O Christmas Tree, O Referrals, O Companion..why are you sick

Greetings Friends! This week has been interesting for sure. Its been super cold. Im way up north and closer to the mountains so its cold. None of this super hot humid stuff. Its a wet cold. This week we had a zone meeting. It was powerful and honestly, life changing. It was much needed since i felt like i was getting used to his whole mission things (2 months out! What..). That meeting was life changing and made me realize all that i needed to work on and change. Just when i thought i was doing good i realized there are things i need to be doing better. That meeting set the meeting for this entire week. My comp and I decided to be "all in."

That dedication and that drive to show heavenly father we are serious, made us candidates for blessings.

On the coldest day of the week, we had a lot of finding/tracting events planned. It was cold. So cold i think thats why my comp got sick...haha. We went to visit the people we had planned and we did brave things. We approached a non hispanic lady walking her dog (so wild) and asked if she knew her neighbors. We knocked on all doors that had the slightest look of hispanic decent haha. We knocked on houses that had toys laid out, dish 500, and all those fun things. When we didn't find hispanics we asked if they knew their neighbors and if they were hispanic. At the end of the day there wasn't a whole lot of success. BUT! The next day...

At our branch christmas party we a member come up to us and say, "sisters, im bringing a friend to church. I just asked him to come and he said yes! Just so you sister know." We were in shock! 20 min later a member come up to us and says, "I have 3 families i want you to teach." I about wet myself. Was this really happening? The fun doesn't end there. We get to our apartment earlier than usual. My comp is dying from a cold and we get a text from a member not in our branch. He says, "sisters i have a friend coming over to my house for dinner tomorrow. i want you to be there. i feel like you should teach her. I feel like sister missionaries will do well with her. come to my house for dinner tomorrow?" Im not making this up people. As i was reading that text message to my comp, she thought i was kidding. She said, "this is something you hear and see in the Mission District videos! what is happening!!?" Miracles. I have such a testimony of the blessings that come from obedience. When we obey God's commandments, he is bound to bless us. It is his law and his promise.

About the Christmas tree...we didnt have one. I was pretty upset. We found a saw in our closet the other day while looking for a christmas tree. As a joke we said we would cut a small one out in the woods. Towards the end of the week we actually considered it, we were getting pretty desperate hah. But no worries, no law as broken. A member who we had dinner with this week overheard we didnt have one and so this sunday they  brought us one. Another member who is moving and cleaning out her house gave us a box of Christmas decorations. We now have a christmas tree :)

I love being a missionary. I realized this week after zone meeting, while i was feeling overwhelmed with the changes i had to make, that never again will my life be dedicated to this. To bettering myself in developing Christ-like attributes. I dont have school or work or anything else to worry about but the gospel. The gospel is my life. I love this. I love being in this work. There is no greater work. I love seeing how true the gospel is everywhere you  go.

I hope you all have a wonderful christmas and serve others. Light the World!

-Hermana Garcia

Gate City Branch (SP)

1. My Oliver slippers  and the tree, yayyy.

 2. With Jose Octavo. He was baptized the week before I got here. We have been teaching him the lessons after his baptism.

3. One cold day we were passing by a Baptist Church y saw the sign for the pastor and well...

4. Rogelio! Oh how we love him. He couldnt come to church so we spoke with him through Facebook and we read the Book of Mormon. We asked him to smile for the photo. Doesn't he look happy?

The Lost Name Tag, The Chicken in the Rain, Using FB to Teach, 1 month In NC

I needed an interesting title to intrigue :)

This week wasn't super eventful, which did make things kind of frustratig since i felt as if i wasn't doing anything. I'll share some of my favorite things that happened.

-On Tuesday i couldn't find my favorite nametag (i had a backup) and i was really sad. I prayed and prayed i would find it, but i felt as if i found the nametag in parts. I found  the magnet part of it one day, but not the actual thing. This taught me to pray fervently and to pray not only to find it, but to for the belief I actually would. 4 days passed until i actually did find it. It had dropped in a memebers yard, proabably while i was taking my shoulder bag off. It was such a miracle and i knew that this week i was suppose to learn the importance of prayer.

