Update from Sister Mitchell

Hello Friends and Family! I'm still alive and kickin'! It's unbelievable that January's almost over! time is FLYING by soooo quickly! The weather here is so beautiful, I can't believe it's technically winter...

Sister Ferguson and I are still having so fun working together, we're learning a lot from each other and getting by on the Spanish we do know and even improving! We're having a Noche de Hogar (FHE) tonight with a new family to the ward and they invited us to bring an investigator too! It's such a blessing to bring an investigator into a home that is already based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. It really shows me what kind of member I want to be in the future. We're SO blessed. This last week was SO HARD because everyone was sick or working or in the hospital or not home and almost every appointment we set fell through! So we spent a lot of time contacting referrals and less active members and finding new people who seemed slightly interested! interested enough to tell us where they lived and when we can come back! ah, it's the best choice they never knew they made :P And this week is going to be amazing, I can just feel it! I love you all!!! 

Hermana Mitchell

:D

HOLA A TODOS!  How are you all?! Well Sister Ferguson and I are having a great time getting to know Hayward and doing the work of the Lord here the very best we can! We are learning Spanish together, learning the streets together, learning how to listen to the Spirit together! It's definitely a transfer of learning. But it's so great because we're leaning on one another as we are inviting others to lean on the Lord to help them through this hard life! It's great, the branch is very sweet and it seems like I have lots more opportunities to share my musical talents, in Sacrament meeting and in Relief Society :) 

Here's some exciting news: JOSEPH (my and sister Garcia's Investigator from San Leandro) IS GETTING BAPTIZED! We worked sooooo hard on him for so many months and finally this last week he said he was ready, and wants to be baptized on February 10th and he wants me to come and sing at his baptism and it's soooooo exciting!!! I'm so grateful to have had a part in this big and life-changing step he is making :) The work is incredible. 

I'm realizing how amazingly blessed I am to be serving here in California, It's so cool because every day is filled with cultural experiences, being in the homes of people from practically EVERY latin-american country is sooo cool. My Spanish is still improving, little by little. I've noticed my English is getting worse, so I'm guessing that's a sign...

Thank you all for your love and support, for your thoughts and prayers. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE,

Hermana Mitchell

another week!

HOLA mi querido familia y amigos!!!
This week has been just so good and new and hard and wonderful! It's so weird being without my trainer, I feel like I'm going off to college all over again, or some big step like that! I miss San Leandro a lot, but Hayward is FULL of incredible people to help and big things for me to learn! Sister Ferguson is just amazing, we are both experiencing the mission without our trainers for the first time, and we're learning how to rely on each other a TON! Now that we're both still in the developing stage of our Spanish skills and teaching skills! We've had great times turning around lots of times and finding new streets because sister Ferguson is determined to know Hayward like the back of her hand, but we've got my GPS on hand in the car for those moments when we're too far gone. Hayward is Beautiful! The people are really nice, I just met my new branch yesterday and they are really loving people. The Prera Family feeds the missionaries every Sunday and there is a lot of love and support we feel from those around us. 

We had a lot of lessons fall through this week, but thank goodness for back up plans! We still had good families and people to see and contact! Working in the VC comes with amazing blessings, like lots of referrals to find! We have an incredible investigator that is right on the verge of making amazing decisions that will change the rest of her life!!! Her name is Adriana, She's been meeting with the missionaries for a couple months now, she already has such a strong testimony and loves reading the Book of Mormon. She knows it's true. She knows Joseph Smith was called of God in order to give us the blessings of the fullness of the Gospel. She's fasting with us today to receive a specific answer from God, to have that heavenly support that can cancel out the opposition that her friends and family are pushing on her. AND on top of that, she has the cutest little daughters who LOVE church! Last night we had a lesson on paying tithing and she is just so ready! I know she'll be baptize, It's so exciting!! I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part in this work, to help prepare people to make promises with Heavenly Father is a pretty special job I must say, I'm seeing miracles happen every day!

Almost a full week in Hayward and I'm starting to get to know it, it's hillier than San Leandro (does that make sense? well there are a lot more hills that make for a good work out)--we go running up past a BEAUTIFUL Catholic Church, it's cathedral style and everything with stained glass windows. It's no wonder why everyone claims it as their own... but the special and unique and life-changing message that the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ beats the pretty stained glass :) I love this true Gospel, I love the changes it causes in the lives of us, God's children.

Throughout the day I'll probably think of more good things that happened this week that I should have typed now, but for now that's my message! I'm still living and breathing! Working hard and trying to serve the Lord the very best I can! OH! and the Icing on top of the Cake!!! I just got an email from my best friend Cassy, She got her mission call to......... LIMA PERU NORTE!!! YAYY! Her faith and desires to serve the Lord are an incredible example to me and this news has given me an extra big boost that I was needing to be the very best missionary I can here in California, where the Lord has called me--so *shout out* to Hermana Hulse: I LOVE YOU, I'm soooo proud of you! you'll be the BEST. MISSIONARY. EVER!

Remember how much the Lord loves and knows each and every one of you, He can lift us up when we're down! So rely on Him, learn from His perfect example and come to know Him through reading about His life and teachings in the scriptures, apply what you read to your life and He will be able to fulfill His purpose and lead you through life! 3 Nephi 14:7

Con TODO mi AMOR!
Hermanita Mitchell

Hellooooo!

