Pictures!

Our way fun post! it's all the Dispensation heads! how creative is that?! 

beautiful NC sunset 

it rained SO much

during finding there was a rope so....I had to swing haha 

 read the post-

Also, repost our posts! thats us doing missionary work!

God Fed Us

okay so there's pday but I will probably send lots of pics at the end of the day! we're going to a museum as a district and then some members are making a southern dinner and taking us to a convention of all these churches! our stake president is speaking and part of it. 

Miracles of the week:

God fed us! our dinner appointment said they would bring the food to the church and leave it in fridge so after our appointments we went to the church and heated up the food that was in the fridge and we ate it! come to find out that the Member never was able to get into the locked church building so they never dropped food of but my dear...we ate. I told her, "sister, we ate! There was food in the fridge..." We were in shock. God knew I was hangry so I he gave us food, haha.

Book of Mormon is so good. We've been challenged to finish it in 12 weeks so it's 5 pages every day and friends, it makes a difference. The voice of the Spirit is heard during the day! We were planning on Friday and we felt inspired to text a member and see if we could stop by and visit her non member friend who she had brought to church and she respond with, "sisters, its a miracle that you texted me- today is the only day that she could." So we went and taught her. Not only is SHE interested but her mom is looking pretty elect. GOLDIES. 

Anyway, life is good. I'm so grateful for sister Hammond. it's amazing how much we need our companion. I thought I came here for her but I didn't. I came here because I needed her. There's so many things from her I am learning. Most important one is humility. GOODNESS.. she's so good. 

Anyway, missions are great. Life is great and God is GOOD. always. he's always good.

-hermana Garcia 

Faith, Hope, and Charity

I felt a few weeks ago like I had no faith and then I feel like I have a hold on things when poof it's another thing to work on. As a missionary I think missions are hard because you realize how sacred this is and how important  this is. I would be awful if, because of me, someone wasn't progressing. As we talked (Sister Garcia and Sister Fragoso) I had D&C chapter 4 come to mind. This work really does require faith and hope and charity. I realized that it's just part of missionary work and that sooner or later I was going to have to learn this. I realized how charity goes far more than just loving someone. It was because I loved Adriana so much that I realized I was so hurt, so frustrated with her. I realized because I love her I was allowing myself act this way. And then i realized that Jesus Christ himself isn't mad at her choices. he loves her regardless and is just concerned if she is repenting which she is. 

I know that we can do all things through Christ, Philippians 4:13 because he strengthen me. This morning as I began my personal study I prayed that I could be directed to know what to do know that I could know what I need to change, what do I need to do now? I was directed to Alma 31:31. I invite you look at it! and finish to the end of the chapter. I think it's only like 5 more verses. I just knew that all those missionaries in the scriptures also went through the same thing I go through. Thank goodness I'm not the first and thank goodness I studied faith for 2 weeks since patience is part faith. And that's what Alma does at the very end, because he prayed in faith. 

I am so grateful for the things I am learning. Funny thing is I don't realize how much I am until I write to you all or when I write in my journal. I love you all so much and I just want to let you know that I now it's through Jesus Christ that we can better. I can have better faith and more patience though him and I now God will allow me to grow and give me opportunity to do so. 

P.S we get to meet and shake Elder Cooks hand this Saturday! He's coming to the mission :) 

-Patricio got baptized! his entire family except his dad is a member . he is 8 but his family hadn't been living the gospel for much of his life and so we were asked to teach him and special prep him for his baptism and so we did and now he got baptized on saturday! so much and little. we love Patricio 

-And a Charlotte sign...haha

Past photos and this week's email!

This week I had an experience in putting faith to the test since I realized how much I lacked it...Late Monday we had a miracle brought to pass due to the faith of my companion. I wanted to be of more help to her and I was so grateful that she had been faithful but I realized how much I needed it to. I prayed that night for the gift of faith so that I could be of more use. 

We pulled up to an apartment complex at 3pm on a Thursday where the sun was hot and just a lazy time of the day. I park the car and and Sister Fragoso and i both pull our seats back and close our eyes and just say how tired we are and laugh at our misery. She looks at me and says, "let's knock this entire complex. 4th floor last door?" (in reference to uchdorfs Talk.) I look at her and say, "I'm trying out this new Faith thing, they said it works..." So we did it. 

I realized I couldn't just knock to get the doors done. If I wanted this to work I would have  to mentally have the faith that things WOULD work out and that there WOULD be good come from it. The apartment had 3 floors, and each floor had 4 doors. 12 total. the bottom floor had 3 doors open but they weren't interested. the last one the floor opened up and it was a 15 year old girl. she talked to us and we had a wonderful discussion about regions and about our purpose on the earth. She gave us a return appointment. 

Things like this happened all week. Things like new investigators and referrals and individuals keeping their commitments. It was wonderful and it was a learning lesson for me. Had it not been me realizing how much I lacked and how much I needed Christ in my equation, I don't think this week wouldn't have been such a happy one.

On Sunday as I turn to face the congregation after playing the opening hymn (yes I still play haha) I saw my companions face beaming and smiling as she hinted for me to look left. I saw 3 of our investigators seated by her. My heart about popped our of my chest. I then look over and there's 2 more on the other side of the chapel. We had 5 investigators come. My heart filled with overwhelming joy as I realized how much faith works. The funny thing is, it was always there for me to choose. I'm sure this miracles wouldn't have been given had we not proved to God that we were serious about his work. That we knew it would be hard but what he could trust us with this individuals to teach. Faith was always an option but it wasn't until I was as compelled to be humble that things happened. God didn't just give me faith though. I had to choose it. I had to choose to work a little harder. have a better attitude and try to have more faith. I learned of this equation in a zone meeting and it loved it. 

you + Christ=more

It's so true. It's not us doing more prayers or more study that makes us be better, it when we put Christ first that things start happening. I wanted more faith and so I had to choose to have faith in Christ would give me more energy and would lead me. Interesting how that works...

May we always include the savior more in our daily lives and CHOOSE to be better as he will allow us to grow.

Much love!

-Hermana Garcia 

Joy

This week i studied the defintion of joy. It was so intersting to learn more about it. I learned that joy is only possible when spirit and flesh are one.  Which would explain 2 Nephi 2:25 "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy."

I just really realized how important it is to have a body and how as members we have the capacity to be truly  JOYOUS. Not just happy, but really joyous. 

This afternoon at Walmart we saw an interesting advertisement for eye contacts :) They said something along the following, "buy these contacts and have shinier eyes that glow!" something like that. Basically having light in your eyes. My comp and I looked at each other and she said what i was thinking, "Join the Mormon church and be baptized! Its free!."

The scriptures teach that joy is a gift to the righteous. Happiness is a regard when we do what is right and when we live a life that is according to the will of God or when we follow His commandments. I realized how much the world is yearning for it and hope to attain it by monetary means. 

I left the light on of our car on Friday night and so Saturday afternoon we discovered the car battery dead. This all happening while it was raining baaaddd. Well we called for our help and it was just so fun. We were outside while it was raining and cold and wet yet...we were happy. I thought of what Elder Nelson said, "Only saints could be happy in any circumstance." I love this and know this. I know we can be happy in any trail or circumstance that we live in. We can suffer with joy and put our trust in God and know that he will do the rest.

I love my mission. I see miracles every day and i see the hand of the Lord in all things. It makes me wonder of all the miracles i missed or didn't take notice while i was home. I encourage you all to count the daily miracles and be overcome with love when you realize how much God helps you and is mindful of you. 

CTR!

-Hermana Garcia

 (we also sitcky note our recent converts...life of a sis missionary haha)

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

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

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 !