New Pictures!!

Brittany with Ana and Sis. Holladay at Ana's Baptism - her first baptism in the mish!

Hiking Camelback with her zone

With Sis. Holladay on the Camelback hike

With Sis. Holladay after Ana's Baptism at the Carne Asada fiesta

With Sis. Holladay at the temple lights

With the Whites (temple visitor center director and wife) at the temple lights

Letter from Dec. 12

Hi Familia!

 

Thanks for the emails, the letters, the packages, the whole shebang. You are all wonderfullll! Well things are going well and exciting here in Mesita. A rollercoaster, but what else is new? Christmas lights are really fun. Sorry last week's email was so short. But hey, good news...I get to skype with you on Christmas day! For 40 minutes. Woohoooo! I'm excited that you'll all be there together on Christmas (as far as I know), so I'm excited to see what the little kiddo's look like. So I will have breakfast that morning, then church for 1 hour at 11 am, and then after that I can skype. When's best for you? Let me know. Also, as far as Christmas list goes...a few more things would be TOPS...I'm always looking for more tops. Even if they're modest when they're layered with a shade shirt, that's totally fine. Maybe some tights could also be nice? Or leggings to wear under skirts? I don't know. My mind is drawing a blank otherwise. Oh...maybe like pens, pencils, sharpies, those are always nice. Stationery? Be creative!

 

Anyways, other than that. So...this week also had it's fair dose of "distractions" if you will...this transfer has proved interesting in that aspect. We moved back into our apartment on Wednesday, and Thursday morning I woke up and my neck was covered with a crazy rash/bites. We didn't know if it was bed bugs or what, so we had to go to the doctor. Then sister holladay had a fever, and so we had to stay home and rest. The whole Christmas lights schedule has made us exhausted, and all very prone to getting sick. Anyways, so she rested and Sister Ellsworth said I could rest too because I didn't sleep that well the night before. Then Friday Sister HOlladay woke up covered in a rash/bites, and we went to the VC and we were just exhausted. We ended up getting sent home from the VC to sleep for 2 hours, and we slept really well. I felt a lot better after that, but then this morning I woke up with a cold. Anyways, with the schedule it's really interesting...because we're supposed to sleep 11:30-7:30, but then sometimes we have to wake up earlier, or we can go to bed earlier, etc etc, and so it's made it really weird to know how to be "exactly obedient" with that. VC sisters have more flexibility, especially at Christmas lights. Anyways, so it's been a weird past few days...I've been like napping more and all that stuff, which throws me off haha. I had an interview with Elder White on Saturday, and he told me that I looked way exhausted and needed to not work myself so hard I get sick. So yes, it's been interesting...I'm not sure what the lesson is in all of this. I'm trying to be obedient, but then with Christmas lights and getting sick and all of that, there's a lot of exceptions/different rules/learning how to balance. It's funny to see how thrown off I get by having just the slightest dose of autonomy...hahaha makes me think that I'll probably be pretty awkward after the mission haha.

 

Anyways, so that's been funny. But it's all good, it keeps things exciting. It's funny how missions always throw curveballs! Anyways, so...what to report. Good things! We've had tons of prospects for baptisms, way more baptismal dates set than we did before in this area. But church continues to be an issue! So, we're teachign this one older lady, Teresa. Who's awesome! And she totally has desires to learn and all that. She's older, probably in her 70s. Anyways, but we always thought it was curious because she like would never remember the things we taught her in the previous lesson, and she wouldn't show up for lessons and she'd disappear on the weekends instead of going to church. We talked to her daughters about it, and basically it sounds like she probably has some mild form of Alzheimer's or something...not really but kind of. Basically, she just flat out forgets about all of our lessons/church/etc...hence why she doesn't show up! Anyways, so it's missionaries versus Alzheimers, and we are determined to win.

 

On Saturday, after a long day of sleeping and resting and feeling sick and scratchy, we had a great lesson with Javier...the dad of a less active guy. The Medina family came with us, and the lesson was great...probably the strongest spirit Sister Holladay and I have had in any of our lessons. We set a date for December 31st! Brother Medina is the 2nd counseler in the branch presidency, and he is awesome...he just teaches like half the lesson for us. We are SO grateful, because our Spanish is limited, and I think the members realize that and take pity on us haha. So, unfortunately Javier didn't show up for church the next day, but we still have high hopes. He already recognizes teh spirit...he told us how he feels it when he goes to church with his son. So, good stuff!