First off: THANKYOU for all the wonderful amazing thoughtful fabulous Birthday wishes!!! I feel so spoiled to have such incredible family and friends like you!!! My Birthday really was amazing, and I felt so much love from everyone around me it was indescribable! On Saturday night we received a call from our District Leader (Elder Watson from Australia--he's the coolest) who let me know that I'm being ........... TRANSFERRED!!!! Dun Dun DUUUUN! It's a little bit crazy to believe, I don't feel like I should be done with training! But the Lord knows that I have new things to learn and He's sending me to an area just up the road a bit called Hayward, and my new companion will be beautiful Sister Fergusson from Seattle, Washington and we get to stay in the Visitors' Center and learn Spanish together! ha, what a blessing to still be able to see Sister Garcia (who's training AGAIN--because she's THAT amazing. She's only been here 12 weeks longer than me) in the VC several times a week--I feel so spoiled to have had her as my trainer, She has helped me in a million ways, with my Spanish, my self-confidence, the organization of everything here in the field! The list goes on and on. I'll never forget my time here with Her in San Leandro 2nd Branch. Yesterday I gave my little goodbye testimony and everyone wished me Happy Birthday and said they hope the new sister coming is an angel like me (hehe, at least that's what they said...). And I really do feel like I'm leaving behind a piece of my heart. Especially for Paula, She's like my other grandma--She's making us tamales for dinner tonight for a goodbye dinner. Sigh, and Joseph! He still isn't baptized yet (that little stinker) but I know that he will be. Sister Garcia feels like she's staying in San Leandro partly for him, I know she'll see his baptism!

This week really has been amazing, we found some wonderful new people that are just made of pure Gold, and we're working with some investigators that really truly are progressing, so it's going to be an amazing area for the new sister to start her mission, which just makes me feel so good!

Well, I've spent a good chunk of P-Day today packing up my luggage and cleaning the apartment with sister Garcia and mentally preparing to leave my wonderful area of San Leandro! We're also having a Zone activity in an hour or so, today is one of my Zone Leader's Birthday (awesome Elder Perry from Texas! Our other Zone Leader, Elder Rodriguez is from Espana, they crack me up) and it'll be a good way to say goodbye to everyone :)

Alrighty then, that's the news! I know that the Lord personally knows each and every one of us. He knows what we need in our lives, He has His hand in our lives every single day! Every night as you say your prayers, think back on the day and try to find the evidence of His hand, and thank Heavenly Father for it! They both love us so much. They can see the big picture and they put people in our lives for a reason!

I hope your week is AMAZING and Always remember to count your blessings!

Con Amor,

Hermana Mitchell

Happy Birthday Kristin!!!

For those who didn't know, Kristin's birthday is JANUARY 6TH. I'm sure she'd love a birthday card, even if it's late! Her address is shown on the right under her picture ---->

Happy Birthday Sister Mitchell! We love you!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December 31, 2012

Feliz Nuevo ano a todos!!!!! I just can't believe that how quickly time has flown here. I'm going on 5 months in the mission already! And looking back I've changed so so so much, and I'm looking forward to changing even more (because I know I have a TON of things to improve on...) but that's what life is about: changing, learning, growing! And that's why the Gospel is so important! It gives us the constancy and we need in this life to find and experience spiritual progression! 

It was SO good to talk to part of my family for Christmas, and even though Skype didn't work due to an icky power-outage in Houston, hearing their voices gave me that loving and uplifting boost that I needed, thankyou thankyou thankyou! And to the rest of you who I didn't get to talk to, I just want you to know how much I love you and miss you and I'm so grateful for all you do for me! I would love to hear and see more of what's going on in your lives! (My address is still 4945 Lincoln Way, Oakland CA 94602 and will stay that way as long as I'm assigned to the Visitors' Center :)

The Spanish is still coming; I'm speaking it a lot more, and Sister Garcia woke me up the other night after I supposedly woke HER up speaking Spanish in my sleep! So I guess that's a good sign! Sometimes I surprise myself with some of the phrases I didn't know I knew how to say and other times I open my mouth and nothing Spanish-sounding comes out... ay, solo practica practica practica! (Y fe en El Espirit--por su puesto... y confianza en mi mismo... y muchas cosas mas). 

Pero anyways, Sister Garcia and I have spent the day in the Visitors' Center (so the rest of the sisters can have p-day--so ours will be tomorrow) and tonight is our New Years Party!!!! The zone is all getting together at a member's home (they have a home-theater AND a popcorn machine!) and we get to watch BRAVE and Toy Story 3!!! It's going to be a BLAST!!! It's so great that the blessings the mission brings. And goodness, it's hard work, but we get to have SO MUCH FUN TOOO! 

The members are still taking really really good care of us! always helping us and inviting us to their homes. It's amazing how much love the true gospel of Jesus Christ brings in so many ways! I hope you start off this new year with the Lord by  your side, and let Him help you stay strong throughout the year by following His example and loving one another! 

Les Quiero MUCHO!!!!

Hermana Mitchell

Joshua 1:9

Elder Smith and Sister Mitchell. She gave him a huge hug through her hand shake :) love these two missionaries!

(Thanks Janalee for the photo!)

Christmas time is here!!!

December 24, 2012

FELIZ NAVIDAD! I can't believe it's Christmas!!!! Christmas in the Mission is the BEST! We're receiving so much love from the ward members as well as the Visitors' Center senior couples and even the thousands random people who wander into the VC during this amazing time of year. And what's even more than that is the love and closeness I feel with my Savior, and knowing that he gave the greatest gift anyone could ever give just so we could have the opportunity to make it back to live with Heavenly Father.  We're all children of Heavenly Father, I  hope you all remember the reason we celebrate Christmas and let that love you feel bring you all together as family and friends. I love you all and hope your Christmas is a very very special one!

Love,

Hermana Mitchell