April 21, 2014

This week was amazing! I loved every second of working as hard as we possibly could and feeling the adrenaline of the spirit pushing us forward when physically we were beyond worn out! Those days our eyes were glued shut at 6:15 when the alarm went off and we pulled ourselves out of bed and jump roped to our primary music turned out to be the best! 

This week we had a goal to reach all the goals of the mission! We concentrated each day on each goal we made that night, to make sure they were in line with what we needed and in line with what our investigators needed as well! As we planned we planned around our goals! We usually do this, but this week we were more focused in it! We had much more effective planning and our days were so effective we went from house to house! It was the week of vacations so many people were not home! We had our back ups ready knowing where we must go next before the person didn't come to the door! Only because of this determination and planning and letting the spirit guide us as we planned each night, we were able to have about 50 lessons this week! We are really struggling with not having anyone that is truly progressing right now going to church each week! Having a desire to work more! We are fighting to keep every investigator we have.. and to keep them moving forward just a tiny bit every time we see them! 

This week we were blessed with a wonderful study personal and companion..  Literally I walked into our study room and My preach my gospel that we are in chapter two! ( I know because, I was reading it during breakfast!) was opened to page 169 como hablar con todos!!!!! we studied, talk with everyone! along with Elder Delgados book he wrote for the mission on how to contact effectively! ! This changed our diligence and desire to contact! We upped our contacts to 114 people this week and walked away with 9 new appointments! and have been blessed with nine new people to visit and teach this week! We are very excited for each of these appointments and know that several of them are very humbled and this is the time for the Gospel in their lives! We are ready to keep the great habits that we have made this week and invite each of these people to come unto Christ!

We might have a baptism of this cute lady we call our abolita little grandma Carlota! she is like 8'0 and we thought forever she was a member because she said yes 40 years ago I was baptized and well... her family said they believed her, she lives with her grand-kids that are our age and yeah so.... we found out no one can find her in the system! The offices are going to look this week and we are going to start re teaching her the real lessons! I love her so much she is really like our little grandma we go clean while she yells at us! its great! 

So all in all this has been a great week and I have learned something for you all! KEEP WORKING! when you feel like nothing is coming out of it.. keep working! you will come to the end of it the test whatever it is, and you will come out on top physically and spiritually you will be blessed! PROMISE! I love you all! WORK HARD PLAY HARD! always! have a great week! 

Lost Sheep

Hola Yall! 

I am going to start with an experience today! We had a district activity and went on a hike to go find some waterfalls with some members in the middle of nowhere! Well we walked through this little ranch and then kept on! We found two lost sheep... well really goats along the way! They were just little babies! We called them down, carried them for a while and then put them down! We came to find that they followed us! All the way to the cascades and back! We later found their home, the ranch that we had passed through and passed them off to the cute little farmer, who had a good 200 goats. this was a great experience. We literally acted as the shepards! We were able to call them in... Having the patience to wait for them and see if they would truly come unto us! As they did we showed them our love and lifted them up! carried them a ways! When we put them down they followed! It was not easy for these cute little guys to follow up and down these cliffs... they struggles at times, but had our support because they always stayed close by! Because they chose to act in this way we were able to return them to their rightful home. Apply this to our lives... Christ is always always calling us in! We have His atonement and this is how we come unto Him! If we stay close after we will feel this support and help that we always have, we truly are His sheep and He is our shepard! He is here to guide us back to our Father in Heaven and let us into the celestial kingdom! So keep pushing forward and never give up! you have a shepard and when you are lost, you know he is looking! 

For the rest of my week... 

 These past few days have been really good! We are pushing forward and working as hard as ever! We have been working a lot in the upper part of the area now that our area has been divided, This is a lot of work, but we are seeing blessing of the change. People are changing that we have never expected to, they want us to come back they are stating to actually listen and take in the message we bring. I feel like they are starting to accept a little bit more each visit... I know that this division of the area was inspiried as as we work with more focus we will be able to continue to see these changes that we are beginning to see. These changes may be small, like a small smile, a warm welcome, an invite back, or questions! But there is a beginning to everything after exito this week and the spirit they will be in sacrament meeting feeling what it is they really need in their lives! 

I feel like the more time I am here the more this ward just keeps progressing. This is the time for this ward! The Lord has His time for everything and He is ready for this ward to work! We now have three different DOMs within our one. We have Juan Sanchez to work with! Our first meeting with him was great! he is 26, has tons of animation, and is ready to get this ward working! This is exactly what we need to help our investigators and those people in the ward themselvels. Those menos activas and the mas o menos activas as well! I am very excited to see this ward get down to business and for us to be having noche de hogars every week with families who need it and investigators who can learn as well! 

