CCM Hermanas

CCM Hermanas

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Hermana Sol and Hermana Luna


People always ask my comp: donde esta hermana luna? And almost every time she points at me. We have gone through that a ton of times this week. Ugh. People stick with the same joke. That doesn't change culture to culture!
It was a good week! We found some people that could possibly be baptized in February or March. It's been good to find newbies, because my companion now feels a little bit more involved in the area. Poor thing, moving areas and not knowing anything is hard! Especially after moving from an area that she had been in for 6 months! She knew everyone and everyone knew her!
The members have been really inviting and we're going to start something new! Every Wednesday and Friday we're going to eat with the members. Maybe we can get to know them better that way, offer some service and also get some references! We also will cut down on the amount of money that we spend. This month I spent a bunch for cakes for retention meetings and weddings and whatnot. I'm left pretty much broke! But we'll see how this next month is!
Next week is my birthday and it just so happens to fall on pday! i'm pretty excited :) I think our district is going to get together to celebrate my birthday and that of another elder! It's going to be the best!
Yesterday Hna Sol and I were cleaning the house and found a bunch of old clothes. So what did we do with it? We splashed some horrible perfume on it and set it on fire on our patio! It was really fun. We still have a ton of old clothes from Hna. Cruz, but we've satisfied the pyromaniac urges for now!
Things are going great here, but we do ask for your prayers! In march we have a goal of 400 baptisms and we need help to reach it!
Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and hearts!
Much love,

Hermana Weatherford
I want to share a little bit of an email Teigen sent to me. We were talking about obedience.

Thank you. I love you. Remember that you too need to be obedient ;) I know I'm younger than pretty much everyone, but like I said, when we're obedient, the Lord gives us the right to tell other people to be obedient too. That's what I do every day! And because I'm obedient, I have the right to tell you to read your scriptures. Every day. You need the knowledge and the gift of the Spirit in your life. Don't cheat yourself of those blessings just because you're tired. Don't let Satan trick you into thinking that sleep is better than reading the scriptures. And there is no substitute for the Book of Mormon. If you want blessings, read that. Don't read manuals or spiritual thought books. Read pure scripture!

I thought to myself...she's right. Blunt, but right. I hope this lifts your spirit, like it did mine.



Thursday, January 23, 2014

New Companion, Elder Quenton L. Cook, and Working for the Lord

Hello friends and family!!
 

This week SO MUCH HAPPENED!! It was awesome.
1. We had Zone Conference. It was good and we ate delicious food and talked about the Book of Mormon.
2. At the conference I talked to Hna. Brough. I had been sick for awhile with awful migraines and fever and cold and dizzy. I was popping Tylenol like crazy and then I broke out in rashes all over my body. I asked her what the allergy was and she said it wasn't an allergy, but that I had dengay. So... that's pretty serious. Usually when people get it they have to go to the hospital and they can't work for a week at least. I got super lucky cause we never had to stay home or go to the hospital, we just worked like normal!

3.We had cambios! Hna. Cruz went home (the ward members threw her a Mexico themed goodbye party!) and I got a new comp! Her name is Hna. Sol and she's also from Mexico in a part called Chiapas (i guess it's close to Guatemala or something). She speaks English fluently and is suuuper funny. We have a good time! She also teaches like a boss and walks fast. She likes to sleep and doesn't go running in the morning. So.... I am SO happy.
4. We went to see Elder Quentin L Cook! He was amazing! I learned so much and had a great experience! I even got to shake his hand!!!

5. At the conference with Elder Cook we saw two of the other missions that are close, Guatemala City East and Guatemala City South. I saw some of my friends from the CCM and the first thing they asked after knowing that I was in Central was say "You guys have a crazy high standard of excellence, right?" so I told them about how we stand up in buses and share our message with everyone, how we only have 45 min lessons and contact 35 people and 10 families every day for the minimum! Their faces were shocked and they started to make excuses for why they can't do that in their areas. They said their goal for contacts was 10 people and 2 families a day! That's nothing at all!! I was really surprised to see that huge difference. I'm so glad I'm in the mission I'm in. I couldn't dare do that and walk slow and not be exactly obedient and think that I was giving my best to my Lord. I couldn't. I can't even imagine it. I love working. I love coming home dead tired. I love it! If I don't push myself to the very best, I'm robbing the Lord of what I know I can do. And honestly, I feel sad for my friends who think that they're working when they can give more. I am so blessed to be here!!
6. We had a baptism this Saturday and then 2 confirmations on Sunday! It was a really great experience and he is so ready. He's inviting all of his friends to church already and he's going to be such a great support for the ward.

That's it! I just want to let you all know that I know this church is true. I'm so glad I'm here in a mission with a mission president who is truly inspired to push us to be our best. My companion and I work hard and are obedient to every single rule. The rules are there for a reason, and if we're not obedient, we don't qualify for the miracles we ask. We asked for miracles this past change and we followed through on our promise to work hard and be obedient. That's why we baptized. That's why we were successful.
Thank you all for your support in everything! I'm so happy to be here and I love knowing that my friends and family at home are praying for my investigators!

