Hi Everyone!
-Hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July! Our apartment actually faces the opposite direction of the fireworks at Disneyland and for safety reasons we needed to be in our apartments by 8 pm. So really we didn't get to do much of anything except sing "The Star Spangled Banner" in our apartment over and over again.
- So the big news- I GOT MY VISA!!!!! I will head down under on July 13th, the end of the transfer. Of course, I have mixed feelings about going. I am extremely excited to be there but I am extremely sad to be leaving! I've been taking pictures (soon to come) with practically everyone.
- Also, my knee is SO much better! I'm still wearing my stabilizer but it feels and looks much better. The couple days of rest really helped. And I'm convinced that it's healed up so quickly because of al of your prayers. Thank you!!!
- Today our zone got to do a session in the Newport temple! Of course, it was amazing.
- The last two weeks have been wonderful! Our recent convert, Christina is doing really well and we're still teaching our awesome investigators and less actives! On Sunday, we had our fast and testimony meeting. There was an incredible spirit there as many beautiful testimonies were given. A woman who was visiting the ward bore her testimony in Russian, I think. Although none of us knew what this woman was saying, the spirit was felt by many and even moved some, including myself, to tears. That reminded me of the power of the spirit. I've been learning more and more about the importance and power of testifying to others, by word and deed. I encourage everyone everywhere to continue to do so. Continue to be an example to those around you.
Thank you all for your love, encouragement, prayers and support!
I love and miss you all!
Hurrah for Israel!
Sister A

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all of the pops out there!
Wonderful week and weekend.
- I've been recovering well and will meet with a doctor on Wednesday to make sure all will be well!
- I was pretty much on bed rest for a couple of days last week BUT we're getting right back on track and teaching some great people. We even invited another investigator to get baptized and he said yes!!! We are back in action and loving it!
And of course the big news- Christina was baptized Saturday and confirmed yesterday! It was a great experience and really gave me a chance to think about the importance of the gospel in my life and in the lives of my family and friends. Also, a less active that we have been teaching received the priesthood yesterday. Seriously, an awesome weekend! The gospel is so important to me. The knowledge of Jesus Christ and His atonement gives me such hope. I know that I can rely on Him and trust in Him. I know that He loves me individually and unconditionally. I also know that loves and knows each of us this way. I know that the atonement is not just a one time event. I know that the atonement has the power to bless our lives every single day.
Thank you all for your continued love, support, prayers and encouragement!
Sister A

 Hello my friends! It has been an extremely wonderful and eventful week.

- As we were leaving a neighborhood to continue visiting people we came upon some ducks in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, there weren't crossing the road. They were walking right in front of us. So Sister Fernandez decided to clear the way for us. 

- I found a cotton tree. 

- At the transfer, we got a different car with a bike rack on it. It previously belonged to the zone leaders. Here's Sister Fernandez trying to figure out how to put a member's bike on the bike rack.

- Sister Fernandez and I celebrated her year mark by getting ourselves some hot chocolate.

A member happened to have this book!! Of course, I HAD to take a picture with it. And Sister Fernandez photo bombing like a boss. #americanized 

-Unfortunately, my knee hasn't quite healed up yet, but it's not slowing us down too much. 

We're teaching some great investigators and we have a baptism coming up! Our wonderful investigator, Kristina is getting baptized Saturday and we are just over the moon about it! We are hoping that her family will soon follow her incredible example. We're teaching two others that are really progressing and several others that look very promising. 

- Something that I've been doing lately is choosing a scripture to memorize and then apply throughout my week. It has made a HUGE difference in my work as a missionary and a person. For example, this week I decided to memorize and apply doctrine and covenants 35:8. "For I am God and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name." I decided to pray for those miracles, signs and wonders and really look out for them each day. And I found them! Some were big and others were small but they were there. I would like to invite each of you to try it. I can promise you that by doing so you can learn more about yourself, others and the Savior. By studying even one scripture and applying the principles into your daily life, you can feel the presence of Christ and the Holy Ghost more in your life. I love the gospel, I love my Savior and I love this work. Let's all continue to do our best in moving it forward!
I love and miss you all and thank you for all of your continuous love, encouragement, prayers and support.
Sister A

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the start of summer! Things here have been great! Well, mostly. Haha
I'm sorry this one is a little shorter than normal, but I promise I'm doing great, loving the work and am really happy!
- Sister Fernandez caught a cold and I sprained my knee. We'll be fine but it made this week . . . interesting. Haha
-I sang "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul" last night at seminary graduation with an elder on piano and an elder on violin. Went really well!
- We're teaching tons of people now that we cover the entire area of the ward. So we now have six, count em, SIX investigators with a baptismal date of June 20th!! We've got John and Kristina, a married couple, Vanessa, a young mom of three, Mario, a new investigator and Francisco and Alexis, two young men that the elders had been teaching. We are SO incredibly happy! If you'd like, we would appreciate any good vibes and prayers you could send our way to help strengthen these amazing people as they move forward.
- So one of our investigators, Kristina had set a baptismal date for June 20th but we were all a little unsure if she would take that step forward. Two days ago we found out- SHE WILL!! We went over the baptismal interview questions with her just to make sure that she understood everything and boy, does she have an understanding of this gospel! She bore testimony to us that she knows the gospel will bless her life. She said, "I would wake up in the morning and I could feel that something was missing. It was this. This is what will make me whole." I also know that this gospel can and will make us whole. I know that this gospel is true. I know that it can bless our lives. It can strengthen us as individuals and as families. I know that we have a Savior. I know that He lives and that He loves us.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, encouragement, love and support to me and to my family.
Sister A

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, CALLI!
And ONE TRANSFER DOWN.
It has been quite a roller coaster ride but it has been great. My trainer and I are staying the our same ward but the elders are being transferred. So Sister Fernandez and I will cover both areas in our ward and will be the only missionaries here. It sounds a little daunting right now but we are excited!

