Working hard in Hacienda Mirtas

Hello everyone!!!!! how are you all doing?? I hope your answer is well! Hermana Sanchez and I are doing great here in Hacienda Mitras! Workin Hard and loving these past few days with out the blazing sun! The beginning of this week was blistering hot! man oh man! Butt we are loving every second of these gray sky's and humid weather that we have! Hermano Camrillo, our favorite 2nd councilor gifted us some white umbrellas yesterday for the sun!  ... oh the joys! haha its for the better!!!

 This week was really crazy! It was one of those weeks that I know that we could have used more of the spirit and worked harder... I was a little disappointed in myself, but believe it or not blessings were just falling out of the sky! Maybe I just felt like things were just too easy or something. This week everything fell into place! We have been working our fingers to the bone with this familia Zuniga! They are just amazing! and he finally received a job... well then Satan kicked in, he never fails.... Our wonderful dad of this family, Juan, works Sundays now and cannot change his hours for a month! We have talked to everyone and pulled as many strings as possible prayed and prayed with all of our hearts and well... this is the Lords test and will, and also we know that this is Satan testing him in his life as well. Him not having a job was our way into their family their soft spot, what they needed most, the church helped them and Hermano Castro, his brother actually offered him this job he has now! well, along came the adversary! but with lots of prayer from them and us and many helpers from our ward, believe it or not! This family has more friends and helpers than anyone I have ever seen and Hermano Castro is an angel literally he is in every lesson, passing by, oh exactly what we have been looking for! we are going to be able to still have their baptism, the whole family! (hopefully Wednesday or Thursday this week!!!) and he is going to be able to change his hours in a month so that he can have Sundays off! Blessings will come, and I know that they will not faulter! Sometimes we are faced with tasks that seem impossible to break, but really I have learned so much through this experience and the change in this family! The first time we were in their house, we were not allowed to pray or sing now they have the Book of Mormon, almost read twice, Bible, Doctrine Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price! and a sign on their door reminding them to pray and are all alternating their prayers nightly! Their son found the 10 commandments in 3 min. when we gave them their bible and other scriptures! This is all a miracle and I know the family Zuniga was prepared by the lord for Hermana Sanchez and I what an amazing experience!

We can all make changes in our lives and have miracles like this happen. Small or big a change makes all the difference! When we change something in our lives we are showing our love for our savior and our Heavenly Father, showing them that we want to follow in their foot steps and that we want to become better! When we make a change it is not for a day, it is a commitment! Look at your life today, what can you commit to change, you will receive a reward, feel better, a weight lifted from your shoulders, and shine much brighter than before! This I know to be true! I am changing here each and every day and watching others change right before my eyes! It is a blessing to be a tool in the Lords hands! Each of you can be the same! Get out there! Change your life for the sake of someone else, someone you love! You know who they are! Now do it! I love you all! Have a fantastic week! MMUAH!!!!!!!
 Con mucho amor! Hermana Bauer

Las Grutas! The Caves

We had an awesome zone activity!! We went through all of these caves. They all had different names literally from heaven to hell.

Temple week

Temple week! the weeks we go to the temple are always long ones but ones where we push ourselves and learn! This week was really great! We have an amazing family that is progressing they were at the church again this week! The familia zuniga! Juan wants to read all the books we have now because he says he doesn't feel complete without them all! He has got a hard shell, because he is a philosopher. he studies everything, eats it up! he finds deep doctrine on his own, its kinda scary! but that's why we have faith! and bring smart members! haha no he really has some of the best members assisting his visits because he is just the most interesting guy to visit with and teach! He SAYS HE CAN LEARN ANYTHING BUT HE IS LACKING FAITH AN THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS US TO TEACH HIM! pretty cool if you ask me! He really wants to learn English so he is always spitting out english words at me! Man it messes with my head! can you say SPANGLISH! he has a nine year old son and his wife! His other son a few years ago was kidnapped and never found until just this last month, his remains were found, hours away from here... super long sad story, but this is why he wants faith because he knows there is a God and there are miracles! When we started teaching him, we could not pray or read scriptures in his house, now he is praying in the classes at church! It is amazing to see his family change! 

This Sunday was mission Sunday! The new missionaries spoke an I played called to serve and Armies of Heleman on my violin in sacrament! it was really good! I am going to play with the primary this Sunday! I am loving this whole playing not talking thing! My music brings the spirit just as strong as my words, promise! 

Hermana Sanchez and I are great! Oh news! I am not senior comp! We had a mix up with changes! I am just leading the area! She is in charge of the phone! What a relief for me! hahahhaha we really are like equal companions we work really well together! but we were told that earlier! I have seen Herman Sums like 3 times since the change what a blessing she is such a doll! I ha the best trainer in the mission! 