Obra misional Sunday went really well! I gave my first talk! I was really nervous, but the spirit took over and it just flowed out of my mouth! Thats how things work here! Well I know and knew that it was OBRA MISIONAL but I felt very strongly that I needed to talk directly to the members about living their covenants and the importances and blessings that this can bring to their families within the Obra misional... I refered to Henry B eyrings talk and used a scripture that talked about our work here, I explained our work is to share this gospel, but in order to do it we must be living it. Through this we can be examples and share it and we can also share it in many other ways as we do as missionaries... and so on... well I have overheard that the first counciler dislikes when people dont speak on the OBRA MISIONAL and that is all... when they are missionaries... so yeah... little nervous about that, becuase he already doesnt like us! But I guess you can't please everyone and I I prayed about it and had the spirit when I was speaking so I hope he can warm up to me over time...

I loved the activity this week with the primaria teaching them about the obra just made me feel so blessed to actually be in it and be a part of it! To see all of their faces and hear all of their testimonies strengthened mine and reminded me why we are all really here! I know this church is true! We have all prepared for a long time to be where we are and are still learning and growing every day! We will never be perfect and I am so thankful for the example of Christ that we have in our lives! We are stiving to be exactly obidient and working our hardest here in Hacienda mitras following in his footsteps, because He has truly shown us the way! 

 I love you all at home and hope all is well! Keep pressing forward and share the gospel with all you know! Everyone needs a chance to hear it! So live it and share it! Love you!

Hermana Bauer

General Conference in ENGLISH!!

Well everyone! General Conference is here and gone!! CRAZY!!!!! I have never loved something so much! Oh and received a huge blessing... got to listen to it in ENGLISH!!!!!!! don't get me wrong I could have understood it in Spanish, but there is something about the Prophets voice! and the Apostles! It is just something else! and the talk 4 Minutes.. the Spanish translator translated it into 3 minutes so everyone here talks about the three minutes in this earth that we have! oh man its kinda funny! anyways! so many answers were received and the best one was that our investigators... the familia Castillano came to one session!!!!! I know that this one session they attended is going to make all the difference for them! The mom is reading the Book of Mormon right now all her kids were so attentive! The dad is a member... he has been inactive for 20 YEARS! last time we passed by their house we talked to the mom. she was explaining to us how hard it is for her to understand the names of the people in Nephi and how she is a bit confused! We explained a bit of the story the people and everything else, then she thanked us and said this! Thank you it is just hard for me because I DID believe in the Catholic Church for so long. Yupp... DID!!!!!!!! She has a desire to change! The husbands fear is their biggest challenge. He kinda likes his work rut... and that's about it! But he wants the gospel back because he is the one who asked us to teach his wife! So there you have it! a family of five! Four non members, and a soon to be eternal family, 

We had our first cambios! I am still in the same place same comp Hermana Sumsion and Same ward!!!!!! Thank goodness! This is all because I have this one last cambio of training and then.... ya. hahaha there will be some changes I am sure! I am so thankful for our ward and everyone in it! We received two new misioneras! Sisters! and we have two elders in our ward as well! We are doing good and the Bishop is loving my violin! I am speaking and playing on Sunday! WAHOO!!!!! so yeah... here is this week! Kinda crazy! just working hard! sweating a lot! and playing hard as usual! Loving every second of it and growing closer to the savior with every step we take!

I challenge you all to take the advice from Conference and get a Preach My Gospel for each person in your house! Start studying now! it doesn't matter your age, knowledge, interest, study it cover to cover! I testify to you that if each and every one of you will study and learn more about this Gospel and how to share it, and then apply it in your lives you will feel the presence of the Lord so much stronger in your life each and every day!! You will never ever regret sharing the Gospel, but you can look back and regret not sharing it! So act now, study and share! You have the gospel, you have this gift, you have this light! Others are missing it, they need it, want it, and you are their only answer! I love you all and hope that you all have a fantastic week!!!!! Thanks for all the prayers and love I send mine your way each and every day! 

Two months in Mexico-Two baptisims

Hola Familia!!!!!!

Well!!!! We had another Baptism yesterday! Aejandro was baptized! People are truly prepared by the Lord!  I can barely believe it, but his face was priceless when he came out of that font, he ended the night swinging by our house around 9:20 to ask for a Book of Mormon for an investigator we have, that he started teaching who is his friend! Man oh man this kid is amazing! I can barely believe that he was baptized in a week and now he is doing missionary work... and he read the BOM in 2 days, yupp! This is the Lords work! I cannot wait to keep working with him and helping him get ready for a mission! 

