FELIZ DIA DE ACCION DE GRACIAS MIS QUERIDOS FAMILIARES Y AMIGOS!!!!! I love the holidays as a missionary. It is such a tender mercy as the Lord guides us to people who just need some love on Thanksgiving. I really felt guided to people on Thanksgiving and it helped me realize that there are a lot of people that don't have what we have, they don't have family here or anything to do to celebrate, but I was grateful to bring the light of Christ into some of these peoples lives this Thanskgiving day. Our Thanksgiving festivities started out with a big reunion of the south zones in the mission, about 70 missionaries there I think and we just played sports for like 3 hours. Get this, we were playing Volleyball, and president rasmussen walks in in his suit and tennis shoes hahha and guess whos team he chooses to be on? OURS. I PLAYED VOLLEYBALL WITH PRESIDENT RASMUSSEN it was the greatest day. the elders were definitely beating up on him though but he did good. and then all the sisters wouldnt play knockout but I did and did preeeeeetty good but it wasnt as fun with all the elders, theyre awkward. so then i tried to get the sisters to do something, so i taught them 3 round charades and they loved it! we did gospel version, i kid you not we had sisters acting out moses parting the red sea and nephi slaying laban. Greatest idea i have ever had. Then we started the dinners... Our first dinner was with an investigator named Teresa, she dropped us like a week ago because she said she doesnt wanna learn more, then called us the day before Thanksgiving and just said "so you can come over tomorrow." hahaha okay! She fed us well and we were able to teach them why we actually celebrate thanksgiving! most the people we teach literally had no idea. So that was a tender mercy. We then ate with a member his name is Grandpa and he is seriously the sweetest soul on the planet. He speaks no spanish, but has been coming to the branch for years because he just loves the people. Their thanksgiving reminded me of our thanksgivings at home, LOTS of family and LOTS of food. Then we had our 3rd thanksgiving in true hispanic style - TAMALES. It was a great day, all along the way being guided to different people celebrating alone. We ended up giving up all our pie to different people so its probably the first year in my life i didn't eat any pie on thanksgiving... i hope my fam still accepts me when I get home. Another tender mercy this week, so Hugo kinda dropped off the planet for a while, but we got in contact with him late in the week and set up a lesson at the church and when we get there he is accompanied by some of my favorite people in the world: Lastenia, Esmy, and FABIOLA. I was so so happy to see them again. Hugo might be getting back together with Lastenia, which presents some interesting events, but he is really wanting to change and be better and be better for her so I see miracles in the future there. We also taught a couple times this week a man named daniel. He just moved here from Mexico and has never been to a church before. whaaaat how is that possible but its true! He's living with a less active member so we've been teaching them and helping them both and this sunday he came to church!!! he was so cute he came in his white shirt and dress pants and with his book of mormon he was so excited to learn so that was a serious tender mercy to see what its like for someone to come to church for the first time in their life. This week, we were also led to a lot of people who have lost their faith in God because of different things that have happened to them. Whether its been their sins, the sins of others, or just things that happen to us in life it has made them feel like God has abandoned them. I know that God NEVER abandones his children. Part of this life is having trials and overcoming them with our faith in Christ and our trust in God and I know that He truly does love us. I am so grateful for the chance i have to share that sliver of hope with people and watch how our lives can completely turn around as we embrace Christ and God's plan that they have for us. This is His work, we are His hands. I love you fam and am so grateful for you!! Watch out, next thanksgiving its ON for the pie eating contest. ps HAPPY BDAY LOTTIE :) hermana reed IV pics
1-went on a hike last pday and it was GLORIOUS 2- these are our good friends at the food bank i love them 3 - sisters on tday 4- this is grandpa and grandma :) 5 - teresa with the pavo, these were her words "dont touch the pavo" hahahaha 6- surprise visit from my favorite people 7- one more selfie with fabi for the road 8- las hermanas are Enumclaw Proud 9- more hike pics 10- best volleyball team at the whole conference
0 Comments
