Learning the technique

Mom's note: she forgot her camera cord but sent us a postcard of the baby alligator that she petted!

It's rare that we spend any of dance class sitting down. The rare circumstances that allow us to sit are when we divide into groups to observe each other, stretching, choreographing or learning technique. When we are learning technique, it's usually because one or many members of the class don't understand either a concept or a movement. The few times that happens we watch the teacher explain and demonstrate, and then we always practice. We never stay sitting very long.

This week has involved a lot of learning technique. I loved it. This week was so strange because Monday-Friday was completely abnormal.

Monday - Leadership meeting, not p-day

Tuesday - P-day

Wednesday - District Meeting

Thursday - New Missionary Atonement Training

Friday - Weekly Planning

Normally, District Meeting is on Tuesday and Weekly Planning is on Wednesday. It's been a strange week. 

But I have seriously learned so much. President Ashton did an in-depth study on the Atonement with us. He has a study guide and everything. I love learning about the Atonement because every time I understand just a little bit more. One brick at a time, I tear down the wall that keeps me from understanding the Atonement. This time I learned a lot more about justice and mercy. Grace too. Specifically, I learned that because Christ suffered everything, every consequence of every choice we ever make/made, anything we suffer is because He lets it happen. But He loves us and he only lets us suffer because we need it. He only makes us suffer enough to change our hearts - we only suffer what is essential to our salvation. We have no idea how much more of the suffering He removed from us.

Cool huh? I've also learned about calling down miracles, obedience, sacrificing, and basically another dozen topics. I've learned so much about how to be a better missionary this week.

Since I last wrote, I've also had some miracles and adventures. For example, these past two P-days, I have explored the Brazos Bend State Park and Space Center Houston. Pictures will have to follow next week, due to me forgetting my camera cord...again. But it's been an incredible learning experience there too. I've learned about both alligators and space.

And then there has been the people. I love the people here. They are seriously awesome. This week some of my favorite ward members moved without warning. That was really sad. But a family that I love has finally come back from a long vacation. Hopefully soon I can share the news of their baptism! We'll see. We're also working with a lady who is flip-flopping on whether she's ready to act and sacrifice to get baptized and a girl who is totally ready to make the baptismal covenant. It's so awesome to see people learn about and  come unto Christ.

Pictures to come next week!

Endings

Mom's note: Rough week, I totally forgot that I hadn't posted Sarah's blog.

Endings to ballets are usually pretty predictable. They're a lot like Shakespeare. The conclusion is either a death or a wedding. Seriously, it's really common. Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and Coppelia are all wedding endings. La Bayadere, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, and Giselle end in deaths. It's so predictable, probably just because those are the staples of life.

So, to calm any fears, there haven't been any experiences with death this week. But I have been dealing with an unusual amount of weddings.

The first wedding is of a Rosenberg ward member who I love dearly. She is a returned missionary and she comes out teaching with us from time to time.She has gotten engaged in the past few weeks and recently returned from spending some time with her fiancee.  We spent some time with her this week talking about wedding plans and people she wants us to work with.

Another wedding is for one of our investigators. L&L are not married, one is inactive and the other is Catholic. She (catholic) is so ready for the gospel. But they aren't married and despite wanting to be, they aren't. There's a lot of back story and grudges. So basically, we're trying to get them married, but that needs a major change of heart.

And then the other wedding influence this week isn't necessarily a wedding itself. It is the temple though :)

I seriously love the temple. I'm so grateful that I am able to go to the temple as often as I do. It's always such an incredible experience and it builds great reserves of spiritual strength. I would encourage everyone to go to the temple  as often as you can.

It's been a really good week. We've been working hard and finding new investigators, and working with awesome people. 

Our investigator H finally accepted a date yesterday for the 30th of this month. We've been working with her family for a long time. She lives with her member Uncle and helping to reactivate him. We've been seeing so many miracles with this family! I'm so excited for her to take this step and enter the waters of baptism!

P.S. There are still flowers blooming! It's January for crying out loud!

The day I got my splits

Mom's note: Sorry for how late it is...I forgot to post it!

Temple trip

For me, the day I got my splits was one of the best days ever. Of course getting my splits seemed like a miracle after my hip injury a few years back. Up until that day, I didn't really ever expect to get my splits. Sill, I worked as if it wouldn't be a problem at all. The day of, I warmed up and stretched like normal. Then I slid into my splits... and kept right on sliding all the way to the floor. 

I think the point I'm trying to make with this is that if we persevere and do the things we are supposed to, even when nothing seems like it will change, miracles can still happen.

I've seen that a lot this week. Sometimes it just takes patience and prayer.

To start off, this week has been insane. It's the best. Seriously, the best days are the ones when you feel like you barely have time to think, you just run around crazy and suddenly it's 9:00 pm and you can go home and go to bed. Then you get in bed and suddenly it's morning. 

But we've seen many, many miracles this week.

We've been working really hard to find new investigators this week and to find ways to keep busy. This week it all suddenly exploded. We have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We've met some awesome and totally prepared people, and Lynn, who we have been working with for months had accepted a baptism date!

Sis Jones and Hermana Gonzalez

There have also been some HUGE changes this week as of... well, yesterday. We had a four-stake conferences yesterday. We all met at our stake centers. There was a general authority at one and it was broadcast to the other buildings. The reason for this conference was stake boundary changes. Before, there were three geographical stakes and a Spanish overlay stake. Now there are four geographical stakes and Spanish in each one. That meant the Stake Boundaries were divided up to create that new stake. Rosenberg ward is no longer in Richmond stake. Which means that Rosenberg area is no longer in the Richmond District or Zone. Those are some pretty big changes.

