The Best We Have.

The best things leave

Before they’re loved,

and tomorrow's a vision

Compared to today?

Love will come,

Dreams will be.

Just be patient,

...That’s what they say.

Dreams are lived

And love created;

And the best we have

Is in our hands

-For tomorrow may never be.

The Best We Have.

The best things leave

Before they’re loved,

and tomorrow's a vision

Compared to today?

Love will come,

Dreams will be.

Just be patient,

...That’s what they say.

Dreams are lived

And love created;

And the best we have

Is in our hands

-For tomorrow may never be.

Wet Feet and a Day-Changing Text

On my way to get lunch today, I saw a park that looked too inviting to pass up.  I pulled in, grabbed a book and started feeling my way through the wet grass to find a place to sit. Within moments of arriving at the paradise that had lured me from the road, I was irritated with the groundskeepers for watering so late, disappointed that there were so many people taking up what appeared to be the best spots, and rolling my eyes at the bank of clouds that must have taken cue to open up on my arrival.

For no reason at all, I stayed. As I found a damp spot to settle in, a text message rang through on my phone. A friend explained that he had just opened a fortune cookie informing him that he was to receive a cheerful letter or message before the day was over. “Wanted to give you the job if you’re up for it.” He said.

For the first time since getting to the park, I clued into my negativity. I was sure I was not the best candidate for the job, but took his challenge anyway. I started trying to think of an uplifting quote to share.  Nothing came to mind. While searching my brain for a suitable response, I looked up. I noticed sunlight glimmering in the raindrops before they hit the ground, and heard birds chirping in the tree above me.

My thoughts were interrupted: “Tyler!  “Tyler, where are you going?”  I heard from the other side of the wet field.

I looked up to see a young woman trying to get the attention of a mentally disabled man who was wandering out into the storm. Another man grabbed a ball and ran out into the rain to play catch with Tyler. Both were unfazed by the weather.  The woman stayed under the pavilion playing games with another group of mentally disabled people who were laughing and teasing each other.

I watched them for a moment smiling when I was startled by a dog licking my hand.  I heard giggling in the background as some young girls tried to call him back to them. There must have been at least 5 kids walking, running, and dancing three dogs through the puddles. “Sorry, sorry!” they laughed as they carried on their way.

A woman and her husband pulled up in their car and set up some folding chairs under the shelter of a tree. They sat together and shared lunch while staring into the clouds that were already beginning to clear. My “cheerful message” began to form: I guess sometimes all we have to do is stop and look around for a minute to see good things.

The clouds are full

And again there is rain

But the sun still shines

And birds still sing

The streets are filled with laughing voices

Dancing in rainstorms,

And making choices:

To see beauty in darkness…

Hear music in thunder.

It’s good friends

Not wet shoes

That Inspire their wonder.

Doubting & Hoping

I spend a lot of time hoping that things will get better. 

I hope that tomorrow I will be less tired,

And that my chocolate addiction will magically disappear ;)

I hope my brother-in-law will stay healthy,

And that he and my sister will have the family that they dream about.

I hope my doubts about religion and God will be resolved,
And my faith will remain with me.

I hope the pain of today will dissipate

For me and everyone around me.

I hope that we will love each other more fully

And that our differences will cease to limit our relationships.

I hope the contradictions I find when I gain knowledge

Will one day fit together like a precisely configured puzzle,

...That those segments I just cannot find a home for

Will be perfectly placed when I finally see them in full context.

Almost as often as I hope,

I doubt.

I calculate my disappointments

And heap them with the tragedies of the entire history of humanity.

My realist-self serves as a nagging reminder that there are no guarantees.

It's tempting disconnect and tempting to give up
When I know it's possible that change may never come.

Lately, I've spent a lot of time doubting;

And a lot of time feeling exhausted because of it.

So, I've decided to focus on hoping again.

To tally up the successes and the miracles

And the tiniest shuffles of progress.  

Peace and motivation have not come in hoping...

But rather in acknowledging

That I am a part of the world I want to see change.

It does me little more good to hope

Than it does to doubt,

If all either means is that I’m really just waiting

Change will happen so much faster

If I choose to be involved in the progress I ache for.

I don’t believe I can make that much of a difference

But any difference is better than none.

It feels so much better to be working toward a dream

Than it does to pass time waiting, doubting or even hoping for a question mark ending.

