Transferred!

Hello family and friends!

This week has been super crazy, but really awesome! 

Yes I'm training and yes I was transferred. I'm still in the same ward, which is awesome, so I can still see all my other investigators coming to church. I'm now in Houston West. I just moved South a little. My new area is extremely different from Houston NW. There's more wealth and I'm in a car :( I miss riding my bike everyday, but it's nice to be in the air conditioner... now that it's cooling down. haha Oh I'm also in a trio. Like President said I was going to receive help training. :) My companions are Hermana Carlson ( Who is my Grandma, she trained Hermana Wilzbach) and my baby is Hermana Groves. :)

I love both my companions A TON!! Holy cow, Heavenly Father put me with the two most wonderful missionaries in the world! They are exactly what I needed! Hermana Groves is from Cedar City, Utah and her MTC experience was a lot like mine. She really struggled with the language, which is helping me a lot, because I get to teach her and my Spanish is getting a lot better now. And Hermana Carlson is basically native.

The trio Hermana Carlson, Hermana Groves, and Emily

The area is still hard for me to get used too. It's kind of like how my old area was when we first got into it... dead... we have like half the lessons that we did in my old area and less members live here. But I have the chub in my area!!!! We have a half member family in my area and they have the cutest/ chubbiest baby in the world! Well besides Charlotte and Lincoln. I just wish I could hold him. He has stolen my heart. This area has a lot of kids and babies in it though... It's killing me!! I love BABIES!!!

Emily and her district sisters

The Womens broadcast was WONDERFUL! Oh my goodness it was exactly what I needed to hear and all of our members. :) It was really cool seeing  Kelsey Rust and Jessica Grammar in the MTC choir. Herman Johnson and I were freaking out when we saw them. It is always nice to see Vernal people. Our new bishop said he knows the Colovich's son. They said he served here in Houston and they've gone to visit him in Vernal before. Small world.

The new bishop is exactly what the ward needed! He's main focus is strengthening the ward. Yesterday was 5th Sunday and he had all the missionaries go up and introduce ourselves and what areas were in and everyone in the ward is supposed to call the missionaries and set up a time for us to come over the house to have a noche de mormones which is kind of like family home evening, but they invite either a investigator, another memeber family, or less active. I'm REALLY excited to see the progression. Especially in this area. President really wants us to pray for a vision for our area, and what God wants for it. There's going to be a lot of changes, and it's going to be hard but I'm excited. 

I never thought I would see my daughter holding a cockroach!

Random things... we don't have a dryer so we have to ghetto dry our clothes in the apartment.. I forgot to take a picture. I get to go to my old area tomorrow on exchanges with my baby Hermana Groves. I now have a 6 pack :) I've lost more weight being in a car and having a gym then I did when I was on a bike everyday.... weird! Probably because we don't have member feeding us every single day. haha

I love you all,

Hermana Watkins

Transfers Coming

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm not sure how to write down all the things I want to say... I have a lot of emotions and things going through my head right now. Last week was pretty good.... A LOT of rain so we had some lessons of the phone... they were really weird, especially when we would pray over the phone.  The big news I have/ had is last Thursday at 2:38 p.m. I received a phone call from my dear President. The first question he asked me was,"How's your Spanish Hermana Watkins"?  I said,"Mejor (Better)" :) He laughed and then told me that the Lord wants me to be a TRAINER!!!! He then asked me how I felt about that. Right when he told me I felt instant peace. I told him I am willing to do anything that the Lord has planned for me. He was really shocked with my answer. Haha he thought I was going to freak out. But I really felt good about it. I was super nervous and I don't feel as prepared as I would like, but if that's what God want's for me then, that's what is best!! I then had a training meeting the next day with President and he really helped me feel more prepared. Well this morning we received the usual phone call from our district leader telling us who is being transferred and who is staying... well come to find out I'm being transferred and not training... as of right now. The AP's are supposed to call me sometime today or tomorrow. They said they keep receiving different answers for me... So I might be leaving or staying, training or not training. I think I'm in shock right now.. Not very sure on what I should prepare for or do, but I need to have the faith that wherever I go and do it's what God want's for me.  But if I am training, PLEASE pray for me and my poor trainee. I think I would love training though. I can really see myself struggling but growing a lot.

The weirdest thing is that there's only two Spanish sisters coming to the mission this transfer. I don't really know why I would be picked to train when there are sisters that are far more prepared and older. I have know idea what to think right now....