We have a menos activa as well his name is Misael, he was menos activa! he has been going to church for over a month now and all of the activities! We bought him a white shirt the other day... and he wore it to church and HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BISHOP!!!! he is starting his papers as well!!!! reactivating people is just as amazing as baptizing people in my eyes... Man the change in him was absoutely amazing! 

Carlos and Ivone are doing great! Ivone was called into young womens and Carlos is still waiting on a calling right now! They are so amazing! oh I love them so much! I dont know how they could not be apart of my life!!! 

Okay topic of the week Noche De Hogar!!! FAMILY HOME EVENING!!!!! this is all of your challenge! We had the coolest experience with a part member family and a member family this week with a NDH! we taught the restoration and we gave each person their own Book of  Mormon with a testimony in it! played some games with the apostasy! and about prophets! everyone was involved and even the dad of the part member family, who has been in active for 20 years, bore his testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon at the end. Yeah! There is a special power when we take time to come together as a family and practice those things that truly are of importance in our lives. I know that it is hard and life is crazy, but I challenge each of you to plan a fun lesson with a treat a game maybe another family or two each week and have family home evening!!!! This will completely change your testimony and the relationship that you have with your family right now! 

I love you all so much and know that this chuch is true! When we take action, we make a difference, when we make a difference, it is not us, it is the Lord, We are all doing the work of the Lord as members of the church! So put on your smiles and reach out to those in need serve, share this gospel, the happieness we have! I love you all, have a fantastic week!!!! 

Con Mucho Amor,

Hermana Bauer

Pictures

Baptism day for Carlos!!!

(notice the gift and wrapping paper in the back ground)

Doing a little surgery on the thumb!!

(hope it's ok!) 

Doctor, New House, FIRST BAPTISM!!!

Okay!!!! Should I start with the doctor in Mexico, moving, baptism, or the miracle..... you tell me! well, I can't hear you so here we go.

My thumb got half way cut off today! Mom you know that weird piece of skin I have on my thumb... ripped off once when I was swinging bars... took forever and a year to heal... well it ripped open... while we were moving! ( lets kill two birds with one stone... we moved houses we had some creepin muchachos in our street and mold on our walls so yeah! we have a super fresa house arriba de una dentista arrita with all new stuff its awesome!!!!) 

Anywho it ripped off so I cut that hard skin off and it bled wrapped it up went to sleep. some weird bump grew and kept growing for two days.... called the doc. no one knows what it is!!!!! well he was like we are just goin to cut it out!!! he did. Now I have two stitches and a huge gauze finger.... yupp! thats that! its so deep and yeah... its whatever! I can never be normal! 

okay next! Carlos!!!!!!!!! SO he didn't want anything! we went back and we shared with him 2 Nephi chapter 4! About Nephi when he is sulking in his sins and when he realizes he has so much good and needs to be happy!!!! We talked about the atonement in general and what a gift it was! He was still cold and yeah it was a lot different that usual, but at the end he said... I cant leave soemthing that has brought me so much peace! We gave them a day and came back Wednesday! (we had invitations made for him for the 20th because that was when his baptism was supposed to be) so Wednesday the 19th!!!! We walked up to his door, he stood up and said BUENA NOCHE HERMANAS PASENLES POR FAVOR! VAMOS A BAUTISARME COME IN!!!! WE ARE GOING TO BAPTIZE ME! yeah.... then he asked what day can we next week! We showed him the invitations and everything! It was perfect! He said well can we still do it tomorrow... we said yeah of course! So we planned it right there! Then taught all 10 commandments the pallabra de sabedaria ley de diezmo y la ley de castidad! He was ready we planned it and we were off! 

In the middle of all of this we received a call from the office, this is when they told us we were moving! You can bet we didn't sleep that night! We got together a musical number, violin and all! packed and cleaned our house and slepted for four whole hours! 

His baptism was perfect!!!! President was in our area so he came! His interview was 45 MINUTES!!!!!! I was freaking out! We later found out that it was because he was bearing testimony and Elder Montylla was telling stories as well! We gave him my extra set of scriptures... the ones with my name on them! haha we pasted his name on them! because he loves his book of Mormon and they do not have a bible! Then we also made a picture with the family proclamation printed on it!!!! It was so perfect!

Then get this... yesterday! we wake up to a call at 6 ish! this lady in our ward says she had this boy at her house last night! He wants to be baptized... we are like uh... okay! We get his direction and pass by at nine! super confused! Well.. we have a baptism on Sunday! This boy is 17 read the Libro de Mormon in 2 days! He has gone to mission prep and is reading the manual for the class for our investigators! yeah... he is perfect! Alejandro is his name! Yes Jocelyn!!!! Alejandro! We are super stoked to teach him and he is going to be the best missionary out there!!!! 