I spend a lot of time hoping,

And I spend a lot of time doubting;

But I feel most at peace

When I am actually doing.

Cheers to the New Year from Mariesa!

Unexpected Bliss

Dazzled by the allure and grace

of an October sunrise,

I lean in.

My whimsical view of autumn's romance,
Set to expire, and always too soon.
Sidewalks speckled in crimson and gold,
  An impressionist's masterpiece.

 

Tomorrow I’ll awaken to a blanket of white,

Glistening in the streetlamps of an early morn'.

And I’ll recall at last,

that this moment I’ve proclaimed to despise,

Whilst blinded by a harvest moon,

-Is the one I have most missed.

Lesson #3: Gracias a Dios

I stepped onto the elevator with a group of ‘had-one-too-many’ club hoppers and some younger worn-out swimmers.  One by one they exited as the floor numbers increased.  Soon, it was only me and a young Mexican man who stood a few feet away holding a towel and a spray bottle.  He was patiently waiting for the area to clear so he could continue to clean the hand-printed mirrors. 

I asked him how he was doing.  With a look of pure sincerity, he responded, “Estoy bien.  Tengo trabajo, gracias a Dios.”  - I am good. Thanks to God, I have work. Our eyes locked for a moment and we stood there in silence before I found the words to respond.  His words, were such a contrast to the loud, crude conversations that had filled the small room just moments before.  He had said it like it was the first time he had been able to say it in months.  Maybe that was the truth, or maybe he was just that grateful to have what he had.

I realized how often I had heard that phrase in conversation since I’d been here, - “Gracias a Dios." Memories of my mission came flooding back to me.  “May God bless you,” they would say within minutes, even seconds of meeting us.  Those in seemingly dire circumstances, with no work, or no money to buy their family a decent meal would say things like, “I have a roof over my head, thanks to God.”  Or “I have my family, thanks to God.”

Sometimes I heard people say it with no real feeling attached. It was so much a part of culture and habit that people might say it without really connecting the meaning.  However, when this man on the elevator said it, I could tell that he was truly grateful for what he had and he recognized it as a God given blessing.

What a humbling reminder to me that our accomplishments and good days are not merely self-created.  I have what I have, Thanks to God.

That alone, is important to recognize, but I learned most from his willingness to say it.  Religion and God were not taboo conversation topics, even amongst strangers.  He was not worried about offending.  He was simply telling it like he saw it, not as if it were a belief that he was trying to convince me of - but as a simple, universal truth that was so much a part of him he didn’t think twice about saying it. 

How different our cultures are… with so much to learn from one another. 

Lesson # 2: Hope Inspires Work...Work Instills Hope

In Mexico we saw hundreds of people selling anything that they could think of to earn the money that they needed for the day. On the beach they brought their boats and horses to give people rides. They drew art, they sang, they danced, they washed cars, they cooked and sold fresh food...and the list goes on.

I do not recall one instance when somebody asked me for money if there wasn't a service being offered in return.

 As bad as things are, I saw these people out selling day after day. They weren't giving up... They knew that somehow they had to eat, and they were actively working to make it happen. If they didn't believe that their efforts were good for something  - they wouldn't be doing it.

I met a man on the beach named Miguel. He had started giving tourists rides on a banana boat the week that we arrived. He spent all day every day walking up and down the beach asking people if they wanted a ride. He was charging $5.00 per/person for a 15 minute ride.

When I asked him how the work was going he said that in the first two days, he didn't make a dime.

He has a wife and an 18 month old baby at home...

On the third day he made 5 dollars.

On the fourth Eleven.

On the fifth day he made Twenty.

Here is a man who knows that other people are making money doing the same job. He has seen it work for them and he REALLY needs it to work for him. He believes that it is possible, and even when it may have seemed that he wasn't capable, he kept working at it. His ability to communicate in English has to improved. His profit was increasing by the day when we left.

I can't imagine what more than hope could have carried Miguel to continue selling on that third day, or even the fourth.

I saw people living in terrible circumstances...but they were LIVING.  They were up every morning cooking, taking care of their kids, and working to do whatever they could to better their situations.  I just can't believe that it is merely an instinct for survival that carries people through times like these.

I know that the majority of us are not facing these same trials; but I know for myself, that there are places in my life where I lack true hope. 

However, when I look back on my life, and when I think about how I saw the poor of Mexico pushing through- I really think that it may be in the work that one finds hope.

