Happy one year mark!

Hola mi querida familia y amigos!! First off, Saturday night was transfer calls again! and here's the news............ I'm..............................STAYING IN SAN MATEO!!!! with Sister Hewett, too! I'm sooooooooo happy! Sister Hewett and I are still Sister Training Leaders, but they've assigned two more sister trainers on the other side of the bay, so that will cut the sisters we cover way down so we'll be conducting the exchanges with almost HALF the sisters we were in charge of before :) We'll just cover the peninsula, so that'll be so nice to be able to focus on our area a little bit more. I love being here in the San Francisco zone, there is SO MUCH work to be done! this week we'll be receiving 44 new missionaries in this mission, 7 of which are visa-waiters! There are a few missionaries that will be double-training (that is, training 2 new missionaries at the same time) and because of the high influx of sister in this mission, over half of the Elders in our mission are either District Leaders, Zone Leaders, or Assistants to the President. We're at about 46% Sisters and climbing! Speaking of which, we'll also be getting another set of sisters in our ward!!!! (maybe one of them will play piano so we can trade off on Sundays!) The work is really hastening and it's incredible to be right in the middle of it! The last Sunday of every month we have a meeting in Oakland at the VC called "Porque yo Creo" which means "why I believe" where recent converts share their testimonies and conversion stories. Our incredible senior couple serving in our ward brought us and our AWESOME  investigator Mike to it last night and it was so powerful! He's going to be baptized next month and we're so excited for him--on the way home he had all these great questions about fasting and praying and missionary work in foreign contries! It is just amazing the miracles we have been seeing! Just this week he told us that the day we talked to him he was in a really low point in his life and we helped pull him out of it--and we had no idea, we just talk to everyone we can!!! Byron came to church again! He is staying strong and reading the Book of Mormon! He gave up coffee and preparing for baptism! We have a new investigator that we found again, talking to everyone, and she let us come back, we've taught her twice and she is still confused about Joseph Smith... She doesn't really seem to understand the importance of any prophet, let alone one today... so last time we really focused on the role of prophets and the cycle of apostasy, and the need for a restoration. She started to open up more and ask more questions and we can see the potential in her shining through. This week I went on the last 2 exchanges for the transfer (yaaay!) first off, there's a brand new sister in the field named sister Mitchell (so if any of you send me anything, make sure it has my first name on it too ;) and I went with her to Walnut Creek! We had a ton of fun going to the BART station and talking with the people there, the conversation would be something like,

"Hi, I'm sister Mitchell,"

"Hi! ...I'm sister Mitchell too!"

"oh, Are you Sisters?"

"well... no, but yes..." :)

Never before have I testified so much that we are all brothers and sisters because we're children of our Heavenly Father! and that we're special and unique, even if we have the same name... hehe, but she is a GREAT missionary, so you and willing--fearless to share the gospel with everyone. Last, but not least, An incredible sister came here to San Mateo with me, Sister Dykes. She is so strong and lead by the Spirit! She's a convert of just a couple years. I honestly feel like I may be conducting the exchanges, but the sisters are the ones training me!!! She didn't speak a lick of Spanish before coming on here, and already--in less than 6 months her Spanish is fantastic! She is one determined missionary. All the sisters are so great, and always pushing me to be better! now with a new transfer, we get to start all over! I truly am SO excited that the Lord is letting me stay here in this area, with my incredible companion--I feel so blessed. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

I hope you all remember that Heavenly Father knows you and loves you! He is eager to lead and guide and bless you, he just asks that we remain worthy, and that we ask, seek, and knock!

Have a beautiful week!!

Hermana Mitchell

p.s. Mom--I got your email! :D I'm looking forward to your package! I don't really know what I need.... my sockies are holding out well... If anything I need FEWER snacks... haha, so I guess just surprise me! some stamps and stationary would be fun...my favorite shoes are finally kicking the dust... you can literally see through them... thank goodness for the sister's closet! I'm excited to see what CD you're sending--thanks for thinking of me--I love you SOOOO MUCH!!!! my contacts are holding out well, I don't know about my eyes... but I'll push through, only about 5 more months! Give my loves to Daddio <3 <3 <3

Hola! (spoiler alert: Release Date Enclosed!)

Hey mom! I found out my return date is January 15, 2014--I know that grandpa and grandma were wondering too, so there it is :)

As for me,

this week has been an amazing one! 2 more exchanges down and two more to go! this is the last week of the transfer already, I can't believe it! Sister Hewett and I had a new investigator in church yesterday and it was SO EXCITING! His name is Byron, he's from Guatemala and he's so great, so mature for 17 years old, he wants to be obedient and follow God! It was his first time there, he was just beaming with happiness! We had some great members instantly fellowship and offer him rides to activities and church and wow, It has been so amazing to see--I've come to realize that as missionaries, we're NOTHING without the members in our ward, because after a few weeks or months, we're gone, but the members are the ones who really mean the most to help our investigators come into the fold and STAY there! Just last night one of our last active members that we've been seeing on a weekly basis (She's our neighbor who comes to church on and off and I have come to love her SO MUCH) told us that she's prayed about it, and she wants to leave the church. my heart sank, then broke into a million pieces. I've never felt so much sadness for a person in my life! It honestly felt like more sadness was channeling through me than coming from me, but I could just devistation in the air, and I imagined how Heavenly Father felt! my feelings were probably just a small portion of that. But, I know that she will see a difference in her life, she will realize the blessings of the Gospel that she once had and she'll come back. So, Thank goodness today's a new day, we can start again. But if there's anything I took away from that experience is that when I go home, I'm not going to let members fall through the cracks without a friend! we're the ones that help those around us stay strong, we can't do it alone! We've promised not to! Mosiah 18:8-10.

