This week has been really awesome! It was a full week and it made us so exhausted. But being busy in missionary work is good!
On Monday, Jorge texted us and told us that he had to move back to Oregon for his job. :( In his text he told us he wanted the "amazing hermanas to come bless me with a prayer before I leave." We were at another appointment but we got there right as he was pulling out of his driveway. We were able to give him a Book of Mormon with our testimonies in it and he promised to read it. He told us that our message had changed his life and he wants to keep learning. So the Oregon missionaries are about to get a SUPER awesome referral from us!
We did a ton of community service this week. We are supposed to try to do 10 hours every week. We worked with "Help the Children." They do a lot of good for the Santa Clarita Community. We helped sort through donated food and put them in boxes for families in the area. It was really fun and half of our district were able to go! We have gone twice now and they always love having those "Mormon young people" there to help.
We also volunteered at the Santa Clarita Senior Center with Hermanas Jensen and Watts. We served them food and it was so fun! They are all so cute and crazy. One old guy said, "You Mormons are here too?? I can't escape!" hahaha. A lady asked me about who sent me on a mission. I said, "Well Heavenly Father did!" Her face lit up and she said, "I knew God loved us still! He sent missionaries to Santa Clarita. That proves it!" She asked me how old I was. "Almost twenty." "Oh to be young and twenty again! Hunny you love being twenty for me okay?" All of the seniors who speak Spanish think it is so funny that we speak Spanish as twenty year old white kids.
We also served at the Veteran's Center this week on 9/11. It was so fun, but sooo hot. We painted the fence, laid sod down, and planted new plants in the flower beds. I loved serving there because it reminded me of my wonderful family! I kept telling Hermana Francis, "My family would LOVE this. They would love helping out like this." I also found the Air Force flag to take a picture just for dad!
I love teaching Marily (15), Youcely (13), and Rosie (11) so much. They are such special girls. They love learning about the gospel so much. Rosie was practically jumping up and down at our last lesson. "I think I finally get how to pray right. Can I please show you??" She gave the cutest little prayer ever. "Thank you Heavenly Father for my family. Thank you for sending such amazing girls to us to learn more about you. I love them and they are a part of my family always." She made us a bracelet so we could always remember her. When she found out my name was Rachel she said, "Now I want my name to be Rachel!" haha. They all love the Book of Mormon and have started reading it! Rosie made a list of all the words she didn't know so we could explain them to her. As soon as we leave they text us, when can you come back?? We are free tomorrow night! They are so special and we are so excited to keep teaching them. We are teaching the Plan of Salvation tonight and we are so excited because Rosie always asks about living with Heavenly Father before this life.
This is Angel. He is Jorge and Marily's nephew. He is 6 years old. He wanted to give me a hug and when he did, he didn't let go! It was the longest hug ever. He is so adorable. Marily said "He just feels the love whenever you guys are here. He loves you guys." It made my heart melt! I love this family so much. He is adorable. He painted his face blue. :)
Gustavo wants to be baptized! He told us that he has seen the changes in his life and knows that he needs to take a step to show God he is grateful for the knowledge he has given him. He is so cute.
Jesus and Jose have been praying and learning so much. They feel like they need to know more before they make the decision to be baptized and don't really understand why they need to be baptized again.
We also got the coolest referral from the Korean sisters! They are a family from Mexico: Antonio & Gaby and their kids Gaby (16), Antonio (13), and Valentina (7). We taught them the first lesson and they absolutely loved it. Antonio said that he learned more about Heavenly Father from the Joseph Smith experience than anything he had ever heard before. Wow! He is so cool. He told us that in Mexico they had a lot of money: a big house, multiple cars, everything they wanted. But he wasn't happy. In fact, things were bad. They moved here and now live in a little apartment. He told us that he had had so much in his life and he didn't understand why he wasn't happy. He has been looking for something more. "Then the missionaries came to my door and I think that is God's way of telling me that this is it. This is the answer to true happiness." We quickly agreed! Guys I wish you could meet this family. They are sooooo awesome.
We had nine investigators at church this Sunday! Maybe partly because Hermana Francis and I were speaking. :) But regardless we are so grateful for Heavenly Father's hand in the missionary work out here. Thank you so much for your prayers...they really are working miracles!! We even got a call from the assistants who gave us a round of applause. haha But the real thanks goes to Heavenly Father who has been preparing the hearts of these wonderful people to receive the message of the restored gospel. After church, the elders told us Antonio got up in priesthood to introduce himself and he said, "Hola, soy Antonio. Estoy aqui para saber si esta iglesia es verdadera." He is so awesome! He was telling everyone that he wanted to know the truth. After church he came up to me and told me "Sorry Hermana. I need to leave fast because I am going to meet with your bishop about how I can change my life." I was completely speechless. This guy is so ready. That night he and his wife texted us this (its translated..): "Gaby and I are very grateful for this new phase in which you have been sent from God. We continue to be amazed of the Spanish of the Hermana that only has two months. You did a really good job and your words touched our hearts. Gaby and I were crying. We felt something beautiful in our hearts. Thank you so much for your great mission. We are looking forward to next Sunday at church. God bless you and please still do your mission. You are both doing great. Thank you again. Cordially, la familia Soto Navarrete." (That was a pretty big confidence booster as missionaries! :)
Our talks yesterday were on missionary work. I talked about how we as members can be better missionaries. 1) Pray for missionary opportunities. 2) Express your love for your friends and serve them. 3) Be an example of the believers.
This week we also had a mission conference with Elder Carlson of the seventy. I got to tell them about how we used to live by their son and daughter-in-law in Del Rio. Sister Carlson was so excited and she texted her son right then. He said, "Yes of course we know Wade and Jodie!" Sister Carlson was like, "Well you aren't lying then!" haha. Here are some things I learned at the conference:
-Our purpose is to invite others to Christ. (Everyone's purpose, whether you wear a name tag or not. And the others includes everyone as well, even your family)
-Never think that the rules don't apply to you anymore.
-Accept and embrace change. Use Adjusting to Missionary life the rest of your life. Elder Carlson said he uses it now as "Adjusting to post military life" It reminding me of you dad. haha.
-Heavenly Father has given us the right tools and direction. So we will always be successful
-Teaching and learning have the same definition: listening and observing
He also told a military story, but most of it went right over my head. I felt like I was being briefed on a combat mission the whole time. I needed dad there to explain half his vocabulary! It just made me think of the hymn "We are all enlisted in the army of God."
The musical trio at the Mission Conference. (Elder Linford, Hermana Francis, and me)
Now that this is the longest email EVER, I just wanted to remind you all how much I love the gospel. It is true and I know Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to share the happiness of the gospel with everyone. The gospel brings us hope in our lives. I wanted to share this quote with you guys from this month's Liahona.
“Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. … My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. … Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. … It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come. … Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Love you guys so much!
Hermana Buxton
Me, Hermanas Francis, Watts, and Jensen after the Mission Conference. Stuck in infamous LA rush hour bumper to bumper traffic.
I made a Greenwood smoothie today. My companion said it was good enough to be on the menu at Jamba. Compliments to Sister Greenwood! :)