How could someone like Miguel possibly hope to have money to eat if he wasn't working for money?

It is possible that we may not really find the ability to hope for something that we want until after we have begun working and seeing small changes occur...



.







　

Lessons I learned in Mexico....

Lesson #1

You can live in the most humble circumstances and still be happy...

 

These little boys roam the streets of the neighborhood where we spent most of our time. They chased our cars into town, and jumped into our arms to give us hugs and kisses every time they saw us. When we were painting, they wanted to be right there along side us. 

They were full of this contagious love and spirit that lifted everyone they interacted with.

After many trips to Mexico and lots of help from these boys, (Angel, Alex, and Giovanni) Families Helping Families discovered that the boys were living in a hole in the ground with no roof at all. FHF has since helped them build a home, but these kids were loving, serving, and teasing long before they ever had it.

It can be so difficult to be enjoyable to be around when our circumstances aren't ideal. ...but the reality is that we all face trials, and if we let them, they can really sour us.  

Choosing to be happy despite them, however, is entirely possible, and entirely up to us.These little boys taught me that no matter how bad things get, you can still love and be happy.

Painted Smiles

The story below is an excerpt from a personal essay that I wrote in high school....

In a moment of desperation, I pushed the black “on” button on my cell phone and seven notes echoed through the dark field. Choking back tears I whispered a forced greeting, “Hey are you busy?”

Minutes later, his silhouette hurried toward me. Ashamed of a tear-stained face my head remained dropped, eyes fixed on my own dirt-stained sneakers. A soft grip enclosed each of my wrists. With a gentle tug and a whispered command, I fell into his arms and wet his chest with my tears.

Another disastrous night had thrust me down into a whirlwind of anger, helplessness, and desperation.  Yesterday, the sun had risen and set upon my staged perfection, a skill that my family and culture had taught me to master so well. Just like nearly every other day, I had been the center of attention with my laughter and jokes in our high school cafeteria. In the way that 16 year-old girls do, I rushed the halls whenever a new friend entered the building and nearly tackled them to the ground in an embrace that seemed to represent years of separation. More than anything, I wanted to be normal. I wanted that learned carefree attitude to be real.

But that moment on the football bleachers, when I stood in the arms of the first young man I presumed to love, revealed months of bottled-up disappointment. It was one of a handful of instances when I had taken off the painted smile, and poured out the truth about all that was going on in my life.

As he held me in his arms, I felt human. My concerns had been validated; he had listened and tried so hard to understand. However, perhaps the most defining discovery in all of this was that while I found this intimacy to be relieving and humanizing- I preferred the painted smile. 

It pains me to admit that more than six years have passed since I wrote this, and I have only further mastered what is termed as “the painted smile.” An allusion to a poem written by a dear friend, “The Painted Smile” described a clown parading through a circus, making people laugh. In the poem the author questions if the clown is ever sad, and is envious of his painted smile and his effortless ability to hide his pain from others.

When I fist read this as a little girl, I too was envious of the clown. I thought my life would be easier if nobody ever knew all that pained me, maybe I could just imagine it all away and make people laugh enough that they didn’t see through it..
I was right. When I live my life as if my problems don’t exist, I have more fun, I have more “friends”, and being social is easy. I am able to ignore the things that hurt me for long periods of time.

It has only been in the past year that I have realized what I miss by continuously choosing to pretend that I am not affected by difficult things. The trials I am met with in life are each opportunities for growth and increased understanding. My ability to connect with myself and others is ever easier as I am open and honest about life in its beauty AND its struggles.

It is OKAY, even healthy to admit that I am having a hard time and that I feel pain. It is okay to need and ask for help. For in all of it, there are lessons to be learned, and there are people ready and willing to stand by us as we work through it.

I am often still envious of “the painted smile” and find it tempting to avoid honesty when my loved ones ask how I am doing.  But I try to remember that when I am honest and willing to reach out to others in my times of need - I build on relationships and connect with people in a way that I otherwise could not. My relationship with God deepens and my understanding of his plan and profound love for each of his children increases.

God himself taught us to mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort...It is OKAY to be the one in need of comfort, and it is even okay to mourn. Others are meant to stand beside us and help us through it. Having that need is never something to be ashamed of.  It should be natural to admit that I am affected by my human experience, and it is silly for me to pretend that I'm not.