Yesterday John received the Holy Ghost :) He was really excited! We also got a new bishop who is Russian, but knows Spanish. He's legit and is really wanting to strengthen the ward. We have a family history fair this week and one of the ladies in my ward has her family history all the way back to Adam on this HUGE poster with her direct line and all those around it. It was super cool to see. She said it took her and her husband 36 years to accomplish it. That's a lot of happy ancestors!! :)

I can't believe Ross is in Jerusalem. Everyday I study in the Bible dictionary at night and I'm learning a lot about the things that Ross is seeing. I can't wait to talk to him about it all when were both home. Nicole is engaged!! Holy! I'm not ready for marriage. After being in a companionship I've come to realize that I have A LOT to work on before I'm in an eternal marriage. :) Thank goodness for missions. ha

Houston weather is freezing!! It's in the 70's and I'm freezing cold. That's not a joke. I woke up this morning chivering BRRRRR. I'm nervous about winter. I heard it gets really cold in the winter especially with the humidity... so I will probably buy a couple more cardigans and warmer things. :)

All in all the mission is going great. President sent his big email around to us today, saying that in order for us to reach the 1000 baptisms each companionship needs to have 7 baptisms. It's totally possible!! I love this work. Well that's basically all. I love you all, and I love this Gospel with all my heart!!

Les Quiero

Hermana Watkins

Hello family and friends,

So this week was..... THE BEST WEEK EVER!! Why?? Because we finally made Standards of Excellence!! Heavenly Father truly blessed us and our area this week. The week started out slow because neither of us were feeling to good, but we both received blessings and off we went!! I'm so grateful for the priesthood. :)

This last week we received a lot of news, and almost all of them were people that came up to us and asked us for help. The coolest experience happened yesterday. We were walking over to Johns house to help him prepare for his baptism and teach his family one last time (His mom wants to listen to us now) but this white gangster guy came up to us and was kind of buzzed, but he asked us who we were and what we beleived in. He told us that he just got released from prison because he was accused for attempted murder..... Surprisingly I wasn't scared of him at all. Hermana and I both felt very safe with him. He wanted us to pray with him and so on the side of the road we did, and he said probably one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard. It was beautiful!! We hope to teach him again this week :)

Other cool things that happened this week are I finally learned how to make pupusas!! And Hermana Sproule says I'm Pro :) I'm excited to come home and make this new food for ya'll <- That's my southern accent coming out.. haha Hermana Sproule surprised Hermana Wilzbach and I with brand new shoes... because ours are starting to get holes in the bottom. I love her!! This Friday our ward had Latino night were everyone wore their clothes and colors from their countries, and then we had TONS of Food and they did dances from all their countries. I loved it! I want to study cultures!!

  And last but far from least.... John got baptized yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was such a beautiful service. We had 3 from our district get baptized and the show up was HUGE!!

I really love reading in the scriptures. Heavenly Father has really blessed me these past couple months with helping me really understanding the scriptures. This past week I was finishing Alma and I've never really understood why those last couple chapters about wars are even in the BOM, but I learned so much from them. In Alma 60:23-24 it talks about cleaning our inner vessel before the outward one. I really applied this to working with the wards and making them stronger before we go out to fight the world and clean the outer vessel. Our President has really been stressing the importance of strengthening the members and the ward, and it's been a huge blessing for Hermana and me.

So a couple quick stories... 1. I now dream in Spanish every night and my companion says I sleep talk in Spanish too!! Yay! 2. We have 100 of dead cucarachas (cockroaches) in our apartment everyday, because they finally came and put poison around.. Super nasty!! 3. This morning I did surgery on my companions foot and cut out her hang nail... Super cool!!! Maybe I will go into surgery... ha 4. Hermana woke me up the other night screaming, "GET UP, GET UP" So I jumped out of bed and she flipped on the lights and was pointing up at the wall next to my bed and she looks at me and she thought she saw a GIANT cockroach by my bed, but she was dreaming it. haha. You had to of been there.

Well I would love to tell you more, but I don't want my email to be to long.. haha Transfers are next week... I guess will see what happens. :) The church is true. I know it!! I LOVE the scriptures sooooooooooo much!

Have a great week!!

Les Quiero

Hermana Watkins

Good Week

It feels really weird that today is already Pday. Holiday weeks really throw me off!! This last week felt very slow! We were able to meet all Standards of excellence again but the baptism and confirmation. Even though were not meeting all of them I have seen a huge change in our area and in this work. The Lords work is hastening on, and I  am so grateful to be part of it. :)

Next week Hermana and I will hopefully be able to reach all Standards. I hope you don't think numbers is all I care about. That's very, very wrong! I love our investigators and truly focus on them and the things that are important. I am just very impressed with our progression and the miracles that we have been given. This next Sunday our dear investigator John is getting baptized :) :) He received his interview last night and is already to go! We're very excited for him and his decision to be baptized. He's 17 and his older brother was baptized almost a year ago, and we've been working with him the last 2 months, and has progressed very well.

