Happy Turkey Day!

Hi family and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We get to spend thanksgiving day in the homes of members, serving, helping, fellowshipping and... eating! We'll be having a big dinner with the Canizales family (from El Salvador, they're so loving and caring, they feed us every Sunday and not to mention they're the BEST cooks in the whole ward!) and we hope a few other members will invite us to share part of the day with them as well :) if not, we'll get to have some extra study time! Also a plus--As a missionary we always feel like there's never enough time to study!

 We're already on the last week of the transfer (FASTEST TRANSFER I'VE EVER HAD!!!) and It has been NUTS! We conducted 3 Exchanges last week! hna. McLaws and I are TIRED! haha but still pushing through! we have just 2 more this week, starting tonight :). So we've been struggling a bit with finding people to teach, we do a lot of knocking and contacting, but it hasn't been yielding much fruit! And our members aren't inviting much at all, so we're trying to work with them more and lately we've decided to find through our big white binder of "Antiguos" (former investigators) and it has been bringing a lot of miracles! It's amazing what happens what you actually use the resources you HAVE to find! The Lord placed a few really prepared people in our path and we're excited to work more with them and see what the future holds! The gospel will bless their lives SO MUCH! Along the way to an appointment we saw this tiny old woman walking slowly in front of us, so we caught up with her! turns out she's from Guadalajara and is a very very strong Catholic, she has a sister who's Mormon, but said that when she was little she had a problem with her eyes and her mother said to pray to the Virgin of Guadelupe for her eyes to be healed, and they were..... She said she would believe in God more if He answered her prayers....  we testified of the love of God and how He is the only one who's power blesses and heals us, and that Jesus Christ has brought that power and love to earth and restored his gospel! She said she's happy the way she is. That was a testimony to me that there are people who ARE prepared and others who aren't prepared yet, but we never know until we open our mouth and start asking to find out!

Mike's baptism is still a go for December 5th! it's so amazing to be able to see miracles of the gospel take place in people's lives! Transfer calls are this Saturday and so we'll see if I'll be here for my last transfer or if I'm going back to the Visitor's Center for the busy Christmas season again.... I'm so torn, I really really really want to see mike get baptized! but Wherever the Lord needs me to be, I will happily go! I love being a missionary! I love the Lord and His true and living gospel! Have a wonderful and THANKFUL week, show your gratitude through your actions. Luke 10:30-37.

Hermana Mitchell

bueeeenas!

This week has been a really good one. We conducted 2 exchanges! yaaay we're pushing right through with all these exchanges, It's so crazy how quickly they make the time fly by. The sisters are all so amazing and I truly feel like every exchange is teaching me something new that the Lord needs me to learn. I hope the sisters are learning from me too, I just try to be an exactly obedient and faithful example for them.

I can't think of what else has happened this week... We had English class, that was fun as always... we need to spread the word more because we're not getting much growth. 

So I started to feel sick on Saturday night with a sore throat and by Sunday morning I wasn't doing well at all. We missed all of our morning meetings with the ward mission leader and the bishopric... we went to church for sacrament meeting but by the end I felt feverish (which was such a bummer because Mike was on his way to church! but the other missionaries took good care of him :) So we went home and with the little food we had in our pantry (by the end of the week our fridge and cupboards tend to be pretty bare) Sis. McLaws made me chicken noodle soup! (she broke up lasagna noodles and found some frozen mixed veggies and chicken bouillon) She's so creative! I slept and slept and slept, I feel a little better today, the congestion isn't right at the front of my face anymore :) I feel like there is more to say, but I can't think of anything... my brain is a little fuzzy right now.

Tomorrow Sister McLaws and I are giving a 30 minute training for all of the District leaders, Zone Leaders, and Sister Training Leaders on Finding. I hope I can talk :) I'll be praying for that for sure. I just want to say I LOVE being a missionary LOOOOVE you all! I'm grateful for all that you do for me. Mosiah 2:17

Hermana Mitchell

(sorry this was delayed) Happy Haunted House-Cleaning!

Hello family and friends!!!! This last week was great! Halloween was tons of fun, We had dinner with a wonderful member hna. Monterrosa (she's from Guatemala!) and while there we got to feed squirrels and ducks. It was kind of bazar, She lives in a pretty normal city-neighborhoodish area and all these ducks just wadled up to her door and started quacking... turns out our she feeds them on a regular basis! But on that night it seemed like an extra funny trick-or-treat suprise! After that we returned right home and had to fill out our "happy haunted house-cleaning" check-list! I was surprised how clean the fridge and oven were, the biggest job was the tile in the bathroom.... but some good scrubbing got the job done. It's really amazing how a clean home invites the spirit so tangibly. I guess that goes to show that if we want to keep the spirit with us in anything we do we've got to work hard to achieve it, and then maintain it day by day, or else it'll slip away again...