We should never be ashamed of our pain, and we should never pretend it isn't there. It can be a powerful teacher and motivator if we recognize it’s place in our lives and confront it rather than wishing it away.

Life is about overcoming trials, strengthening ourselves, and reaching out to others as they strive to do the same. As we work through things, rather than avoiding them, we are given unique insight into understanding ourselves, others and world around us.  Every moment we live changes us in some way, we can honor our experiences by accepting how they affected us, learning from it, and moving forward; not by pretending that it never changed us.

Serenity

We each believe and hold to values and beliefs that are often so different from the person next to us- and yet in each of our world's, our own perspective seems so right... Our experiences have made us to be wonderfully diverse, with values that often cannot possibly coincide... and so the more I see and understand about this world and come to know people who all truly want to see change for good; the more complicated become my definitions of peace, equality, spirituality... and even love. As I hopelessly try to reason through one paradox after another in an effort to someday make sense of it all- I am relieved to find that there is one place that I can go where everything makes perfect sense and fits together in flawless beauty.  This is my serenity.  I thank God for nature.

Hello, little snail! I had forgotten all about you.

As I was walking to my house today, I looked down just in time to avert a footstep that was moments away from ending the life of one of these cute little fellows.  I then remembered that while I lived in California I always had to watch my feet when I walked.  There were literally dozens and dozens of snails slugging their way across every sidewalk.  My guilt grew daily as I shattered the shells of these poor guys everywhere I walked.  I intently began to focus on watching the ground even closer whenever my feet hit the pavement.  Here in Utah, I never even have to think about it, because I rarely see snails.
It's funny how we adapt to the slightest changes in our environment and unlearn principles that played such a huge part in our daily lives elsewhere... I never consciously stopped looking for snails- somewhere along the line (I have no idea when) I just stopped.  It makes me wonder how many changes we make unconsciously in our lives because we place ourselves in different environments.  Our adaptations can lead us for better or for worse....and we may not even notice the changes in ourselves until much later on.  However, I do believe that we are always aware of changes in our environment, and it is important that we take the time to evaluate how these changes might affect us in the future
Oh, the thought process that begins with a snail....

You are finally allowed to start counting down!

Sunday night was President and Sister Jackson's outgoing fireside...and mine! :( There were 900 people in attendance to say their final goodbye's to the Jackson family. It was a beautiful and powerful meeting. The musical numbers were outstanding- all of the missionaries stood and sang God Be With you Til' We Meet Again and the members followed cue.

It was emotionally draining...but so worth it. I got to see Olgalidia and Adonay, and the Matute's and Roberto and Maria and tons of other incredible people who I have met in the last year and a half. Roberto and Maria bought me a tres leches cake that said "Happy Birthday Bargin" haha.. it was adorable.

AND we were referred to this super cool guy named Manuel, who just started studying with the missionaries in Modesto 2 weeks ago but moved up here. He already understands all of the commandments that seem to be a suprise to so many of our investigators. Everything we teach him he is humbly willing to follow. It is so exciting to see him just fall right into place in the branch and making friends with all of the members. He is loving it- and we are having a blast teaching him.

Love you all!!! You are finally allowed to start counting down :) Can't wait to see you

Bautismo de Olgalidia

A New state of Being!

New Companion: Sister Webb, she is from Hyrum, UT and just left Utah State! We just met on Thursday so we don't know each other super well yet. But so far so good. We are getting along very well.

New Apartment: is very nice, but every morning at about 5 AM a flock of crows flies in and sits in the trees and crows for about 2 hours. When I say flock I mean hundreds and hundreds of crows- maybe even thousands! Every time I wake up I feel like I am living the movie "The Birds"

New Car: Yes, NEW car. I don't know why they thought it would be a good idea to give us the new car. I'm scared to death every time I drive it- hopefully it means I will be more careful? When we pulled out of the parking lot on Thursday it had 9 miles on it! Toyota Corolla '11 Woot!

New Branch: is super small. We cover 2 stakes, but there are only about 100 people who come to church every week. We combine some of our classes with the Sunnyvale ward just so that there is a little bit more help and support. This is going to be a very different experience from Redwood City... Nonetheless, we are excited. We have been received very well by the members, and I think we will get lots of support.

New Investigators: ...we can't find them? The Elders who were here left us with 11 investigators, 3 who supposedly are getting baptized in the next 2 months, but we can't get a hold of any of them. hmmm... Much work to do.

