May 2, 2015 - May 16, 2015

May 16, 2016

Okay so I am going to apologize because these next couple of weeks are going to be very A.D.D.  Hahah,  there is so much going on and I'm kinda getting trunkie of emails.. I know thats baddd.. but its the truth!!

 This week was realllly slow anyways. But I have never felt so close to my Savior. I feel like we followed our plans to a T and knocked door after door without an answer buuuut I have never felt so strongly that Heavenly Father was so proud of us. I am loving every second of it!!! This week is going to be crazy. We have interviews with President tomorrow, exchanges with Blackfoot sisters on Wednesday, MLC  in Pocatello on Thursday and a mission tour conference on Friday. Woo woo wooo here we go!!!! Its a roller coaster thats for sure! But staying busy has been helping me a lot! 

I love love looooove all of you!!!! 

Hugs!!!

May 9, 2016

NO EMAIL BECAUSE WE HAD JUST HAD A LOOOOVELY CHAT THE DAY BEFORE ON MOTHER'S DAY!

May 2, 2016

Okay sorry if this email is super ADD!!!! Its been a crazy past couple of days!! I LOOOOOVE all of the fun pictures.. I am laughing so hard that I am crying! It looks like you are all having such a good time :) LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Say hello everyone for me and give them hugs!!... Hahah how long was that bike ride???

Hahah yes changes.. but they are good ones!!! Sister Dominguez is seriously amazing.... I dont understand how I have been blessed with the most booomb sisters my entire mission!!! Brown and I were together for 4 1/2 :).. 

Things have been good! We had two miracle lessons right off the bat!! We saw Ernestina and we taught the rest of the plan of Salvation and she really opened up to us about how she wants to KNOW that the church is true and she just feels like Heavenly Father isn't listening to her. We talked about how the Spirit talks to us and we compared the feelings she was having during out lesson to how she felt when she would go to her church (that she hates hahah). We had her say the prayer and ohhhh my gosh!! The spirit was sooo strong!! She was crying through the whole thing and just begging Heavenly Father for an answer. It was amazing.

Second miracle lesson was with Carlos and Mario! We followed up with them about praying about the Plan of Salvation and the said, "Yeah! We prayed together actually!" When we asked them how it went and how they felt they said, "Well,  actually we just felt like really calm. It was kind of peaceful and like we knew that the stuff you guys shared was good and true. We liked it!"... Soooo after I collected myself after that exciting comment!!!   we talked about the Holy Ghost and how it testifies of truth and then we taught the Restoration and committed them to read Moroni's promise and pray about the BOM... we get to see them tomorrow at 4!!!!!!

Thennn things went a little downhill for herms D.. Friday night she got real sick and she has been sick ever since. The yucks...really bad yucks...Sister Hancock says its been going around the mission and its a 5-7 day thing!!! :( I still haven't gotten anything yet, so Im just praying it will stay that way and that hermie will start feeling better soon!!!....... The yucks did make for a funny story on Sunday though. The Elders.. bless their little souls.. came to bless the sacrament for us annnd the only thing we had to put the water in was mini red solo cups that herms got from her family.. hahah.... (btw's this picture was taken on Saturday... not actually when we were taking the Sacrament).... Anyway it made us laugh :) 

Apr. 25, 2016

Hey mommmma!!!!

Yessss transfers came... Hahaha I have to admit that I am pretty sad that sister Brown will be leaving me!!!! BUT I will just be looking forward to September!!!! Hahah thats the only thing that will get me through :) I am not dying though, honestly I really didn't want to leave the area for my last transfer because I thought it would be easier to get trunky since I would know that I would be leaving after that 6 weeks so it would have been hard to make connections/relationships with the people there. So I am excited!! I will be getting Hermana Dominguez as my next compa!!! She goes home in August. She is awesoooome. I am super excited to have her... if things had to change thats exactly who I wanted to have come be with me!!!!!! Soooo pretty much the Lord loves me!!!! I seriously have been so so soooooo blessed with every single companion I have had!!! 