 

As for Christmas lights, they're great! Really fun...lots of people coming in, and there's just a good spirit here in the VC. It's way more referral-based now than during the slower times of the VC. We're suppsoed to try to keep our interactions under 5 minutes long. It's really fun...every night we're with a different companion, and set goals for that night..how many PMRs and Top Boxes we want to get. It's fun to work with different sisters and learn from them each night. And goal setting is so much fun in the VC.. it's just awesome to see how the Lord provides. Elder White told us on Friday at a prep meeting that he felt like if we all prayed for more top boxes, that the Lord would be willing to bring those people to the VC. So that night, our top boxes totally spiked up...they went from like 10-15 a night to like 30-40 a night, and they've stayed that way. That's been really cool. It's cool to see the people that are just prepared to learn more. Yesterday I took a group of like 15 teenagers through Gods Plan, and all were members except for 1. I gave them time to fill out cards after, and I walked out the room and they stayed in there for like 5 minutes. Then they all walked out 1 by 1, and each of the members had referred a different friend, and at the very end the nonmember walked out and topboxed...saying he wanted to learn more! It was awesome. Also met a lady who was super into family history, and said she didn't know what it was that compelled her to be interested in it, and she accepted to meet with missionaries. Just lots of people from all different walks of life. Met some people from like 12 miles away from St Josephs! That was fun. Anyways, so it's good stuff, and it'll get even more exciting once school gets out and tons of people start coming in.

 

Ahh so what spiritual thought do I have for you all. I've been thinking a lot about faith. I think for me it's been easier to have faith in the VC than in the area, and that's something I want to change. I completely see how faith works. When you set a goal with faith, the Lord provides the way. Faith is just the way that you can tune into part of the Lord's power and use it for his purposes, according to His will. Anyways, so we all need more faith...it really can move mountains. As missionaries, I feel like we use the word "miracle" a lot, but it's because we see them all the time, and when you expect miracles, they come. Faith is almost like addictive...once you exercise your faith, you just want to exercise it more and more. Anyways...so, if you ever wonder why we always make such a big deal of faith, it's because it WORKS! Okay, well I lvoe you all. Good luck with finals, work, christmas preparation, all that. I'm excited to skype with you in a few short weeks! Have a great week, love you lots! Love Sister Fors

 

Letter from Nov. 28

Helloooo family!

AHHHH I loved reading all of your emails this week. I love hearing about all of the wonderful things that are happening. I LOVE JACOB WILLIAM! He looks so precious in the pictures. I love hearing about all of your missionary experiences. I am just tearing up right now because I'm so happy for all of the blessings in your lives right now. The night we started Christmas lights, Elder White gave us/the visitors center all a special blessing. He blessed us that this Christmas would be a special one that we wouldn't forget, and he also said that our families would experience special and unusual blessings because of our service. So...keep your eyes out for those blessings, because you know where they're comin from, eh? :) hahahaha. But really, I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for your examples.

Okayo so this week! Well, lotss to report. First off, our area is taking off all the sudden! Well, maybe I'm speaking too soon. But we have FIVE baptismal dates! You can read the details in my letter to the president, but these past few days we've been blessed to meet some really prepared people. I've been thinking a lot about how our job is merely to harvest those that are already prepared. I think we spend too much time with people that we love, but just aren't at the right time of their lives yet. We got a referral from some elders for an old lady Teresa, who we're gonna teach because "le da verguenza" to talk to the elders. So she's awesome, and her daughters are members. She doesn't know anything..we had to start from scratch, but she's willing to learn and already wants to get baptized. Sister holladay is improving in her spanish and taking more initiative.

We also set baptismal dates with these two guys who i LOVE! We got a referral from the sisters out on the reservation for a spanish speaker out there. We went out there, and he's a migrant worker that lives in this trailer with his 2 best buds, and they all work 80+ hours a week and just chill in this trailer in the middle of nowhere. It's the worst living conditions I've seen yet on my mission, but they are so happy. Hector, the moment he walked outside of his trailer, I could just see how open his heart was. It was weird, I could just imagine him in a shirt and tie, just as a strong leader of the church. So I want to see that vision come true! They're all older guys...probably in their 50's. Anywho, so we set a baptismal date for the 24th. As of now, Christmas eve is gonna be an incredible day! Christmas lights are gonna be tough...I don't know how we're gonna manage this all, with only 1-2 nights in the area a week.

All things are good to go for ANA this Saturday! She is so solid. As we say, she isn't getting baptized because of us, she's getting baptized in spite of us hahahhaa. Just kidding, but really..she's so solid. She cooked us dinner this past week before her baptismal interview, and it was really fun to just talk with her about everything. She did caretaking for a long time, adn we talked all about how she thinks its so sad that we don't care for our older generation here in the US...made me proud of you, mom :) So yes, this saturday at 3 pm, she will be baptized! ANNNDDD JORGE! Will be baptized this saturday at 11 am. I'm so excited!! It's crazy that after like 4 months, when baptisms seemed so far away and hard to achieve, now they're almost here. So this Saturday will be a great day.