New Maps & a New Area = a New state of being: LOST all the time!!!!!


It has been quite a week, but to be honest I have never felt so much excitement about anywhere else I have served. I just see a lot of potential and all the training we have been doing in the missionary We are really motivated to get things going here. It has been exhausting. I've never been more tired, but I have never been more determined! Wish us luck!

The people who live next door

Sister Cowley went home last month, she lives in Idaho. I got a letter from her this week that said she had missed her connecting flight home, and had to switch flights. Her family got confused about the time change and she said there was NOBODY to pick her up when she got off the plane. The funny thing is that she had a dream that that happened while we were companions and we always talked about how awful it would be. The missionary nightmare came true! :( In other words..I'll see you at the airport on the 27th. right? haha ;)

Things are going good here, we are going crazy with plans for the baptism, and interviews are this week and our car broke down...Hectic! But awesome. We are doing great and enjoying our last 2 weeks as companions. Sad :( We keep trying to figure out how we could possibly stay together, but so far it hasn't added up. If it happens we will both be stoked! We are having a good time, Sister England is hilarious. We taught the law of chastity to this couple the other day.. you would think that would be easy when they are a married couple. Which it was, they are great and totally in agreeance with everything. But they went off for like a half an hour about different ways that people break that commandment. By far THE most awkward conversation I have had on my mission. Sister England kept looking to me to translate what was going on, because I'm pretty sure it was clear how horrified I was. In the end I think we all laughed so hard we were crying. I have never been more grateful to have been raised in the bubble! Yikes.

We've been wanting to talk to the people who live nextdoor to us for ever, and this week they invited us over for dinner and a lesson. They are a Son and his mother here from Germany and she was raised there during WWII. She has some crazy stories. The lesson went really well, and they seem to sincerely want to learn more and to be closer to God. It's really neat that they live right nextdoor to us and that we see eachother every day. It's different when it's somebody you feel like you already know rather than just someone you knock into on the street. We are going to have a lot of fun teaching them and getting to know them.

A Service Opportunity

We had a neat experience this week with a man named Israel. We knocked into him a few weeks ago, and he told us that he had just arrived here from Guatemala. He said he wanted to find a church here in the United States, but that he needed some time to think about it before he invited us back. We left him with a pamphlet, and told him we would stop by again. We passed by this week to find that he had moved to another apartment complex already. The man living there told us that they were still in contact so we left our phone number.

The next day Israel called us and asked us if we would pray for him. He's struggling a lot to find work here, and he misses his family at home; he has felt alone ever since he arrived. He said that he knew we were people close to God and he needed all the help he could get. We asked him where his new apartment was, and he said, "Oxford Street" which is exactly where we were when he called. We told him we were visiting someone on that street and asked if we could stop by. We were able to talk with him outside for a while and give him a Book of Mormon and testify of how it had helped us each through the hard times in our lives. Afterward we said a prayer with him right there in the dark in the street, it seemed like the best thing, and the only thing we could do for him at that time to give him some peace of mind.

We were touched by his story, and shared it with a member family (the Ortiz) that night and told them how good it felt to be able to offer some sort of service to Israel when he needed it. We invited them to pray for an opportunity to serve someone this week who was ready to hear the gospel. The Ortiz are also from Guatemala, and took an interest in Israel's story, and chose him as their person to serve. Hermano Ortiz spent all evening and morning asking his friends if they new of any work, and at church yesterday he found us and asked for Israel's phone number to let him know that he had found a job for him.

It is amazing to me how many people are willing to help eachother out. People who they don't even know. What a blessing it is to have members who are working their own miracles to help us in this work. We couldn't do it without their help. We ALL play a part in helping one another feel of and come to know the love of God. Israel now has a friend here from Guatemala, he isn't alone anymore, and he found the work that he needs so that in time his family will be able to share the freedom and blessings that we all enjoy in this country. All for one small act of service.

If I could be so "Missionary" :) as to invite you all to also pray for that service opportunity this week and then DO IT! There are people all around us who need help, and we each have so much to offer. We can make a difference in the lives of others everyday, if we take enough time to stop and notice, and then reach out in selfless service.

I felt so happy when I saw what Hermano Ortiz had done for Israel, It has been the highlight of my week. I hope and pray that you will all be able to feel it this week as well as you serve someone else :)

...so that he could learn more

Bryan's Salvation Army Truck on the left

It was so good to talk to all of you on Christmas Day!!! What a crazy year it has been. I'm glad to hear that everybody is doing well, and excited to see your faces again soon!