Monday we hung out with our Zone and the IF Zone and attempted to play glow in the dark volley ball.. but when that failed we went outside and threw water balloons at each other!! We also got to see Yessica that night and she is just awesome.. She is so sweet and soo funny! She told us that her and her sister would be at church so we were super excited!!!

Tuesday we saw Ernestina again!!! She is doing fantastic and keeping her commitments!! We taught her about the Plan of Salvation and she ate up the Atonement. She loved learning more about what Christ really did for us and there was a lot of new info for her! We also got to finally contact Carlos (referral from the 17th branch Elders)... OH MY GOSH. He is another miracle!!! First of all we knock on the door and his rather large uncle answers the door with no shirt on. He told us Carlos was across the street with his cousin, so we went and said hi before going inside for the lesson. We taught the first part of the Restoration but really focused on knowing who our Heavenly Father is to us. Then we showed him the video "The Hope of Gods Light". He was awesome and had so many questions. While we were finishing up his 18 yr old cousin kind of joined in and we invited him to our next appointment!!

Wednesday was a lot of knocking on doors that didn't open... buuuut it was gorgeous out and so it was Heavenly Fathers blessing for us. We got a call from Vargas at the VC telling us that Moose (nick) and Pollard (Joseph) were on there way to IF and they were going to stop in at the VC!! (they were with us in the CCM in Mexico but they both came home early from their missions for different reasons). We stopped in to see them and it was sooo crazy! Major flash backs to the CCM but it was so so good to see them again! We tried contacting some referrals with the Ucon sisters with no luck before heading to Shelley to exchange with the Blackfoot sisters...... oh yeah,  and this was the glorious day when we found out that Brown was training.. it was a little rough hahah but it was good! We just tried to follow Presidents slogan "Deal with It!"... thats what he says when crazy stuff happens on his farm back home. hahaha he is the best!

Thursday I was in Blackfoot with sister Ruepena (she is also going to be training). We had a bit of a miracle moment meeting 17 yr old Ruben. He was kind of stand offish at first, but I kept asking questions and then he opened up a lot! Hopefully the sisters can keep up with him!! That night we got in to Shelley a little early and so we stopped in at my faves.. The Dyes (bishop of the 8th ward there.... pretty much the closest you can get to the 1st ward in corvallis). He was out mowing his lawn and practically ran over to the car as we were getting out. "SISTER COLE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU THE OTHER DAY!!!!!" Hahah it was soooooo good to see them. :) IDAHO PEOPLE ARE THE BEST!!!! (next to Oregonians) 

Friday.... lots of random stuff... us being way A.D.D.  with weekly planning and no doors answered...

Saturday.... Freaking out all morning for calls.. getting calls... still freaking out... finish weekly planning... seeing the funniest family on the planet and having a bomb lesson about receiving answers to prayers!!! It was with a less active family that we met, the Barrientos

Sunday.. church!!!!! Yessica and her sister came!!! We got to have dinner with Martha and then we had a fireside at the VC! It was a musical/testimony fireside... so all the missionaries were either doing a musical number or bearing their testimonies. It was awesome. TOOONS of people came!! Herms B played the piano and I got to bear my testimony!! We also saw the Hunts :) LOVE THEM!!!

Anyways it was kind of a random crazy week... but here we go!! About to kick off my last transfer!!! Cant wait to keep working hard!!!! 

LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!

Apr.18, 2016

Mooommmmm!!!!!!! 

This week was a full one thats for sure! We haven't seen Lupe again yet, but we are hoping to see her this week!! So we get transfer calls this Saturday and then actual transfers will be on the 27th (the following Wednesday). You could just send the package to the mission office and then on transfers they will bring it up! We did get our nails done!! :) It was so relaxing... we loooove them!!!

Okay soo oh my gosh.. MY DREAMS CAME TRUE!!! Hahah Monday we had the beeeest pday activity ever. When we were on exchanges the week before and she ate with this family who owns a place called bumper ball mania... yesss... it is where you get inside giant balls and run into each other. It was SOOOO FUN!! Hahah I almost pee'd myself laughing. It was fantastic. 