On saturday night, as my comp and i were planning, she said we needed to pray for new investigators. With Rogelio being baptized soon, we need new progessing invetigators.  With that in mind, i prayed that we would be blessed with the willingness to work and find, and for us to prove to God that he can trust us with new people to teach. On Sunday, we had 3 invetigators come. Because they fulfilled their commitemet and they accepted a return appointment, that day we gained 3 new progessingn invetigators. Miralces happen :)

-This week it rained a lot. It was cold rain and we were walking in the trailer park neighbourhood since we had several people in the area. No one was opening and we were both cold and wet and a little tired. Just then, as we're turning from the door to the street...comes a chicken. A chicken :) I can't help but laugh at how strange it is. My comp and i started laughing and joking and start taking pictures and have a blast, in the middle of a rainstorm with a chicken on the road. I love the tender mercies we see during the day. The way we laugh at the most random things, the way our conversations become something inspired and meaningful, and the way all things denote there is a God.

I am blessed to be part of a mission where we are allowed to use Facebook to proselyte. Only 10 mission in the world are FB missions. Our on date investigator wasnt able to come to church, but we were able to fb video chat and read the Book of Mormon! It was so fun and such a neat experience.

I learned this week that missionary work is something that should be enjoyed. Although not all weeks will be super successful, or eventful, its important to laugh and have fun and enjoy the minor details of our life. Im grateful for facebook, for the chicken who crossed the road (hah) and for the power of prayer. I know that through prayer we connect with our Heavenly Father. That time is so sacred, so personal and so needed in our lives. We need prayer because God needs to hear from his children. I love being a missionay and having lived in North Carolina for 1 month! Such a beautiful state :)

-Hermana Garcia

1 MONTH!

Rainy Day

Extra Pictures!

I always mean to attach them to the email, but frankly i get too excited and just sent the email. But here are these weeks pictures!

-We do service at an animal shelter where we take the dogs out of their cages to run and play. One of them was so huge it knocked me over and almost sat one me.
-The little boys who helped us during tracting
-Decorating the tree at a members home! YAY
-Chilling in the Mcdonalds parking lot using their wifi to sync area books and send in our information to our District Leaders
-Selfies because...we have tablets haha ;)

Week 3

Hello Friends!
You'll be happy to hear that i had 2 dinners for thanksgiving. Life is great, and like all good missionary emails, I'll add the highlight of the week.

This week I actually had a day in which i got dissapointed. The morning started off just fine and then during lunch, on our way to our appointment, we got super distracted (1st downfall). We got to our appointment and they  didnt open the door (2nd downfall). No biggy, we had another appointment with a member. We get there, and the member is there! YAY! But the person we're teaching doesnt seem to be home (3rd downfall). At this point i was sad and felt bad the member had come all way and that both teaching appointments fell through. My comp ripped her skirt so we had to drive back to the apartment. On our way out the door once more, we prayed that we could be happier and that we could see miracles. We prayed thar the dissapointment wouldn't get to us. Miracles happen :)

We tried a house where a less active lived but we discovered they didn't live there anymore so we decided to try the neighbours in hopes that they were hispanic. As we started walking, these two boys who were playing outisde asked what we were doing and we happily told them that we were sharing a message of happiness! They looked at us confused. My companion gave them a christmass pass-along card and they loved it. They overheard us saying how one of the houses was hispanic and so one of the boys says, "I can help you find the mexicans!! That house, and that house....and that one!" He said as he pointed to the houses. That was such a great help to us. The boys kept following us and would overhear what we would say and then they would keep playing with their toy water guns and lightsaber. One of them made it a game.

The boys would run and knock at the doors they knew were hispanic. There were a couple times that we had to run to the door since they had knocked on it while we were so far away. It made it so fun though. we knew that Heavenly Father used them to help us have fun and to have success. We found several people to teach becuase of them. They were so fun that i just had to have a picture with them.

I learned this week just how much God is willing to bless is children, you and me. He loves us so much that he simply wants us to come to him and ask for them. He, like any good father, wants to have his children be happy and wants to give them what they wants, all we need to do is ask.  I have never felt this kind of love in my life. I have grown up in a family where love is always constant, i have been surrounded by wonderful friends and teachers who love me, but being here in the mission field, love is different. Its  different kind of love. I feel Gods love for me as i love others.

Update: We have 2 people planned for baptisms. They are individuals who have been well prepared for the Lord, all we need to do is teach them. They are both set for January.

Every day i realize how privledged i am to be serving a mission and to be a missionary. I hope this week is a great one for all you back home!
-Hermana Garcia

Week 2 on the Mission!

Greeting from the Greensboro, North Carolina!

Yup, where in the world is that?! Its about 2 hours north of charlotte. Infact, Sister Fragoso and I are in the furthest parto of the mission. Super close to Virginia. i have been assigned to the Piedmont Branch which a spanish speaking branch! I didnt thin i would be serving spanish speaking so soon but it happened! The mission office is sending me my new nametags soon :) Since the ward is small, we are working with the inactives to get them coming again and to also get refferals from them. I'll share with you one of my favorite things that happened this week.