Mom, thanks for the email. It was a good reminder, especially this time of year. It was hard not to be with you guys, but I can't say enough how happy I am to be here and how neat it is to come to know and love all the people here.

I don't think I told you about Bryan Brewer. Sister Kelson and I found him a couple of months ago working in a Salvation Army truck. We walked by their often so we left him pamphlets a few times when we saw him and gave him our phone number. He didnt' want to set an appointment the first time so we didn't really expect him to call us back. But one night he called our cell phone and said that he wasn't really sure how to go about it, or if he was calling the right people, but he had really liked what he read and he wanted us to meet with him so that he could learn more.

That NEVER happens! So cool.

The Elders ended up teaching him after that first lesson because he's English speaking, but he was baptized this past Wednesday and all of his family came to see him. His ward meets close by so we were able to go to the Baptism and it was so cool to see him there and happy! I don't even know him that well, but it made my week to get to talk to him and be at his baptism.

This is just another cool story from my time here.

Your Debt to Society has been Cleared

This transfer will end 3 days before Christmas..so I'm kind of praying that President doesn't transfer me. That would be super frustrating. I wouldn't know ANYONE! But we already have good plans for Thanksgiving dinner, which should be good. One of the families in the ward is inviting us over at the same time as all of their friends who aren't members. They're going to invite us to sing a Christmas song at the end and share a thought. That will be cool. Maybe we will find some new people to teach.

This week has been a little stressful..but I am doing good. My companion is adorable. I don't think she's 5 feet tall. She is from Arkansas, and she has a thick southern accent. Luckily- only when she speaks english :) President called me the morning that I was supposed to go and pick her up and gave me permission to drive the car to the mission office by myself. I was so excited! The first chance to be alone in a whole year!!!!! And do you know what happened? I walked outside that morning, and my car had been towed. I had to call someone to pick me up and was almost late for the meeting- which would have been super bad. So I didn't exactly start off on the best note. We had to get a ride to pick the car up from the office staff, and they were all frustrated because it was like 30 minutes away and then we got there and it was $230 dollars...

It was just not a good first day to say the least. But we have been having fun since. I'm working on teaching her Spanish, and having to speak a lot more of it by myself. Teaching lessons has been interesting, but fun. She will get it  It's funny to think that that is how we all are when we come out. I totally thought I was making sense to people... And I still do think that! We'll never know.

This Sunday Rosa came to church for the first time, she is Mariela's Mom. We were super excited to see her there. I think she felt uncomfortable :( Hopefully we can go back and see her this week. I don't know that she's ready for all of this. We'll see.

It's been weird without Hermana Kelson!!! I miss her like crazy but I love it here, and Hermana England and I are having a good time.

PS.

Yesterday Elder McCoy, the Vehicle Coordinator called me and said: "Your debt to society has been cleared.” Lol...meaning that I don't have to take care of the $230 dollars for the tow away. He said that a 3rd party took care of it for me and they weren't going to let me pay for it...I don't know who that was, but it is such a relief.

Cool Story for you

When I was in San Jose last week I stayed with the Yerba Buena Sisters. It was so neat to go back and teach all of my peeps!!! :) Well, they had planned to take Santa Gillardo to the temple on Tuesday morning. (Somebody that Sister Alvey and I started teaching together) and her ride cancelled on her last minute. We spent all morning calling everybody we could think of, but nobody was willing to take us. Santa said it was okay to do it another day, but for some reason we felt this urgency to go that day. Finally, we decided to say a prayer, hoping that we could find somebody who was willing so that Santa could go to the temple. I picked up the phone and started searching through it, and stopped on Juselle, somebody who had moved out of the ward months ago when I was still there. It made no sense to call, but I did, and it turns out that she is living with her mom in the area. When I asked her how she had been she told me about all the problems that had been happening in her life. She said she'd stopped going to church, and she was so glad we called. She asked if we could meet with her later that night. I asked her if she wanted to come to the temple with us, and she was so excited. She said she would drop everything she was doing that day to go.

