The Year Mark

Hello my dearest family,

How are you doing this week? Can you believe that May is almost over? I sure cant'! I don't know if you realized it but I hit my year mark on Sunday. That was weird. I still feel really new and un-experienced! However, I am the 2nd oldest spanish sister in the mission!

This week was pretty good. Last Tuesday we had a lesson with Hna Escudero and I felt strongly to promise her that if she sincerely prayed daily to see if June 14th was when she should be baptized and came to the baptism on Saturday that she would not only feel but see angels. The spirit was SO strong I could almost reach out and grab it. All week we were super excited and just waiting and waiting. Saturday rolled around and we were all at the baptism. It was an amazingly powerful baptism because 3 kids were getting baptized and one has autism but can function pretty well. We talked to her after and just said that she was only confused as to why it was in English and then left. Then, on Sunday she didn't come. Her son said that she didn't want to. We invited her to another baptism and she didn't come. I was really upset. I couldn't understand why I felt so strongly to promise her those blessings and then have her just drop. However, today I had a meeting with President Van Cott for interviews and he explained that if that is not what she wanted, if this gospel is not what she truly wants, then God isn't going to send her an angel and waste her time. Something like that. We are granted blessings according to our desires. 

The Hermana Conference went really well. No, we are not all getting banished to Mexico mom! It was interesting because we sat down and President Van Cott asked us why we were there? We were all silent. He said "I don't even know why we are here. I just have had so many promptings to have one of these meetings that I couldn't put it off any longer!" I thought that was really interesting. A sister mentioned that maybe it is because so many are new and struggling. That was not the reason. The reason was to help us with what we felt like we needed! We talked about learning the language, planning, and just missionary work. It was really nice to have that spiritual uplifting. Now, tomorrow we have our iPad training with Elder Gonzalez. We won't get the iPads right away but we are training for them and will be finding out all of the information. I am really interested to see how it will change the work that we do! 

This email is pretty short but I hope you know that the Lord lives and loves each and every one of us. That is something that I have really been feeling today. The Love that heavenly father has for us is there to help us grow. If we aren't struggling we aren't progressing. Sometimes we just sit and are happy and don't have problems but we aren't learning the lessons that we need to. As I have struggled in the mission I try to think that means that I am drawing closer to God. It says in the scriptures that as we draw closer to God we are shown our weaknesses. So it is okay to feel weak, but just rely on the Lord that He will keep us going! 

I know that the Lord is with me. Even when things don't go according to MY plan, I know that it is better to follow HIS plan.

Thank you so much for all of your love and support! You are always in my prayers!

Love,

Hermana Morey

"Technology is supposed to be our servant, not our masters."

Hello Family and Friends!!! Happy Monday!!!

This week was actually a really good week even though it felt eternal! I am not sure why but we got a ton of things done. So, to start out, last Tuesday we had a Zone Meeting and our APs were there to tell us that we have an Hermana Conference this Wednesday. What that means is that all of the Spanish Sisters in our mission, yep all 19 of us, will be going up to Highland for a 4 hour conference. We have all been trying to figure out what we will be talking about and we can't figure it out. I am pretty sure they are just going to talk about how almost all of the Spanish Elders are going home so we need to take charge. For some reason our mission isn't getting man;y new missionaries. We used to have 280 missionaries but at the end of this transfer we will only have 145. That isn't very many! Also, there are less Spanish missionaries so we will have bigger areas and more work to do. That will make things a little harder but the Lord is always doing what He knows is the best. I trust Him and know that whatever happens will be what I need to do!

On Wednesday we had a lesson with an investigator family named the Chavez. They are a family of 5 and the mom and 3 kids all want to get baptized but are waiting for their husband. He has some REALLY strange ideas... and he knows the Bible really well. He believes that he has the priesthood and the Holy Ghost because he prayed and he asked for it. We tried to explain the Priesthood using the Bible but then he went off on how the Apostles couldn't heal that one man because they didn't have enough Faith and how they did have the Priesthood. We were really frustrated so we just ended with a prayer and tried to get out of there. He asked us to wait for a moment and then found a scripture in the bible and turned to us and said that we don't have the authority to teach because it says in the Bible that if a woman wants to say something she has to go through her husband. Probably not the best thing that you could say to sister missionaries. Hna Chavez's eyes went wide and she shushed her husband and looked terrified. We just looked at him and then said that we needed to go and left. What are we supposed to do in a moment like that? We didn't want to get mad at him, but we didn't have time to explain that we do have authority. We are praying for him.

On the plus side! Saturday we had decided to go and visit a bunch of less actives in our newer area. We planned it all out and then with 10 minutes left in comp study I had a feeling to look at the Elder's notes from that area. I kid you not, EVERY single person that we had signed up to see had moved. So we decided to go an visit members in that area. We made plans and left only to realize that it was the ward temple trip and everyone was gone. We couldn't believe it. Nobody was home! We had a feeling that we just needed to keep working. If we did, everything would work out. We didn't see anyone until about 6:30 and that lesson went well. After that we got a call from a less active asking us to stop by at 8:20. We had no idea why but we went. It turns out her boyfriends daughter Arlet, she is 8, wants to get baptized! She has been coming to church for a couple weeks and wants to follow God. She is super smart and learns really quickly! She wants to be baptized on the 7th and got permission from her parents. It was such an amazing blessing from Enduring to the End. They even gave us Cheesecake. 

