Sister Reed's Contact Info

wreed@myldsmail.net

1002 Amelia Station Way #202
Clayton, NC, 27520

Monday, January 26, 2015

Week 4 in the Mission Field

Hola Familia!

Virginia is so beautiful! On Monday we sat on the beach and wrote letters. It was a little bit chilly, but it was pretty. Also, I love the people here. The Branch is so awesome and it's growing! So there are three sets of missionaries in the branch and we all cover different areas. It's cool though because we get to know each others investigators because they all come to the same branch. I love Sundays because I love seeing everyone and meeting all the people that the other missionaries are teaching. And Hispanics are so friendly which I love. Something that I realized as we were contacting this week is that Hispanics are so trusting of people. They let anyone in their house. All we had to say was Hola, como esta? and they tell us to come in. Hispanics are great.

We didn't have very many lessons again this week. People kept cancelling. We're kind of in a rut right now looking for new investigators. Por favor, pray that we can find new people. We've found some people that have some potential if we could just find a time to teach them. But we did get to teach Priscila! She is so dang awesome. We taught her about the Word of Wisdom and she has been drinking coffee since she was a little kid. She's from El Salvador and drinking coffee is like a social think. They just all do it. She told us that will be hard for her but it's a commandment from God so she is going to do her best to keep it. She told us she would just throw away her coffee maker so that she isn't tempted. We told we could bring her hot chocolate to help her out. When we came back later to give her the hot chocolate she told us mission completed. She is so cute. Her baptism is coming up! We weren't able to teach her on Friday or Saturday because there was something wrong with her washing machine and the water pipe broke and flooded her apartment. So that was crazy and she had family coming into town this weekend. She still came to church though! She had breakfast with her family and then told them she had to go to church so she just left them there. She is seriously so great.

On Sunday we taught Adolfo who is the roommate of Miguel. Miguel wasn't there which was good so we were able to teach the Restoration. Adolfo is so funny. He knows that I'm learning Spanish and so that's why I usually don't talk very much. I'll usually just teach one part of the lesson and then my companion and the member we have with us will talk the rest of the time. So whenever I talk his eyes get really big and he has this big smile on his face like he's saying in his head, yay! she's talking! So I taught the part about Joseph Smith and the First Vision. The Spirit was strong and he was listening intently. When I finished he said, Wow, me gusta eso. A few minutes later some of his friends walked in and his attitude changed. He became closed off which was a bummer so we didn't invite him to be baptized, but we're hoping next time we can commit him to baptism.

Speaking of baptisms we had one on Friday! Edwin and Miriam are actually in our area, but the Elders were the ones that started teaching them a year ago so they just kept passing them down to the Elders. We still visit them every once in a while though. So they have been taking the lessons for almost a year and the reason they hadn't gotten baptized is because they needed to get married first. So in December they were married and finally, on Friday they were baptized. It was a good night. We're gonna see if we can start teaching them now. We have to talk with the Elders about it. Miriam told us on Friday when we went over there to see how they were feeling about there baptism that she actually had wanted the Hermanas to teach her, but she didn't want to offend the Elders. So we'll see if we can make that switch.

Well, I love you all! I'll talk to you next week!