It was so neat to see. It was a reminder to me that we really can pray for anything...even a ride to the temple. God answers our prayers, and often in doing so he will answer the prayers of others as well. Juselle and Santa immediately became friends, and they are both excited to help each other out through this time in their lives. We never would have thought to call her. The Sisters in Yerba Buena had never even met her, but it both Santa and Juselle needed to go to the Temple that day. Santa needed to have the support to make the decision to be baptized.

I had been frustrated with the fact that I was having to leave my area for 3 days, and cancel all of our appointments while I waited for the new missionaries to come in. But it was cool to find out that there was a purpose in my being there. I was needed there, even for a day.

Missionary Work is Awesome :)

Loves to everyone!!
-Mariesa

I am reporting the injury of my companions leg...

Lol...so my leg got messed up this week, and they made us talk to the doctor. Everything is fine- It just looks super nasty. I thought you would laugh at the story.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alexandria Nykole Kelson
Date: Sat, Oct 30, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Subject: Sister Bergin's Leg
To: johnlymanmd@hotmail.com

Hello Dr. Lyman,

I am reporting an injury of my companions leg. On Monday (Oct 25) we were playing soccer and Sister Bergin was kicked on the calf. It swelled up immediately but didnt have any color. The next day, there was a bruise 2x2 inches. And daily it has been getting bigger and darker. We did have a member who wanted to get the color taken away so she put hot water and salt on it followed by burning aloe vera and i think it is now a little burnt. The color has gone down into her ankle and her ankle has swelled up. It hurt right when the accident happened but went away and now it is becoming more and more painful. If you could let us know if it's anything that we should be worried about, that would be great! Thanks! Love,-Sister Bergin and Sister Kelson.

The Little Nuns

So yesterday we asked somebody if they had our phone number, and he said “of course I have it! It’s programmed into my phone.” He showed us his phone, and sure enough, our number was there under the name: “Las Monjitas” translation: “The Little Nuns” lol… nice.
Last night was the outgoing fireside for all of the missionaries leaving. My companion spoke, she did a wonderful job. I’m going to miss her so much! It was awesome to be there because I got to see all of my old companions and Roberto was there!!! We talked for a while, he said that he is planning on going through the temple in March- and he’s counting on Sister Cowley and I to be there. That will be so neat!
Efrain and Esperanza have been moved away. They’re in some kind of protection program right now…so we can’t see them. Church on Sunday wasn’t the same without them. Normally it’s spent running around trying to get all the kids in their classes, entertaining Brandon and Yalily during sacrament meeting…and this week we were all alone L We’ve been kind of out of it since they left. It feels like we’re starting over again. Redwood City wont be the same without them. There were 3 other families who lived in that house with them. We had been teaching all of them, but they’ve all been moved to othere cities as well. We miss them like crazy! It is for the best though. The government is giving Esperanza and Efrain papers, and they are going to pay for them to get an education here so that they can start a better life for their family. I am SUPER excited for them. I just wish we could be there to help them through it!
Our mission is now on a rotation with The Salt Lake City Temple Visitors Center. So, every 3 months we get a Visitors Center sister who stays for 3 transfers, and we are also taking in all of the missionaries who are waiting for Visas. Because of that, transfers have been all messed up cause we have missionaries coming and leaving inbetween transfers all the time. President Jackson called us this week to tell us that all of the Hermanas were going to be transferred on Wednesday (even though transfers weren’t for another 2 weeks) EXCEPT for me and my companion. He told me that I was going to be training the new Sister coming in from Arkansas. Yikes! Haha. It should be good. I’m kind of scared to death, but super excited at the same time. It will be fun.

Funny Story…so everybody in the ward thought it was my companions birthday, not mine. We don’t even remember talking about our birthdays with anyone, but somehow they found out, and somehow they got it confused. Haha…so we had two surprise birthday parties on Wednesday for my companion! It was kind of super lame, and super hilarious at the same time. It was way too awkward to tell them that it was my birthday, so we just played along. It’s okay though because our investigators totally made up for it the next day, and the elders all made me a cake. It has been a fun week.

THANK YOU for the packages Grandma & Mom!!! I loved the book, and the candy, and the new clothes!!! Mom, I have needed a camera so bad. That is perfect. I enjoyed looking at all of your pictures from Europe! I will send you more pictures now J I’m guessing it’s on loan until I get home? 5 more months! Crazy! Tell Chris thanks for writing, I’ve missed hearing from him. And Chels’ I totally bought bread today so that I can try out your peach jam! I'll write soon. I miss you all a ton.