I think the mission has been such an amazing experience because it is seriously allowing me to feel emotions I have never felt before. So much love and heart break and nostalgia all wrapped up in one lil week it is crazy. But we were blessed with miracles this week, that's for sure. Hugo is doing really well. We taught him the word of wisdom this week, and it was great how the adversary prepared him for the lesson because he actually came to the lesson after he had been smoking cigars. Nice!!!!! But it was a good way to help him realize that in a state like that it was hard to feel the spirit of the Lord, so we're working on helping him quit his addictions and he's really improving a lot and changing. It's funny to talk to other missionaries who have met him when he was in a different place and they say like "WAIT HE CAME TO CHURCH?!?" Christ really does have the power to change people, and it's been a blessing to be a part of. The heartbreak of the week was we have been teaching Rafael and he has been doing so so good but Satan has really been beating him up and he asked for a break so he could find himself before studying more. It was really really sad, and these are the feelings im talking about because this man is like 62 and I've known him for 3 weeks but friends I LOVE HIM. he is so incredible and so full of faith and it makes me sad when Satan beats people up spiritually and they fall a little bit, but I know that he'll be back soon. He'll come back to the good Shepard, we all do. Miracle of the week: it had been full of ups and downs asi and we really needed to find new investigators. Finding hispanics here is a serious treasure hunt, but the Lord always has a plan for us. We were contacting in a neighborhood where people had told us they though hispanics lived and serious goose eggs we couldnt find anyone who spoke spanish so we stopped and asked eachother do you think we're in the right place? We both felt like yes, but something was off so we decided to ask for a specific thing so that the Lord could provide us with a specific answer. When I said this out loud, hermana debry immediately said "someone who's looking for a Book of Mormon". There it is. So we prayed and we asked the Lord to help guide us to someone who is looking for a book of mormon and could become a new investigator for the branch. Pretty specific. So we went out and we were driving around to pick a place to go and we saw a house and we felt like we should knock it. As we got closer, we saw a mexican flag caught up in the bushes (pic attached). FAITH INCREASED. We knocked the door and met Andrea, she's actually from Bolivia, who has 4 kids and a smoking problem and liver failure and has felt like god has abandoned her in the past. We shared with her a quick plan of salvation about how God does have a plan for us and that he's reaching out to her right now, which she felt so strongly too. we set an appointment to come back and she was a new investigator and we had given her a plan of salvation pamphlet and she was looking in the back which has a bunch of questions and citations to the book of mormon and the bible and she asks whats this part? and we said oh thats FAQs and citations to the Book of Mormon and the Bible and she says, and I quote, "entonces me lo prestas tu libro de mormon?" meaning "oh okay so you can give me your book of mormon?" FAITH INCREASED. It was incredible. I know that as we act in faith with the desire to do what the Lord wants, that he always always provides. Always. He is guiding us every day and will guide us in every aspect of our lives. Sometimes, the work can be harder, but the mission is not hard. The mission will never be hard because it is the work of Salvation and it is glorious. I love the Book of Mormon, that book changed me and continues to change me every day. I'm so grateful for it. Family have the best Thanksgiving ever! I expect Reed reigning champs in all the pie eating contests and lots of happy stomachs. Con mucho amor, hermana reed 1 hermanas take a hispanic style foto
2 when you only get 30 min for lunch so you gotta take your sausage in the car... happy 6 months hermana debry 3 the mexican flag miracle 4 had exchanges this week in graham and nazareth came to lessons with us :) recent convert dreams buenos diaaaaaaas, well, my week was super great. It was no vacation in Israel, but who does that anyways... ;) Just kidding family hope you had the best week ever and you bought me an I <3 Jesus t shirt because its true, I love Jesus Christ. This week was alllll about steps of faith. All of us come to the point in our lives where we have to take steps of faith, often into the darkness, and we definitely have to step first before our path is iluminated by the Savior. As Ether 12:6 teaches, we recieve no witness until after the trial of our faith. So that was this week, for hermana debry and me and our investigators. We have been working a lot with Hugo and he is taking so many steps. We taught him the restoration this past week and invited him to be baptized and he accepted! We were all like wait what. hahah his actual words