I love you guys all so much I want you all this week to read acts 3 1-11 and think about this story of pedro y juan! what they do for this man! and what more you can do in your life! this is what we have been thinking about with each person we have been asking to help us with our investigators,and applying it to ourselves! let me know what you come up with! who is sitting outside of the temple ion your life! I love you all!Hope you have a great week! MMUUAAHH! con mucho amor , hermana bauer!

A new companion!! Hermana Sanchez

Here is the big news you have all been on pins and needles!!!! Well... Drum roll please... I am in the same area! If you were all wondering! And so ya know.... I have a Super amazing cute companion Se llama Hermana Sanchez! She is super cute fun and pretty outgoing she is awesome! I was so scared to see who she was going to be! This is how it went down, yeah we were in Carlota's house.. (our little grandma) I was playing my violin... We received a call! We went sprinting outside Hermana Sumsion, you are going to Las Puentes! and you are going to be a sister training leader! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH we screamed! and then after we could breather again hey told her her comp was Hermana Alcocer! Then they said Hermana Bauer you are staying in your area, you will be senior companion and will be with Hermana Sanchez! Oh Man!!!! We ran to Carlos and Ivons house to tell them, they gave us a ride home and we packed, and packed and packed some more ... the clock struck 2 we couldn't handle anymore! 90 degrees in our house we sat outside for a sec and drank some water talked tried to realize this was happening... then went to bed! After our prayers of course! A few hours of sleep we woke up and we finished packing her stuff,. Sitting on suit cases praying they would zip literally!!!!! We then were trying to catch a taxi! Lucky us we got in a nice taxi..... NOT this man was a great liar... he told us he knew where he was going... he did... He drove us in circles for an hour and a half... we were two hours late to transfers and we finally asked him to let us out who knows where! Got in with a new taxista! He was super sweet! Got us there in like ten min! Paid him and finally made our transfers and got back to work! Man it was crazy and we paid some major cash for that! Oh can you say SELF CONTROL!!!!!! goodness gracious! Anywho! We now are back where we belong! and happy as ever! I am so happy with my new comp she is so happy and we talk about everything! I was so scared I was going to be lonely nope! She studied to teach preschoolers! She is in love with Bridger! and wants to go study more at BYU She is 22 She is just awesome and I am going to learn so much for her she is an amazing teacher! My spanish is already getting better but I am so much more tired at night from it! Here comes the head aches! hahahahah 

This week we had some awesome miracles! Yolanda came to church! She told us she was going to say a pray as she entered the building to see if this was the church for her! going to invite her to baptism this week! We have been teaching her and her family for over 4 months!Then this family that we have had as like oh sometimes we pass by... yeah well this Hermano Juan! Read the whole book of Mormon and has no questions his wife loves everything he says about it and is starting it herself they came to church and we met with him at 9 today at the church and were there for 2 hours helping him with the service missionaries to look for a job! Because he doesn't have one! He is a philosopher! So he sometimes has some crazy ideas but really wants to know how he can develop faith! So here we are to help him develop his faith in God!!!! He has a really interesting strong testimony and says he is going to be going to church every week he loved it! Yeah so we are moving a lot and this is a good change because we have had no one in church for like 3 weeks! 

Oh and HERMANA SUMS IS OUR LEADER AND TRAINER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she is amazing I had an elder assistant to the pres come up to me and ask if I was proud of her I said yes I couldn't believe she was already a leader and trainer with only 6 months in the mish! He said keep working hard because you are going to follow in her foot steps! Wow! The Lord pushes us in crazy ways!  We have people put in our lives for reasons! Our parents family and friends! Look up to all of your examples! Walk in their footsteps and love them with all your heart! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!!!!!! Keep your family close and the Lord closer! Thanks for all your prayers and support I feel them every step of the way! 

Transfers are coming!!

