wow!

Hi friends and family! What a crazy week! First off, I miss the rolling farmland and orchards of Brentwood, but 'm LOVING being in the city! We're gong to San Francisco today--FIRST TIME--and I'm so stinkin' excited! Sister Hewett is an amazing missionary! She's an incredible example to me and I'm so grateful to have her as a companion right now--I'm learning SO MUCH! Her Spanish is perfecto and she has such a strong testimony, she's the only member in her family and they were not supportive of a mission. It has been so humbling and I've realized how I am so incredibly blessed to have you all supporting me, praying for me, and sending your love. San Mateo is incredible, and full of potential! we already have a few new investigators just from this week and I can see amazing things happening already! Last night we had to recent converts speak at "Por que yo Creo" which is a fireside for recently baptized members of the church, Jenny (8yrs old) and Itzel (15) are sisters and they gave such amazing testimonies and I already feel like part of a family here in San Mateo. Itzel & Jenny's mom, Rocio isn't a member, though she really really wants to be! She has the strongest sweetest testimony and desire to be baptized, she just needs to get married first. Her esposo (the father of Jenny) is the macho "I'm not tying myself down to marriage" type, but he is starting to soften his heart and listen to us--we are praying so hard for him to have the desire to get married. I didn't get to meet the ward yesterday because it was a little different due to the 1st presidency broadcast (Which was SOOOO exciting, we're seeing such amazing things happening in missionary work! some missions have already instilled ipads with an on-line area book and incredible teaching resources! It's just a matter of time before it hits us here in California). So as a Sister Training Leader I get to go on exchanges with other sisters and either go to their area or have them come to mine, so this last Friday (only 2 days in my new area) we went on an exchange and I brought a brand-new to the feild sister from Hong-Kong here to San Mateo! Her name sister Tsan, and even though she didn'n't speak Spanish, her spirit and excitement for missionary work was incredible! I learned so much from our experience together, and we have some amazing member-missionaries here who were with me to help me teach (oh me and my rusty Spanish). But after 5 months of English, I'm amazed that I remember as much as I do--and I've got a long way to go still :) I love you all, I'm so grateful for you encouragement! I know Heavenly Father loves us all individually and knows us personally. Jesus Christ is our Savior and perfect example. Life is a trial to become like him, so stay on the path! and if you're off the path, it's okay--it's still there! so get back on! Have an amazing week!

Hermana Mitchell

Guess what?!

Hello dear family and friends!!! It is another GORGEOUS day in Brentwood, California. It's actually my last GORGEOUS day here. I got a call on Saturday night... I'm being transferred to San Mateo! Spanish again!! YAY! It's on the other side of the Bay, close to San Francisco! I have spent the last 10 months on the East side of the Bay! I've never once crossed a bridge, so I am SO excited to be going over to the city! I'm bummed because I've loved it here SO MUCH, the ward has become as close to me as my family and I'm so grateful for the time I've spent here. I've only been with sister Dorff for 10 days (that's a new record for the shortest time with a companion!) and I'll miss her a lot, she's only 1 month into the mission and she'll be training a new missionary already! She is so great, I know she'll be amazing!! We have 30 new missionaries coming in this transfer and only 8 of them are elders!

So I'm getting a new calling too, and I feel totally inadequate to fill it. I've been given the assignment of "Sister Training Leader" for the sisters in my area, which is basically the Zone Leader role, So my new companion (Sister Hewett, who is an incredible missionary--she trained MY trainer!) and I will be conducting companion exchanges in which we will teach and advise the sisters! I'm freaking out. We will also participate in trainings with the Mission President and his assistants. So... Pray for me please!!! I need all the help I can get. I know that the Lord has something big for me to learn, so tomorrow morning I'll be on my way to go learn it! I love being a missionary, filled with change and excitement and challenges.

That's all I have time to say, I've got to go pack, but I love you all!

I'm so grateful for the love and support you all send my way.

Have a BEAUTIFUL week and remember that walking by faith will bless you every hour!