were "por lo mejor" meaning like probably hahha but its been great this week watching him take steps of repentance. We learned about the plan of salvation with him and he was the one that said "so the door to the celestial kingdom is baptism thats what I need to do next" why yes Hugo that is a great insight. He is incredible. We also had a lesson about recognizing the spirit and at the end of the lesson he said "before I get baptized I need to forgive. I've never forgiven anyone in my life, but I can't have that burden if i'm going to be baptized. I'm going to try to forgive". He has a lot of pain from his breakup with Lastenia because it ended pretty bad, but he wants to forgive her. Its seriously incredible to watch how the spirit teaches people what the Lord wants them to change in their lives. Hermana DeBry and I were just there, we were just instruments as the spirit came and taught him the ways he can come unto Christ. Such a step of faith and such a miracle. We have been working a lot with a man named Rafael Zepeda as well. i dont know if i've written about him so i'll explain he's from Mexico and there he was an electrical engineer and this man is seriously intelligent, but unfortunately here his talents can't be completely used for lots of sad reasons so he's working construction but he is so humble and a true seeker of truth. He has a baptisimal date for later this month and this week we taught him about the word of wisdom. The word of wisdom is a law of health that helps us know what we should and shouldnt partake of. The things we shouldnt partake of are alchohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and harmful/illegal drugs. So we talked with Rafael and he is like what no coffee?!?! So we were talking about coffee for a while and we just asked, are there any other of these substances that will be difficult to give up? and he said no so we were like cool focus on coffee and we committed him to give up coffee and he was all for it. So then he came to church on Sunday and we asked him how its going with the Word of Wisdom and he says "hermanas, i cleaned my coffee maker, packed it up, and put it away." *insert wooooooo from las hermanas* but then he goes "but hermanas, coffee isnt my problem. Its the darn cigars!' *insert booooo from las hermanas*. but THEN he continues "but i haven't smoked in the 2 days since we had the lesson on the word of wisdom. I feel strange, but I'm quitting!" *insert WOOOOOOO from las hermanas!* This man of huge faith took a step into the dark, didn't even tell us about said step, but is making the changes the Lord wants him to make. Man I love brother Zepeda. He's the best. Anyways, lots of finding, lots of teaching, lots of testifying this week, and we also had a branch activity to celebrate the mexican revolution (ps all the hispanics in enumclaw are from mexico. And theyre also like all from nyarit. interesting) and it was a huge hit! We had 6 investigators come which is like a new record and I ate carne asada out the roof. We were in charge of the photo booth so enjoy our costumes. I know this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know He lives, and so does our Heavenly Father. He guides this work and leads us and is still leading us to His children ready to accept the gospel. I'm so grateful to be used in His glorious work. Hermana Reed 1 this comes from the day i had to wear 4 layers of tights because it was so cold and i took them off and they were literal legs still in form
2 Brenna embraces her mexican culture 3 ARRRRRRRIBA 4 LAS HERMANAS 5 Hugo and the hermanas eating quesadillas bigger than our faces. Are you sure I'm not serving in Mexico?? Coming at ya from Enumclaw, WA!!! It's been a crazy transition, but I'm so glad to be here and so glad that God knows a whole lot better where I need to be than I do. Enumclaw is a lot like graham, only even less city haha there's a lot of farms and land and LOTS OF TREES and lots of incredibly nice and humble people. We're working on finding the hispanics, theyre few and far between, but it makes it kinda fun its like a treasure hunt. I have so many flashbacks from my first area and I'm ready to work hard, even harder than ever. I'm with Hermana DeBry and she's the cutest. She's on her 4th transfer in the mission, and this is her 4th transfer in Enumclaw. She loves this place and loves the members and is a really great missionary. Her spanish is really super as well, we already get along so well and are excited to work hard. This week was super wild with trying to figure everything out but there is so much work to do here! The biggest miracle was this. Buckle up folks. So last week there was the crazy heartbreak with Lastenia when Hugo moved out and she still didn't want to get baptized. Well, turns out Hugo moved to Enumclaw. And I just moved to Enumclaw. So i was determined to find him. We're driving back from an appointment at like 7 