7-27-15 Choose to be happy...Choose Christ!

Hello hello hello!

First off and most importantly, Norma got baptized yesterday!! yay!! it was so amazing. She was a little sad because her kids (the youngest is 17) decided to sleep in instead of coming and supporting her. But during one of the talks, the sister giving the talk told her to look around her at the people there, because now they're all her familia. It was a super sweet moment, and Norma just started crying. She cried after she was baptized too, and I can't really explain the immense joy I felt as I saw her truly accept her savior and be washed clean. She has gone through so much in her life, including losing her husband and 12-year old daughter. and right now barely has food on the table. But she's still faithful. She still cries out to God in gratitude and humility. If you want to see true humility, come meet the newest member of the La joya ward. 

Let's see.. everything else is pretty normal. We're seeing lots of miracles with our members, with them literally bringing us investigators to baptisms and church. (soooo awesome.) The Lord is working hard on these people and it's so cool. 

This week a member showed us the video "The Bridgemaster and his son." Probably one of the coolest videos ever. It helps us truly understand the sacrifice that was made for us by our heavenly father and his son. 

I know that Christ suffered and died for us, and rose again so that we can overcome not only physical, but spiritual death. I can't express my gratitude for that. Let us make sure that he did not suffer in vain by taking advantage of the atonement and repenting and coming unto Him. Today is the day. God needs you now, so don't wait. There are things way bigger than you at work, and we can choose whether or not we're going to be a part of it. Choose to be happy. Choose life. Choose Christ. 

I love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Lance

Mas baptism pics

              me being a mexican and cooking chiles rellenos with an awesome member :) 

7-20-15 Super busy!!

WoW. What a week. 

We've been going crazy and are super busy and I don't even know where to start! 

Which basically means I'm going to skip a lot of details because I don't have the patience for that. haha. 

We had some spiritually intense lessons with Jesus and he's still progressing. on Saturday he went the whole day without chewing any nicotine gum! #smallandsimplesteps

This coming Sunday our lovely Norma is going to come closer to her savior through baptism! woo!! She's adorable. I definitely think that we were friends before this life. I don't know why but I really connect with her. She's been going through some hard times recently but bless her heart she's holding in there and looking to her savior for help. So neat. :) 

We also helped with a service project our ward is doing for a less-active member. We got to help re-roof on Saturday and it definitely brought back memories of "family fun" back in the day. haha. it was lots of fun though. we got some pretty sweet sunburns and new tan lines, but we've already recovered so no worries. 

Really I just love being a missionary. I hit my 13-month mark this week and I can't believe how fast it's going. This is the best thing I've ever done in my life and I'm so grateful I get to be here with these people and be an instrument in the Lord's hands.  The other day one of our most solid members was having problems with her very stubborn, less active husband. As she cried and told us about her struggles, I thought of how Alma the older prayed with faith for his rebelling son with faith and how his prayers were answered (Mosiah 27:14). So we shared that verse with her. The next day she told us that she read the whole chapter after we left and got a lot of strength from it and is doing a lot better. It's incredible how stuff like that happens all the time. God knows exactly what people need and he guides us without us knowing it so we can help them. I love it so much! The little things make a HUGE difference in people's lives. 

I hope you all have a great week and don't do anything too crazy! 

 Love

Hermana Lance

                                 

                                                   Companionship trust exercise

                                   

                                                Ward service project...re-roofing 

7-13-15 I am so blessed!

Hola a todos! 

This week flew by super fast. We're working with a ton of gente right now and so our days are packed and super fun. We have several investigators that should be getting baptized this month, or soon after. One of them is Jesus Garza. He's a cute old guy that's got a nicotine addiction. He's down to chewing just one piece of nicotine gum a day, but he needs to stop completely before he can get baptized. So everyone pray that that gum stops being necessary for him please :) 

We're also teaching an adorable lady named Norma. She's come to church twice now and her favorite part are the prayers and how close she can feel to God. <3

