January 12, 2015

"HI

This a long one.....prepare yourself. 

Soooo on Mondnhhay, everyone cancelled our appointments. Of course. So frustrating. So we literally just went finding with no luck. :( I hated it because I was just so bored the whole time. An idle mind is the devil's playground. That can't happen. ESPECIALLY on my mission. We did go to Cafe Rio that day though. I loooove Cafe Rio. We have one right around the corner of our apartment. In the same shopping center is Jamba Juice, Chick-Fil-A, Red Robin, Johnny Rockets, Chipotle, Cane's, Jimmy Johns, Carrabbas, Kneaders, Panda Express, ColdStone, Ichiban, Paradise Bakery (Panera owns it), Rumbi,  Subway, a nail place, Boba Tea shop, Yogurtland, a movie theater, Ross, Marshalls, DSW, Old Navy, and Costco. That is not even all of it. Seriously the best place to go ever. You have like 45 options. Such a temptation though. Half of those restaurants are my favorites....money? Bahaha jk! Only if Ya want to....my 6th month mark is coming up... ;)

I've tried some new foods again. I've tried Ponche which is water, cinnamon sticks, and fruit boiled together....it's good. Also, a tamale with only Colby Jack cheese and Green Chiles....it's also really good. Tongue....not good. Hated it. I'll keep you posted. 

Tuesday we ate with our investigator, Mayra! She is awesome! We know she knows it's true. She just has to get a divorce from her husband so she can get married to her new boyfriend. She's been separated from her husband for 5 years and been with Ryan (her boyfriend) for 3 years. She has a 17 year old, 15 year old (from husband), and 1 year old (from Ryan). Ryan is 23.....we dont know how old Mayra is...but Ryan and the oldest daughter are only 6 years apart. Umm....yeah. Also, it was awkward when we basically committed her to get a divorce from her husband so she stops committing adultery. This is what Hermana Turner said 2 weeks ago, 

       "So Mayra, will you use your tax return to get a divorce from your husband to get

       married to Ryan to live the Law of Chastity?"

Yeah she could have phrased that differently....but, we set a baptismal date with her in June! Bahaha it's so far away but she has to get divorced soon because we don't think either her and Ryan will move out of each other's place anytime soon because of Eli (the 1 year old). 

Soooo I got sick again. I actually threw up this time. Also my temp went up to 102.5 (pics are included). It started during Zone Meeting...I had to run to the bathroom and I threw up twice. Then I was like, "Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine. I just needed to get it out of my system." Nope. Threw up again. Luckily, I carry an extra toothbrush around with me to brush my teeth after meals! We went home after and I slept for 5 hours. Woke up and my temp was 102.5. I got a blessing and went to sleep again for the night. I woke up the next morning and my fever was gone. :)

Buuuut then Sunday came along and I threw up twice before church. Then went to church and threw up twice again. Went to dinner and ate so much soup that I threw up again and now I'm just laying in bed. I feel disgusting. I never got my flu shot because when the whole mission got them, I had a cold. So I couldn't get it. Lol, I am sick all the time. 

Obispo gave me cough drops on Sunday. We're friends! :)

So I got permission to go to the temple with Hermano Rendon and his family so they can get sealed. I've talked about him before. He is the one who is like my grandpa. He hadn't partaken de La Santa Cena in over 22 years. He hasn't been to the temple in over 25 years. Since I have been here, he has finally opened the door to missionaries to teach a lesson, has been to church, partaken de La Santa Cena, paid his tithing, and talked to Bishop about what he needs to do to go back to the temple. Apparently all he needs now is his interview. I'm actually really surprised I am able to go with them. Usually you can only go if you baptized the person. I've only reactivated him. But, President knows how hard I have worked on him and he is letting me go! I am so excited! We will see soon when they will go for sure.

Does everyone read their scriptures everyday? Say prayers together as families on your knees, morning and night? It sounds like I'm chastising you but I'm just asking yall to go back to the basics. It makes such a big difference. I know I didn't before my mission. I missed days because I was too tired. Just think of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane suffering a tremendous amount of pain. He was exhausted, yet he powered through it and performed the Atonement. The Second Coming is coming. We need to prepare. "This life is the time to prepare to meet God."

Take it one step at a time. Be consistent with one and then move to the next. If you don't, it takes longer and it get discouraging. Just like if you're playing basketball. You're trying to get better so every morning you're shooting free throws but you're missing every other one. You would want to get consistent with that until you move to the 3 point line. And so on and so on.

Sooo idk why I'm not Mommy's fave child (we all know I'm daddy's)....I've always chosen the right, never had any problems going to church, chose to go on a mission voluntarily, I'm pretty, funny, I have a lot of charity, I'm talented, I've never given yall any problems (except psychological ones which you can't blame me....you could really blame yourself because of genetics), I'm extremely charitable. Man, I'm the perfect child. Just thought I'd let you know. :) 

I literally study for 4 hours in the morning, then have lunch, then get ready for the day. We get to the church at about 2 and then have Online Time for an hour. After that, we go finding for investigators. We have like 350 potential investigators in our iPads for our one 3sq mile area so we have been going through those! We have dinner with a member at 5 every night and then go teach lessons at 6, 7, and hopefully 8. We usually have about 2 lessons a night. They're just the usual ones like L1, L2, and L3. Ricky can tell you more about it! ;) Then we go home at 9, plan for the next day until 9:30 and get ready for bed. The same old same old everyday! Except on Thursdays we have Weekly Planning and Church Tours. When we have church tours we just sit outside and wait for people to come and take a tour of the church. We've done it since November and we've only gotten one tour. Buuuut we have to keep doing it because it's a Stake Goal. Every companionship has their own day. We have 3 wards meet in the building and 5 sets of missionaries. We have to do church tours with the other sisters for safety reasons! 

But that's my life! Exciting right? Welllll, I hope everything is going great! I love yall! Keep on keeping on!

Xoxo, Hermana Dreiling"

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."