- "You're Talkin' Jibberish!"
A crowning moment of my life- eating at the diner, Watson's, where "That Thing You Do" was filmed!!!
Not sure which scenes were filmed there but it was really fun being there. My other Sister Training Leader, Sister Fulton, took me there for dinner on a short exchange.
"Those guys don't know squat about service!"

- had some lemonade after a baptism that reminded me A LOT of my Dad's lemonade. Those of you who have had Dad's lemonade know exactly what I'm talking about!

- So my companion and I went to visit a woman my companion had taught just before I came in. We rang the doorbell and knocked twice but no one was answering. For some reason I thought that somebody was there but we turned around and started to leave. Just as we did, we hear the door open. In the doorway, we see this young man in a wheelchair. We talk with him for a little bit and find out that the woman we were wanting to see was his mother. As we kept talking I felt a very distinct prompting to ask him how he ended up in a wheelchair. I thought, "No way! I don't need to know that. It's something personal and he might feel too uncomfortable talking about it with a total stranger." But I made a promise to myself recently to not ignore spiritual promptings, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient. So I asked, "do you mind if I ask you what happened?" This twenty year old told us how a year and a half ago he was being robbed and got shot in the spine paralyzingly him from the waist down. I felt so much empathy for him. My companion shared a video with him entitled, "Mountains to Climb." The video, which I recommend highly to everyone, explains that even in the most difficult times, we can rely on our Savior Jesus Christ.
After the video I asked "How do you feel right now?" "I can't really explain it. I think I feel good." We were able to share with him the unique message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before we had a chance to ask he said, "When can you come back?"
This gospel is true. The Lord knows us and loves us. That does not mean that trials and difficulties don't exist. It means that we can rely on the mercy and grace of Christ in those trials and difficulties.
Thank you ALL for your love, encouragement and support.
Sister A

Micah would kill me for posting this. But I love it.
Not only is it one of my favorite Micah faces, I think it shows an aspect of being a missionary that is often overlooked:
it's so hard and stressful! But it's the best. Plus Micah has her animal crackers in this one. Heavens.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BENSON!
- got an email letting me know that they are still working on my visa and that if I'm in Anaheim 9 months without it then I will finish my mission here. So we will see! But two other sisters going to my mission just got their visa's after two transfers, so there's still a chance I'll have it within the next six weeks!
- I've been asked to sing "Oh How Lovely Was The Morning" for a stake musical fireside next Sunday the 31st. I'll sing with an Elder on piano and another Elder on the cello. So excited!
- I'm also speaking next Sunday in the ward I'm serving in about the Holy Ghost.
- my companion and I drew this board for an investigator so that he could better understand the doctrine of Christ. As we were taking it back to our apartment I asked my companion, "what if I just stood on the street corner with this sign like some of those people who hold advertisements and danced around?!"

We had been inviting two of our investigators, a married couple, to church for a few weeks. While they had both been maybe two or three times within the last several months, only she had been able to come lately. But yesterday, THEY BOTH CAME! And what a wonderful day it was for them to come! The talks given were about covenants and temples. It was such a great meeting with an awesome spirit. Afterward, we asked them how they felt about the meeting. Kristina, our investigator said that John, her husband, wants to go to the temple and she wants them to be sealed! They are still investigating but it was SO nice to hear her say that. She even said, "we both want to keep moving forward." I nearly cried happy tears! I just want to say that no matter what happens after today on my mission, I will remember what Kristina said and the feelings I had from the Spirit and it will make it all worth it. That is exactly why I am here; so that others can have the opportunity to experience the wonderful blessings of this gospel. I am so glad that they know and understand the importance of the temple and making covenants with Heavenly Father. I love this gospel and the light and blessings it brings to so many people, including myself and my family.
Love and miss you all!
Sister A

Hello my wonderful friends and family! 

It has been yet another great week and I'm SO excited to tell you about it! 

- I got to participate in a little jam session with a few people from the ward and their musician friends. (Great missionary opportunity). They were sweet enough to include a familiar tune in the set list just for me! Not gonna lie, I got a little choked up while singing this one. Enjoy!! 

- We had Zone Conference this last week which was great! I learned so much and have enjoyed applying those things into each day. One thing that we talked a lot about was faith. They emphasized it so much that I left the meeting thinking "I'm going to have more faith! I'm going to exercise more faith!" The next day my companion and I were visiting people and came to a cute little blue house. As we pulled up she said, "Oh we've tried to visit here several times but no one ever answers the door." Remembering that I was going to try to have more faith, I said "Well maybe this time will be different." We knocked on the door and not only were they home but they invited us in! This was an investigator couple that had met the missionaries only once before when they visited St George, Utah and visited the temple grounds about two or three years ago. It's also fairly uncommon for anyone to let us in, seeing as most just talk to us on the doorstep. We ended up having THE BEST conversation about temples and families. We got to share the Proclamation to the Family with them and discuss how families can be together not just for time but for eternity. It was one of the best and most spiritual experiences I have had on my mission so far. Once we left and throughout the day, I thought about my experience receiving my endowment with my family and then being able to see my mother get sealed for time and eternity to her parents all in the same day. I just want to tell you that I know that families really can be together for eternity. I know that this gospel is true and that with this gospel we can be better and happier as individuals and as families. I can also tell you that having faith AND exercising that faith is what can bring about true miracles in our lives. 

Love and miss you all! Sister A