The Gomez family is inactive family who haven't bee to church in a while. We went to their house and i we used the "were new to the area and want to meet the branch's members!' card and the "im new to the mission! can i practise on you!" card haha. Sister Gomez said we could come back on saturday when her family would all be home. So we did. Sister Fragoso (14 months on the mission, from Merida Yucatan Mex) said that the best thing to do for inactive memebers is to do the Restoration with them. That lesson is very powerful and always invites the spirit. Doing so will enable them to remember how they felt the first time they heard it. So we had that planned.

When we get there, they let us in and Bro Gomez right of the bat tells us why he hasn't gone to church. He said someone from his ward back in utah really did him an injustice. He said the man who stole from his was a person who he trusted and when the member did that to him, he just coulnd't beleive. He said he didn't want to be around people like that so he left. His wife continued to go but she felt uncomfortable since she felt people from the ward labled her as a single woman. So she left. My companion and I listened to this and felt that we needed to remind them of thier testimony. Remind them that their conversion and testimony isn't to the people, but to our Father in Heaven. So we taught them the restoration. When we got to the part of telling Joseph Smith's vision, the room was filled with the spirit. We invited them to think back to when they first heard the story of the first vision, and then proceeded to tell them. As my companion recited the words of Joseph Smith,  the room felt as if it was sucked in and shut off from the world. It was so powerful. We all had tears in our eyes. Then brother Gomez said, "I have to go back.  I know i need to. I have been away for far too long and i want my family to be happier." He then turns to his wife and says, "Ive alway known this is true. It was good to have them remind us." I felt like crying. I felt so happy for them and so glad that they felt that.

As missionaires, our purpose is for others to feel and know what we know. I am a child of god. YOU are  childl of god. That in it's self is something that could change the world of an individual. That knowledge. And we as missionaires get to do that. But we can't do it without the members. As members; missionaries and not missionaires, it is our job to bring the world it's truth!

One last thing i wanted to share, that really made me reflect. We went to a less-actives house. When we asked if he missed coming to church he said, "no, not really. Im really comfortable the way i am." That stuck with me for the entire drive back home. I asked my companion if Happiness is synonimous for comfortable. And we came to the conclusion: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is something that never leves you stagnant. It will always make you grow. She then said something i loved:  Faith is uncomfortable. As members, we know that living the gospel means we are constantly changing. We are always wanting to improve and never "comfortable." Better yet, if we are comfortable, something is wrong. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is to be utalized every day. Everyday we should be making changes that make us better, make us uncomfortable and make us grow.

Are you comfortable?

My dear freinds, ward members and family, I love this Gospel. I love the blessing and opportunity it is grow. I love that mistakes are allowed and even encouraged, because then and only then can we become what we were meant to be. Be strong and be missionary always.
-Hermana Garcia

5281 Hilltop Road 
Apartment R 
Greensboro North Carolina
27407

First Day!

Sister Garcia was at the Mission Office this morning for training and left in the afternoon with her companion to her new area! Her mission president sent out an email with this small update on Sister Garcia, these pictures below, and an invitation to the mission's public Facebook page: NC Charlotte Mission of Miracles !

Made it Home Safely

Hello!! We made it safe and we are here in the mission home!Tonight Sister Laney and I will be sleeping here in the mission home. I  get my  assignment tomorrow morning. I feel like it might be spanish speaking! Yay! Life is good. I cant believe im here. Charlotte is beautiful and covered with trees. I love this! pray for me! I enter my assigned area tomorrow!
-Sister Garcia

Headed to Charlotte!

Sister Garcia was on her way to Charlotte this morning, she (and the other missionaries traveling to NC as well) came across a bishop who was kind enough to take a picture of the missionaries and email the picture to us. Here's what he said:

"Hello, while traveling this morning from Salt Lake I was on the same flight as your missionaries headed out.  They look great and are excited and anxious to get to North Carolina and get to work!  Thank you personally for sharing them and supporting them in their desires to serve the Lord. I have family from Charlotte and don't think this was by accident!

Bishop McCotter"

Loving the MTC!

MTC (week 2)

Well friends, it sounds cliche, but i dont have much time to write haha. Ill just share one of my favorite things that happened this week. While we were in the referral center, i was scrolling through the people that need to be contact and one name intrigued me. I clicked on her and she was requesting a Bible in english but didn't provide her mailing address. i called her and she answered!!

