January 5, 2015

"Sorry I didn't write you last week. They told me I was being transferred so I packed everything. You know how many clothes I have so it took me forever. And then I had to search for boots because I didn't know where I was getting transferred to...it could've been Flagstaff where it apparently got 15 inches of snow on Wednesday or it could've been like Cottonwood which is in the middle of nowhere. Well every place we went to didn't have boots. So we had to go a little further than normal to the Tanger Outlets. I finally found some there. But, while we are there, our Zone Leader calls and says that there was a mistake and I'm not getting transferred. I. Was. Livid. I started screaming like Regina George when she ate the Kalteen Bars. So then I unpacked everything on New Years Day. I wasn't mad because I wanted to leave, I actually wanted to stay...I was just mad that I wasted my PDAY and packed all my stuff. 

We also texted all of our members and told them we were being doubled out. People texted us and said they were sad. Then, we had like four people call us crying. It was intense. So needless to say, this Sunday, everyone was kissing me cheek and hands. I felt like the Queen that I am. 💁👑💎

I got a new companion. Her name is Hermana Bennett and she goes home in 5 weeks. People keep telling me that after she goes home, I will train. I would die. My trainee would die. Everyone would die. So hopefully that won't happen....hopefully I will stay in La Joya too. :)

Two weeks ago I went to a trampoline park. I forgot to tell you. It was super fun but we were all sore for like a week after. We played dodgeball with random little hood rats that were all there for a birthday party. When I started playing, I sat by one of them and asked his name. I was like, "Hey pal, whutz gewd. Whuz ir name." You know all gangster and such. Well, his name was Nolan and we became friends.....that was until we were on different teams. I was kicking butt, you know like I always do and then I fell....you know like I always do. I looked up and there was Nolan, staring at me, with a ball in his hand. Nuh-uh. It was not going down like that. I stood up and and sternly spoke to him while pointing with my mom finger, "No Nolan, NO!" He didn't hit me with the ball..... :)

I got out two seconds later by another punk, but hey, I gained a true friend that day. I will never forget his curly locks....my friend, Nolan.

Has Bentley been talking about me lately? I really miss him. I'm also super worried about da Poopers. Will he even be alive when I get back? I pray for them every night. Sometimes I forget to pray about you guys.....but never about them. Just kidding! ;) .....maybe.

He looked so good. How beautiful his bandana was. He's so handsome. Make sure you give him lots of kissies for me. He deserves them.😊

Well that's all for now. I will try to send you pictures later of my last two weeks. Kay? Alright well, I love you!

Xoxo, Hermana Dreiling

Ps. These are the missionaries in my Ward. WHADDUP. El barrio La Joya."

December 22, 2014

"I miss yall.

Are yall even going to email me today? You're on a cruise right? If
so....when are we going to skype? At like 3 my time? It would be 5
your time.....let me know. I will have to just set up a time and hope
you're available. My skype name is "hermanavictoriadreiling add me
sometime this week and I will accept! :)

This week was igggght. The Christmas Conference was amazing! We didn't
end up going Tuesday because Hermana Turner was sick. So we went
Wednesday....but that was okay with me because Hermana Zelaya and
Hermana Baldwin went that day! We were messing with President all day.
We told him we should be a trio and President said, "It would
literally take a voice from God for me to put you three together." We
promised him 3 baptisms if he did. It won't happen though. Boo. :(

We also had interviews with President on Saturday. That went well. He
likes to joke around with me a lot. He's really proud of how far I
have come. I'm proud too. :)
He told me he doesn't know about transfers yet but that if Hna. Turner
and I aren't split this transfer...definitely next transfer, we will
be. We shall see. I hope I stay in La Joya! I love this Ward.

Our Ward called us into Primary for the first 10 mins yesterday. We
sat at the front while the kids sang songs to us. Then, they gave us a
huge box full of presents for us! They said they know we aren't with
our families on Christmas so they decided to do something for us. All
the presents were super useful like food, 2 toothpastes, 5
toothbrushes, 4 deodorants, envelopes, notepads, pens, candy, lotion,
soap, etc. Oh man, I was so excited! I put on my Christmas Frosty the
Snowman Jammie's and opened all the presents. I cried at the end. It
literally felt like Christmas for 3 mins. Then I was sad. Christmas is
hard.....Mardi Gras will be literal Hell on earth for me.
#mightcomehome #justkidding #ami?

