Cool Investigators and other stuff

Okay can I just say this....CALIFORNIA DRIVERS ARE CRAZY!!! WHAT THE HECK?! HAVE THEY NEVER HEARD OF BLINKERS???? I'm okay. I'm still alive but I have never had that many close calls in my life!! (It's okay Mom...breath) 

funny moment: So my companions name is Hermana Torres....and I may have introduced myself as Hermana Torres to a contact...oops. I guess I just have been hearing her name to much... :P

This past Sunday, my Branch's primary didn't have someone for music time or whatever they call it. So guess who got asked to help out with that...yours truly! Oh I love those primary kids! They were just great! I came up with actions and everything to remember the song, and which ever kid was quiet and reverent got to erase a word from the song on the chalkboard. They were AWESOME! :D

Spiritual: I love love love our investigator!!! I'm going to give him the name Edward for confidentiality issues. We were teaching him about the Plan of Salvation and he was just soaking it in. Then his uncle came in and started to listen to the lesson. After a while the uncle began to question us and told us that we were false and being really rude to us...but get this! Edwin stood up for us!! He literally stood up for us! His uncle was telling us that we were false because we didn't worship the virgin Mary and such but he came back and started to tell his uncle that there was only one God and that worshiping and praying to the saints was against the commandments. We were dumbfounded!! Just in shock! We actually had to stop him from defend us and our beliefs because it was starting to become a heated argument. He is so ready for baptism!! He is just great!! He even told us a story of how he defended the book of Mormon to a Jehovah witness that was trying  to discredit it! Oh it was amazing! He started telling the witness all about Joseph Smith and how he was a prophet of God!! I Love him!!! We are so excited for him! He is just going to be a great member! 

I love you all.

Hermana Paredes 

Over and Out

Haircuts and shoutouts

     

So this week was full of big changes! I just love the work here and I am having a blast! 

We are working on our investigator Vincent and he is just the sweetest kid ever! Just great! Has a big desire to be baptized so he will be getting baptized April 23rd! SO EXCITED!!! We taught him to pray this last week and at the end of the lesson we asked him to pray...and in that prayer he literally gave God a shout out...NO JOKE! He gave him a shout out! These are his words, "and we would just like to give you a SHOUT OUT for your love and all for us." When he said that my companions and I all looked up and at each other at the same time. So hard not to laugh!  I love this guy!!! Oh it was one the most sincere but funny prayers I have ever heard in my life! I just love my investigators.

My companion and I have started to try and eat healthy...yeah it's not working. La Latinos like to feed us desserts and starch...and a lot of it!! They are determined to make us gorda!! jajaja!! (SOS If anyone has got some eating healthy tips for the mission, please send them!!)

So huge change...I may have chopped my hair off... ha..ha...ha

No but really I love it! I absolutely love my short hair! I've been wanting to do it for a long time but never had the guts until now and I think it honestly looks better then my long hair!  I will send pictures of it!

Not sure what else to write...hummmm....I went to the Sacramento Temple and I found out that my friend has been called to the California Fresno Mission! One of the happiest days of my life!

Weather report: bipolar. Sunny one hour and rainy the next.....

I am literally just writing now because I have no idea what to write so I will conclude with saying I love you all and hopefully I will have better stories next week!

Hermana Paredes 

over and out

I'm Hermana Paredes, and I WIN!

This week was absolutely fantastic!! WE had zone conference!! I absolutely loved it! I feel so regenerated and ready to work! Adventure is out there! (UP) 

SO this week. It started off a bit rough. We weren't having a lot of success. Knocking doors and not seeing a lot of results. Rough man, rough! So one of the Hermanas started to say "I'm Hermana Stevens....and I win!" any time our spirits started to get low. It just made us laugh and renewed our resolve to find people so now, whenever we are feeling down, we just say "We are the Hermanas.....and we win!" Love love love these girls!!

Funny story of the week. We were walking in this trailer park and we walked past this house and this lady was just putting her key into her house door. I spotted her and being the obedient/happy missionary I am, said "hi" to her and started to walk in her general direction. She looked up with a smile on her face but as soon she registered that we were missionaries, her smile turned into a look of horror. She literally ran right into her door! She was trying so hard to get away from us, she forgot that she hadn't unlocked her door yet and ran straight into it! Then she started swearing and jiggling the door until she finally got in. I literally wanted to applaud! Oh it was so funny! 

