May 29, 2012

Dear Family-

 

I am sure you are all anxious to know what is going on... well, here it is... **DRUM ROLL** I AM STAYING IN DES MOINES WITH HERMANA DRANEY AND WE ARE GETTING ANOTHER HERMANA!!! That is RIGHT! I will be in a TRIO!  Hermana Draney and I are both super excited. It's so funny because we are both so excited, but we want to prepare everything for her. Like make more room for her to put her stuff and we need to move our beds around and everything like that so we will be getting all of that done tomorrow on P-day. YAY! And then Thursday we will get her... I wonder who it is going to be.... stay tuned till next Monday.

 

This past week was a really great one! We met a couple new people. The biggest thing that happened this week that I love is that Hermana Draney and I got to put on our jeans and do service! We were going to check up on a few potentials in a trailer park (it is like a little Mexico) and we saw this family outside painting their brand new fence. We went up to them and really she didn't want us to help because we were in a skirt and all that stuff... after a few minutes of talking with her, she told us that we could help her. She handed me the paint brush and Hermana Draney the paint and we both painted until about 840 and then set up a return appointment to go back the next day. We were both so excited to be doing service!! So, the next day we went back and we all just had a blast. Talking to her and her daughters and painting... THE LIFE! We found out that she actually took the lessons from missionaries before. It was really nice to be will her more on a personal level. We also met a lot of other people because of that service project. The people that live in the trailer park now when they see us says hi and will talk to us more because of it. Service is the best way to meet people- LOVE IT! Oh, so, she has a little boy that is 3 years old that would follow Hermana Draney around. He totally had a little crush on her, it was super cute! When we were leaving, he shouted at us and said, "Bye Baby!" BAHAHAHA! It was so great!!

 

I guess the biggest thing that I learned this week is that the best way to show people that you love and care for them is to serve them. I cannot remember who said this, but someone said, that love is actually spelt T.I.M.E.... SO TRUE! The best way we can show each other our love is by showing it. Hermana Draney and I have done little Family Home Evenings with our members that have little kids about service. We do what is called the "service hand". We cut out a hand and give it to the parents and they give it to one of their kids. So, whoever has the hand looks for opportunities to serve someone in their family and once they do the service, they will leave the hand there and then the next person will do it and they all just keep it going. It seems like a lot of our members LOVE this and their kids are still doing it, which is awesome! 

 

This work is so good! I am learning so much through helping others. I know that this Church is the only true Church on the earth today and that we are lead and guided by a living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who has been called of God to lead His church. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I love reading the Book of Mormon, every time that I read it I feel closer to Heavenly Father and I learn so much about our purpose on earth. I know that families are forever!

 

I love you all! thank you so much for all of your support and letters! Have a great week!!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

 

Love, Hermana Wadsworth  

 

PS- enjoy the pictures of my District and Hermana Draney and I!

 

:) :)

May 21, 2012

Hello Wonderful Family!

 

So, who else loves life?! CAUSE I DO!!!! Life is so great! I am so very thankful to a loving Heavenly Father that gives us this beautiful gift of life and being on this earth at this time.  There are so many opportunities that He gives us and really points us back to Him, it is so very wonderful.

 

This past week was a really good one. We have another new investigator, he is really sweet! We were referred to him by a member. (Just got to say it, member missionary work is the BEST form of missionary work) He is really humble and has a lot of questions. It is really awesome to meet all of these humble people who want to learn more about Jesus Christ and come closer to Him. It is really humbling to me to be a part of this process. I really want to share an experiance that i have been thinking about really ever since it happened.

 

Hermana Draney and i went 'ear' finding, we call it that because since our area is so HUGE and we only teach hispanics, when we go to apartment building to go finding, we listen for spanish. :) It is actually really fun! Anyways, so we were 'ear' finding and we knocked on this door and this man named Victor answered. We were getting to know him a little bit and he asked me where i was from, when i told him Mesa he FLIPPED! He was like "I LOVE MESA! I lived there 2 years ago off of Broadway and Main. It is so beautiful there." Then I said, "So, you know where the Temple is?!" His reaction was better then asking a kid if they like Disneyland. "I LOVE THE TEMPLE! I would go there during Christmas time and walk around to look at the lights, SO BEAUTIFUL! I feel so good there." Hermana Draney and I smiled from ear to ear! We then started to talk about the scriptures and how important they are. He then bore such a sweet testimony about the scriptures, " I love reading the bible! Whenever I have a long day and I sit down on the couch to relax and watch tv, i will pause and then remember that I hadn't read my scriptures. So, I turn of the TV and read the scriptures first." Oh MAN! What an example to me he is, he has his priorities straight. I have been thinking about how i was before my mission, I was not like that. He really puts the Lord first in his life. Do we all have time to read the scriptures and to put the Lord first in our lives?! I believe we do. I also know that when we do, our whole day will be better! I am so thankful for his example and raising the bar for me.

