yall the highlights!

1. It indeed DOES get cold in Texas. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?! I have to be honest, other missionaries were telling me that it would get cold in the winter and I flat out did not believe them. I was like uhhhh yeah right! this is texas! its humid and its hot. but nope! the nice cool fall weather has hit texas. granted its like 73 degrees outside but there is a cool breeze and that is nice for texas! I love it!!! yesterday it was cloudy and cold and i felt like i was in utah! perfect conference weather! :) I even wore tights! weird. 

2. Conference was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There really is something about watching conference as a missionary. Its so special and meant a lot more to me than it has in the past. And I even stayed awake for the entire thing. ;) I learned so much and I reallly prepared myself this time and went into it with questions and they were answered. My testimony of a living prophet here on the earth today was strengthened as well as my testimony of personal revelation. The Prophets, Apostles, and other leaders of the church are truly called of God to receive revelation for all the world and counsel us on what we need to be doing. We dont know what is going to be happening in the world or in our lives, but our Heavenly Father does. And the words of the Prophets are the words of God. So we must take heed to their counsel and do as they tell us in conference :) I just love conference so much and i am so sad its over!! Oh and Maria came!! She loved it and said it was very beautiful :) yay!! shes the best!!!!

3. You know you're in texas when..... youre waiting at a stop light on your bike and a truck drives by with 2 cowboys in it with huge cowboy hats and a HUGE white plastic horse in the bed of the truck. I LOVE TEXAS. the people here are crazy but i love it so much!!!! I dont want to be serving anywhere else! This is where I am meant to be :)

4. We went on exchanges this week and on the exchange we went to visit a less active in our area, Carmen Godinez. We havent visited her for 6 weeks because our bishop told us not to. But we talked to him and he said it would be okay if we went over there, but to be careful. So we went and she let us in!!! Its going to be a long process to get her back to church but we are going to do everything we can to help her come back!!!

5. Update on the Investigators!! Janie is doing great!! She has made progress on her divorce. It's really the most complicated situation in the entire world but we are doing everything we can to help her prepare for baptism! She knows this church is true but there are a lot of changes that have to happen in order for her to be baptized! So please pray for her! She needs all your prayers! Antonio is just awesome. He doesnt live in our ward boundaries but we are teaching him at a members home! He is so prepared. He is sincerely searching for truth and just wants to know! We taught him the plan of salvation this week which was perfect because he and gabby had talked about it already and both of his parents have passed away. I think teaching him about the plan really helped him to understand a lot more things and made some things make sense! He is so great and is really progressing! And we were sad to pass him off to the missionaries that teach in his area but president ashton said we could keep teaching him! I am sooooo happy about that! He is truly our brother and I care about him so much and i know that this gospel will bless his life in sooo many ways!! And the Lord has been preparing him for years and now is his time. I feel honored to be teaching him about this gospel. Its so happy and wonderful!

6. The Houston 2 Hermanas, Hermana Hogan and Cardoza are still living with us. Its soooo fun and kinda crazy.. and messy... but its fun. :) We kinda get a taste of what the Zone leaders apartment is like because they have 5 elders all in one apartment. I think thats worse! haha!

Well, that is all I have time for. But more to come next week! We are gonna go crazy this week and just go finding like no other! we are going to talk to every single person we see. Even if it ends up being real awkward. But thats the life of a missionary. And I LOVE IT!!!! I am so grateful to be serving. Thank you all for your love and support!! Dont be afraid to write letters :) they are GOLD on a mission! Okay I love you all and I hope you all have a splendid week! 

Con amor, 

Hermana Dorian! :)

I LOVE This Work!!! (week 18)

Okay so again craziest week ever... and i mean that. I dont think I have ever been so exhausted in my whole entire life!!! But this week was really great! It was so hard, and I feel like my faith is really being tested but it happens! And even though it was hard, there were sooo many great things that happened!! Okay so to start, after P-Day on Tuesday, we went to try and visit a few people and then I asked Hermana Cardoza and Hermana Hogan if we could go stop by the church because the young women in my ward were making dinner for all the missionaries. So we went and the minute we walked in I saw Eslendy and Eliud there helping out and having sooo much fun!! And then guess who else I saw? Alejandra!!! Alejandra is Eslendy's friend and she lives right across from them! Alejandra has a terrible living situation and its really hard to see. You can just tell that she has had a really hard childhood and has gotten into trouble because of it and its so sad and just breaks my heart!! But she was there!!! And she LOVED the activity!! She made friends with all the girls and looked sooo happy. Ive NEVER seen her that happy before! :) My heart was soooo full of just love and gratitude and joy and every other possible happy feeling there is in this world. It was incredible. Then all the young women got up and each said something about the work we do and how they are grateful for us and to hear your recent converts get up and say why they are grateful for the missionaries is so wonderful. I even got all teary eyed! SO sweet!! I just love them soooo much!!!

So then on Wednesday, we got up and did some studies and then had to clean my whole apartment for my new companion to arrive. I was sooo stressed. I had no idea who I was gonna get. My hands were numb and shaky. haha! talk about dramatic and lame. But like the companion you have can make or break the work in the area! for reals! So after we cleaned we were off to transfer meeting!! So while we were driving there, there was a missionary car in front of us. Hermana Hogan says "Thats your new companion!" I was like "Thats probably not anyone I know because I dont know anyone with that car!" haha so we get to the mission office and it happened to be Hermana Johnson's car. She gets out and I asked her if she was the one getting transferred. She said yes and I was like "You are sooo coming to me!!!" so we get a little bit through transfer meeting and our mission president does it where like he makes a powerpoint of all the areas that are changing and puts the peoples pictures up! haha so funny. he gets a huge kick out of it and just sits there with a goofy smile on his face. sooo funny. anyways so then my area pops up and my picture pops up. then my new companions picture pops up and guess who. HERMANA JOHNSON!!! How did I know?! I will tell you... i am basically psychic. Like really! I knew Hermana Tauteoli was going to be my trainer and I knew Hermana Johnson was going to be my companion. Its seriously sooo crazy and I feel like we are just on this long exchange. But no! We are companions! So crazy. I love her already! She really is so great and she has progressed so much and we are going to have so much fun :)

So taking over an area is probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Especially when it is really small and we dont have many people to teach right now. But we are doing our best and I know we are going to find lots of awesome people soon. This week we are going to focus on serving people. Throwing on our service clothes and finding people to serve. It's going to be so wonderful. I love doing service. But this week we found a new!! His name is Antonio and he is the friend of our most solid member, Gabby. She met him at school and invited him to listen to the missionaries! The lesson we had with him was so amazing! We taught him the Restoration and he has SO many questions but everything we know about the gospel can answer every single one of his questions. He is so sincere and just really wants to know the truth. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and knows that it is true. SOOOOOO AWESOME!! but its the saddest story because we have to turn him over to other missionaries since he doesnt live in our ward boundaries :( But its okay! I know there are prepared people out there!!

Basically the Relief Society Conference was the greatest thing ever. Especially since I was having a really rough day that day and satan was attacking me sooo hard and i just didnt know what to do. But everything they said at the conference was exactly what I needed to hear and it got me soo excited for General Conference this weekend. I cant believe its here!! SO EXCITED!!

Well I know this church is true. And I know that the Lord loves each and every one of us so much and he just wants us to be happy! So we are helping others to be happy!!! I love you all so much and thank you for all your love and support!!! Thank you for everything! I would LOVE to hear from you all! Hope yall have a great week :)

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Dorian