Last night we had a devotional for investigators and less actives at the Bissonnett church. It was really good, and I understood everything that was said last night. :) The lord has really blessed me this last transfer with the gift of tongues. Everyone in my zone thinks that next transfer I'm staying and taking over the area and Hermana Wilzbach is leaving. I'm super nervous if that is true, but excited too. I love change, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave all of our investigators.

Last Thursday my all time favorite investigator Francisco came out with us all day after planning. We taught four lessons with him. But he doesn't have transportation so we got to walk all around our area. Super exhausting, but really fun. :) He told us that we go in some of the scariest areas in our county. Weird.... I feel totally safe. We had one lesson were the investigator fed us and were pretty sure it was cat food....... Yummy!! haha You should of seen Francisco trying to eat it... haha. Francisco really helped me out with my Spanish and I we walked around were he would be the missionary and I would ask him questions about his belief and the church. I can't wait till you guys can meet him. He's LEGIT!! Francisco also fed us on Saturday. He made Fajita meat and sausage :)  I LOVE IT!! He also bought us two beautiful cakes. Man he's AWESOME!!! Were so blessed to have these amazing investigators.

Other then that not a lot happened. Family History was super stressful..... but went well. Every car in Texas has there favorite football teams flags on their cars. The mosquitos are killing me!!! And we found a flying spider in our apartment this morning! My worst nightmare just came true.

I love you all!! I hope Lindsey had a wonderful Birthday! I was thinking about you :) I have another present to send you that one of my investigators made :)

The Church is True!!!

Love,

Hermana Watkins

Hello Family!

Hello my beautiful family!!

I'm emailing today because all the libraries were closed yesterday for Labor Day. I feel like this past week was like a month long with all the stuff that happened. Last Tuesday we had Zone Meeting and it was probably the best Zone Meeting of my life. The spirit was very strong and Angels were surrounding us and teaching us lots of new things. So I lied to you last week about how were supposed to meet 900 baptisms... it's actually 1,000. :) Cool huh!! Our meeting was all about how we can reach that goal and what things we need to do. We had a big testimony meeting and it was beautiful! I love this work and the plan that God has for each of us. In the last couple months missionary work has really changed. We are not knocking on doors any more. We are going around and strengthening the members. It's through them that we find new investigators. We have really seen a change in the church the last couple weeks. Especially after using all of our trainings. I know we can get 1,000 baptisms but only if were doing ALL the things the Lord has asked/trained us to do. 

So the members and some of our investigators have been begging me to see pictures of my family and now that I have some, that's all I've been doing. :) And everyone LOVES the pictures. When I told them that the pictures were taken in our yard they all fell in love with our property. Everyone said that I have a beautiful family and guess what.... it's true!! Just like the church is true. :) haha 

Emily and companion in the car

The apartment has become a home for all the cockroaches in Texas.................. I went on a killing rampage the other night!!! I hate them!! The other day at church we were all outside calling our investigators and trying to get people to come to church and we saw a Cockroach this big

................................................ GROSS!!! I touched it too! I didn't have my camera so I will have to find another one and take a picture of me holding it. :) Were calling our management this week, and hopefully they will spray. I can't deal with them any more!

This week we have been really blessed with presents and food! We now receive like 3 meals a day from members and investigators. Also one of our less actives bought us brand new lights of our bikes, because my headlight fell off and Hermanas tail light did too. Francisco bought us donuts the other day and is now feeding us every Saturday night!!! Yes! The best part is were getting fed and having member invite lessons all at the same time!! 

So one quick story.. I was riding my bike saying hi, well Hola, to everyone on the side of the road and one of the ladies said Hola back very kindly, and the spirit was like go talk to her, but sometimes I get confused with the spirit and my thoughts so I just pushed it off and kept riding... well I get to the end of the road, and the whole time I'm arguing in my head if I should turn around or not. I finally slam on my brakes and yell at Hermana to turn around. We hurry and ride our bikes back to her, and the poor lady looked terrified. I jumped off my bike and introduced ourselves and she was really happy and told us to come over on Monday (yesterday) and we did and It was a AWESOME lesson! I know the Lord is putting people in our path everyday, and I love it!! :) 

The rest of the week went great. Sunday we had a huge fast for missionary work. We had 5 investigators come to church, and Hermana and I taught Sunday school.... Super terrifying, but fun! Yesterday we didn't teach much because there was drunks EVERYWHERE and the spirit just wasn't able to dwell in our area.... We've been using family history A LOT in our lessons and were going and doing family history work tonight with some members. :) 

Spanish is great!! I'm really starting to love it even more. I love you all!!

Oh and Lindsey HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I love you! I will email you if I have time, if not I will for sure send you a letter!! :)

Les Quiero

Hermana Watkins