 

I know that this Church is the true Church of Christ on the earth today. I also know that the Book of Mormon is true and that we can become closer to God by reading and applying the teachings that are in them.

 

I love you all! Thank you for your support! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

 

Love, Hermana Wadsworth

May 14, 2012

Hello Family!

Man! it was so good to talk you all yesterday! I cannot get over how much of a chatter box Rachel is or how much Christopher's voice has changed.I loved hearing what everyone was up to. It seems like everyone it really happy and loving life, which makes me really happy.  

 

This past week was really good. Sister Draney and I have been ROCKING the Des Moines area. We have a sweet new investigator who we both love! She is from Honduras and has been here in the United States for about 12 years. We are excited to see how much she progresses (she already has been, a lot).

 

Being a missionary is the best! I feel like being a missionary you get to talk so much. We go to Walmart and I love to talk to anyone I can. I love going up to Hispanics and just busting out a conversation with them and seeing there reaction... i mean a blond American girl speaking Spanish?! WHAT!?! It is so fun! haha! This past week I just ate up because it is really fun to be a missionary! Yeah, it is hard work and you get discouraged sometimes, but by the end of the day you are laughing about it. There were a lot of moments like that this past week. None that specifically come to mind, but i really do enjoying meeting people. OH! ok, this past week we met with one of our less-actives and we planned a good little lesson to share with her and she was like "No tengo mucho tiempo" (translation: I dont have much time) and Hermana Draney and I were so.... flustered, for lack of a better word. and so Magdelina just grabbed our scriptures from us opened them to a random page, read it and then applied it to us. haha! We left her house and we couldnt believe what had just happened. Ok, maybe that doesnt seem as funny to you... but it was great!

 

Another plus of being a missionary is that you get to see people change first hand. there are so many people in our little branch that i have seen changed so much ever since i have been here! It is by far one of the most rewarding thing of missionary work! Seriously, if you are considering going on a mission- DO IT! You will not regret it. It is the best investment of your time you could possibly invest in. I love being a missionary! BEST TIME EVER!!!!! :)

 

I sure do love you all! Thank you for all of your letters and support. I hope you all have the BEST WEEK EVER!!! :) Sending you love from DES MOINES!!!!! 

 

Love,

Hermana Wadsworth

May 7, 2012

HOLA FAMILIA!

So... Iowa is pretty much the best place to be, especially if you like thunderstorms! The weather here is crazy. Sunday morning we woke up and by 7 there was rain POURING DOWN!!! so very hard! And there was a river (well, maybe a very heavy stream) that was racing down the driveway. it was so cool! Then, by 11, when we left to go to church, there was no sign that there was rain... haha! It was crazy. I sure do love it here. It is starting to get humid....well... haha we will see if i like it or not.

 

Well, enough small talk... haha! We just got a new branch Presidency. We are super excited for the change! Missionary work is so very good. This past week we found another one of the less-actives in the branch. I just feel so much excitement for this work! AW!!!! It is so great! This past week we went to visit one of our members, Ana. She is one amazing woman! She was asking us so many question about missionary work and like what a day is like in the life of a missionary. She told us how she wants to go on a mission (all of her kids are grown up and she is single) and she is just on fire and is so excited. I am not sure how close she is to actually putting in her papers, but she just beams when she talks about it. I cannot remember what exactly she asked us, but it was something to do about giving things up to go out. She really got me thinking about this.... one of the things i gave up coming out here was movies and music. I have realized something in the time i have been out, music and movies, to me before my mission seemed pretty harmless for the more part. Well, I dont think we really realize how very much media affects our spirits.

 

One of our less-actives, Rebecca, told us that she went through all of her movies and music and gave away anything that was dark or made her feel bad having. There have been a lot of movie quotes or song lyrics that come into my head that are not always good. We really need to evaluate everything that we watch or listen to because it really does have an effect on our spirits.

