Familia y Amigos

Buenas! Como estan? He tenido una semana que fue muy interesante y bonita. No puedo creer que estoy aqui todavia pero me gusta California mucho. So this week one of the other Hermanas is going home because she is past 18 months. We went out to celebrate with frozen yogurt down our street. While we were eating our yougurts we could see film crews setting up. They came in to sample icecream and asked them what they were doing. They were shooting an episode with of a show with those twins from Disney Channel Tia and Tamara. We left before we got there but that was something interesting. California is so interesting. We have met all walks of life and we can feel the love that Heavenly Father has for all of them.

 

Sabado we had an experience when we went to go see some people that we had been teaching to invite them to Church. Well when we got to the gate a man pulled up and we were going to move our bikes to let him in and he said he was just grabbing things and then was going to leave. So we offered to help him with his things. While moving everything he owns to his car he told us that he was kicked out of the house and that they took his rent money and he had nowhere to go but to live at a park in his car. He is about 65 and is disabled so he cannot work. As we were talking with him he was saying how he wanted to change his life, that before he would normally drink when things were hard but that he didn't want to now.He said that his children won't have anything to do with him and he was at the lowest of lows. We didn't know what we could do for him. But we invited him to change his life by coming to Church with us on Sunday. We didn't promise him any help because he we didn't know what we could do other than bring him the comfort and change he needed in his life through Church. Well he came to Church before us on Sunday and wen't to all three hours. Members got together to see what they could do which wasn't much but they pointed him in the direction of places he could go for addiction recovery. He was great and told us how he felt much better because of going to Church. Later last night he called us and told us that after Church he really wanted to drink but that instead he went to the hospital instead to get help. That was amazing. He also told us again that he wanted to change his life and that he when he gets money he wants to go buy a white shirt and nice pants to go to Church to just feel clean. Also said that he was going to start reading the Book of Mormon. I have just felt that we were there at his house at the same time for a purpose. Heavenly Father has a plan for him. He still has his agency to choose but Heavenly Father has really pointed him in the right path while he is in the lowest he has ever felt. I know he has true intention. That was just one of many miracles we had this week.

I hope you are all doing well and that you know how grateful I am for your support.

 

Yo se que Dios tiene propostio por cada persona. Tenemos la albeduria para escoger el plan de Dios y se que si escogemos Su plan, vamos a tener todos de las cosas que necesitemos. Mediante la Expiacion de Jesucristo podemos cambiar y lleguemos a ser la persona que Dios quiere.

 

Les Amo muchisimo

Con Amor,

Hermana Sanders

New Letter!

Hola de North Hollywood! Its been a crazy week and we have been working lots! I'm working on getting some pictures up and going. So we had an exciting announcement this week that our mission here is changing into 3 missions . So the San Fernando mission will only be here in the Valley and there is a new mission opening up in Bakersfield , Ca and then other parts are going to Ventura Mission. This is amazing because there are so many missionaries coming out that there has to be more missions created. MILAGROSO! So I have some homework for all of you... go to LDS.org and search for the talk called "Do We Really Know What We Have?" by Scott Anderson. It's beautiful. Being here I noticed that there were many times that I have taken the knowledge of the Gospel that I have for granted by not acting the way I should have at times. People here are willing to take on a huge lifestyle change that is totally different than that of their neighbors family, friends and changes relationships they have with people. It's all for the better and they recieve many blessings in their lives for it. But , I have been thinking in Utah we take it for granted because that is almost the culture. So I challenge you to read this talk and think of ways that you can show better appreciation for what you have. Since I have been here I have struggled to speak in Spanish. Church and our lessons are usually in Spanish but everything else that surrounds me is in English. I'm understanding things better but at times I have lacked confidence to speak because I make mistakes. I know that it is prideful for me to be that way that this week I have tried to open my mouth more and listen to the words that God tells me to say. When I was studying the scriptures this week I read in D and C 1:20-24. This was an answer to many of my prayers. It talks about how God calls the weak and simple to teak His Gospel. And that He gives them the ability to teach in their language to help with understanding. Read it because I just gave a really bad summerization of it. But it was beautiful to me. I have been expecting myself to be perfect before I try. Thats not how Heavenly Father works. He wants us to try so that through the enabling power of the Atonement He can perfect us. I love the scriptures and they have been a huge source of revealation to me every day. If you are not reading them everyday you are denying yourself revealation and strength that they provide, I love California and the more I'm here the harder it is to imagine leaving .I still look forward to Peru but I want to have the experiences here that God has in store for me. Love you so much! Cuidense! Con Amor Hermana Sanders

Letter From Whitney March 1, 2013

She writes:

 

Hey, so I ran out of time on the email because I was emailing so yeah but I wanted to tell you a funny experience that we had at the library when we were emailing.  So there were these Elders that asked an elderly woman to switch computers so that they could be side by side like you're supposed to as a missionary and the woman was fine with it but this other woman came over and was like getting mad at them for "making" the lady move and was saying "What organization are you from?" and the Elders were being so calm and cool and she's like "We can take this to the front desk if you would like..." and the Elders were like "Okay".  The front desk didn't do anything and the other sweet old lady had already finished her emails with no problem.  Meanwhile I had no idea what had happened and the crazy lady came and sat down in front of me and some other Hermanas.  As we were leaving she pointed at us and was like "Disperse!" ha ha She's like "if you are loud and a disturbance, we'll call the police" and we just left.  There are some hoolagans out there but it puts spice in life ha ha.  In my email I told you about M. It was the most awesome experience for me and Hermana Arguello even said in her prayer before we left that "if it be they will, help us find a prepared woman."  And that prayer was totally answered.  I think I was lacking faith in thinking that there weren't going to be very many people that would want to listen to us.  But this message is true and God has a way of softening the hearts of people to prepare them to receive the blessings of the Gospel. 

(I can't read the next line...)

...been members.  This is such a crazy experience for me.  I carry a backpack full of books on a bike.  I can't believe it.  You would think I would lose weight but all of these latinos give you butt loads of food that gives you direahs til Easters.   Ja ja.  (can't read that word).  I haven't had direah (can't spell it) yet but I'm expecting it.  Everyday there is so much I want to tell you guys but I don't have time.  I want to hear from all of you.  What's going on?  I get short 2 lined emails I mean come on.  j/k  But serious.  Here's my address so write me a carta.  Love you so much.  Be good members.  Invite people to church and have the missionaries over for dinner.  Mom, I'll let you know if I see JM around and try to convert him too. 

Oh yeah, today we were on the street called Cuhuen, which is in that video on youtube with the lady with the koolaid and crusty-crust lips ha ha

 

El Senor vive!

Les Amo muchisimo

Con amor,

Hermana Sanders