I really really love you ALL! and I hope you have an amazing week! Pray for missionary experiences and remember to Smile, smile, smile!

Con much carino,

Hermana Mitchell

Buenas!

Hi family and friends! This week has been CRAZY and amazing! I went on 3 exchanges and I really got to see what the mission is like for other language programs! I've been with 2 Samoan sisters and man are they FUN! The highlight of my week was being on exchange with sister Hendersen in down-town San Fransisco! yay CHINA-TOWN! We got to teach English Class and I taught the alphabet at the beginning of the class and it was so FUN! I love how now matter how I say the letters and the words they would copy the way I said it because in Chinese it's all about tones! The people were so kind to me, even though I don't speak a lick of Chinese! and WOW going up and down those narrow steep narrow streets in the busses and street cars was NUTS! I'm so grateful for Dramamine. I just feel a little bad for our area here in San Mateo, with sister Hewett and I always being switched around it's kind-of taking its toll, but we're doing our best! Our investigators are plateauing and not putting in their part to make it to the next step, whether it's coming to church, making time to meet with us, GETTING MARRIED! We've been doing a lot of praying, fasting, and FINDING, and the Lord has blessed us with miracles! We suddenly have tons of referrlas and potentials that we're so excited to be working with! As for me, I'm doing great, I'm so blessed to have a great companion like sister Hewett and I can feel Heavenly Father's love for those around me more and more every day!

Love you all, have a WONDERFUL week!

HI!

Buenas tardes mi familia!!! I love being a missionary! It was exactly 11 months ago today that I first walked into the MTC! Goodness how time how FLOWN! Being a Sister Training Leader is still crazy, and I'm sure always will be! We go on several exchanges with the sisters, we'll have 3 this week, and 3 more next week! We're over about 26 sisters all together, and we need to go on exchanges with every one of them this transfer! We've already gone with 10 of them, and half the transfer's over already! So basically an exchange is when my companion and I split up with another companion and we go to each others areas and learn lots of new things together, make sure the sisters are being obedient and having uplifting and spiritual experiences! And honestly, I feel like the other sisters in the mission have been training me! Sister Hewett and I are continually seeing miracles! We have 2 investigators with a baptismal date and we're working on more, the Lord is truley hastening His work! I'm already out of time today for my emails---so sorry! so much to do & so little time! but remember that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, He has given us the ability to improve and change by giving us His Son to help us all come back to Him. I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week! Pray for missionary experiences!

Hermana Mitchell

Hola hola!

Bueeeeeenas!!!! I'm so happy to be back in Spanish land! It is BEATIFUL and amazing and full of potential here in San Mateo! I love the Spanish ward! I love being 15 minutes from San Francisco! We went to the Golden Gate bridge and it was SO PRETTY and we found this amazing ice-cream place called "Mitchell's Ice-cream" and it's the best ice-cream I've EVER HAD! It must be for the name... I'll send pictures next week :) We are teaching a few women who want to be baptized so badly but can't because their "esposos" (loooooong time boyfriend/father of their children) won't commit to marriage! It's so frustrating. but we're praying and fasting and working hard with them, I know that the Lord will provide a way. We started teaching this boy named Byron and he's GREAT! he's from Guatemala and wants to learn more about God, He's reading and praying about the Book of Mormon and he feels like this is the right path for him :) we met and taught a new Investigator yesterday named Perla and she is INCREDIBLY golden, she doesn't even really know anything about God, but can feel His love, she wants to change and be obedient with all her heart! The Lord is placing amazing people in our path! Sister Hewett and I taught 16 lessons last week, which is the closest we've got to the standard of excellence this transfer (which is 20) So I KNOW we can do it! We're working hard and staying busy, and so happy! We had an exchange this week and I got to spend 24 hours in the Tongan program! It was SOOOO cool! Tongan is sucha beautiful language. I loved it. I'm learning so much from being the leader in these exchanges, I really have to remind myself of the example I'm leading for those around me and It's really truly refining me, pointing out my weaknesses and helping me rely on the Lord to make them strengths! Ether 12:27 has been one of my favorite scriptures on my mission, and I'm sure it will be for the rest of my life.. which will just be a continuation of my mission ;) I LOVE YOU AAAAALLLLLL! have a beautiful week.

Besos y abrazos!

Hermana Mitchell