So... Our investigators are progressing! Mike is still preparing for baptism, he has so many good questions and is sincerely understanding the Book of Mormon! He's really letting the spirit open his mind and his heart and it's so great to see the changes he's making! We also set a Baptismal date with Carolina for December 1st (finally!) We've asked her sooo many times and she always said that she wants to eventually, but won't set a date yet... we had a powerful lesson about faith and said YES! We took her to the VC on Saturday night and she Loved IT! We're realy excited for her progression :) Hermana McLaws and I are still set on finding new investigators and we're working really hard to do so! Keep San Mateo in your prayers, there are soooo many prepared people and I know the Lord will either lead us to them or lead them to us!!! Our English class is doing so well! We're going to start teaching it twice a week because we're seeing a pretty good amount of interest! Also, it's finally starting to cool down here in San Mateo, I can wear a scarff and my boots without over-heating! I love the crisp air and the bright red crunchy-leaves.

Exchanges are still on! 2 down and 8 more to go in the next month! I can't believe it's been 4 transfers as a Sister Trainer,  exchanges truly make the time FLY by, and they bring SO MANY MIRACLES!!!

Keep working hard, and acting in FAITH, because it's by faith that miracles happen :)

Les quiero muchisisisisisimo!!!

Hermana Mitchell

Una semana de MILAGROS!

Buenas!!! This week has been an amazing one! Lots of transitions, which are hard, but good. Sister McLaws settled in well on Tuesday and we got right to work! Tuesday night for our English class was AMAZING! It's finally getting going, we had 3 members at English class last week, AND 3 non-members!!!!! MIRACLES! Humberto (this guy who called us from one of our adds we put up in the laundromats) is the BEST! He's totally going to get baptized... we'll work the gospel into his heart through the English language.... It's such a great act of service as well as an inspired finding tool. We also did Service at a food-service place called the Samaritan house and it was AWESOME! We get to organize bags full of food for low-income families :) We found a great potential investigator who has a bi-polar son, she asked us to pray for him. ALSO! more Miracles, Mike came to a multi-congregational church concert thing AND brought a friend. When our church got up to sing the spirit was SO strong, much stronger than any of the other songs, Mike said it was the best too :) (I mean, all the churches were great, there's just something special that the Hymns of the Restoration bring) His baptismal date is still for the 17th, and he just needs to come to church 1 more time! We have a new investigator named Felix, he's 70 years old... we saw him for the 2nd time this week and within a week he read 18 chapters of the Book of Mormon! WOW! and he doesn't like Nephi at all, he things he's conceited and always talks about himself... HAH! but he said he's be baptized if he finds out it's true, so we're excited for him (and are fasting and praying that he'll listen to the Spirit and know it's true!!!).

ALSO! exchanges start up again this week! So from here on out the transfer is going to FLY by, that's what exchanges ALWAYS do to the time... The Lord must have something big that I haven't learned yet from being a Siter Training Leader, because this is my 4th transfer being one... He's so patient with me!

Today we're carving pumpkins for our district activity... YAY!

Well that's a few of the highlights of our week, It's finally starting to feel crisp and cool like FALL here and I LOVE IT!!!

Remember to ALWAYS look for un-planned service opportunities! Ask yourself what the Savior would do and follow what the spirit tells you!

con ABRAZOS!!!

Hermana Mitchell

TRANSFER CALLS!!!

HOLA!!!! It's monday.... again!!! how is this possible? This transfer has completely FLOWN by. I can't believe that we've conducted 10 companionship exchanges and got our English class up and running (we had 3 members last time--woohoo! that's 200% more people than our first class!) and still found lots of new investigators! The Lord is truly putting Miracles in our path! We have a new couple that we're teaching named Isabel and Marcos, they are SO amazing, and they're also SO prepared by the Lord to recieve the gospel. a few weeks back, Isabel was having terribly awful headaches and couldn't find a single remedy--her sister-in-law (who just happens to be our incredible investigator Rocio) suggested that she get a blessing from the Elders. At that point Isabel was willing to try anything! so the elders went and gave her a powerful blessing and Isabel said she felt the spirit SO strongly and that moment her pains were GONE and haven't come back since! I love the power of the Priesthood, and how our Heavenly Father loves us SO MUCH that he would restore this Priesthood and give a His power to righteous men so we can feel the love of God and have those blessings in our life!