Hermana Mitchell

Hello Family and Friends! This week has been quite the crazy one! for starters, Sister Woodruff went home :( She's been battling some things for a long time and received a medical release and flew on Friday, the day before our  Baptism on Saturday! It was so sad that she wasn't there for it, but she was still a big part of teaching Sis. Judd and I'll never forget the time we spent together teaching her. My new companion is Sister Dorff. She's from Japan! Her dad is American and her mom's Japanese, they served in the same mission (but not at the same time) and it's an adorable story.She has been in the misison field for 3 weeks now and jumped in here where she was needed with full-hearted excitement! Her energy is contageous! Saturday morning we had a fun service project at the local highschool cleaning up after their all-night graduation party! Our whole district was part of it--I'll send some pictures, It was so fun! We then were treated to breakfast and that was great! then we changed and got ready for Baptism! It was amazing to feel the spirit there, her family coming  together and making this promise to Heavenly Father together. I gave a little talk on the Holy Ghost and I feel so blessed to have been a part of everything. I know that the Lord gives us new opportunities and lets us decide what to do with them, and I'm trying to love the Lord and serve Him the very best I can.

Have a wonderful week, I love you all dearly!

Hermana Mitchell

Think cool!

It's finally P-day! Brentwood is HOT. Have I said that before? haha, well, It's getting hotter, and it won't cool off till Halloween from what we've heard--it's going to be a fun ride! We have members taking good care of us, we're all decked out with a cooler and freezer packs and otter-pops! so life's good :) Sad news though--I have to get an English name-tag since I'm serving in English, so I gues there goes my unique conversation starter that I can speak Spanish... but it'll be better so the people in my area can understand my tag and know that I'm a representative of Jesus Christ. As you know we've been working hard with the Less-Active members of our ward (there's about 200) and how we can help the ward members help fellowship and bring back these lost sheep. The less-active members like us, but we're only temporary, It's the members who need to go consistently devote just a little bit of their tiem to seeing, serving, loving, iniviting these members to come back because those relationships aren't temporary like ours! So Sister Woodruff and I had this brillliant idea to do a "Reactivation Attack" where we can go on team-ups with Visiting Teachers and have a designated day when the ward goes and meets/visits/serves/fellowships the less-actives they have been assigned to! We're going to have a Fireside and get the ward pumped up about it! This idea is still in the works, but the wheels are turnin'! we're excited about it :) Everything about being a missionary is AWESOME and I love it! I love the people we're teaching, I love the Ward, I love our Zone and District of missionaries! Time is flying by on wings of lightning! that makes me think of a hymn---can you name it?  

"Time flies on wings of lightning

we cannot call it back.

It comes, then passes forward,

along its onward thack.

And if we are not mindful,

the chance will fade away,

For life is quick in passing.

'Tis as a sinle day"

Its so true! Don't let those important little moments pass you by! that makes me think of my favorite Mormon Message, called Moments that Matter Most with President Uchtdorf. He said, "Digilently doing the things that matter most, will bring us to the Savior of the world."

Love you all,

have an AMAZING week!

Hermana Mitchell

Hooray!

Hooray!!! We just hit 2,000 page views!!! Isn't it great for so many of us to love Sister Mitchell so much?? Now we're getting into the long haul - don't forget to keep writing her!!! Address on the right side ---->

Happy Memorial Day!

Another week has flown by and May is almost gone already! I'm so incredibly happy that Dad is doing better and out of the hospital, It's given me an extra boost--I know with all my heart that Heavenly Father answers prayers!! I've been working extra hard and we're seeing miracles here! We are doing a lot of knocking and walking and talking! This last Saturday we decided to go out to Discovery Bay because we've noticed that many of the homes are beautiful weekend homes, right out on the delta--so we were knocking and an old couple opens the door and we start talking about religion--He mentioned and how the wife (who wasn't saying anything) is pure catholic so there's no possibility in changing that--(or so she thinks)--they were at first kind of  stand-offish, and then the husband notices that my nametag is in Spanish, and all I said was "si, yo hablo espanol" with a big smile and they said "well COME ON IN!" and we had a really cool conversation about how they were actually just visiting from southern California, but saw the Mormon Battalion and had a lot of friends who were Mormon and they think we're great people as a whole :) Then the wife opened up and said she's from Honduras and she was so excited when I told her about the new Tegucigalpa Temple! So, long story short, keep on being that good example to those around you, people see your good works, so remember that you're planning seeds without even realizing it! my favorite scripture lately has been Alma13:24! we have work to do! Sister Woodruff and I are loving Brentwood more and more as the new fruit comes on! Today after emailing we're going to go pick CHERRIES with some members! We are so spoiled here! (It was starting to rain though, I hope it clears up so we can pick without getting soaked). Then tonight we have 2 Family Home Evenings planned and they're going to be sooo much fun! teaching about the plan of salvation and the meaning of baptism! John 3:5 :) Being a missionary is amazing and I'm learning to love people more than I ever thought possible! Remember to live so that the Spirit can be a part of your life, and when he talks to you--LISTEN! :)

Love love love,

Hermana Mitchell