Hermana Reed 

Monday, January 19, 2015

The Lord Brings Us Low Before He Lifts Us Higher

Hola!
This week has been slow and fast at the same time. On the mission your day feels like a week and your week feels like a day. I've lost all concept of time here. So being Spanish speaking in Virginia is weird because we're teaching and talking to people in Spanish and then when we get into the real world and go to the store or something these people have thick southern accents! I never realized before that Virginia is part of the South. So if I can't get my Spanish accent then I'll at least come home with a Southern one!
Another fun fact about Virginia is that gas is only $1.89 here! Isn't that crazy!? Also the weather here is so weird. On Monday it rained a ton and was like 50 degrees. On Tuesday everything froze because it was all wet and 30 degrees. The roads were fine though. Don't worry Mom and Dad! ;) It was so cool though because everything was an icicle. I'll send a picture of it. The trees looked they had snow on them but it was just ice.
Now I can actually talk about my investigators! I finally got to meet most of the people that we teach in our area. Our golden investigator is named Priscila. She's getting baptized February 7th! She is so amazing. We go over to teach her but really she good teach us. After we read a scripture she'll start to explain it before we even say anything. On Tuesday we were talking about Faith and we read a scripture in the Book of Mormon first and she started talking about how important faith is and how it says in the Bible faith without works is dead. She totally understands! It's so awesome teaching her. She's been coming to church and she loves it! Yesterday was her second time. When we were talking to her about how Satan will try to put doubts into her mind and make her second guess her decision to be baptized she said, No he won't because I pray every day and the Lord gives me strength to overcome. She has definitely been prepared.
On Tuesday we met the cutest couple. Their names are Anna and Miguel. They're my favorite! They are also prepared for the gospel. So we didn't have a chance to teach them because they talked the whole time we were there explaining their religious background. What they were saying though was crazy! They were explaining that they have been to many different churches and what they've noticed is that they each have a little bit of the truth, but there are some teachings of each of the churches that they know are wrong. Anna said that she found a church that she liked in Texas when she was living there but it wasn't the same up here. Basically they were explaining the Apostasy about how many different churches were formed and each had a little bit of the truth but none of them have the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I just can't wait to teach them the Restoration on Wednesday and to tell them that we have it all! We have all of the teachings and truths in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's one lesson that I am super excited for. I can't wait to see their reactions!
I have been fed three times now by members and Hispanics feed missionaries a lot differently than Americans. Hispanics fill your plates with mass amounts of food and then either watch you eat or sometimes they go do something else. They never sit down and eat with you. But they serve your food and you have to eat all of it. It's like Thanksgiving. I have to fast during the day so that I have room for all of the food they feed me. They food has been good though, thankfully. Each time we get fed I ask my companion if we'll have to eat something gross. Sometimes it's a hit and miss with some people. But for now it's been great!
This week was a little rough. Most of our appointments got cancelled so we only taught a few lessons this week. So we went contacting for my first time! That was a different experience. Most Hispanics here live in trailer parks so we knock in trailer parks. When we get Americans we ask them if they know of any Hispanics in the area. Our numbers for lessons may have been low but we had high numbers for referrals and contacted this week.
I think this week was a trial, but with patience, the Lord brings blessings. Yesterday we went to an investigator's home and we were going to drop him because he just wasn't progressing at all. But his roommate was there and he was super interested and wanted to learn more. So it would have been awkward to tell Miguel that we were dropping him but coming back to teach his roommate Adolfo. So we didn't tell him, but in reality he's dropped and Adolfo is our new investigator. And then this morning we got a call from a guy named Daniel who is the other roommate. My companion taught him when she was last in the area and he was actually gonna get baptized but things feel through. So he called us and asked us to come and teach him too! Crazy! Another little miracle that happened today...Tomorrow we're doing exchanges with the Sister Trainer Leaders so I won't be able to go to the lessons with my companion because I'll be in the STL's area. So I'll miss the lesson with Miguel and Anna that I have been waiting for all week! But we called them this morning to confirm the appointment for tomorrow and they switched it to Wednesday! God is good. He answers prayers. He loves His children.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Hermana Reed

Monday, January 12, 2015

I'm in Virginia!!

I made it! I'm finally in the mission field! It has been a crazy, rough couple of weeks. Saying goodbye to everyone at the CCM and especially my district was awful. Luckily, though, I got to fly most of the way with my district and then in Atlanta the Elders and Hermanas parted ways. The hardest part though was saying goodbye to my companion at the transfer meeting. So only two our of the five Hermanas were assigned to a Spanish speaking area. And...I'm one of them! The other ones have an English speaking ward and area but they still have to do their language study everyday. That would be so hard. Well, Spanish speaking is hard, but it will be a blessing. I was assigned to the Newport News North and Williamsburg area.

My first day we had two appointments that we went to that night. I didn't say anything except read a scripture from the Book of Mormon. The next couple of days were rough because I wanted to talk and say something, but my companion is so good at Spanish already I was afraid that I would look dumb because I didn't completely understand what they were talking about sometimes. Speaking of my companion...Her name is Hermana Camps which is funny because my last companion's name was Hermana Fields and campos means fields in Spanish. Anyway, she's from Moab, Utah and she just hit her 11 month mark in the mission field.