That night we found someone new!!! His name is Jesus and he has 3 of the cutest kids I have ever seen in my liiiife. They are Catholic, buut he is open to having us come and visit!! We are hoping to see him tonight!!

Tuesday was a little bit slower but we did a lot of contacting referrals!! We went to go see the Avila family (out in the middle of nowhere). We pulled up and they were all outside running around. The mom told us to come around back. There are two and a half families living in two trailers on ten acres along with chickens, dogs (heelers), cats, cows, goats, sheep, and a horse. They were super friendly and since we didn't have too much time we asked if it would be okay if we came back on Saturday to help them out around their farm. They accepted graciously!! We were suuuuper excited because we have been praying and praying for more service opportunities.

 We had our english class that night as well.... only 3 people came buuuut it was awesome and those who did come were sooo grateful for the help!

Wednesday we had the chance to teach a mission prep class at 7:00 in the morning! We were asked to help them learn how to teach the Plan of Salvation. It was crazy to see how much these seniors already know and understand about missionary work! It was such a cool experience.

That same evening we had kind of a miracle. We were following our plans and we were headed to our back up at 8:00. We pulled up and there were toooons of cars outside this less actives house. We thought "typical huge Hispanic party", maybe we should just try another time. But, we then thought "You know what, this was our plan and whats the worst that can happen, them telling us they are busy and to come back another time?" We went and knocked the door and I immediately saw a member of our Branch sitting in on the couch. They let us in and we saw another member from the Stake! They asked, "oh sisters, so do you know whats going on here?" 

Not knowing a thing we said, "No! We just came by to visit the Gaitans!" 

Apparently Sister Gaitans brother had passed away. Her mom was their and her brothers wife and allll the rest of the family. The mother was worried about what was going to happen to her son and they were debating what they were going to do with his body. Half of them wanted him to be cremated and half didn't because they were worried he wouldn't be able to be resurrected. We were able to apply everything from that morning when we taught the Plan of Salvation, to that visit. We helped them understand that God's power is able to supersede what happens to us in mortality and that we will all be perfected through resurrection. It was an incredible experience and it was amazing to be able to see how even though we were all from different religions, we all could find common ground through Jesus Christ. On of Sister Gaitans other brothers said a prayer before we left and he started out with, "Dear God, only you know why you sent your followers here to be with us tonight. Thank you." The spirit that was there was so strong.

Thursday we struggled through weekly planning hahah and then we got to see Yessica!!! She is so awesome. She is in between jobs buuut this new one really wont have her working on Sundays so she will be able to come to church with her sister!! Then we went to the VC with the Castros!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We watched Meet the Mormons and by the end of it herms Castro was bawling. It was EXACTLY what we have been needing with her. She opened up a lot and testified of missionary work and how it truly does save people and families. YAAAAY!!! That night we met in Blackfoot to exchange with Fermoso and Ganger :)

Friday Fermoso was with me and she got suuper sick.. like throwing up sick... soo we had to check in at about 3 :/ I felt so bad for her... she is doing better now though!!

Saturday was an early start! We were out helping the Avilas clean out their goat and calf pens at 8:00!!! We got to go on a four wheeler ride out to the edge of their property to dumb it all... hahah Brown and I just sat in between the trailer and the four wheeler all the way out there.

It was so much fun and it reminded me of the orchard so much.... minus the baby cows sucking on our fingers.. but we did have little heeler puppies running along with us!! (And they both had their tails dad ;) 

That night we met the sweetest less active man, Cecilio. He is 67 and he just wants to follow Christ, but he feels guilty about things that have happened in the past. He told us he wants to meet with the Branch President. though!! We are hoping to start visiting him regularly :)

Saturday Yessica and her sister came to church!!!! We were so excited. We also got a call from the Mezas wondering where we were because they had made Carne Asada and bought mexi cokes :) Hahah we looove them!!!!!!

Anywaaaays that was my week!!!!! 

Hugs and kisses!!! 

Talk to you soon!!

Charlie  

Pics of the week...

This one is for Dad.

Horses at the Meanan House.

Wait for it....

We gave David a tattoo.. with this cool little black light pen thing.. he wanted a beach... Hahah :)