Ello poppets' :)
This week was great! Hot...but great! I can't believe it hasn't
technically been a full week since exchanges...but we had our first
exchange on Friday and so the craziness has officially begun! I went to
The Banks for the day with Sister Foster and the next morning for
morning exercises we ran near the ocean and it was so beautiful! Man...I
love my misison.
Apparently we had Mark Lusvardi come to the VC again (he's
like...THE VC director of all VC's so...he's the man) which meant all
the VC full field sisters had to attend the meetings both Thursday and
Friday...which meant that I got to see my VC sisters!!! :) It was a
tender mercy because my mom (sister cole) is dying this transfer!!! I'm
soooo sad that I don't get to serve with her during her last
transfer...like, I'm really sad over here haha. But! I know she'll do
great! She is already claiming dibs on my journal for two full weeks
because she needs time to think about what she's going to write. Ahhhh I
just love her to death. One thing that I learned from VC training was,
"Use your own personality traits to emulate the Savior's attributes." We
were talking about how we need to be more "normal" and then Brother
Lusvardi freaked out on us by telling us how we should already be
normal. But it's true, the Lord calls us as we are to go out on our
missions. Yes, we need to change and be more consecrated but that
doesn't mean we have to change who we are. It was a good training. The
whole time I felt like I didn't belong there haha and that I wasn't
going to go back next transfer...we'll see...we shall see.
OH MY GOSH! Okay, so get this. My VERY first investigator on my
mission, the FIRST person I ever taught...is getting married June 22nd
and baptized June 23rd :) BAHHHHHHHH! Sister Cole told me about it
during VC training and I yelled "shut up!" while Brother Lusvardi was
talking (not smart) but ahhhhhh! I am SO pumped! Oh yeah, it's Edvin
whose getting baptized :) Edvin was my first lesson and I taught him
after I had been out for just a week. I remember that day so vividly. We
were role playing and I was on the ground with the little Plan of
Savlation map thingy, trying to figure out how to explain all of it in
Spanish and haha that's when I had my very first breakdown on the
mission. Oh man, I just remember crying on the ground and Sister Cole
sitting in her chair just staring at me not knowing what to do hahahaha.
Good times. But I remember when we finally got to teach him that night,
I was able to say my part and it was just such a great lesson. He was
also the last person I taught in the area and I remember my last lesson
with him I just cried and told him how I wanted him to be baptized so
badly. I've been able to see him here and there at the VC because he
still goes there for lessons and everytime I saw him, I would remind him
of how much time I have on my mission and that he HAD to get baptized
before I left. Welp, it's all coming true! I hope he sticks with it...it
sounded pretty legit from Sister Cole and some of the other
missionaries. Ahhhhh!!! I'm so happy for him!
Yesterday was amazing! Seriously, Heavenly Father blesses Sister
Mellor and I SO much once we start our exchanges. We had our first ones
on Friday and apparently they had an amazing day in our area. Us on the
other hand, the sisters only had 10 miles left on their car and it was
the last day of the month haha so we walked....all...day...long....and
it was stinkin hot! But, we contacted 28 people so it was way good. But
yesterday we were able to set two baptismal dates for the 23rd!! I know,
same day as Edvin but we are planning on having ours at 3pm so that we
have time to get to Edvin's. The other elders in our ward are also
having one on the 23rd as well. Woohoo! Lots of baptisms that day. Her
name is Carmen and her daughter is Cynthia. She turns 9 on June 18th so
it works out perfectly. Carmen was a referral from the english elders
and our first lesson with her was when Sister Rico was with us and where
she just bore her testimony the entire time and invited her to church
haha. It was so good. She's come to church two times in a row and has
loved it both times. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and she had a 2
year old daughter that died drowning. When we were talking about the
spirit world, she told us how after her daughter died, she had a dream
where she told her that she was okay and in a safe place and was happy.
We told her that it's because she was perfect! That although she wasn't
baptized yet, that she was under the age of accountability and that she
would be able to live with God in the Celesital Kingdom one day. We
invited them both for the 23rd and they both said yes instantly. She
asked that since she's already been baptized in the Catholic church if
she can be baptized again. I then told her that I too was baptized when I
was a baby but that because it wasn't done by someone holding the
proper authority of God, that it wasn't valid in God's eyes and it
wouldn't help me return back to him. I told her that my parents did
it out of their best intentions, because they knew baptism was important
but God needs us to be baptized by someone holding the priesthood, just
like Jesus Christ was baptized by only John the Baptist, not by some
random guy. She completely understood and was so happy that she was
finally going to be baptized the right way, the way that God wants us to
be baptized! She has a son named Jose who is 7 and turns 8 in December.
He is such a charmer haha! We came in and he brought each of us a plate
of cut up carrots. We were confused, until he came back and brought us
each a cup of water haha! When we did the kneeling prayer, he gave each
of us a pillow so we could kneel on it. Oh my gosh, such a heartbreaker
haha! I love this family!
I hit my 5 year mark on Saturday and the whole day I just thought
about all of the blessings I've been able to receive in my life. As
missionaries, we testify to people that the gospel will change their
life forever, that it will help them to make changes in their lives to
bring themselves closer to the Savior's teaching. It's something I
promise often because I know it to be true but on Saturday, as I was
able to think about that day, June 1st 2008, never would I thought that 5
years from then I would be HERE! In LA! On a MISSION! Never! It was
something I always wanted to do but...I wouldn't believe it if someone
would of told me where I would be in 5 years. I thought about the trials
and challenges that I've had in those 5 years as well. I thought about
how grateful I am for the missionaries who never gave up on my family
and I. I thought about my Young Women leaders, members in my home ward
and stake, my bishops I've had at home and at school, and I am so, so
grateful for all of you. You have all each played a significant role in
my conversion, whether you realize it or not. The gospel truly changes
lives, and mine is one of them! My baptism was just one of the most
perfect days of my life and I know that it was also the best decision I
could of ever made. People, the church is true! God still talks to us
today, one being through a prophet of God named Thomas S. Monson. We
have the Book of Mormon which is another testament of Jesus Christ that
helps us to know about the perfect plan that God has for us. Joseph
Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. If you don't
believe me, go pray about it. My words can't convince you, only the
feelings of the Holy Ghost can do the converting part. I can promise
each and every single one of you that our Heavenly Father knows and love
each of you so much! I know that because there have been times on my
mission where I would doubt Him. I would doubt that He even knew me. But
time after time I am always reminded, in a loving way, that I am His
daughter. That He loves me so much. That He sent me down to Earth
because He loves me and He wants me to gain my own experiences in life.
He wants me to use my agency and choose whether or not I want to go back
home to Him. He has restored the true church of Jesus Christ once again
on the Earth through the prophet Joseph Smith to provide the way for me
to gain eternal life with Him.
I want to invite each of you, who may be struggling with a
challenge in your life, to actually get on your knees and pray to your
Heavenly Father. Tell Him how you feel! He already knows, but He is
waiting for YOU to use your faith to turn to Him and know that He can
help you. The way He is able to do that is through our savior, Jesus
Christ. I love you all so much! I love my mission more then anything. I
know I say it every time but I literally CANNOT imagine my life without
my mission. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have the
opportunity to not only serve the Lord, but to be able to wear His name
on my badge every single day. Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Hermana Baeza
1. oceannnnnnnnnn!
2. me and diana! love my biebs!!!
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