oclock and I literally see Hugo running across the street and I like screamed HERMANA WE HAVE TO PULL OVER. We went back and found him and talked to him and taught him and the next day he came to the church for a tour of the meeting house here. It seriously blows my mind sometimes I think that I know God and I know what he's trying to do but I seriously don't. Him moving out of his house may have been God's way of preparing HIM to recieve the gospel, not just Lastenia, because this is the perfect chance for him to start fresh with a branch that doesnt know his story and doesnt know who he is and he can finally just learn about Christ and his plan for him. i was screaming. he got super nervous when he actually got in the church, proabbly because he could feel the spirit, and then dashed off like normal. Then Sunday comes around and we're not really sure he's going to come and all the meetings go by and we're sitting in sacrament meeting not knowing how to help him and brother unguez comes up and says theres an investigator waiting for us. FRIENDS, HUGO CAME TO CHURCH. I'm not sure i can appropriately explain how big of a miracle this was becuase I'm bad with words but I was floored and trying to keep it cool because he's the type that if you flip out he'll be like wow youre dumb but i was so happy for him. He needs the gospel because the GOSPEL CHANGES LIVES BECAUSE CHRIST CHANGES LIVES. man such a miracle. Another great story of the week was we went to visit a less active family who lives in Orting which is like literally the middle of the woods on the way to mount rainier but we went out there because we felt like we should visit them and we didn't really know what they needed (helping people come back to church is always kinda hard) but we went and decided to just share the message of the restoration. We shared it really quickly in like 5 min, and the spirit was so strong as we testifed of the truthfulness of the gospel, and because the spirit was strong, they told us all the struggles theyre having in their life. They are having a lot of struggles, and its sad, but an undeniable impression came to my mind that if they were to read the Book of Mormon every day, their problems would go away. Then a follow up impression of "tell them that". So I did, it was kinda scary promising them something, but I felt the confirming witness that this is how they can overcome the difficulties they have, just by coming unto Christ. I know the book of mormon isn't necessarily a one size fits all fix, but that book can help us overcome so many of lifes struggles that we have. I know it is from God. I know that it helps us come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. I know it is true. I love being a missionary and sharing this message. I love Enumclaw!! Hermana Reed pics:
1 bff sis rasmussen 2-3 MLC pics :) 4-5 our halloween costumes, our final moments together, stick of ephraim and stick of judah 6 while out contacting we met a nice man boiling his deer skull outside :) 7 your daily walk in Enumclaw 8-9 ps it snowed HERMANA DEBRY IS THE CUTEST 10 ALL THE HERMANAS WERE IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME THANKS CHOIR PRACTICE What. a. week. You will never believe the miracles and heartbreaks we saw this week. It was a crazy rollercoaster and here's why. So on Tuesday we found out that Hugo, Lastenia's boyfriend, MOVED OUT. HE MOVED OUT- YES YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY. He moved out of his own house because him and Lastenia broke things off and he didn't want to be there making a connection with the girls, Fabiola and Esmy, when he knew he wasnt going to be in their life forever. MIRACLES. We didn't believe it at first, because this opens so many doors for both of them, but WOW! so we went over there, we were actually on exchanges so it was me and hermana ohlsen(hermana short's baby- so great), and we talked to her about what this means and we read in mosiah 18 about the covenant of baptism and she basically said she felt like she was already doing all those things, so then we read verse 10 and we asked her "what is holding you back from being baptized?" and she said "well now, nothing". WHHHAAAAT! It was crazy!The spirit was seriously so strong. Anyone could've felt that this was what the Lord wanted her to do. so we invited her to be baptized that weekend and she said she was really nervous and she wasn't sure she was ready so we invited her to pray about it and pray specifically about that weekend. So when we came back the next day, it was kinda on everyones minds and our branch president was there and then the whole member family of who she lives with was there, which looking back maybe wasnt the best because i think she felt too pressured and she got really nervous and didn't want to answer, so we came back the next day and it was just us and her and she told us "hermanas i just dont want to be baptized