Flooding and Tornado Warning

We had a huge rainstorm that turned into flooding and then had a tornado warning.  But all is ok, everything is wet!

Something that recently my President has helped me learn is what Moroni counsels that 'Charity Never Faileth'. President Ashton shared with me that if I was a missionary that baptized a 1000 people on my mission, but didn't have charity I would have completely failed my mission. But if I was a missionary that didn't baptize my whole mission or didn't learn Spanish perfectly or to wasn't in a leadership position, but I had Charity, I would not Fail!

 

I think failure is something that everyone is scared of and doesn't want to happen, whether it's with a mission, being a parent, child, student, teacher, with work, or our callings. The world may say we fail, but if we follow the counsel of Moroni in Moroni 7:45-47 WE CANNOT FAIL!! I love this and it makes me even more excited to just LOVE and to share that love with everyone so they wont fail either.

 

The past week has been... one of those weeks. We had some pretty exciting things happen, but it was a very slow week. We were on bike everyday, but at night we had to get in the car because our area is way to dangerous during night time.... and in the day. We were going to visit one of our members the other day and we turned down her street to see about 40 people gathered on the road and they were all yelling and we both got a horrible feeling and we turned around right before this huge fight started... but don't worry this is what the scriptures warn us of. The wars are happening and the persecutions are there.

 

With being on bikes I have received a beautiful tan.. after being burned twice. I also am super surprised I still have my legs after having bull dogs, and other types of dogs chasing me, only me, not my companion, down the road. haha oh bikes! I believed we talked to over 100 or 200 people by riding around and talking to people. We received a lot of referrals for the Elders and the Hermana's serving in surrounding areas.

 

On Saturday we got to be part of a very historical time in Macgregor Park. They had a revealing of a Martin Luther King statue and they had a huge march/ parade for 2 hours and then they had 3 hours of speakers, singers, and Martin Luther King III came and spoke. There was people all of the United States there. I also met some people from France and other places in Europe that came over. I loved talking to people and getting to know them. Again we gave the elders a lot of referrals, some really legit people. A couple people new of the genealogy work that we do in the church, which brought up a wonderful conversation about temple work. One of them is a librarian that lives in France and the other two are from New York. :) I love this work. I get to meet people from all over.

 

Like I said the work has been super slow. We are in the process of finding and it's been very difficult because every legit person ends up living in the Elders areas. We met two people the other week that ended up coming to church, but guess who's area they're in... haha oh well at least the work is getting down somewhere.

 

Mom I already emailed you about this, but if you or someone in the family can send me a family name to do in the temple that would be awesome. President Ashton has asked that we do all the work for one of our ancestors before we go home...so I need to get started. :) More trips to the temple for me :)

 

Some sad news I just got is that my "Grandma" Hna Potter from Houston 1 just got diagnosed with Stomach cancer and was told she probably wont live a whole lot longer.. . :( Hopefully I can go see her soon.

 

I love you all. Remember if you don't want to fail, just have Charity! :)

 

Les quiero,

Hermana Watkins

TEMPLE!

Howdy ya'll,

I just want to start off telling all of you- if you haven't gone to the temple, GO!! If you haven't and haven't gone in awhile, GO!!! We were so blessed as a mission this past week to all go to the temple and to have the worlds most spiritual, coolest, eye opening experience of my life. The elders were split in two different groups and went Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Sisters went Thursday and Friday. I went Thursday which just happened to be the day that all my Hermana's went on as well. We woke up bright and early at 4, well that's when the alarm went off, but I got up around 3 wide awake and ready to go :) We carpooled with Hermana Johnson and Olsen. Our President had two questions he wanted us to focus on during the session the first one being, What is my true identity? And the second, What does the temple teach me about being an agent who acts as opposed to an object who is acted upon? I highly suggest that all of you that our endowed to go to the temples with these questions, and with a prayer that God will reveal the truth unto you. After the session we went to a different room and had a two hour study where it was open to any questions we have ever had about the temple. The temple President and his wife were also there to teach us :) I wish I could tell you the things that we talked about. We weren't allowed to take notes...but I don't believe I could ever forget the things that I learned. I have really come to realize how AMAZINGLY AWESOME it was that I got to be an ordinance worker before my mission. WOW!! I hope all of you know or care to know who you are. Trust me you are VERY important, especially to our Heavenly Father and in His work.