But that's ok. I received a spiritual confirmation during the presentation itself that this is what the Lord wanted. Also, some things that I have been trying to figure out for a while suddenly made sense. So this is going to be an awesome change.

Lets see... what else is there to say about my week...?

Oh yeah.

Pictures :)

I realized I haven't sent any in a long time.

Here's me and Hermana Gonzalez.

The next is the beautiful Texas Rain we've had almost all week.

Love y'all!

New Shoes

Mom's note: Since Sarah took 5 years of Spanish, hopefully she'll be able to practice with her new Hermana!

Everyone has had experience with new shoes. The first time you wear them they are stiff and unfamiliar. You have to break them in in order for them to be comfortable. Pointe shoes are the exact same way, if not worse. It's really hard to move in pointe shoes unless they are broken in. But once the shoes are shaped and fitted to your feet, it's a beautiful experience: shiny and new, perfect condition and ready for creative expression.

That's the best way to describe how things have been this week. I have a brand new pair of shoes that I'm really excited about yet, but I have to work to make them comfortable.

Put it this way. Being a trainer is hard. I keep forgetting what it was like being brand new. The rules are different, the schedule is different, the weather is different. Plus, it's different personalities having to coexist 24/7 for six weeks. 

Wow, I haven't even introduced my companion yet. I would send a picture, but I was in a rush today and forgot my camera cord. I'll put it in the car Sunday, I promise. Anyway, my companion is Hermana Gonzalez. She is from San Louis Obispo (I think I spelled that right...), California. She was originally called to be a Spanish Missionary, but since the total of English Sisters comes to all of 16 right now, she's helping me out in the English area. She still has language study though, so we spend the mornings studying and the afternoons/evenings out working. 

As for the work here in Rosenberg, we've hit a bit of a slump. Everyone we've been working with a lot these past few weeks is now baptized. That, or they vanished. But in the past few days we've gotten a lot of referrals and the investigators who vanished are reappearing again. I have faith that this area will pick up really soon and that we'll have a veritable explosion of investigators. For now, the Lord is teaching me patience. And diligence. And humility.

One thing I forgot to mention last week: At the Christmas conference, part of President Ashton's training was how to set goals and work to achieve those goals. As such, we set a goal for the months of January: 60 baptisms as a mission. Our normal average is 40 a month. Part of this goal is that we ask our family and friends at home to pray for us. There is great power in united faith. We've been seeing so many miracles, and I'm so excited to be part of this goal.

I'm excited for the new start the new year brings. I'm ready to work hard to be an even better ambassador of my Savior. I'm ready to consecrate myself even more. I'm so excited to see what the Lord has in store for me.

Our New Year's Message centered on our Savior and through him, how we can make weak things become strong (Ether 12:27). We talked about how we all make resolutions to improve ourselves each year, but often those resolutions turn into "that would be nice" by mid April or May. At least mine always do. By the time summer hits, I'm usually not thinking about my resolution any more. But we shared how the Savior can help us with anything if we will put our trust in him. So this year, I set my goal with the Savior. He will hold me accountable and give me the strength to get through. I would like to challenge each of you to do the same - to set your resolution with the Lord. I promise that if you do, He will help you accomplish your goal.

Happy New Year!!!!

Christmas Recital

Mom's note: She also had a baptism, but forgot to put it in the blog post. She promises to send pics next week. 

I didn't do a Christmas recital for most of my dance life. It wasn't until I switched studios that I ever had that experience, and I think I had it a total of four times. Those four times were an incredible experience. There is just such a different atmosphere during that recital. It's a little more relaxed and you just get to experience the Christmas Spirit. It was such a joy to be part of.

Basically this whole week was like that. There was such a Christmas Spirit and it was a unique experience. A very joyful experience at that.

The majority of the week was pretty similar to last week - trying to work two areas at once. Some days worked better than others, but we have still been getting tons done. We've seen some incredible miracles.

Two very unique things happened this week. First, on Tuesday Dec 23 we had a big Mission Christmas Conference. That was an amazing experience. I was part of the choir for that day, so we arrived at the church building at 7:30. (Well, we were supposed to be there at 7:30, but we were a little late.) We practiced as a choir for a bit, and then we went into the chapel for the meeting. It was like a normal zone conference for the most part. The choir sang, then we had trainings from President and Sister Ashton, as well as from a Patriarch from one of the Stakes in the Mission. But notice I said "most part". What was unique was five missionaries were called on to give short talks on the attributes of Christ. Guess who was one of those missionaries....Me :) Guess how much advance warning I got? About ten minutes, since I went third.

After the meeting was a huge dinner, slide show, talent show and gift exchange. We left for home around 6 after getting all the packages we were sent for Christmas!

Thanks to all who sent me packages! I felt so very loved Christmas morning when I opened them! <3

The rest of Christmas was spent visiting members and calling home. It was a great experience. I have truly been feeling the Spirit of Christmas literally all week.

Then I had to say goodbye to Hermana Gutierrez this morning when we dropped her off at the Mission Home. It was awesome to be her companion.

Now... as for transfers on Wednesday...... I'm staying in Rosenberg. And I kind of already know who my companion is, because last night I got a phone call from President Ashton. I'm training!! Yeah. This will be an interesting and awesome transfer.

I can't wait to email next Monday to introduce everyone to my trainee!

Talk to you then!