Long time no see

Wow first of all just a small shout out to another cousin of mine that will be serving in Spain! Halla Halla go Spanish! And missions! Spanish in Spain is a tad different but still super crazy awesome. This week well let's be real was crazy fast again. Nothing super exciting happened so in all honesty I'm really sure why it was super fast. I guess that's what happens out here in the mission. You do the same thing every day and then your week is over. I'm just going to hit some high lights. 

We have a few potential investigators that could progress so that's wonderful. One of them is an older lady. Not like super old but definitely older than me. Anyway, we invited her to read the BOM and well, she did! The first 12 chapters of 1st Nephi. Ok, sometimes people read and don't understand a single bit. But she's the complete opposite! She understood every single part! Totes cray. 

Unfortunately none of our investigators went to church...BUT I'll just keep praying for them and all will work out. Let's see....I have learned that some people really really like to talk. Sometimes for 30 minutes without us saying anything. I have also learned that I can't keep up with 30 minute stories haha. Poco a poco I'm going to stick with it. Friday was awesome. Hermana Egbert called us and said she had a little treat for us. We do our weekly planning on Fridays and we just got started and she arrived with cinnamon rolls! how sweet?!?! Seriously the best mission ever. President and Hermana Egbert just are the most wonderful people. Seriously our parents her in the mission. 

And Saturday. I SAW HERMANA OJEDA!!!!! I knew she was coming to visit but I didn't think she would have time to see me. Next thing I knew she was at our door! I was so thrilled! Jsut love that girl so much. But really strange to see her as a normal person. That was pretty much a huge highlight. This week with lessons, yes we have found new possible people but also had to leave a couple more. It really is best for their progression. In reality I'm just so happy to be out here. I can't imagine anything better. Have a great week everyone! Love you!

hermana Cross

Becoming the norm

First of all, super stoked that the Broncos won! Our recent convert Alex texted us and told us they won. I was pretty happy haha. Anyway, this week was pretty long. and fast. We started the week with intercambios...or splits with the sister training leaders. It was super fun! i left my area and I realized how grateful I am for my area. It seriously just feels like home. I mean I am coming up on 5 months in the next couple of weeks. intercambios are just super great. I learn so much more. It's a lot of work for those sisters but they have a big impact on the rest of us. We did 2 different things of service that day. it was nice to mix it up a bit. The 2 services were cleaning. seriously I don't understand why people don't clean. its kiiiiinda gross. I'm happy to do the cleaning because some of these houses desperately need it haha.I talked a bunch with the sister i was with and we just laughed and laughed. the mission is fun too...who knew? ;) 

Right now we are struggling to find new investigators. we are kind of at a plateau (is that right? I really don't know haha).  we are finding people and then next thing you know they are sending us a message on Sunday saying that they talked with their pastor and he said they cant go to our church (true story). People these days. Always asking everyone but God. If any of you are wanting to know if this is the true church, all you have to do is pray and ask our heavenly father. i promise he will answer. 

Anyway, we had our zone training and it's always fun to be with a group of missionaries. we talked about repentance. Before the mission I always felt like it was a heavy topic but now it's probably one of my favorite topics. just because it changes lives. It's incredibly hot here. It feels like summer every day. 

Oh the thing that is super exciting this week is that we had another BAPTISM!!! WOOO. Our mission leader told us that it's becoming the norm to have a baptism almost every week. I wish it was the norm but I think we are done for the next few weeks. Yolanda is our convert and everything went super smooth this time. everyone gave me the thumbs up. very successful. she has been prepared and she shared her testimony and just wow. so happy for her! the 2nd convert I've seen progress since the beginning. I love that feeling. The converts/members/investigators are my family and I just love them all so much. love the mission.

That was my week in a nutshell. i hope you all have a great week and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY because that's on Sunday haha oh fun fact, I finished my first journal 100%. I have never completed a journal . That is a success itself. Love you all!

Hermana Cross

Yolanda's big day and me

Mondays = Pizza Day!

our white board full of info of the area

Third Times a Charm!

Another week has passed by and here I am starting my 3rd week as the mama bear. Life is absolutely great and absolutely crazy. I don't think the stress ever goes away to be honest haha.  Tuesday we started out the week great. We had a bunch of lessons and our mission leader came with us. It is

AWESOME to have such a supportive mission leader who is ready to work and give his all too. We had lessons with some really good possible progressing investigators....sadly none of them went to church so that's unfortunate. During that day I really began to understand what it's like to have the holy Ghost present. It's a quiet peace and everyone understands. let me tell you there is nothing better than a solid lesson with the spirit there. Wednesday we had our typical district meeting. My district changed. I'm kinda bummed about that because if I didnt change districts I would have been with 2 missionaries for 6 months! That usually doesnt happen but we are in the same zone so that's good. That night we had the baptismal interview of Estefany. SHE PASSED AND WE HAD A BAPTISM!!!! Probably weird to say she passed her interview but she did haha I don't know a better way to say that. No worries I will get to the baptism but it's a long story. The next day was great. We had our first ward missionary activity. We had 3 investigators go and tons of youth. More youth than adults but sometimes it's more fun with the youth. We did a reenactment of The tree of Life (the tree in Lehi's dream). It was super fun. We had a good turn out and hoping for the same our next activity this month. We have dropped a lot of people this week. People that we thought would progress but arent doing their part. So we told them that if they need anything and when they are ready they can call us. Sometimes it's necessary because the work needs to keep moving forward. Before you know it we were doing our weekly planning again. Nothing exciting there haha. Okay. Saturday. 

THE BAPTISM. Everyone this investigator Estefany has been progressing for a very long time. Her original date for her baptism was in November. 3 months later we made it. But it was very stressful. All I hoped for was a smooth baptism because it was just a long time comin. the baptism was in the morning so that's always more stressful. We were trying to prepare and our district leader called at the same time to have our weekly reports and let's just say a ton of stress. Then the baptism. We had a good turn out and everything. The stress began during the ordinance. Our recent convert Alex did the ordinance which is AWESOME!!! Seriously if I don't have more baptisms he is the reason I'm on the mission. Anyway, the first time her knee was out of the water so it's all good because that happens. He did the ordinance again. That time completely in the water and everything. There was a question about her full name and well I said it was okay. Here is the stress. She got changed and everything and we went to check on her. I asked her what her full name is and WE FORGOT THE 2ND LAST NAME. I totally spaced it that mexicans have 2 last names. She obviously had to be baptized again. Because God has a perfect order. Everything that happens here happens in heaven too. That's why we did it again. I felt SOOOO embarrassed. It was awful. BUT third times a charm and went perfectly. Thankfully she was prepared enough to not care being baptized 3 times. It's a day to remember in all honestly. We all learned that day. Because we all were forgetting something. Anyway she was confirmed yesterday and all is good. Estefany is officially now a mormon haha. 

And yesterday was good. We ate with a ton of members at one of their houses. Super fun to be with a lot of members. We only had one more lesson but they usually are super distracted. This time no! They actually were readying the Book of Mormon just before we arrived. It really does make a difference to read the BOM! Oh how I love the BOM. It's the greatest. Anyway, that was my week! Love you all and thanks for everything!

Hermana Cross