right now i dont feel like its coming from within me its not a huge desire i have. i know it will come some day, she said, but right now i'm okay where im at with these lessons and church and everything." It was probably the saddest moment I've had on my mission because literally the Lord parted the red sea for her he made it so everything was possible and she is just too content without progression. It was heartbreaking, and the spirit told both of us,me and hermana wilson, in that moment too that there was nothing more we can do with her, she's not wanting to progress right now. So shes still going to come to church and do everything and pray but we just can't be physically teaching her like we were before. It was pretty heart breaking, but I know that the Lord has other people prepared right now to accept the gospel here, so we'll go find them. I love her so much, and Esmy just wanted her sister to have the blessings she's seen since her baptism too, but we can't force anyone to make decisions they dont want to make. She told us that she knows that one day she will wake up with the desire to be baptized, so until that day... So after that long agenda all week we realized we needed new investigators, people wanting to learn more about our message. So on Saturday we had our own Renton Hispana festival of finding and went out finding all day and we were full of faith and set goals and prayed and made plans and I swear God led us by the spirit to so many people extremely happy with their own religions. It was really incredible how many people that we met that just bore their testimonies of how happy they are in their own church and how much they love it there and how much they will never want to change and tried preaching to us and by the end of the night we get home and just lay on the ground together saying "what even was today..". We were praying all day to be led to people who were looking for the gospel and looking for Christ and this message and nothing really at all. BUT the Lord is teaching me so many things so I'm grateful for that day because I learned that there are at least people in the world who love Christ and serve him all around us and that as I practice patience and keep working hard the Lord is going to help us find the people ready to hear what we have to share. Last miracle of the week, so on Sunday night I found out I'm getting TRANSFERRED. RIP my joy. Just kidding i'll be happy whereever I go serving the Lord :) but I was pretty sad to be leaving Renton, I love this place. The only other companionship that got transferred was the Enumclaw hermanas, so it was pretty clear I was going to Enumclaw. I love Enumclaw, i prefer to call it "city of Enoch-claw". ;) but i admittedly was kinda nervous because it is really hard to find hispanic people down there, but I know there are people prepared because theres a branch and theres missionaries and God has people there for us we just gotta find em. SO I was pondering it all night and during church on Sunday our branch president taught a lesson about D y C 82:10, in English its "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say ye have no promise." In spanish it says something like "yo el Senor estoy OBLIGADO cuando haceis lo que yo os digo". I love that word obligado. He's obliged. His hands are tied, he has to do it and he will do it. So i've been somewhat wrestling with the Lord in prayer for a few days telling Him Lord I know this area is going to be kinda harder and I know there's people you have ready for us so here's the thing I will do everything I will talk to everyone I will ask everyone for help and I will follow every spiritual impressions to go to whatever area you tell me but Lord you HAVE to lead me to the hispanics. You have to do it. So then on Monday we were going about the day before I left and we had left a lesson with a less active and I said to hermana wilson, "anyone else we need to see here?" and we couldnt think of anyone and this one lady popped into my head shes the cousin of jose rodrigues and I thought nah she wont be home she works but the word "obligado" came to my head so I said we gotta go hermana. So we went and knocked and knocked and nobody answered, as we walked away i literally say "solo estaba tratando de seguir al espiritu.." meaning "i was just trying to follow the spirit.." and the window swings open, ITS HER. She said "sorry I was sleeping I work nights" and I was like WHAT THE. OBLIGADO. OBLIGADO. I always though Enos was the only one who could make commitments with the Lord, but now I know that the Lord is going to help me wherever I am to find his prepared children. He is obligated to do so. I know this is His work, and I'll do it in rain or shine in Renton or Enumclaw or in Alaska of wherever I will follow where He leads. Jesus Christ is the great shepard, and I'm so grateful to be his servant. Have a great week! Hermana Reed PICTURES!