Other than that, everything is the same! Let me know how the cruise
was! Love yall!

Xoxo, Hermana Dreiling


Also, I'm scared that Mikey will talk to me only in Spanish....I won't
understand."

December 17, 2014

"Well, Juan isn't progressing. So sad. He seriously doesn't believe God loves him. How sad is that? To think your Father in Heaven doesn't love you. I know, without ANY doubt that he does. He loves all of us. Every single one of us. With our sins and all. Isn't that amazing? He hasn't been reading, praying, or anything. We keep testifying that he will receive his answers and feel God's love through these things but he just won't do them. And we can't make him. Ultimately it's his choice. It's just sad. #agencyisthebestandworst

This week has been....weird. Number one, I went to the Dr.s and got a full prescription of my medicine....YAY. Also, I got my eyes checked and I have 20/20 in my right eye and 20/30 in my left. The Dr. said I only need glasses if it starts to become a problem. Right now, it's not that bad because I'm not driving. My problem is seeing at night. That's when it is bad. But other than that, it is pretty clear......in my right eye. Lol. When I start driving I will most likely need them. Sooo, what do ya'll think I should do? Let me know your input. 

We went on splits yesterday with the Young Women and it was super fun. They enjoyed it a lot and so did we. We went tracting so we could give them the "real missionary experience". We got two Potential Investigators and a referral for the English Elders and they got two Potentials as well. Overall, a good day. We then had a Missionary Fireside and it was awful. So boring and we sang like 4 songs as missionaries. Our Ward is getting smaller and smaller and it's sad. We keep getting baptisms, but we keep getting less actives. We don't know what to do. 

Exchanges.....so I went on exchanges with that one Sister who was having problems and it. was. awful. She just kept talking about President in the most foul of ways. It really was offensive to me because President is the best and has helped me out so much. I didn't know what to do all day. If she wasn't talking about President, it was about her companion, her roommates, or random people in the mission whom she hates. It was a horrible exchange. President apparently wants to send her home but she won't go. I hope something changes for her and she starts to enjoy things. 

We have Christmas Conference tomorrow! That should be fun! We are going on a big bus to the Mesa Temple. We will be at the Visitors Center for a few hours to see how we can use it when we go back with our investigators. Then we are going to do a session and then a BUFFET! After that, we are going to see the temple lights!!! I'm super excited! 

Well other than that...I think I'm good for this week! I love you!

When are my packages coming? ;)

Xoxo, Hermana Dreiling"

December 8, 2014

I'm sorry for not updating in a really really really long time! But now I will get everything up!

"Welllllp, the Church Attendance is back to 0.... But that's okay! You have your good weeks and your bad weeks. Ya know? 

So I had a dream about Mardi Gras. I woke up and I was so sad. Mom, CHRISTMAS won't be hard for me at all......the worst time on my whole mission will be Mardi Gras time. I will be depressed that whole week.....that whole MONTH. Oh man, it's going to be rough. But, I bet it will be hard for yall too because you've never gone without me. Good luck. ;)

Daddy can bring my camera again. By the way, have you been using it? It's totally fine if you have, I know you'll take good care of it! :)

This week has been pretty normal. We had a Zone Meeting where we got new Key Indicators, Nightly Planning Training, and Goal Setting Training. It. Was. Intense. So much goes into it that nobody even thought of. We were all Planning and Goal Setting wrong. I like how this mission gets like the first of everything and we are a trial mission. We are always in the "in". We had people from the Mission Headquarters come in and they said that we are a trial mission because compared to other missions...we are one of the top missions in Obedience. #whaddup

I went on exchanges this week with my Sister Training Leader. She is AMAZING. Her name is Sister Coleman and she is legally deaf. She is the funniest person, MY GOODNESS. We had so much fun together. Especially trying to speak Spanish together....that was an adventure. But she is just so fun and happy all the time....it was a nice break! I felt like I could just finally BREATHE. :) I love her. We have another exchange this week and I'll be going with a Sister who has been having a hard time in the mission. She doesn't want to work and just feels sick all the time. It sounds like me when I was just starting the mission.....except she's been out for a year. Apparently President is thinking about sending her home for medical....we will see what happens this week. Maybe I can help her! :)

Can you text my brother and ask him where in the eternities my package is? They said they were going to send it like a month ago. I NEED A PACKAGE. It's been 5 months since I've been out next week. Cray. 