Oh, the title of this email is because I ate MENUDO for the first time! Ack. I've been lucky to not really have any disgusting food on my mission, until it came to that night. We ate menudo at a member's home, and it was her birthday so like half the branch was there also, all watching us eat cow intestines and ankle meat. It was groooooossss....because my throats so small I was scared to swallow it whole, so I just had to chew it bite by bite, and then I had to hold a napkin to my mouth to prevent me from gagging it. Hahhahaa. I'm such a wimp. It's funny, because it seems like 1/2 of our members don't even like menudo themselves, but they love to feed it to missionaries...it's like the big national inside joke of Mexico.

Oh...thanksgiving! It was good. We ate thanksgiving dinner with a few of the VC sisters and teh Whites and some senior missionaries in a clubhouse of the temple apartments. It was yummy, and then that night was Christmas lights! There weren't tons of people there thanksgiving night, but it was good. Since then, I had 2 day shifts, so only one other night, which was last night. It's different, a lot more just referrals and top boxes, and not as much time for long conversations. But there is such a special spirit there. You can just feel the difference in the Visitor's Center, and I think others can too. I was happy to hear that you went to the LA vc! I thought about how a year ago exactly we all went there as a family...and look where I am now. And I'm glad you got to see Dave Blasucci play, because he wasn't able to make it out here :) Anywho, I'm excited for Christmas lights...it keeps you on your toes and it really is very spiritual.

Training continues to be super challenging, but there are small rewarding moments. Sister Holladay has taught me a lot, and I love it because she has a lot of the same ideas that I did when I was a greenie, and now because we're both newbies with no experience under our belt, we just go ahead and try them out...and they work! Sometimes! Haha. It's been hard though, for several reasons. In the meantime, we are seeing lots of miracles...and really those are what make it all worth it, for reals. Anyways, I must be off. I love you all so much! Woops, forgot to include my christmas list...maybe i'll write a snailmail about it. Love you all so much! Have a great week! Love, Sister Fors

Letter from Nov. 21

Hellooo family!

I can't wait to get the big newwssssssssss! It's so crazy to think that Al is probably in the delivery room right now...I feel so dettached from it, but I am hoping and praying that all will go well...I am so excitedddd!!! Anywhozle, hello family! Thanks for everything. Mom, I got the package last week and it was GREAT and turned out to be a lifesaver (which I will explain later)..but thank you so much. Hope you're all getting excited for Turkey Day! We have just a half pday today (we had zone conference this morning), and then we'll have pday on Thursday. So Thursday the members we live with (Bro and Sis White...different from Elder and Sister White) invited us to dinner, but we won't be able to make it in time to the VC, so we'll be eating dinner w/ Elder and SIs White and other VC missionaries. Then we have to be all ready to go at 3 pm for the big show to start!

Anyways, I will tell you about my week. It was a weird one haha. We had some good teaching moments and some good progress in the area and with members, but there were some distractions that had to momentarily take us away from the work...namely: Chinchas. Aka...BEDBUGSSS!!!!!!! Woohooooo! I think I mentioned to mom a while ago that I was getting bug bites, way back in August, and they would just come and go away. Then Sis Tejada got them, so we talked to the housing guy at transfer meetings. He came and sprayed and told us we'd have to wash our clothes, but the lady we lived with talked us out of it and said it wasn't a big deal. Then Sister Holladay started getting bites! And we talked to the housing guy again (because he needs to do 2 treatments) and he wasn't too happy with us, and told us they'd have to start treatment again and we'd have to wash all our clothes. So this was Friday night, after a super long day in which Sister Holladay had had a break down about Spanish, and we just found out that we would have to spend our entire next day cleaning out our apartment and washing out all our clothes and drying them for several hours and everything. We were pretty bummed hahahahaa, and might have been slightly overwhelmed. Then Saturday morning we had to wake up bright and early for a GREENIE BREAKFAST! Which the branch put on. They were going to give me one when I came to the branch, but never got to it, so this past Saturday they gave me and Sister Holladay one. I had been looking forward to it forever, and it was just funny when it came on the morning that we were both super overwhelmed and exhausted. But either way, the Greenie Breakfast was awesome. It consisted of green orange juice, milk, sausage, eggs, potatoes, tortillas, cereal, pancakes, and syrup...all dyed green! There was a green decorated table we sat at, and then a few families from the branch came and they all ate normally-colored food at a separate table and laughed at us as we ate. It was really fun, and they put a lot of effort into it. So that was way fun. Then we headed back to our apartment, and sat on the couch as we tried to devise a plan for the bed bugs extermination. One sister from the VC, Sister Nishiguchi, had bed bugs before and called to offer to help. We told her we'd call her back, but then her and another sister just showed up at our door ready to work! They were saints, and we were so exhausted and they just took charge. So Saturday we spent the day clearing out all of our clothes, going to the laundromat and spending several hours there, and also going to the dry cleaners and spending $150 on clothes that would get ruined in the dryers. Anyways, so then for the past few days we've been staying at the apartment of 2 other sisters that live right by the VC. That's been really fun and they have a really nice place,and we might just stay there for 2 weeks so we don't have to repeat the entire process of washing all our clothes again.

