Christmas Lights!!!

Hey so this week was so awesome!!! So many things happened!! I will
start with Thanksgiving!

So I went to 2 member houses for Thanksgiving. One was from our ward. And it was more like a lunch. And I got that "You look like Blake lively" again. First time in the field! Hah. Then some family I do not remember their name but they had a bunch of missionaries over for dinner. And guess what!? I knew the oldest son!!! His name is Sam! I met him up at school my first semester! He lived at Liberty square. The same apartment complex as me. His building was right across from mine. But we talked and it was awesome!!

On thanksgiving we are not allowed to meet or visit anyone unless they invited us because it is rude. It is family time. Makes sense. So all day was like a P-day! So awesome! We played two turkey bowls (Football) games. With all missionaries. Then we ate Thanksgiving lunch. Then we went to that family who had all the missionaries over. And we played volleyball, ate and had a little
devotional after. Then we met with our zone and just played games at the church and chilled for the rest of the night! It was so great! Loved it!!! So thanksgiving was a good day!

Fun fact! There is a family from the ward I used to serve in,  they have a son who just got back from the mission, their last name is Growberg, and we have had him come with us for lessons. Apparently he is the grandson of the guy who the movie the other side of heaven is about! That is his grandpa?!! So awesome!! We are going to have to get a photo with him! But thought I should tell everyone!

This transfer has been hard. The visa wait has been rough for me recently. I have been really down and I hate it. I have been trying to stay positive but it is so hard. I have been struggling to be happy.
But in my personal study one day it helped a ton!  I came across the scripture Alma 36:3. Alma is talking to his son Helaman and giving him council. He said that when we put our trust in God (all of it) God will help us always through our trials, troubles, afflictions and we will be lifted up at the last day. I need to put my trust in Him. He knows what He is doing. And He will help me get through this time here in Mesa while I wait for my visa. Weather I stay in Mesa for my whole mission or I go to Trinidad. I trust in God and know that He will help me feel at peace with either one. He knows the bigger picture. And now I feel a lot better and more happy!

But what also helped was because I was out in the visitor center for Christmas lights! I started the night after thanksgiving! And I work every night till the 1st of January! And I love it so much! I believe that if I was not called overseas I would be a visitor center sister! It fits me perfectly! I am meeting so many people every second!! I ran into Arthur from my singles ward at school!! I almost hugged him! I met his fiance! It was so awesome! Then I ran into Alica! And her family I legit almost cried!! I gave her the biggest hug! Alicia and her sister were my room mates while I was in Provo going to school, I love them both. Alicia's is on a mission as well! I was so happy to see her!!
And then I ran into some one who knows my stake president. And they took a picture with me and sent it to him! And I love working there!!!

Also funny! I ran into a lady who was in one of the wards I served in last transfer, the Northridge Ward. And she says to me you served in my ward! You were the cute sister! And then went on about how she thought I was so cute and she has a son who just got home from a mission and she told him about me! And wanted to set me up with him! And asked how long I have been out and I said almost 4 months and she said oh he can wait. Haha, then she left and then a minute later came back and said I just have to take a picture of you and show him how cute you are and then she showed me a picture of him! Hahaha it was funny and awk! But I love this experience to be a visitor center sister!!!

 I hope you all are doing great I love hearing from you! Remember to trust in God and put him first above everything else!

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AFTER CHURCH!!!

 

We get are own BOM with our name as a visitor center sister!

A lady gave us little mini mes! That was my companion for the night. We are with a Spanish sister for the visitor center. We call them zebra companion ships. 

This was us getting crafty on thanks giving!

Turkey bowl we get serious! 

Me and my companion! 

Look who we found tonight!

At the Mesa Temple. Her roommate Alicia ran into sister Parker. 

Look who we found tonight at the Mesa temple lights!  

She is so happy!  

Alicia Rock



Also the following was posted on Facebook by Arthur Silva:

Ran into this awesome girl at the Mesa temple!!! — with Kaileen Debenham.

Thanksgiving

From a family in Mesa, Thanksgiving Day.

                                              Thanks for sharing your daughter with us! 

                                                                   She is wonderful. :)

4 Eyed Club!

So this week has been crazy awesome! The work here has really started
to pick up! Which is great! I love it! We are meeting more people and
teaching more!! This week went by so fast I feel like last p-day was
yesterday, haha.

So I am kinda a visitor center sister for the Mesa
temple! My companion is, but she is in full field right now. But they
are about to start Christmas lights and it is crazy busy. So they have
all the VC sisters working for that. So I am being trained for it. I
am actually really excited for it! I will have this awesome
opportunity and experience for the visitor center and also my mission
over in Trinidad! It is just too good to be true! They say a lot of
miracles happen here! And hey are even giving me a Book of Mormon with
my name in it! That is what all the sisters get apparently. So nice!