Next week we are going to the Mesa Temple for the Visitors Center, a Session, and the Christmas Lights. We are going with Pres Griffin and our whole Zone in a BUS! It is going to be so much fun and I'm so excited! I'm going to see is I can take a name from our family! :)

Maw maw has been helping me with that. It is so good. This church is so good. 

Well I love you and I hope everything is good! Please send me some casserole recipes and beef stroganoff if that is okay! 

Xoxo,

Hermana Dreiling"

More Pictures!!

December 1, 2014

"Hi there,

I finally think I know what I want to do as a career. I want to be a photographer/videographer for weddings, senior pictures, families, kiddos, etc. I love taking pictures and talking to people...so it would be perfect for me. But I still want to know how to do hair because I want to do my own blonde hair.....MEH. But also, HUMANITARIAN. You know I want to be a humanitarian. I thought I knew what I wanted to be, and then I wrote it to you and now I'm unsure again. Are you serious? I STILL DONT KNOW WHAT I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP. Life is full of hard decisions. Lol

This is my favorite story from President Thomas S. Monson...I read it in my Personal Study while I was sick....but I heard it once before in Seminary:

“Late one afternoon I was swimming at the Deseret Gym, gazing at the ceiling while backstroking width after width. Silently, but ever so clearly, there came to my mind the thought: ‘Here you swim almost effortlessly, while your friend Stan languishes in his hospital bed, unable to move.’ I felt the prompting: ‘Get to the hospital and give him a blessing.’

“I ceased my swimming, dressed, and hurried to Stan’s room at the hospital. His bed was empty. A nurse said he was in his wheelchair at the swimming pool, preparing for therapy. I hurried to the area, and there was Stan, all alone, at the edge of the deeper portion of the pool. We greeted one another and returned to his room, where a priesthood blessing was provided.

“Slowly but surely, strength and movement returned to Stan’s legs. …

“Frequently Stan speaks in Church meetings and tells of the goodness of the Lord to him. To some he reveals the dark thoughts of depression which engulfed him that afternoon as he sat in his wheelchair at the edge of the pool, sentenced, it seemed, to a life of despair. He tells how he pondered the alternative. It would be so easy to propel the hated wheelchair into the silent water of the deep pool. Life would then be over. But at that precise moment he saw me, his friend. That day Stan learned literally that we do not walk alone. I, too, learned a lesson that day: Never, never, never postpone following a prompting” (“The Spirit Giveth Life,” Ensign, May 1985, 70).

And it's so true. There is a song and the words are there for a reason, "LET the Holy Spirit Guide". We have to LET him guide us. We can never ever shut him out. 

{rant over}

So there is a family in this Ward whom I LOVE. And they love me....and know how much I love babies. Well, they have a 4 month old baby boy and they ALWAYS try to make me hold him. The other night at the Thanksgiving activity...they put him ON MY LAP. I was so stressed, I didn't know what to do but scream, "I CANT HOLD HIM. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I CANT TOUCH HIM. BAHHH, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME. meh, HE IS SO CUTE. I STILL CANT HOLD HIM!!!" Then they took him off my lap. I feel so bad because Mexicans always want you to hold their babies and it's like kinda rude if I don't. I haven't yet though. I'm going to ask President what his thoughts are. Spanish Speaking missions are so much different than English. Especially with Mexicans. 