This week I realized just how blessed I've been my whole life. There's a lot of poverty here, and a lot of it is because people have sacrificed everything to come to the United States. They tell us stories about Reynosa and wherever they're from, and it's rather terrifying. I'm so grateful I get to live in a stable country without such extreme problems. Yes there is still extreme poverty here, I've seen it, and bad things. And yes, our country is starting to move away from the standards of God, but we are all SO BLESSED. Also because we have the gospel. Words can't describe my gratefulness. :) 

So Eber (our recent convert) was telling us crazy Guatemala stories yesterday, and he said, "Hay gente mala alli. Por eso se llama guate-MALA." I almost died laughing. sorry if you don't speak spanish. mala means bad. it was a solid spanish pun. I love puns. haha.

Well, I hope that you all have an amazing week and don't get into any trouble! Hold to the rod!! 

Hermana Lance

hipster shot in Texas

7-6-15 Transferred to La Joya!

Happy July!! 

Well, Dad. I am SO PUMPED FOR YOU!!!! You'll be an amazing Bishop. A couple weeks ago I was talking to my companion and I told her, I think my dad is going to be the next bishop. and then I was like, naaaahhh. But then it happened! #thespiritknowseverything

Sounds like a pretty crazy weekend for everyone back home. I hope everyone had a fun, safe 4th of July! We had to stay in our apartment in the evening, which was terribly boring. But at one point we watched some people light fireworks in the parking lot out the window, so that was exciting! haha

Oh ya!! I'm not in Laredo anymore!! I got transfered to La Joya! (which isn't really in La Joya but that's the ward. so.. ya!) And I love it here. I literally feel like I'm in south america. This area is a lot poorer than my last (which was pretty poor) and everything is super spread out. more stray dogs than ever, more Spanish, and even more members! 

My new comp's name is Sis. Thompson. She's on her 3rd transfer and is awesome. She's from Idaho Falls, Idaho and super chill. 

So the biggest miracle this week was that we had a baptism!!! Eber Ambrocio decided to overcome his doubts and get baptized this Sunday. Funny cause he told us on Saturday. He was just like, ya, so.. Quiero bautizarme manana. and we're like, MANANA?? WOO!! it was great. He's super solid and straight from Guatemala. such a boss. 

I love you all! Keep serving the lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength! Cuidense!

Hermana Lance

Also, here's my new address:

7512 Clavel Drive #4

Mission, TX 78572

Eber looks like he's gonna kill someone, but he's really happy. don't worry. :)

6-29-15 I blinked and time flew...

I think I blinked a couple times since I last wrote. and now here I am! This week flew. 

Once again we're waiting to know about transfers, so I'll just let you know next week where I'm at :) 

This week was super good and a bit crazy and hard, of course. 

We ran into some more problems with Olga and sadly she's now acting like the seed that fell in shallow ground. Opposition keeps coming but she's not willing to pay the price to overcome it. it's sad, but hopefully she's be strengthened and choose to follow her Heavenly Father's plan for her soon. :) 

This week we got to go to a ranch! the English branch had a party out in the country of Laredo and it was awesome! That day I was working with Sis. Tippetts, who's going home to Utah this week. In the evening we had FOUR yes. FOUR meal appointments in a row. If I've learned anything from a mission, it's how to pound food. #lifeskills

Well I love you all. The work is going well and the Lord is helping me and all of us everyday. I love Laredo with all my heart and if I leave I'm going to miss it so much! Yes, even the hills and the heat. The people here are precious to me and to our Heavenly Father. I'm so grateful for every moment I've had in my mission so far and am bound and determined to give this work all I got wherever I am this transfer. 

I love this gospel. And you! :) Cuidense!

Hermana Lance

                                     

                                                                  district pic

                                     

                                             Pimentel family we've reactivated :)

                                     

                                                       adventuras del rancho 

                                     

                                                

                                          Our next door neighbor member friend!

                                     

                                                         just another selfie...

 

I made german pancakes for the sisters here cause most of them had never had them! I'm also trying to get Mexican women to teach me how to cook. Get ready for the best and most authentic flautas of your life when I get back. :) 

                      I also apparently look like Brigham Young when I have a beard.... :)