 

On Saturday our whole Zone did a service project, it is called "Hoopin' at the Dome" We were outside all day keeping score for basketball teams, it was pretty fun and we met some great people, and i might have received a lovely sunburn.... haha! But the whole time while we were there there was music playing and really, most of it was music that I would listen to before my mission, but after the service was all over, i did not feel the spirit. We were in a place were the spirit couldn't be because of the bad lyrics of the songs. It was really sad.... I hope that we all will seek to have the Spirit more than anything else. I would like to invite all of you to think about the movies or the music that you listen to and ask yourself, is this something "virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy" and then see what the difference makes to your spirit. I can promise you that you will see a difference. :) I really have in my life.

 

I sure do love being a missionary! And teaching and inviting others to come unto Christ. I know that this Church is true. I love all of you and I am so very thankful for all that you do for me. :)

 

Have a great week!

 

Love, Hermana Wadsworth

 

 

April 30, 2012

Hola Mi Familia!

 

How are ya'll doing?! You know what? Life is so good! Time is such a funny thing. It just goes by as fast as it wants…. Ha ha! I sure do love serving the people here in Des Moines. We have been finding a lot of people and also we have been working with all the auxiliaries in getting this little branch up and moving. I am so very thankful for the organization of the Church! We have a lot of activities coming up with our little branch that we are really excited for. This Thursday we are having a “Noche de Hermanimientos” (I am sure I spelt that word wrong) which is where all the members in the ward go to someone’s home and we have basically Family Home Evening. This, I think, will be great for the branch and strengthen relationships. Also, this coming Sunday, Hermana Draney and I are going to be doing a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) along with a “break the fast” right after. OH BOY!!! We are SO excited, but SO nervous because… well…  you know, now that I think about it, we really shouldn’t be that nervous because we do know Spanish, but we both haven’t done a public speech in front of at least 25 people. So, if want to pray for us, feel free. Haha! We will do great! I know we will, we just need to prepare super well and memorize vocab that will go along side with it.

Sister Draney is a rock star! She has been helping me so much with becoming more of a loving person. I felt that I have such a capacity to love people for who they are, but man! Being on a mission, I have learned there is so much deeper you can go with showing your love. Hermana Draney has been teaching me that by her quiet example. Just the way she looks at people and talks to them you can tell she has such a love for them and I want to be like her. I keep asking her what the secret is, but she hasn’t given it to me yet.  haha! But I will just do all that I can to mirror her. She is seriously a SPECTACULAR MISSIONARY! Oh, did I tell you that she is extending a transfer?! She isn’t going home till July. YAY!!! She has such a fire for this work, it is amazing.  

Mormon.org time…. Once a week for an hour we are allowed to get onto Mormon.org or LDS.org and watch videos, read talks, and use that time to really think of how we can help our investigators and such. I don’t know if any of you get on there a lot, but HOLY SMOKES I love it. We both get so excited whenever there is like a new video… anyways; there is a video on LDS.org that you all need to watch. It is under mormon messages and it is in the little link #4 called “Moments that Matter Most” It is just the cutest little clip about savoring the moments in life. I love the quote it shares by Elder Maxwell that says, “Moments are molecules that make up Eternity”. I feel like too often we are always so set on the next thing or our little routine every day, but we really do need to look around us and look for the beauty and the blessings that the Lord has given us. I have been trying to look around me more and looking for those little moments. Sometimes it is the little simple things that make me feel oh so good! Haha! I find so much joy in watching squirrels run…. Watching their little tails move with their little bodies. I am such a nerd, but I love that! I love that every day when Hermana Draney and I leave, without fail, one of our little neighbors that live upstairs; she is 3, will pound on the window so that we will turn around and look up at her so she can wave to us. I would like to invite all of you to slow down and take time to find those moments that matter most.

I sure do love you all and I think you are all wonderful! Thank you for your examples you have been to me. I love getting letters from Mom telling me what is going on with you all from her perspective. You are all growing up to being such amazing people and I am so glad that you are my siblings!   Thank you so much for your prayers sent in my behalf, I really do feel them. I love you all so much and I hope that you have the best week EVER filled with great little moments. Share them with me, if you would like.  Vayan con Dios!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Love always, forever,

Hermana Wadsworth

April 16, 2012

HELLO FAVORITE PEOPLE OF MY LIFE! :)

 

ME!!! I AM STAYING IN DES MOINES WITH DARING HERMANA DRANEY!!!!!

 

How was every one's week?! Is the weather beautiful in AZ?! The weather is gorgeous here! And, as you can see, the trees are blossoming and MAN! it is GORGEOUS and GREEN here. There was a tornado warning this past weekend... I am not as paranoid as I was... 2 weeks ago. Hahaha! As long as I am close to a building, I am not going to worry about it.