So we all know my wonderful companion sister Hewett is going home...... so transfer calls on Saturday night were actually more exciting because there was no other option than seeing where I'd go or who I would be with! sooo here's the news.....................

I'M STAYING IN SAN MATEO!!!! (that'll put me 6 months in one place--it's a record!!!) My new companion will be the one and only SISTER MCLAWS!!! I know that none of you know who that is... but she's pretty much famous in the mission for her fire and spunk and energy and love for this missionary work! She's from Park City UT, She's more than 6 feet tall... We were actually in the MTC at the same time, and came out here to the same mission at the same time!! But we weren't in the same district because I was doing VC training... but anyway, SO exciting. I KNOW that this is just what our area needs and we are going to see incredible things happen here together! I still have a secret wish to go back to the Visitor's Center for my last transfer so I can be part of the magic and music and amazingness of the Christmas program again! We'll see what the Lord has in mind... I'll go wherever he needs me!

That's all I have to say for now, keep your testimony strong by sharing it with those around you!

Les quiero muuuuuuuuuucho!!!

Hermana Mitchell

Things are about to get crazy...

Buenas tardes everyone!!! This has been another amazing week! We were able to meet with Mike again and set a new Baptism date with him (keep your fingers crossed for November 17th)!! He has 1 month to come to church 2 more times, he said he's really try to work it out with his boss. He is so willing and ready to follow Jesus Christ, it's so frustrating when worldly things get in the way! So my companion, Sister Hewett, only has 1 week left before she heads home to N. Carolina and the ward members have signed up for dinners and/or lunches EVERY DAY this upcoming week (which rarely happens) so we are looking forward to enjoying every moment of our last week together!!! well except for the 2 exchanges that we'll have... so 5 days of the next week will be spend together anyway! She is such a strong example to me of OBEDIENCE and DILIGENCE! I'm learning so much from her :) I'm absolutely AMAZED that I only have 2 transfers left.. but in reality I have a LIFETIME left to serve the Lord, which is what's most important. We are continuing to see blessings and miracles here in San Mateo as we discover new ways to find and open our mouths to everyone! I like to think of Lehi's example of charity in 1 Nephi 8, when he's partaken of the fruit and joy of eternal life, the first thing he does is BECKON to those who were lost to come and partake of it themselves! The joy of the gospel is so wonderful, and when we've truly experienced it in our lives, it's just natural to want to share it! 

I love you all sooooo much! always remember to pray for opportunities to love and serve those around you!

ABRAZOS!

Hermana Mitchell

October!

This week was AMAZING! General Conference was an extra special boost! On Saturday we went to a wonderful member's house to watch it and our Peruvian investigator Mike came! The one who prayed and fasted so things could work out with his work! about a month ago he started to get really really busy and wasn't able to meet with us for a while, but just last week he called us and said he's been reading from the Book of Mormon again! I know he'll be baptized soon! just 2 more times at church, he's so ready!! He really liked conference too, I think I may have seen his eyes water from Elder Holland's talk :) and WOW  I loved President Uchtdorf's talk, It's given me a new moto for myself, "Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we stand up dust ourselves off, and stride forward." It's so true. We won't get any stronger if we give up everytime a trial comes our way, and it's likely that more trials will come our way after we show that we can push through it with faith in the Lord... and that's how we're truly changed and refined. I'm so grateful to be a missionary NOW!

On Sunday we watched conference in the Stake center, and even though it was great in Spanish, there's just something extra special about hearing the actual voices of the Prophet and Apostles. between sessions the Tongan ward made a HUGE lunch for all of us! Tongans are the BEST!  We enjoyed a buffet of rice, meatballs, fish-heads(yes I ate it and it was delicious), chicken, steak, pasta, and sweet-potatoes! I love how food is such a defining characteristic in different cultures! :) and this mission is FILLED with diversity, I feel so blessed!

So Sister Hewett and I are now officially English teachers! We started our English class last Tuesday and we'll be holding our second one tomorrow night, hopefully we'll have more than one student like our first class.... we've been placing a ton of fliers up in different places like laundromats and restaurants in hopes that news will spread :) The elders in our ward had a baptism from their English class, and Sister Hewett and I need to do some FINDING since we've dropped almost all of our investigators and started over, so we're EXCITED! :) Sister Hewett only has 2 weeks left, so I'm trying to brace myself for when she goes! The ward loves her so much, and so do all the sister missionaries, she has been such wonderful sister training leader, and example to me! Well, I've got to go, the work continues, please join in and help spread the joy of the gospel to those around you, because it's truly for everyone :)

LES QUIERO!!!

Hermana Mitchell