So we have this investigator who has a 5 year old grandson named Angel. Angel is literally considered morbidly obese and is on a strict diet to help him lose weight. He has a lot of confidence issues because of it because other kids have made fun of him his whole life. BUT, he is my favorite little boy in the world. He came to the activity the other night and I was trying to get him to play with the 5 million other kids we have in the ward but he only wanted to play with me. Soooo, NATURALLY, I gathered all the younger Primary kids in a circle and said we were going to play a game. I then tagged a little boy named Devin and ran away. I literally had a swarm of about 12 kids (ages 2-6) chasing me around the gym in the middle of the dinner. I was also screaming. It was the funniest thing. But, I'm the best for it because Angel made friends. :)

So I emailed Grandon Rutter! My friend is serving with him and was in the same district as him so he gave me his email! He's doing great! His comp is 6'6....HUGE. His family is living in Houston, TX...so if yall still want to move there. You've already got card buddies. :)

We had 2 Thanksgiving dinners! One at lunch at about 3 and one at 5. At the 3 o'clock one, it was Thanksgiving Mexican Style. Elote, turkey with chile, chunky mashed potatoes, and jello. The second was with the Grady's and it was a traditional "white" Thanksgiving dinner. When she called us to invite us, I almost started crying I was so excited. Because she literally called it a "White Person's Thanksgiving Dinner". Yeah, Mexicans. Ebony's husband, Grady served in the APM just 2 years ago. He got back when Mikey got back. Now he's back in La Joya married to Ebony. He's super white and from North Carolina (go tarheels). I showed him dad's selfie with the Heels Flag in the background. He was excited!

We had another investigator at church today. But 3 at the activity. It's an awesome feeling. :)

Obispo is coming out with us tomorrow. I can't wait! He is an awesome guy and always wants to help us! 

Well, I'll talk to you more next week! Love you! Only 24 more days!!!!

Xoxo, Hermana Dreiling"

"For the Thanksgiving activity, the Hermanos got together Saturday morning and fried 10 Turkeys. I tried Fried Turkey Guts. It was a fun time."

November 24, 2014

"Missions are super interesting, and then sometimes it just feels like routines. I've started that gratitude journal and I really like it. I look forward in writing in it everyday. I put down bullet points of what I was grateful for that day. I will send home my gratitude journal and regular journal when I finish, and you can read them! :)

Sooo, we had 2 investigators at church....super exciting! I haven't even had ONE attend since I've been here! Also, there was a family that we got a referral for whom we haven't been able to find lately....but they went as well! Ahhh, the work is hastening and I'm soooo excited! Alsooo, we had the Rendon's at church, the Rangel's, and Hermano Cordova....all less actives in our area!!! I finally feel like a missionary, despite already being one for more than 4 months!

La familia Rendon had us over for cena on Saturday and almuerzo on Sunday. I love that man. I call him abuelito and every time we go over, he cries tears of joy and says there is happiness and joy in his heart. We aren't even doing anything but talking and sharing stories that I don't understand. Sometimes I feel a little bitterness from Hermana Turner because she makes remarks like, "yeah, everybody loves Hermana Dreiling...." but in a snotty way. I'm just sittin over here like, "DON'T H8 ME CUZ CHU AINT MEH." #byefelecia

I know I'm Hermano Rendon's fave.... Duh. 

I'm still so exhausted all the time. What en el mundo is wrong with me? 

So apparently our Ward is doing something for all the missionaries for Christmas. One of the Primary Kids told us that he knows we aren't with our families for Christmas, so they are going to make it feel like home. HOW CUTE. This Christmas might be a little hard for me....but just think....next Christmas, I'll be going home in 18 more days....cray cray. 

This is the difference:

Gift of Tongues- "The Lord can bless us with the ability to speak that language."

The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues- "This gift is sometimes given to us when we do not understand a language and we need to receive an important message from God."

I loooove singing in German!!! I love that language.....why don't we live in Germany, Kelly?! I feel so deprived.... ;) Every morning we sing a song with our apartment and I sing in German! Bahaha, I love it. I actually sound really good. I don't know what I'm singing, but it sounds legit!

Well, not much else is going on....just getting over my cold I got a week ago and being a servant of the Lord. Packages are still appreciated. Love you. 

Xoxo,  Hermana Dreiling"