9-28-15 Staying in Brownsville!

Hello all!

Good news! I stayed in Brownsville!! woo!! 

Sadly my dear Sis Acosta got transferred for her last transfer. But it's all good cause I got a great new comp! Her name is Sis. Kingsford and she's a brand new STL. She's 2 transfers behind me and recently hit her year mark. She's from Logan and loves wildlife stuff. pretty darn cool! 

This week was pretty hard, I'll be honest. But really I'm not sad or anything cause God's really good at supporting His children. The Ortega family and Rubi were supposed to get baptized this Sunday, but unfortunately both of their husbands decided against that and asked us to stop coming by. One right after the other. Double knife to the heart! I'm not sure why and I'm not sure what's going to happen, but that's when faith's the most important, right? Ether 12:6. 

So now we're started over in Casa Linda. We're making plans and working hard and I know that God's going to help us out. He's very consistent, so I'm not worried. :)

Did all you women watch the General Women's session of conference on Saturday? If not, go watch it! Pres Uchtdorf's talk really touched me. Just what I needed, really. Let's all just be happy and skip through life, ok? cause really there's no reason to be sad. Because really, it's called the plan of happiness for a reason! just keep the commandments and you're good! Alma 41:10

love you all! keep being awesome and such! 

Hermana Lance

PS that eclipse though!

Sis. Lance and Sis. Kingsford

                                                                   Beautiful sunset!

9-21-15 best district ever

Hello all!

Well las transferencias have come upon us once again. I have no clue yet what's happening but I'm hoping I get to stay here in beloved Brownsville. :) 

In the next little bit, we're going to have Rubi and her daughter Dana get baptized, and the entire Ortega family. If i leave I'll be real sad to miss all that. but God's will be done, ya know? 

This transfer I learned a ton about faith and the power of attitude and God in general. I also learned a lot about planning. goals and plans for dayssss. 
Our zone right now is doing the best in the mission, and it's because of the faith that we have in Brownsville. This has definitely been the best transfer of my mission so far. lots of ups and downs, of course, but I feel like I totally lost myself in the work and honestly there isn't a better feeling than that. This is the best work in the world. quite literally the best. I just love it. 

This week we had a couple noches mexicanas, and they were awesome. We didn't get to wear any cool dresses, but we dressed up in red, white, and green and many of the members wore their legit Mexican clothes. Haha it was great cause at both parties, I was the only white person and they just thought that was hilarious. yay for Utah missionaries! 
Also, el grito is real. Ever heard a Mexican yell like a Mexican for his country? It's a beautiful and incredibly joyful thing. haha <3 

Well that's a million for your love and support and prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I know that even if I didn't have the support I have, that God would help me do what I'm doing, but seriously it helps and strengthens me so much to have it. There's a reason that God put us on this earth in families with friends. Because His plan is perfect! 

Keep Ruby and the Ortega family in your prayers! 

love you all!
Hermana Lance

PS..Will you tell Teresa thanks for the letters they sent me this week? They made my day :) 
ALSO. LAUREN'S TURNING 18???? WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT IS GOING ON HERE. I haven't been gone that long, have I? haha 

I'm going into my last 12 weeks, my last 2 transfers. and I'm going to go so hard that you'll have to hold me up at the airport cause I'll be so tired! Also I'll probs get my flight plans soon. gross. 
love you!

Hermana Lance

Biggest and best district ever

9-14-15 Love you all

Happy Independence Day of Mexico tomorrow!! woo!!

Our branch is having literally 2 parties this week to celebrate. Pretty sure they're going to dress me up like a Mexican. Needless to say, I'M PUMPED.

Well, this week went by super fast. We had 3 exchanges and zone conference, so, really. bambambam. pday! what? woah. cool! asi es.

so let me tell you a little about some of my favorite people. 1) RUBY   2) ORTEGA FAMILY

Ruby. She's probably one of the most gold people ever. We taught her about Joseph Smith and all that the other day and she was basically testifying about him before the lesson ended. 

On Sunday she had promised a friend she was going to help her with something, and was planning on sleeping in and going to church next Sunday. not in casa linda! We went over and woke her up and then cleaned her kitchen/made them breakfast while she got herself and her kids ready. We were pretty late, but it was so worth it. 

Then, we have the family Ortega. Lily and Julio are the parents and they have 5 sons. (3 are 8 and older). They're super boss and went to church a couple times in Harlingen (about a half hour away) without missionary help. it's going to be a process with them because they've been going to The Church of Christ for a looonng time, but they're willing and searching and it's the best. 

so Brownsville is exploding with miracles right now because all the missionaries here have a TON of faith. We're seriously unstoppable, because we trust in God and are working hard. It's pretty amazing to be a part of it. having faith makes one real happy and have real peace inside. i'm a big fan.

Thanks for always keeping me updated! I love it! 

I'm soooo pumped for General conference! It's seriously going to be a spiritual overload. I can't even tell you. 

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all lots and lots!

Hermana Lance

                                                      don't mind the terrible effects of flash.

9-8-15 Flooding and service!

Hello everyone!!!!

Well this week was absolutely INSANE.

To start, last week on Monday while we were emailing, it started raining. a lot. Long story short, it rained so much that most of the streets were flooded and we ended up stranded in a parking lot for a couple hours. Good news is that we helped a couple people by pushing their dead cars out of the several feet of water! in skirts and all. SO FUN. There was a lake outside our apartment so we basically had to walk home in the river-streets. then we put on service clothes and pushed cars out of the water the rest of the night. it was awesome!! There was one 83-yr-old lady who was stranded and we (4 sister missionaries) plowed that thing into a dry parking lot. probably the best moment of my life.

Luckily the next morning everything had drained away cause we went to MLC (missionary leadership counsel) in McAllen. We came back Thursday, so the week FLEW by.

Main miracle from this week? RUBI HERNANDEZ. Seriously. She's so readdyyyy! On Sunday we showed up at her apt so she could follow us to church and she was 100% ready and her 8-yr-old daughter even had a cute dress and bow on. The Sunday school lesson was on developing our talents, and the teacher asked what talents we all had. Rubi said that she can make good cupcakes and stuff, and the teacher encouraged her to develop that talent. Last night at a boss FHE at a member's house, RUBI BROUGHT CUPCAKES. it seems like something little, but seriously it was sooo neat. <3 <3

Well, life in Brownsville is awesome! Crazy and going way too fast, but really amazing.

I hope that school and work and everything else is going well for you. Love you all with all my heart!

Hermana Lance

                                  

                                Pushing cars out of the floods while wearing a skirt!!

The cute 83-yr old we helped and the car we pushed out of the lake-intersection