This is how the conversation basically went. I told her i was from mormon.org and how she had requested a bible and i was just going to call and ask for her mailing address. She gives it to me and i ask why she felt she wanted to get a bible and she told me the following, "i need to be closer to Jesus. I just found out i have cancer (her voice starts to crack) and i want to be close to jesus. I dont know why certain things in my life are happening and i just want help.."

I felt my missionary purpose ring loud and clear!

"Monike, would it be arlight if Mormom missionaires dropped the book off and share a short message of jesus christ? Their message is just for you. its for you. It's centered on your need right now." She begins crying and pleads yes. She then asked something that made my heart ache for her. She said, "i want them to come. I want somone to pray with me. Im scared Mrs. Esther. i was thinking about what to do with my life and then you called. And youre telling me a message of hope and of joy. Thank you for calling me and thank you for saying those things." 

The conversation continued, i sent the refferal to the missionaries in that area. Those Houston Texas missionaries are lucky. She is golden and is so ready.

i love being here and having this blessing, this opportunity to tell people this message that is for them. i realized really how much people need this and want this, they just dont know it. It made me sad for monike, that she felt so helpless and didn't know what to do, but somewhere she knew that a bible would help her. I feel so privledged and so excited! Monike is being helped her loving HeavenlyFather because he really and truely loves her. I love her! I wanted to go through the phone and help her and hug her. She was crying and i wouldn't be surprised if the conversation we had was of the most hope. 

My friends, be nice. Everyone you meet is going through hard times. Smile when youre out, be the light that people need. You are god's child and he loves you :)

-Sister Garcia 

MTC with Sister Laney

 

 
 

MTC (week 1)

Well hello friends and loved ones! Its been exactly one week since i got here and i can't believe how fast the week went, yet how slow some days were. The first day was chaos and the second day was hard to also because there was so much information and so much to know and get used to. But it was really fun. It all got better on sunday, ill explain that in a sec. 

My companion is from Turner Oregon and she will be serving with me aswell. The rest of the girls from my distict will be serving in LA. 

The beginning days i had a hard time because i felt like i needed to show others that i have prepared for this. I felt like everyone around me had the same story and that frustrated me and so i felt the need to show how i was different. i Learned how wrong this was. The biggest lesson i learned this week was about humility and pride. I emailed my family when i first arrived to let them know i had made it safe, but then i got extra time the following evening and i told them of my frustration. My brother david told me some words of advice that really made me understand the need to look outward rather that inward. He said, "the spirit not only works through you, but through others."  I wouln't be able to learn the things i needed to if was constanly feeling frustrated by the girls who would talk about their boyfriends, or the girls who would cry at how they missed home. I need to learn compassion and learn that everyone has come to the MTC with different backgrounds. 

The Reno Nevada Stake's Mission prep classes really prepared me so much. I think thats why i felt like i was so ahead of everyone becuase i began my mission prep and learning long ago. They really made you learn about what missionary work is and how to begin NOW. So shout you to you guys! I feel very prepared and so grateful to have attended. 

We had Elder Nelson speak to us during the Tuesday Devotional. No one knows who the speaker is until they arrive (the missionaries don't know.) I was in the choir and seated doing some stuff on my tablet when all of a sudden everyone stood up. before i could see who it was i felt a strong power in the room fill up. I felt it in my heart and knew that whoever it was had power of god. The true and real power of god. As i looked up it was Elder Nelson and his wife. My heart pounded and i started crying. The room was filled with over 2,000 missionaires set apart with the rights and privledges of preaching the gospel. And in walks an Apostle of the Lord. My heart was full and i couldn't help but cry tears of joy. ME! i was involved in this. I was taking part in this amazing change that the world will know. 

i dont have much time so thats basically it. But i would encourage all of you to think of things that you might be doing that would impede you from feeling the spirit and would allow you to receive revelation. This week i will be working on humiliy. i would encourage you to pick something to work on and see how much the lord wants to help you be better.

i know this work is true and there is a prophet on the earth. he speaks to god and heads this church. 

CTR!

-Sister Garcia

ps, we got to go to the referral center where people from all over the world requested A Book of Mormon or bible on mormon.org and we get to call them and make sure the address is ok. we also share our testimony or favorite scirputre and it was soooooo fun!

(sorry for the typos, im on little time hah)

She's off!

Sister Garcia left as excited as ever and has safely arrived at the MTC, ready to begin a new chapter of her life!