Hermanas at the temple

I believed I shared with ya'll that our President has asked us to extend a baptismal date within the first five minutes of talking to someone on the street and teaching a small restoration within that time. Well last Tuesday we had district meeting and we role played it a couple times and talked about what blessings this will bring into the work, especially to help us better understand who is prepared and who is not. Well, right after the meeting we had a lesson with a church headquarter referral that we hadn't met yet, and who had requested a bible. We went over to find out that he had just got called in and needed to leave so what did we do.... we put into action the role play and gave him his bible and a Book of Mormon and taught a quick five minute restoration and with the power of God we extended a date and he accepted it!!!!!!!! WHAT!!!!!! He told us that him and his family just found God and they got baptized two weeks ago, but he said that if he comes to find out that this is the true church he will for sure get baptized!! We ran back to the car and sad a gratitude prayer to our Heavenly Father. I think I am still in shock by how awesome and fast that was. But President received revelation so it must be something our Heavenly Father wants us to do, and it worked!!

Two of Emily's past companions

We have this new couple that just moved from Missouri into our branch. We went over to their trailer to get to know them and they ended up feeding us and I just fell in love with them. He is a convert and fell away for awhile, but now is excited to come to our little branch. His wife is a really sweet lady and totally tom boy with short military hair. They are like the worlds cutest couple. She is actually coming out with us today for 3 hours, and then maybe a couple hours tomorrow.

Speaking of members helping us. We had a dinner appointment with one of our members Vanessa, and her house is getting remodeled so she took us out to eat. Once we all got our food we said a prayer over it and Vanessa prayed that we would have a missionary experience. While eating a young man just randomly walks up to our table and just stares at us. We begin talking to him and Vanessa invites him to church and he accepts. He then got his food and left. Well, we realized that we forgot to ask for his name, so Vanessa gets up and runs after him outside and invites him to come eat with us. He comes back and while eating we shared the Restoration and invited him to come to church the next day. We show up to church yesterday and there he was sitting waiting for everyone to show up!!!! This is why members are SO crucially important to the work! Sadly he lives in the Elders area, but either way he can receive his salvation.

I got to do some fun house remodeling for one of our members. We took down a wall of shelves and painted a couple walls for her. I hope when I get home there will be lots of house/ yard work I can do. I keep asking people if I can mow their lawn for them, but know one will let me :(

Must be a problem with Texans wanting to ride their horses in the park.

Another crazy miracle that happened was after the temple trip our car and another car of Hermana's decided to go treat ourselves to Red Robin... YUM! While we were there a young lady and her two adorable kids came up to us and told us that she was from Utah and is a member and she was so happy to see us and then said good bye. Once we were already to get our checks the waitress told us that someone had paid for all of us!!! My heart just sunk with love. One day I hope I can be rich so I can just help pay for the missionaries or anyone :)

Our area is now a bike area... just kidding, but basically. We used like all of our miles going to the temple and we just found out that they will not be excused. So we will be on bikes. Its good being back on my bike, I just wish our area was a little smaller. We actually have been blessed by meeting some really awesome people. We had one guy at the park that filled up a plate full of good o'le Texas BBQ :) :) I was one happy missionary. And even happier that he is willing to have the elders come teach him. The elders are getting some pretty awesome people from us!

A sign in Emily's neighborhood

Well other than all that awesome stuff- plus lots more, that was basically my week. Oh and yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament about living the gospel by being a disciple of Christ. :)

I love you all, and don't forget to go to the temple. What could more could make for an awesome date night??? :)

Hermana Watkins... Sister Watkins

21st birthday

 What a happy day it was to see ya'll again. I love it!! Some missionaries find it as a distraction, but I found it to be a big relief and comfort to know that my family is still alive and moving :)

I am going to try and share things that I didn't already share with ya'll yesterday, but my memory doesn't really work on the mission so bare with me. We are still working with our investigators. We wanted to go over the Restoration with her again, because she has forgotten all of it. The beginning of the lessons things started off a little shaky, because of some distractions. Tami is also a very.... talkative person and loves to share some story to go along with every question we ask her. Come towards the end I was getting a little frustrated because I hadn't felt the sweet spirit yet and I knew she hadn't as well. I boldly but lovingly told called her by her name and told her to listen very carefully to the next couple words I have to say and focus on how she feels. Instantly she was staring right at me. I shared my testimony of the Restoration and how much I know it will bless her as a daughter of God. The spirit then touched all of us very strongly to testify of the truthfulness of the words we had just spoken. She is so excited to be baptized and can't wait to go to the temple.

 I just received news like 2 minutes ago from  Hermana Jaeger that our two recent converts Joel and Leonel ( and his family) all went to the temple last Saturday and did the work for their ancestors. I know that is why we need our brothers and sisters to be baptized. I couldn't be any happier than I am now, knowing that they were finally able to make it to the Lords house. :) :) :) :)

This past week was my 21st birthday...My birthday was a normal day of missionary work with lessons falling through and people yelling at you, but we ended the day sing happy birthday in Spanish and English with some yummy chocolate cake balls and a banana to support all the candles.