Anyways, so yeah! And I also have this sore throat that I got yesterday, that I might go to the doctor for, because it is against all the rules for me to be sick for Christmas lights...so I might have to rest up to get better for that. Long story short, there is SO much to do, and SO little time! It's been interesting these past few days, as I've realized there are a billion and a half things to do, and I can only accomplish a small portion of them, how I've just had to give it all over to the Lord. I can't possibly do it all, and these past few days I realized that, and so I've kind of gotten to this point where I just have to let go. I'm not quite sure where to find the balance. I haven't had any time to write in my journal the last few days, so maybe that's why this letter is even more introspective than the usual :) hahaha. But it's so interesting, because just being with Sister Holladay is such a different culture than with Sister Tejada. It's so much more laidback, and we're way more prone to talk about things at home, which makes it hard to focus on the work and feel the spirit. Sister Tejada was work-work-work obedience-obedience-obedience, and now I'm realizing that I have to play that role. So it's been an interesting transition, because I have a hard time finding the balance between being a giant ball of stress 24/7 and being a slacker, and then trying to make wherever I fall into that spectrum compatible with my companion. Does that make sense? ANYWAYS...things have been really good, this past week there have just been a fair dose of distractions...what with bed bugs, having to switch cars, exchanges, etc. Today in Zone Conference a quote was said that I liked..."A distraction doesn't have to be evil for it to be effective." That made me think, because I think sometimes I struggle because I'm like "But the things we're talking about aren't bad!" which is true...but that doesn't mean they're the best thing we could be doing at the moment! Anyways, so...family, if you have any insights on distractions, stress, any of this..feeeel free!

Anyways, so despite all of this, I have seen some miracles this week...especially in the Visitors Center. I have felt really blessed in the VC this past month. As I've been focusing on training and helping our area and all of that, the Lord has really blessed me to just have teaching opportunities fall into my hands in the VC. I've gotten a lot of PMR's that just fall into my hands this past month, and this past week I was lucky to confirm a few great calls and also get some top boxes! So I have been so grateful for that, to see that if you do your best, the Lord does provide. This past week I was able to top box my first family! That was so awesome. I walked up to a family that was standing outside of God's plan, and they told me they were nonmembers that came to see the lights, and they've never had the chance to come into the VC before. So I showed them God's Plan, and they were super receptive and just agreeing with everything I was teaching. It was a mom, dad, and their 2 11-yr old twin boys. Then I showed them the temple panels and taught them about it and again, super receptive. And they basically were totally down with having missionaries, and it was great. Woohoo! Pray for them! Also, this past week I had a 15 yr old member girl come in with her friend that's investigating. I showed them Gods Plan as well, and then found out the 15 yr old member was a convert to the church as well. They were giving me referrals and the member girl referred me her dad who lives in San Diego whos not a member and she's never talked with him much about the church. So I gave him a call, had a great conversation with him and he accepted missionaries, and was liek "I want my daughter to be here with me." He only sees her once a year, but she's coming out for thanksgiving so he wants the missionaries to come over then so they can all listen together! So that was cool, I was able to call up the girl after and tell her about it and she was sooo happy. Anyways, so I am so grateful for the visitor's center, and for my area. This past week we had 2 lessons in a member home, which is the first time that's ever happened in the area that I know of! Woohoo! They were both really good, and it's so nice because the members can help us out with teaching because both of us still struggle with Spanish. Ana is still on board for December 3rd, which is great. I think we're seeing progress with members, and we have some great ideas. However, with Christmas lights we will hardly have any nights in the area, but we'll try to make things work. This past week we taught Griselda again, who told us she still wants to come to church and is always ready to go, just doesn't want to go alone. What! So of course we're like "We can change that!" Anyways...so yes. I love you all so much! I must be off, but thank you for everything. I am so so grateful for all of you. I'm grateful for your examples of righteousness and dedication to the Gospel and to serving others. Hope you have a great thanksgiving with the new little one! Thank you for all that you do, I love you lots! Love, Hermana Fors