This week has been amazing! Minus my thumb, pray I still have some nerves left in it when it heals... !!!! I love you all and know that I am exactly where I need to be! 1 Nephi 3:7  The Lord will make a way for us to do all that needs to be done, so push forward and never give up, especially when times get hard... That's when you know blessings are headed your way! Love you all!!!!!!!! smile always and make it a great week! can't wait to hear from you all!

Hermana Bauer

March 17, 2014

Hola Familia

Well first off we didn't have a baptism.  This has been the craziest week of my life... my biggest fear came to life... divisions and yeah, just keep reading. Here are a few fun facts!!!

1. I cleaned a ton of mold out of our bathroom this morning!!! I wondered why I couldn't breathe in there... yeah discovered all the black on the ceiling and cracks and walls too were mold!!! WAHOO!!!!

2. Saw a man get attacked by a pit bull that was something you don't see everyday, but me... maybe once a week! Nah it was crazy!!

3. Loving the food and for the most part it is still loving me!!!

 

Wow this week was full of things to learn and grow from and peolpe to teach. First off I had my first divisions that was an adventure and in all honesty that was my biggest fear... I did not want that day to come. Well I do not know what I was scared of because it was AMAZING!!!! Hermana Monroy is such an example to me and I learned so much from her and even learned about myself. Through divisions I was able to see what I could really do and have a little peak at a few things that Hermana Sumsion and I could change or work on. She did the same and this has helped us a lot this week. As I taught with Hermana Monroy I felt the spirit so strong,  I know this is because I was so dependent on it because without it I felt lost. This has helped me make this change even more so this week. As I go into each lesson I am striving to be more sensitive to the spirit and doing my best to have the courage to ask those inspired questions that come to my mind. Through this new idea of both me and my companion talking more and me actually teaching and not only baring testimony I feel that our unity is growing as well this is making each lesson a lot more effective and our companionship stronger. We are also able to make more productive goals.

I know that we are becoming a lot stonger and because of this, well we have been faced with a challenge neither of us saw coming. The baptism of Carlos that was supposed to be jueves has been canceled. We received a call from him slightly before his appointment that he wasn't going to be baptized he didn't want any of it and he hoped we were clear. (click) we were devastated. He is beyond ready. We went to his house to see if we could see, and feel if it was fear or something had happened. Well he looked different and the spirit was gone. He was cold and sharp and asked us to return today. We found out that he had an argument at a wedding about the church with his mother in law and that he ended up taking a drink. He has been really stressed out with work and this argument pushed him over the edge... He fell to the temptation. This has not been a problem for him in the past and we know that more than anything he wants to be a good dad. I know he has a lot of guilt right now and pray that as we enter his house tonight we can teach with the spirit and he can feel that comfort and have a desire to have it back.
I know that we have received this little bump in the road, but we are not ready to let it get us down. He knows this church is true and is ready for baptism, he told us himself. He just needs to find the spirit again and fight to keep his desire and we are here for his support and to show him that the spirit is still there.
Also this week we found one joven, Jorge, in the Calle, he is about 24 and he asked us what is the difference in a Christian Catholic and a Mormon. We taught the restoration and well about baptism because we asked what he wanted for his life he said eternal life we read him a scripture that talked about eternal life and baptism. He said he had too many sins to be baptized. We explained baptism and how he could be clean and have a new start! This is what he wants for his life! He signed the papers right there in the street!!! And when he took his sun glasses off... there was something so sincere about his eyes... I could just see it. He really wants this. I cannot wait to begin teaching him! He was not able to come to church this week because he had work, but I know that as we get started his desire will grow and he will make changes that are essential in his life.

This week I learned that we are given trials that seem unbearable and honestly unreal, but really these trials we have are to remember what our Savior went through and right now we are the hands of the Savior. We are here to carry these people through and show them the way and the light. I am ecstatic to pick these people up and help them back on there feet! They have the drive and the desire we are here to direct the action! Each day I look forward to studying and recieveing inspiration for these people, reading a scripture and knowing it is for them. I know that with Hermana Sumsion and I together, our animation, teaching, service, obedience, and love we can be those tools that bring the Lords miracles to life. This is why I love waking up every morning and thinking I get to be Hermana Bauer!

 

I love you all!!! I want you all to think about this question and when you reply answer... what is the difference in sacrifice and consecrate. To sacrifice your life or consecrate your life. This week this question has set my outlook on my mission and I know that it can make all this difference in every one of our lives! Love you all mmmuuah!

Hermana Bauer