October 21, 2013 E-mail

Mommy!

That's cool about the Elders in the Tempe mission (using Facebook). We don't get to use Facebook yet (I'm pretty jealous about Mary!). They think that in April the Sacramento mission will get iPhones and iPads for every missionary, and I'm assuming they'll use Facebook then, but I don't know. And I'm hoping not to be here by then, but it's in the Lord's hands. Elder Sorensen and Elder Carter from the MTC got their visas this week and are leaving on the 28th for Argentina, but Hermana Jensen and I are still here. We are not sure why, but that is the way it is, and we are trying to move on until it's our time, too.

We are doing a ton of great work here in Tracy which is good!!! Everyone is progressing and we are finding great people! I'm so excited for the future. I know that almost everyone we contact will be baptized one day.

I'm sorry I don't have too much time right now but I'm grateful for your email! We rode bikes four days this week and Hermana Dando got a flat tire on Friday, but we were close to home so that's a tender mercy! On Tuesday we rode about 13 miles and it was great! I bet you never would have thought you daughter who took so long to learn how to ride a bike would ride 13 miles in one day!! Haha! It’s great exercise and we get to talk to more people and everyone sees us, and then they know who we are later when we meet them and baptized them! :D

I hope you have the best week ever!!! I love you!

Hermana Megan Arntsen

October 14, 2013 E-mail

Mommy!

I'm great! We had five non-members at church this Sunday!! That was pretty exciting! Just me and Hermana Dando and Hermana Jensen rockin' it up in TRACY! We are doing some great work here! The area is growing so fast and we are so excited! I can't believe Grandpa Della is 101!!! If you could please send me her address so I could write her happy birthday that would be great! And as well any and all mail from anyone who can lift a pen is MORE THAT WELCOME :D I don't have too much longer before it will be very slow and hard to get mail, so I'd really appreciate as much as possible now. :D

This week was amazing! So we had a really awkward day and a really frustrating day. The awkward day was Wednesday: First this kid Arley canceled our apt because his relationship with his ex just ended and he "needs some time" that was awkward. Haha! Then later we were going to see an less active and she was late for our apt so we chilled on an adjacent street waiting for here but this lady was staring at us out of here house so we pulled out the map and pretended like we were on the phone so we wouldn't look weird (not the last time we did that that day). Then we were going to an apt with a guy and on the way we saw a couple Hispanic ladies so we pulled over to see which house they went to (potential investigators!!) but soon that got too awkward so we got out of the car and walked down the street to maybe knock a few doors. We knocked on this bright yellow house with cacti out front (good sign of Hispanics) and a white gentleman answered. Awkward. But he was really nice and we referred him to the Elders. Then later we went to an apt with this nice couple but when we pulled up to their house a cop car was outside and an officer at their door. Awkward! So we waited in the car until the cop left, and she didn't leave until we got out of the car. Haha! So that was the awkward day but we still got a lot of work done. Then Friday was the frustrating day because we had five appointments and every single one canceled, and our less actives wouldn't open the door when we knew that they were inside. It was really hard but we pressed on and continued to work and we found a couple of great people. "Let us all press on in the work of the Lord"!!!!!

Love you so much!!

Hermana Arntsen

September 30 E-mail, Letter Sept. 30 and October 7 E-mail

9/30/13

Everything is good! The work is starting to pick up since Hermana Jensen got here. We work really well together, and we are raising our vision for the area. We had a great week with lots of lessons and success. We are teaching the man named Publio and he's awesome. He says he'll be baptized but he hasn't accepted a date yet. He knows though that this is what he needs to be doing. His life is a novella (a Spanish soap opera) and he talks a lot about his life but he's hysterical! So funny. He sang in choir with us yesterday! Everything is really good. I've decided not to worry about my visa anymore-- I'm not going to think about it or dwell on it at all. I need to focus on the work here. Whatever He wants to happen will and that's awesome. We did go to the broadcast and a dinner it was great! I loved it so much! Thomas S. Monson truly is a Prophet of God! I hope everyone is doing well! I love you Mom! Oh thanks for the cookies they're a big hit!!

Hermana Arntsen

Letter received 10/4/13

I have a cool analogy for you.  So at the beginning of every transfer our Stake President, President Maxfield, feeds the whole zone and then just talks to us a little about the work.  This week he told us a very profound story: “There has been a lot of flooding in Colorado, and right now is the time that farmers usually harvest their crops.  Now their harvest sits in several feet of water and the farmers can’t get to their harvest.  In the Stake I am confident there are at least 5,000 people ready to accept the Gospel but you as missionaries can’t get to them—they’re buried in water.  The only people who can reach them are the members.  And just like the crops, if they are not harvested, they rot.  So, please help teach the members their duty so we can get to those people.”  I love this so much!  

Thank you for everything.  I love you!

Hermana Arntsen

10/7/13

My conference weekend was fantastic!! The talks were a-mazing and so direct and straightforward. There is no way to not understand what they are calling us to do! I love it so much! My favorite part though was a piece of Elder Holland's talk (we got to watch him in English!). He was talking about a woman who had children or grandchildren (I don't remember exactly) who strayed and why that happened because she was a good person. He said that she received an answer: "I gave him to you because I know that you could and would love him no matter what he did." I definitely don't have posterity yet but I have been comparing this to my trials as a missionary,and I can see the hand of the Lord in them and can almost hearing Him tell me "I gave you this trial because I knew that you could and would love it no matter what happened." And I feel blessed and special.

The work is going really good! We have been doing so well with our goals the past couple of weeks and the work is really progressing!

We are teaching this woman Maria and her husband Armando. Maria finally came to church the week before conference with her two sons: Armando, 8, and Leonardo, 5. We weren't sure if she liked it or not-- she's a thinker. But when we talked to her about it she said that she definitely felt good there and that she liked it. And that she wants to go back. Armando also said he wanted to go back! We are so excited.

Also we stopped by Elvira's house. She is the miracle from a couple months ago. She actually didn't end up getting baptized because of a situation of offense with one of her daughters in Mexico and told us that she wasn't going to change. So we hadn't seen her for quite a while, but we stopped by last week and got to see her. We could see the loss of the Spirit in her and she admitted that she was sad. We did though resolve a couple of her concerns and she still calls us her "angelitos" (little angels). Not sure what will happen in the future with her, but I think she will regain that desire soon. People can feel when they miss out on blessings and that helps them realize what they need to do.

With the faith of us as a trio we are starting to realize the potential of the area and the work is progressing!

I pray that you will make the Lord's work a bigger priority in your life. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Love,

Hermana Arntsen