1 Los Bernal 2 Esmy mi bff 3 Esmy y Lastenia 4 Vanessa 5 hermana reed y hermana ohlsen grandmother y granddaughter date 6 FOUND BRAN MUFFINS ALMOST AS GOOD AS GRANDMAS 7 RIP renton with leaves bigger than my face 8 hna wilson crying after day of finding because God blessed us with a parking spot near the house 9 hna casteneda 10 ADIOS DOCTOR JEX I LOVE YOU 11 Noche de Hogar con los jeronimo y los rodrigues 12 District of greatness Another week another miracle. Missionary work is so... incredible. This week I had an exchange with hermana facer and i went back to my beloved Federal Way and Heavenly Father played his "tender mercy" card because the hermanas had dinner with a member... her name is PETRA ARROYO. I could've cried! So by divine intervention I was able to see Petra and talk with her and CRY because I love her so much and she's doing so so good. Her daughter, Gloria, recently started taking the lessons from the elders which is a huge miracle because when I was there she was nice to us and started opening up but never wanted to learn and now her heart is being softened and she's learning from the missionaries and I was like so shocked and I talked to her and she is just amazing. man i love that family with all my whole heart it was amazing to see them and Petra is the greatest member missionary ever! she was sharing her testimony all through dinner and just wow really giving me hope about how people can turn their lives completely around as they come to follow Jesus Christ. She's doing so good peeps!! It was interesting being in Federal Way again, lots of memories and feels, but that place definitely has a part of my heart. This week was good here in Renton as well. On Thursday, we heard some news that definitely broke our hearts though. Mabel, the woman we were teaching from honduras who was super pregnant and moved to Tacoma, had her baby, but she had it as a stillborn. ): gah it broke my heart to hear about it because she was just so excited for her baby she didn't care how it came even when they told her she might have down syndrome she was just ready to have and raise her baby and it was so out of the blue. Tender mercy of the Lord part 2, the hospital she was at was in our area. So we went to visit her in the hospital and we got there just in time to help translate what the doctor was saying to her about how to make sure she keeps healing, phsyically and emotionally, and it was so so hard. We really didn't know what to say, but we read from the Book of Mormon with her and sang hymns and she finished by saying "los angeles de mi iglesia. gracias." The spirit was so so so strong. I am grateful for the knowledge of the plan of salvation that gives us peace in times of heart break, because she will see her baby again. The biggest miracle, was when her husband (semi less active) said that he wants to be more faithful in the church. he sees the people reaching out to help and he wants to be in that position someday, helping people and serving Christ. Sometimes its the broken hearts that lead us to have a contrite spirit. Mabel and Edwin are getting married this next week so that she can get baptized. :) As for our other investigators, vanessa is doing amazing. we taught her word of wisdom and she just goes off on how people drinking when their young is embarrassing anyways and she doesnt even like coffee and she is so excited for her baptism MIRACLES. then we had more amazing lessons with hermanos rodriguez tambien. They are seriously so humble and just want to follow Christ its amazing. we had a power house lesson where we went in depth more on the apostasy and prophets and everything and it was so incredible to see things click in his mind as he learned about what Christ really did when he was here on the earth. their lesson was right after zone conference where we talked all about the restoration and joseph smith and i was so pumped about how much i love joseph smith and the spirit was so thick as we just testifed that joseph smith really did help restore the church of jesus christ onto the earth again. They are amazing and came to stake conference and are progressing so much! Then for Lastenia, she made a big step this week and is cutting things off with her boyfriend, what the plot twist I know. she moved into the room with esmy so isnt sleeping with him and started paying rent and is just another person renting the room in the house now. She definitely knows the church is true and wants to make strides and this was a solid half step for her! YAY MIRACLES. FUNNY STORY OF THE WEEK. So its been raining soooo much this week, its like the heavens opened after a summer of no rain and it just poured and we had a lesson with Esmy and Lastenia and I tried to make a joke about having to swim to church the next day, thought i was pretty funny, but i guess it didnt translate well because they were like oh hermanas we dont think we'll be able to come then it'll be too cold.. and saying things like i dont really like swimmin in the winter... soooo to clarify we dont actually need swim suits for church. hahahahaha lucky that too or else nobody would come it looks like. spanish fails by hermana reed, 15 months still learning hahaha I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It has helped me grow closer to my Savior and has helped me find my way through a world of storms and I know and testify with the prophets of old that a man will grow closer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God! I'm so grateful for him and the sacrifices he made. Go read Doctrine and Covenants 135! It'll make ya cry. love you all so much! Hermana Reed Picturesssss!
1 equipo hermanas con petra y gloria 2 i wish you could see how much its raining in this pic but this is us running home with our pasole in the river that is Renton WA 3 everyone needs the gospel |
Hermana Fallyn ReedMissionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Federal Way, Washington Mission. July 2016 - January 2018. Archives
January 2018
Categories |