So we found this guy TJ. We knocked on his door a few times one
night and he was not answering. We thought he wasn't home so we are
walking back to out car. Well we were walking really weirdly! Like REALLY
weird. And all of a sudden we hear a laugh and look back quickly
and see him standing outside his door laughing at us. So embarrassing!
But it was all good, he let us in and we taught him! He is an awesome
dude!!! So being weird opens doors! Note to self!

So our mission president and his wife had the whole mission make
us run a 5k. And that was today! So I just ran a 5k. And it was hard.
But! It was so enjoyable!! Afterwards. The feeling I had was so great!
I need to run more often. I've been slacking on that. But it was good!
I beat my old, and new companion!

Well nothing really crazy! Oh except I had an awesome experience with
a less active we are teaching! So he is 20. His name is Brock.  I
have recently been thinking about him. And a couple nights ago as I
was laying in bed trying to go to sleep I could not stop thinking
about him. And I just kept picturing him on a mission. And him so
happy. And it was so strong. I knew it was the spirit. And I was
getting these ideas for lessons with him! And I wrote them down. It
was such an awesome feeling. I knew the spirit was preparing me for
him. And I have this feeling like he might be one of the reasons why I
am in Mesa. I am trying to figure out what it is that Heavenly Father
wants me to learn here and who he wants me to meet. I think he might
be the who. We will see.

I seriously love the people here. So
much! I will cry saying bye to them they are like my family!!

Well I hope everyone is doing well and safe! I love you all!!!
Remember to put the lord first in all things! Everything else will
fall into place!

                                I got glasses! I joined the club!! Forgot to put that in my email!

                                         Me and my companion. Yes those are snow cones.

                                                             The mission after the 5k.

                                                            

 

For sister Lloyd's birthday. 

Gratitude

Hey everyone! So it is November that time of year for Attitude of gratitude! I love having a grateful heart! For example last Monday once it hit 6 pm and P-day was over so many things happens and went wrong! Our meal appintment thought we were coming earlier and then our lesson was  canceled. Then our car got totaled!!! On top of that night we weregoing on splits with the STL. She was going to be with me, and sister Lloyd was going with sister Duran. And then we were not able to eat dinner because we had to get all of this going on. And I was having a killer headache. So it was crazy! But I knew if I focused on all the things that went wrong it would only bring me down and the work. So in my prayers that night I did not ask for anything I just gave thanks for all that Heavenly Father has blessed me with. For the talents I have been given. For this experience hat I have been given to serve a full time mission. That we were not in the car when it was hit. That our lesson cancelled because we would not have made it. And the next day I was able to focus more and not look or let that night bother me. I can testify that being thankful is a blessing. And only increases you
faith and love for Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.


So since we no longer have a car. And we do not know when we will get
one again. Probably not this transfer. So we are on bikes! Yay!.....
Well I got to get ready for Suriname right? Maybe it is the lord
preparing me for Suriname. And that means I may leave soon!! Haha but
it is quiet peaceful to ride bikes! I enjoy it! And then I get my
speaker and play music and put it in my basket on the bike. So we can
jam out(spiritually) and Cruz. I am sorry we have not taken any pics
on the bike but this next week we will!! I promise! So fun thing!
Sister Lloyd fell! So we were ridding and she is behind me telling me
a story and then I hear  a pause and then, "oh dang it!" And then I
look back and she falls! It was so funny!! I made sure she was ok. She
was. She did not get hurt. But still pretty funny! And then I started
laughing. She laughed to it was all good. Good times good times.


So we had zone training meeting. And it was so spiritual! I loved it!!
We set a goal as a zone to fine 108 new investigators for the month.
This is how we came up with the number because it is pretty random. So
they asked each companion to set a goal for how many new investigators
they can find for the month. And write it down. Then they to stalled
the amount at the end and that is how many we are going to find! And
so awesome!! We have already found 3 this week! It is truly amazing!
And I ran into April who was my first investigator I asked to be
baptized and was doing so great then dropped us. Well we were at a
luau. And she was there she came up to me and smiled and I gave her
the hugest hug! And we held each other for a long time! I instantly
felt so much love for her. More than I thought I had for her. I almost
cried! So found out she is going to church with a polonisian family in
the other ward. So happy to hear that she is going to church still!
And she even taught her family a lesson for fhe one night from the
Book of Mormon! Ahh!! So awesome! She is only 17! But she is not
baptized and doesn't want to take the lessons yet. She feels like she
needs to learn everything and know everything before she can be
baptized. We have tried to explain to her she does not have to be
perfect and that we are here to help her. But she doesn't get it. But
I told her to call us anytime! And when she does decide to be baptized
then to call us! I love that girl!

                     So for language study I wanted to do something fun! So I have been translating the song glorious into Dutch. It is fun! I would send you a video of me singing it but then your ears might bleed so I will not. But I am so happy to be here in my mission! I do not ever want to go home. Sorry mom and dad. I'm staying! But I know it will be so hard for me to leave the people here in Mesa. It will be so sad. But I know I can visit them when I come home. They are only 4 or 5 hours away from home!  Thank you all for your support!! Love you and the emails you send me!! Make my day!!
 