The Lord is here in this work!! Next week we have our Mission Conference for iPads and we are studying how to use them effectively. It is amazing what they have figured out! They are training us so that when we get home, we will be able to use technology efficiently and not waste time with it. The phrase that I loved was "technology is supposed to be our servant, not our masters." I am excited for the work to progress!!

I love you all so much! I can't thank you enough for everything that you do for me. Please let me know if I can do anything for you! I hope you have an amazing week!!!!!

Love always,

Hermana Morey

P.S. Happy 18th birthday Bethany!!!!!! You are an adult!!! I hope you have an amazing birthday!!!!!!

Focusing on Miracles

Dear Family and Friends, Hello!

I hope that you are all doing well and that you had a wonderful Mother's Day. It was so extremely wonderful to be able to see a lot of you yesterday. It was fun to be able to see you all in one place for the first time since Sariah left on her mission! One thing that amazes me is the family. I have always understood and appreciated family but there is something different on a mission. You learn more than in any other way possible how important and wonderful families are. I am also grateful because I have an amazing family! Thank you for all being on last night even if it was super late for some of you. :) 

This week I would just like to focus a little bit on miracles. A lot of times we think that miracles are things that happen that usually aren't possible. That is not true! They can be simple, small, and fun things that happen right when you need it. There are some miracles that I have seen this past week...

1. When we go to visit the Beltran family, the Garcia family, and the Quinteros family, we get a little worried about how we are going to get in because they all live in gated communities that are really hard to get in! However, this week, every single time we tried to go visit them, someone always went in before us to let us in and out. Every. Single. Time. That is a miracle and a blessing! 

2. This week nobody signed up to feed us. We were a little worried about it but we knew that everything would work out. Plus, we didn't have a lot of time to buy food on Monday, however, we were extremely blessed and we didn't eat dinner at home once this week. Not even once. Also, there was so much extra food that we had lunch as well. God always provides for his Missionaries.

3. Our investigators are changing their lives. Those who had been fighting are now getting along better and progressing together. They accept the gospel and are keeping commitments. 

4. Hermano Munoz has been inactive since his son was killed a year ago. However, after a very powerful lesson on forgiveness he said that he wants to start paying his tithing again and come back to church.

The Lord really is leading the missionary work around the work. These may not seem like big things, but they were huge to us! We are so grateful for all of your prayers and support. I have needed and appreciate every single one of them. I hope you all know that I know that this church is true. There is no way that it isn't! Whenever we feel like it isn't... usually that is because we aren't wanting to work for it. As Elder Holland Said "missionary work isn't easy because Salvation is not a cheap experience."

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!!

Hermana Morey

P.S. Happy birthday Hailey!!!!!! I meant to sing to you yesterday but I totally forgot! I hope you have a wonderful day! Enjoy Portugal!!!

P.P.S Happy birthday Megan!!!!! I hope you have an amazing day as well!!!

Proof that a mission doesn't change who you are deep down

"Just Wait..."

Hello!!! How are you all doing this week?!

Can you believe that is is already May?! Where is the time going? This week was actually a pretty good week. We always seemed to be busy and we had a couple great lessons. We started working in our new area on Saturday and that was a little rough because nobody was home.... for some reason nobody is home during the weekends. That makes it a little harder. Also, this week was HOT! Okay not terrible but it was staying around 105 every day. To me that is hot! Everyone just keeps saying "just wait." I am so tired of the phrase! When I was in Logan for school and I was cold everyone would say Just wait! Now that I am here they still say it. :) That is okay, My missionary tan lines are getting pretty defined, I now how permanent white socks on my feet and a white watch on my wrist. :) 

This week we had a really good lesson with Salvador and Andrea. They have been going through some pretty hard times which made them put religion aside. We had a kind of "come to Jesus" meeting and they committed to come to church. They ended up coming, FINALLY, and they were going to leave after the first hour but the Sunday school teacher talked them into staying for the second hour. it was perfect. Andrea told us that our prayers are working and that things are getting better. Prayers are so powerful!!! 

With Felicia and Max... we realized that Max didn't quite understand that there is only 1 true church. He thought that each person had the church that was right for them. We had an amazing spiritual lesson where he was able to tell us that he Knows that this church is true. They accepted a baptismal date for next year. (He is on parole so he can't get baptized sooner than that without first presidency approval) we will work on that but they are doing well!!

Also... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!!!!! It feels so weird to be writing this so early when it isn't until Sunday but I hope you know how much I love you. :) Thank you so much for all of the support and love that you have shown me not only while I have been gone but always. :) You are the most amazing mother in the whole world and I hope you know that you are my hero and I just want to be more like you and to make you proud. Thank you so much for everything that you do for me. You will always have me to count on!!! I am so excited to call home on Sunday and to talk to you. :) 

I hope you all have an amazing week this week!! Thank you so much for your prayers in my behalf!!!!

Love,

Hermana Morey