 

OK, so spanish. I have my days still when I feel like I dont know any at all and I feel really overwhelmed, but I am seeing improvement! It is really exciting for me. This past week, Hermana Draney and her amazing-ness, told me that I would be taking role of 'Senior Companion' and leading out in lessons and stuff. It was really shakey at first, but as the week went on it got better. On Thursday night we were over at a members home and giving a lesson and I started out and explained the scripture we were going to be sharing. AND... I only needed help on 2 words! That was IT! And what was really cool was that Hermana Rials was there with us. She went home on FRIDAY and we got to spend the day with her. It was so fun! I dont know if I have mentioned this or not, but Hermana Draney and Hermana Rials were companions in the MTC. So, we all really had fun being together. By the way, Heather Rials is a returned missionary and is going to be at BYU-I and she is single for anyone who would like to FB friend her or anything like that.... :) (she may or may not like me for saying that, HAHA! <3)

 

I always love new weeks. It is such a great fresh new being to your life! (that is how I look at it at least). I am making it a new goal this week to not look back. To just learn from the past and keep moving forward. Today I read a talk by Elder Holland about this very topic. He talks about Lots wife and how she turned back and then she turned into a pillar of salt.... He goes on to talk about how it was just that she looked back literally, but what her heart looked back. She wanted to return. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, I think, says this better than I would: "So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently, she thought that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as what she was leaving behind." There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life—either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.I think  we naturally, as human beings, look back to days of yesterday and we remember those things that we did that wasnt good or that someone else did to hurt our feelings and we didnt truely forgive. Elder Holland goes on to say:  "There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life—either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist." This week, apply more the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life, we need to let go of the past and forget ourselves and others and forget. Keep moving forward! 

 

I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ really is for all of our pain, heartbreak, sin... everything! I have a favorite scripture (well, right now, read it when you have the chance- Alma 7:11) I know that Jesus Christ lives!

 

I LOVE YOU ALL TO PIECES! Have a great week!

 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

 

Love,

Hermana Wadsworth

 

 

April 9, 2012

Hola Mi Familia!

 

How are you all doing?! I am doing great! This past week has flown by so fast it is scary! Hermana Draney and I have been working hard. We have had many opportunities to serve this week which I have loved so very much! We have a few people we are teaching, they are not progressing as fast as we want them to (you know, missionary time) but we love them and we are loving watching them grow and come closer unto Christ.

 

It is so very humbling to be a missionary and to see people's lives change. Hermana Draney and I have been working with our less-active members in the branch. We love each and every single one of them and want them to be happy and to remember the joy that living the Gospel brings. What is so very surprising to me is their testimonies that they still have and how very strong it is. We met with one gal who is inactive basically because of her husband, he does not support her going to church and it is really sad that she cannot go, BUT this is the thing that she told us that just rocks my world. She still has a strong testimony about the Book of Mormon. She reads it everyday and she reads it with her kids as well. She also said that they have family prayer too. It blew my mind what she said about it. A while ago I was totally being a negative Nancy, seriously, I wanted to just give up on our less-actives. None of them seemed to be improving and MAN! It was so very heartbreaking. NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! We went and met with a less-active yesterday and she thanked us for all that we have been doing with her. She bore the sweetest testimony about her life and about how very thankful she is for us. I learned so much from this experience and all of it was by the Spirit. I would love to share it with you: Visiting or Home teaching is an inspired program. She told us that she has no one else in the Branch to help her and since we have been going to see her, she feels like she can do it and can work on being able to take the sacrament again. I also learned that NO MATTER WHAT you must do all you can to fulfil your calling. A scripture comes to mind from Alma 26:27  Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, [the Iowanites], and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. I have felt that way, but the Lord is starting to bless us with success. That is why we shouldn't give up. We are doing the Lords work. All of us! Not just us missionaries. Every one of us has a calling and a responsibility in the Lord's Kingdom. We must assist Him in His work.

 

I am so very thankful to a Loving Heavenly Father who teaches me all of these lessons and that He has trusted me with this sacred calling. I am so very thankful to all of you and all the sweet letters I have received. I am so very thankful that the Lord has blessed me with such a wonderful family and friends! I am the luckiest girl in the world! I love every single one of you! Thank you for all you do. Have a great week and remember: Someone loves you in Iowa! :)

 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Love always, forever,

Hermana Wadsworth