So Spanish has been getting me down these past couple of days, but yesterday was amazing. I had been praying so hard for the strength and confidence to open my mouth and just speak. Yesterday my prayers were answered. I got called up to bear my testimony in the Branch yesterday and I was able to say the things I wanted to say. And then during our lesson that night I taught almost all of the lesson on the Restoration. We taught this super nice couple named Jenny and Elizar. That was our first time teaching them and they seemed really interested. Elizar kept saying they want to come to church on Sunday so we'll see if they come. At the end of the lesson she fed us papousa which was really nice. So they're our new investigators!

Last night our district leader called and told us that our district has the highest numbers in the zone. So our district has two Elders and four Hermanas and we all are in the same Spanish branch. We cover different areas though of Newport News.

On Saturday we're moving apartments because our lease is about to end. So we're moving into the Elders apartment which is in the same apartment complex we're at now and the Elders are moving into a different apartment complex. I feel like it'll be a lot of confusion and chaos on Saturday with all the ward members and everyone trying to help, but I'm used to confusion and chaos. So my new address will be:

708 Bellows Way #204
Newport News, VA 23602

And now I can get letters! Well, I love you all. Thanks for your prayers and support. Por favor, pray for me to have the gift of tongues. Have a great week!

Hermana Reed

There's a picture of my district with one of our teachers. A picture with me and my other teacher. She's so cute. I love her. I found Melissa! I mean Hermana Christensen!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Happy New Year!! Almost.

I hope you all had a great Christmas! On the 23rd it rained! It hadn't rained the whole time I've been here so the rain was fun. We got to get out our umbrellas!! I'm still a child still so when we had our service on Christmas Eve we got to wear jeans and tennis shoes. On our way back home I jumped in a puddle because I just couldn´t resist. Another Hermana joined in the fun after awhile. I love the rain! Christmas morning though it was cold and dreary and I just wanted more than anything for the sun to come out. We went to an MTC devotional broadcast and when I walked outside it was sunny and beautiful!! It was my Christmas present from God.

So for Christmas we basically just watched devotionals all day. They were really good devotionals! But i thought would would have done something else. The best part about Christmas though was at night. We got to watch Meet the Mormons! I had never seen it before so I was really excited that I finally got to watch it. After the movie we went back to our classrooms and our district had a little Feliz Navidad fiesta. My companion's mom sent her sparkling cider so we popped it open and took pictures. Our Christmas presents were letters that we had written to each other. Our teacher told us to write about the Christ like attributes that we all have. When it was time to go home we took our letters and read them before bed. They were so sweet. Such good Christmas presents. 

This is my last week in the CCM! It's crazy! I fly out at 7:30 Tuesday morning which means we are leaving the CCM at 4 am! 

Sorry this email is short this week. My spiritual thought is on prayer.  We heard a lot about prayer this week and heard some cool stories. Elder Richard G. Scott was the speaker that we heard on Sunday for our weekly devotionals. He explained how God is waiting to hear from us. He will answer our prayers in the manner that will be best for our growth and development. When you have no desire to pray, pray. When you are feeling confused, alone, or in need of comfort, find a quiet place and pour out your heart to the Lord. He is there and He is listening. I want to testify that God hears our prayers. He answers them. I am gaining a bigger and bigger testimony on prayer each day on my mission. I have to rely on the Lord and I have faith that He will help me with all the things that I need to do. One day I was having terrible pains in class (they were cramps. Sorry for that little detail boys.) I couldn't concentrate on anything being said. We were about to start practice teaching and I had to teach a lesson. There was no way I would be able to think of words in Spanish let alone how to teach a lesson. Before I started I said a quick prayer and asked Heavenly Father to make this pain go away or at least make it not hurt as bad so that I can teach and focus on the lesson. As I was praying the pain instantly subsided. I'm starting to have more and more experiences of the Lord answering my prayers when I need them answered. God is good. He loves you all. I challenge you when you are feeling down, or frustrated, or stressed, or anxious, or lonely, or afraid, or in need of comfort, to pray to our Heavenly Father. I know that He will hear your prayers and answer them in a way that will best benefit you. 

I love you all! Have a Happy New Year!

Hermana Reed