Much love,
Hermana Weatherford

Dengue Fever

We have the BEST missionary! Oh, I know it’s not a contest. I’m just so overwhelmingly proud of my missionary! I think about how easy it would be for her to whine and complain…especially after this health concern. And yet she takes the time to let us know that she not only works hard but thinks that’s the way it should be. As a mother, I keep thinking about this skill that she’s learning and how the habits she’s forming now are going to help her excel when she returns to school. As a Mormon, my spirit sings to learn of the high standards that she not only holds but attains! I am inspired by her reminder that when we are obedient, the Father blesses us.

I hope you are all as uplifted as I.



 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Baptisms are Happy

Only 7 Days Left in the Transfer!

Things are getting close to the end of the transfer and things are getting fast! We had a baptism this weekend and it was AMAZING! So so good. We had a bunch of things planned and it all got changed (a very long dramatic story...), so we ended up having the baptism in our chapel. It was very rushed and thrown together and messy! When she came out of the water I was flustered and stressed and was searching for a towel when she just started smiling and laughing! I totally forgot that she had come out clean and happy! That was a good wake up call.

We're going to be baptizing someone we've been waiting for for quite some time. I'm really excited and I know that the baptism is going to be just what everyone in the ward needs to get motivated and get out and work with us!

Well I don't have much time to write. I'm in the battle with technology and failing. BAD. the photos won't work and my SD card is fighting me. Ugh. But, I want you to know that the church is true, that Christ is my Savior and that sometimes we need to take a self assessment and stop rationalizing our actions. We need to view our lives like Christ would and cut out the bad. I'm trying to do that every day and como me cuesta! it's hard, but so so worth it.

Much love, and I will write you all in on next Thursday!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Music, Hard Work, a Wedding ...and...a List

Happy New Year!

This new year was a little different from any other I've experienced! We staying in our apartment and were in bed at 10:30. I put cotton in my ears and slept through the whole thing! It's a bit amazing that was possible, because at about mid day, a band set up a stage right outside of our house! The music was so loud you could hear it for at least 5 blocks in each direction. When we got into our house it was almost like you could hear it better than outside! We were shouting during our nightly planning until after about 5 minutes we gave up and shut the door to our closet room and studied in there (don't worry, it's an actual room, not just a little closet). A ton of the members gave us food and even one lady who works in a dairy shop (who doesn't want to listen to our message) gave us free cheese! It was pretty cool :)

We've gotten the schedule for what's coming up and it's going to be CRAZY! Elder. Quentin L. Cook will be visiting us the 22nd of January, so our cambios are the day before. That means I won't write until the 24th. Keep that in mind and don't write president brough because you didn't hear from me. It's coming up pretty soon! We only have 2 weeks left until cambios! And when you're with a missionary who is going home, things get really intense. We're going to work our butts off and i think we're going to get up at 5 or 5:30 every day in the last week. Ack.

This week we had divisions, where we go on splits with other sister training leaders who are to watch us and help us learn and set goals. One of the sisters came to my area and we worked throughout the day. I learned so much from her! She teaches with such energy and love and doesn't talk bad about anyone. We set a bunch of goals to help me work on that. At the end of it she told me that I was ready to train and should prep myself to be senior companion soon. That has me quite a bit worried! I don't feel ready at all! But if that's what the Lord wants me to do, I'll do it. My companion jokes about me opening areas and taking over her position as retention secretary for the zone and training at the same time. i usually just shoot her a death glare every time she mentions it! But I signed up for a mission to work! And if that includes training, I guess I'll do it. (but i'm secretly praying i don't have to for a couple more months...)

We are planning to have a wedding this Saturday and a giant day of all of the stake baptisms on Sunday. Things are looking pretty good for us to have 9 baptisms on Sunday! I'm very excited :)

Our zone leaders have asked us to make a list of people to pray for, our converts, our investigators and my companion and i added our goals too! I've attached the list to this email so that you all can pray for them too! Thanks :) [see below]

This week we did an area attack and it was fantastic! we found so many nuevos and had tons of lessons with members! It has been a really good week and we've been blessed so much! The work is progressing and I know that every companionship in our mission is going to baptize in January! Thank your for your prayers and support to help us reach our goal!

 
Much love,
Hermana Weatherford


Trabajamos Juntos y Pedimos Milagros

Trabajando en la obra del Señor, ¡necesitamos toda su ayuda! Ayúdenos a orar y pedir milagros por nuestros investigadores, conversos y a lograr nuestras metas.¡Gracias por su apoyo!
[Working in the Lord's work, we need all your support! Help us to pray and ask for miracles for our researchers, converts and achieve our goals. Thanks for your support!]
Investigadores [investigators]
Angelica Cac Agustín
Alan Orantes
Adriana McKnight
Marlon Velasquez
Saul Jean Pierre Alonzo
Jorge Masariegos

Conversos [converts]
Maria José Hernandez
Yeimi España
Melisa Ramirez
Leti Ibarra
Elisa Cardona
Lisa Cardona
Jorge Cardona
Familia Garcia

Metas [goals]
30 Bautismos en El Frutal en Enero
75% Retención en El Frutal en Enero
400 Bautismos en la misión en Marzo