This week has been amazing! and these two transfers, WOOOOO!!! I feel like we have been up down and all around, but really learned so much! We did not go a day without learning something more! It paid off in the end! Two baptisms! Two great new members that are going strong, Carlos and Alejandro! Then there are the several menos activas that we have become reactive! We have worked really hard with the menos activas and I know that the animo is what was lacking in a lot of thier lives! They needed a smile and a little love! Some good visits and to feel the arms of the Lord in their lives again! Then there is this amazing story of my good old man Bill back at home who was baptized! How I wish I could Have seen that!!!!! I am so thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord and that even though I was not there I could take a little part in your baptism Bill and have a little taste of your joy being out here in the work!!!! I sure love you guys and am so happy for you both! As I see the faces of our recent converts and these people that are returning to church in the ward each Sunday it warms my heart! To feel the spirit change in their house, to have them make sure we know why they won't be at church if that happens, and for them to explain the difference they feel when they have this gospel in their lives again! I have a new testimony of when the gospel is brought into one new life it is transfered into others! This testimony started wth my dad having such a strong testimony!!!! As we all were in the temple together before I left I knew He would catch fire and have to share the new joy he had for his now rapidly growing testimony!!! Then after Bills baptism, one of his great friends!!!! BOOM!!!!!! TESIMONY! plus all of the mission experiences! We have the Hermano Terres who has been in active since he was baptized, Ivone  ( Carlos Llorentes wife), and Carlota our little grandma!!, who all want to go to the temple to be sealed to their spouses for time and all eternity and then do more work for their families! To see this desire grow, the joy that it brings to Hermana Torres who has been firm in the church for 20 years, Carlota to know she can be with her sweet husband who passed away recently, and Ivone and Carlos to know they will have a family forever! Their families and posterity will forever be blessed for their choices! Then there is Alejandro and Miseal who want to serve mission! They want to go out and do this amazing work! Help others find this amazing gospel and return or take upon themselves these covenants for the first time! This work is an amazing thing! I know that Hermana Sumsion and I have been called here by revelation and reached many who have never had the ability to be reached before! Those who have been prepared for us specifically! I know I knew many of these people before this life and I will be forever grateful for the time I have had with them!

Through all of this work I have grown quite a bit myself! I fit into my mission shoes just a bit more snug! I am feeling a lot more comfortable with all of the lessons! Obedience is my policy! Oh do I have a testimony of that! How else do you think two white girls with little time on their mission came to speak spanish!!!! The Lord knows how to make things happen! He blessed us so much! I know that my spanish is going to grow a lot this next transfer, but it grew a ton this transfer as well and grows more each day! People comment on the differences each day! Diligence has been a huge thing for us! Just pushing forward with an attitude to learn and apply those things we learn through our study's and our leaders! I have came to love preach my gospel, I love to study from preach my gospel and through that amazing book I have such a stronger testimony of this gospel and my scriptures! I am so thankful for my training and the trainer I recieved! I will never be done learning! We will never know all, but I feel like I have got my feet on the ground intead of the water here in the mission right now! ready to keep stepping forward learning more each and every day!!! 

I want you all to know how much I love you!!!! I was able to see and talk to my famiy yesterday! They are amazing and I miss them a lot,but know that I have been called to do the work of the Lord! Being here seeing them it felt like a dream! Knowing and seeing how great you all are doing seeing the effect these blessing are having on you all! I love each and every one of you! I have a challenge for you all this week! I want you to remember to have annimation in each commandment you are following! Now I have a very LOUD! annimated family! you know that very well! but be excited about living this gosple and be excited about living this gospel together with your family! This is the only way you will feel the blessing you are recieving see them and actually recieve them! If you are not smiling and loving it you are not living the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! So get out there WORK HARD and PLAY HARD!!!!! and remember I am on your shoulder cheering you on!!!! Love you all! 

Hermana Bauer

Primary Activity with the missionaries

Zone Conference

Zone Conference

Four months and loving it!

Wow!!!!! This week flew by and this transfer as well!!! Welcome to the fourth month of my mission! Is that crazy to anyone else or just me!!!! anyways! We have transfers at the end of this week and I am getting super nervous for them! I love my companion! She is pretty much the best and we have the greatest little life here in mexico!

This week we learned a ton! We have been slacking a little on inviting people to be baptized because we have this internal fear of losing the relationships that we have with them... but this week we got over it! We were inviting the people we loved with more love than I have ever felt in my life! We had a cute 73 year old, catholic all her life lady, accept this invitation saying clearly I want to be baptized! Then we had Yolanda who we have been working with for over three months.... yeah I know a long time and she doesn't have a date! Say she was going to walk through the church doors praying to know if she would be baptized or not, if this was the true church. Well you will never guess what happened Sunday!!!!!!! This wonderful thing called AGENCY kicked in! Our cute little Maria Elena chose to leave town for who knows how long, sometimes up to a month... Yolanda... well she didn't come... it was so hard for me to watch these people choose to do something different than, what even they knew was right! We did all we could passed by multiple times! Sent messages! made calls! brought members! members passed by! waited outside for them! the whole nine yeards! and agency!!!! Got to love it. Well this whole bottle of frustration I had inside exploded and as I was cleaning it up, I remembered a scripture I had read earlier Sunday morning! Isaiah 55: 8- 9 here it talks about how the Lords thoughts are not ours and his path is not ours either.. this is because we are not perfect! I know that the Lord teaches us through small and simple things and He has more patience than anyone in the world! I cannot imagine being Him watching this world, working through imperfect missionaries, trying to save more of his imperfect people, that He suffered for. My testimony grew of His atonement His love for us! His willingness to sacrifice Himself and suffer for people who were going to continually choose the wrong when they knew the right! I encourage you all to think about your savior, your reedemer each time you make a choice this week! What ever it is! Going to class on time, who you go to lunch with! What you drinking with your breakfast, the type of words you use, how you present yourself! We know our Savior, we need to do the best to represent Him in everything we do! We are not perfect, but He trust us to be His best, because we are what He has to help those who don't have Him! I love you all and hope you can let your lights shine this week! you are all amazing and such examples to me!!!!! Make it a great week! 

