email 7.28.14

Querido familia! 

This week was wonderful, I had a few Nicole moments this week, which always makes for happiness.  As you know my dear friend Nicole is just filled of wonder and love and joy and happiness always...and sometimes those emotions get the best of her and she just cries...and me too sometimes! 

First I went on exchanges to Stafford.  I got to serve with Hermana Clark, who is just the coolest person ever.  She is Natalie Boud re-incarnated into Hermana misionera.  BEST DAY EVER.  She was just so peaceful and calm and I just sat in the front seat and worked with her in Stafford.  We even got to go to a trailer park where we met this awesome family and invited them to be sealed in the temple as the commitment for the lesson.  It was so cool.  The spirit was so strong, they accepted and are excited to learn more.  Then we ran across the trailer park in the pouring raid because we were late for our dinner appointment, and then I cried again.  Because I was just so happy to be having the most classic missionary night.  Feeling the spirit in a trailer park=happiness. 

The second Nicole moment I had was at the annual noche de talentos..aka Talent show...in the Hispanic ward=so priceless.  We were forced against our will by the Ward Mission Leader to do a number...and because we don't have any "showable" talents we decided to rap the restoration in Spanish.  Out of control, but so good.  We even had props..Ill send a picture.  They thought we were really funny, so that was a success.  But then the best thing happened, our investigator Silvestre showed up.  We met him a few weeks ago and he was completely drunk outside he house, but we talked to him to a few mins, and then taugh him again last week.  He works with a member who had invited him, so he decided to come!  And he even decided to sing!  It was the most unreal.  So here I am eating some pollo y ensalada, sitting next to Silvestre, enjoying the noche de talentos, and then someone gets up and sings la Bamba, and Everyone is singing, and then, I cired again.  I was just so happy.  I was with my people, everyone was happy and singing, my investigator came and loved it, and there was just not one thing to be sad about.  I love being a missionary so much, I would not change one thing.  It is just so good. 

Lastly we have been visiting a less active family in the ward, the Ascencio family.  Less actives are my FAVORITE, I just love them so dearly.  So we have been having noche de hogar with them every week since we have been here.  They have three kids and are just lacking in animo to get up and come to church.  But we have been working with them, loving them, the whole 9 yards. And then yesterday they came to church!  Just walked in with big smiles on their faces, stayed all three hours, and everyone was so good to them!  They were just happy, we are hoping that this goodness continues! I cried, I was so happy.  Mostly just so grateful that they are trying to strengthen their family so they can all get to the celestial kingdom together.  They are the cutest. 

So this email is dedicated to my dear friend Nicole.  She inspires me to be happy and to have adventures and to love people, and just to love life. 

This week I have continued studying in the Doctrine and Covenants, and I have been reading about the different Kingdoms of Glory, and the requirements and all that jazz.  This morning I read about how we really do choose which kingdom we go to, based on what we decide to do. Verse 32 of section 88 says: And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received." How crazy is that, they are not willing to enjoy what they could have had.  How silly!  We have to be willing to do what it takes to get the reward that we can have, and we have the potential to have all of the rewards in the whole universe!  It is so worth it to keep working! So keep working!  I love you all so much, thank you for being the best family ever! 

xoxox Hermana Riley Jane