 This little boy is Zach! He is so adorable and I think he will probably get baptized!

 These kids love us so much! They actually think I am related to spider man. So funny!!

 So this is April in the middle! Love her!!

Riding bikes now. Some neighbors let us borrow them. It will be a long time till our car gets fixed!

Me on a bike!

My Mom had to send me some jackets and sweaters. It is getting cold here in the mornings and evenings and I did not plan on that with packing since I am supposed to be in Trinidad!

 This is me and my companion. I love her. We are cute. 

This is the view from our balcony. In the members home that we live in. The street and houses are so pretty.

Pie

So transfers happened!! And I have a new companion! Her name is sister Lloyd and she is from Idaho. She is a ginger and has beautiful hair. We get a long so well!! We can laugh and still get work done it is awesome! So I am still in the same area but they took a ward away from me...and i loved this ward so much. They were like my family. Transfers are so sad! But happy at the same time. I do not like saying goodbyes! But we are still living with the members. I love them so much! I feel like I am apart of their family! So great!

             So first I hate pie. My family knows that. But now I love it! I ate like 5 pieces the other night and they were all different kinds! So good!! I don't know what I was missing!!! It was amazing! These members can cook!!! Second everyone one when they ask my name and I say guess they think I look like a Jessica! Haha weird! Because that's my sisters name. It was pretty funny!

          There are these members in our word the Nahles. And the dad is from Lebanon! And he is an amazing cook and made us humus!!!! It tastes just like the humus from back over there!!! I loved it!! He is amazing and he has amazing art! Dad look him up! So awesome!!
           
             Well nothing crazy happens just transfers. I am so grateful though to be out here. I am loving the mission and the work. I am learning so much! And I made a goal. Each month to focus on a Christlike attribute. So this month is faith in Jesus Christ. It has helped my attitude and work here in the mission so much! I feel so light and strong. Because I know that Heavenly Father is helping me with the load I have to carry! I love everyone one of you! And if any of you know any strong medicines like super strong medicines for headaches please let me know!!
Thank you!!!

I love you!
I love being a missionary!
And I love Arizona Mesa missionary!

Halloween

           So! This week was better!!! I could feel the lord work through me! We
were contacting a referral from the hermanas. He is 10 and is name is Eraycheo. We were talking to him outside his door. Sister Pajaro was talking to him and I had an thought to talk to him about how you can receive strength from Jesus Christ and the atonement. But then didn't think I would say it but then I had the prompting again. And it was stronger, not super strong but a little stronger. And then I said it and then the words I was saying after, I did not plan on saying but they just came out and I asked him if he feels alone and how Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are here for this and will help him. He started crying because he has been feeling so alone! We were ableto help him and we are meeting up with him again tomorrow! I started to get teary eyed because this poor boy felt so alone and he was struggling! It was so sad. I could feel heavenly fathers love for him and it was so beautiful!  So that was the highlight of the week!!

        So we had 3 Halloween parties that we had to go to. But we were only able to attend one and the last 10 min of the other. But it was ok they were good! You know typical ward parties. But!! I love dressing up on Halloween. Y'all know that. So we can't do much here to dress up but we did dress up! We were elders!! I took pics so I will send those! It was awesome! Everyone loved our outfits!

 So this last one is the daughter of the members we are living with. But this is our Halloween costume. We are elders.

        TRANSFERS! So transfers happened... And I am staying in this area but loosing one of our wards, and I am so sad about it because I love this ward so much! So we are going to heart attack them!  And I am loosing sister Pajaro! I am so sad!!! I do not want her to leave!! I love her we have grown so close!! And now she will be in a new zone! So sad!!!! It has been hard for both of us! But the new companion that is second half training me is sister Lloyd. Sister Pajaro actually trained her!!
And I have met her and she is awesome! So it is all good! But still sad! But I am now a VC sister too! So I will work at the visitor sister also apparently. So that is awesome! I am excited for that. Apparently it has been closed this whole time because they are completely redoing it!

 Sister Parker and Sister Lloyd heading out for the day!

       So I am doing the object lessons I learned from the missionaries that served in my home ward with the tea bag and the cup water and coins and match. They loved it! So that was awesome!!!

      The most common thing I get here is "oh you look like so and so". Apparently I look like a lot of people! Everyone keeps telling me I look like someone they know! Haha it is a bit weird now because it has happened so much!!

       So I made a lot of goals for myself but one is that I want to be a scriptorian! I want to know everything about the Book of Mormon and the New Testament and the Old Testament. I love them!! I am so engulfed in the reading!! I am also so greatfull for all of the people's sacrifice in the Book of Mormon. For the hard times and trials they went through. We all have learned so much from them because of that. And for them preserving the records so that we can have them. That is so amazing! I am grateful for that!!

Well I love you all!! And I am grateful for this opportunity I have to be serving the lord and becoming a better deciple of Jesus Christ.

I love you. And I love this mission!