Con much amor

Hermana Bauer

Sushi!!

Our favorite meal to eat with investigators and members.

April 28, 2014

Well this week has been the fastest week of my life. I cannot believe that it is Monday again!!! 

we had a few funny experiences this week I would love to share with you all! First of all the little kids here are just the cutest! Many of them are quite chubby... me and Hermana Sumsion decided that we are going to begin to call them our lil chunks of love!  They are just adorable, also they are a lot of help when we cannot find a house because there is no common sense in the way the streets and houses are laid out and numbered here! I promise its not the girl with the map its how its done!  Okay number two we were going to be home late and we don't like to do that, first off disobedient second its a little sketch... so we caught ourselves a taxi with our new leader misional and were on our way! As I slid my way into the taxi I couldn't help but gag as my foot ran through a nice chunky pile of throw up on the floor! WINDOWS DOWN and foot in UP CHUCK away we went! thank goodness it was only like a 5 to 10 min ride!  Those are just a few of our laughs of the week I though I would share! Now to the important stuff!

We taught the palabra de sabadaria to the familia Castellanos! The familia that our leader and trainer invited to baptism when she should not have! The spirit was really strong! the hermano, who is menos activa, drinks coffee wants to stops! He was very interested to try out the ideas we came up with and his wife was all for this commandment! She loved the whole lesson! When it came to drinking the hermano was nodding towards his 19 yr old daughter so we lingered on that and talked about temptations as kids and teenagers with all of the things we should not do! They were all very receptive and all very interested!! We are going to pass by a few times before our next cita with them and see how they are doing with their compromiso to try going without these things for this whole week and even longer!  We will see how they are feeling! They are still struggling with comming to church, as is this whole city.... 

I believe it is culture here to say YES! but no... really it is no... that does not mean we can just not believe them and not return, because then we will miss the one that was really telling the truth... But to be honest this is somtething that has been hard for me to get used to! It isn't showing up to empty houses, walking back and fourth, or being rejected by any means... that's part of being a missionary. It is that these wonderful people commit more than once and never come! I am learning a lot about trust and love and how they do not go completely hand in hand! Because I love each and every one of them, but I cannot trust each and every one of them.. and this is something that is hard on me... because those who I love, I trust... but I am learning! This week we did have a great experience with a menos activa we have been regularly visiting since I got here! Hermano Torres° His wife is active and great! He is just as amazing, but Hermana Sumsion nor I have ever see him in the chapel! We have filtered and filtered, never finding out why! Finally we were teaching actually about prayer! The question came up what else can we do to show our love for our Heavenly Father? attending church came up! The spirit took off!!!!! We became very direct! Hermana Sumsion saying hermano we do not know why you are not at church but we want you to know the importance of it! We talked about the reasons we attend how its not for others and the true meanings of assisting the church! Then we bore our testimonies of our families and the unity and blessing that come from attending church together! He reacted well! His wife participated with her testimony! He didn't commit to coming, he said he would think about it, maybe! We expressed our love for him, and when we saw his face in church I cannot express the joy I felt! I wanted to cry! He said poco a poco! only sacrament today! But we will see! I wanted to cry for joy it was amazing! One of the greatest feeling I have felt in a few weeks! This is when this work begins to pay off! I know that this work is hard and we work a lot, but the spirit does the job and the spirit really is what touches these peoples hearts! This week has been great and Hermana Sumsion are doing great! We work so hard and work so well together, this is something I love the most about our companionship we have unity in our desire to work... and everything else! I feeling like I am growing in everything more each and every day, I have a feeling that never stops! That's because we never can know it all! That's something I love!

This week I have learned a lot as usual I hope you are all pushing forward and studying along with me! Love you all! Get on that preach my gospel! You are all supposed to have one in your house by now! nos vemos! loves and hugs! mmmuah! 

con mucho amor 

Hermana Bauer