I love being able to serve, and the counsel that King Benjamin gives his people in Mosiah 2:17 makes it even more desirable to me. Here in  Sunnyside we have a really good relationship with the Police officers. Wednesday we helped them to feed the elderly. When we were all done preparing the food we went in to mingle and greet them. One of the officers stood up and wished everyone a happy mothers day and invited anyone to get up and talk about this sweet day that we have to celebrate our mothers. After 5 sisters stood up I felt prompted to share with them how special each of them our and how grateful we are, the younger generations, for them and their examples. I also felt the need to share that they are all special daughters of our Heavenly Father. I fought the feeling for away, but then became overwhelmed. Oh it felt so good to share that love that God has!!!! Do it sometime it will make you feel awesome!! I love seeing how powerful a few simple words are and how they can make a whole room of older southern women cry. :)

We were very blessed to have an amazing Zone Conference this week, and the many counsels that President and his wife gave us. We have always been asked to talk to everyone we see on the streets, but now we are asked to not only share the restoration with them in the OYM, but to extend a baptismal date. We also have been working on a new lesson by using the My Family books to bring in the importance of temple work. I love this topic so much and I can't wait to share it with others so they can feel the spirit of Elijah work with in them.

One last thing this week we received 3 new baptismal dates. Two of those are these two sisters, one is 20 the other 18. When we taught them the Restoration they just soaked it all in and are so excited to be baptized. We have 3 lessons planned with them this week, and they are inviting all their family to listen in as well. :)

I know that this work is the Lords work and that without Him in our lives we are unable to do anything. This is the true church of Jesus Christ, and has the correct priesthood authority that our dear Prophet holds all the keys to. I love the gospel!!!!!

Love you all with all my heart!

Hermana Watkins... Sister Watkins

Grace

Oh how I love the grace that my Heavenly Father has blessed me and my companion with, and the protection.... haha. Honestly we have seen so many miracles happen with our area. It was so dead before and now people are popping out of know where. I know without a doubt that I was sent here for a reason; I love it so much! The work is a whole new ball game and the people are totally different, but life is good!!

This past week we had some pretty crazy things happen- good and bad. I'm not sure if you want to hear about the bad stuff, but I feel like it will help you better understand my area and how different the world is outside the bubble of Utah.

Something that I found out this week is that English missionaries really don't know what OYMing is ( Opening your mouth) and talking to everyone. We didn't have a whole lot of people to teach so I took my companion out and we went and talked to everyone that we saw on the streets and sometimes we would meet the coolest people and be able to set up appointments with them.. or they would give us referrals of people they think would be good that we visit, or we would get people screaming and yelling in or faces saying that we have been brained washed and that we have know idea what the truth is. Remember in Conference when they talked about that the persecutions are coming? Well I never experienced that in Spanish, but I have come to find out that they really do exist, and there not very fun. But my testimony is rock solid  and I LOVE preaching the truth. It's sad when my brothers and sisters don't want to hear the truth, but hopefully one day they will. Hermana Johnson gave us a couple referrals to go try. One of them we ended up calling the police and a whole lot of crazy things happened there. At least the police really like us :)

One of our investigators is working really hard at living the Word of Wisdom and we went by this week and she told us she is now down to one pack of cigarettes a day instead of like 5 :) Super good news!!

The other night we had a scary experience where the people who live in the town home right next to us woke us up at midnight screaming and yelling at each other while saying every swear word that exists. Their baby ended up screaming as well and glass was shattering and lots of sad things happened the night and we ended up getting the police involved with that as well. :(

Good news is that our Zone used to be one of the lowest teaching, finding, zones in the whole mission and after this past week we are now number 2 :) Thanks to Heavenly Father and the help that he has given us.

One last thing. Our investigator  came to church for the first time yesterday and she ended up going up and sharing her testimony during testimony meeting and she started crying and sharing how much she feels the spirit and that she knows this church is true. She told us that it was kind of boring and not up beat like her Baptist church, but she told us she wants to be baptized and enter the temple and become a primary teacher :) YAY!!! Oh and she paid her tithing :)

Okay I lied one last thing. Last night we taught our investigator who used to be a Baptist preacher and we had such a spiritual lesson last night and lets just say that the Spirit is a bomb teacher and I love it soooooo much!!

I wanted to share a study that I did this morning, but I don't have time so just look up these scriptures and tell me what you think they mean, and why I am studying them. Alma 38:5, Alma 36:3 Alma 34:40-41, Alma 28:13-14, Alma 26:28,30; Alma 20:29, Alma 17:11, and D&C 121:7-8.

I love you all and can't wait to see you on mothers day!!! :)

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Watkins