Spiritual experience of the week.We have been talking to this investigator who seemed really promising...until we invited him to baptism. He flat out said no. And he is the first person I had ever asked that question too! Way to crush the greenie's hopes and dreams!! Anyway, we started talking about baptism and trying to explain to him the importance of it. He just was not having it because he didn't believe in the Book of Mormon and wouldn't pray about it. My heart started to sink because I knew that we were going to have to drop him. I seriously was about to cry so I prayed in my heart and told the Lord "I really don't want to drop this guy but I am not sure if he is ready. I need something to happen that will tell me that he is ready and that we should continue teaching him." No sooner had I finished that small prayer, he opened his mouth and said "Didn't Jesus talk about in the bible, other sheep that are not of this fold." My jaw literally dropped open.... i mean wide open! In front of an investigator! (kind of embarrassing but you know) We just rode with it. We explained how the people of the Book of Mormon where those people who Jesus was talking about! We then bore testimony that Jesus Christ had visited the Americas! We got him to commit to reading 3 Nephi 11 and commited him to pray about that chapter to see if Christ had really had visited the people of the Book of Mormon. It was amazing!! At the end of the lesson, he gave the prayer and in the pray he said "Please bless that the Book of Mormon is true." (my thoughts: well...yeah it's true...) ;) Sweetest prayer ever!  

Love you all,

Hermana Paredes   over and out

Week two?! No way!!!

Week two?! There is no way that its week two!! Oh man I don't even know were to begin..

Okay so I went tracting this week.... it was raining cats and dogs! I also was carrying a twenty pound bag, and I got my first door slam!! Actually it was a really good experience and I have so much more respect for the English missionaries that have to do it all the time.

So my door slamming experience. We walk up to this pretty big house and because there was a potential that lived there so we thought for sure we were going to get a lesson in. A college aged guy answered the door and we introduced ourselves.  One of the sister asked him if he had a belief in Christ and he answered yes and she said "Well we are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint and we have a message about Christ." He smiled at us and said "oh!" and then opened the door a little wider and I thought he was going to let us in. He then slammed the door and hard as he possibly could! We honestly just stood there in stunned silence for about 30 seconds and then we all began to laugh! We had all heard of doors being slammed on missionaries but had never had it happen! It was so crazy!!! I think that made me an official missionary! haha!

We have a lot of potentials but no investigators thus far but I still have hope! There is one guy that we are trying to talk to, who is actually genuinely interested, but he is just so busy so we haven't gotten a hold of him yet but trust me, we will!! I have been doing a lot of contacting (talking to people who are walking on the street or at stores and such) ! I actually like contacting a lot! The Latin people are always so nice and they are always willing to talk to us even if they are not interested. I'm so blessed to be a Spanish speaking missionary. Also my companions are awesome!! I love them so much! We have really grown and bonded! Also my apartment mates! Hermana Vergaray and Hermana Justinio. Hermana Vergaray is half peruvian as well!! She and I have bonded a lot. Also we are going to be having dinner with a Peruvian member this week!! Ahhhhhhhh!!! So excited for that!! Okay last freak out moment! Guess who is in my apartment complex...Sister Jessica Christoffersen!!! Oh I about cried when I saw her!! She looks great by the way for anyone who knows her and she sends her love!

I also send all my love and I stay tuned for next week,

Hermana Paredes, 

Over and Out! 

A photo of a photo of Sofia and Mission President and Sister Jardine 

First week in Cali

ELDER OAKS

Wow....wow....wow!! I am actually in the field!! This is craziness! I was a little heart broken to leave my district in the CCM (okay maybe this is an understatement...they would totally disagree..hehe) but I am so excited to be out here!!! Plane flight summary: Woke up at 2am in the morning to report to Reception at 2:30. We drove pretty much in silence to the airport. I think everyone was just exhausted! I then got on a plane at 6:00am and headed for the states! You guys are never going to believe this but I handed out four pass along cards!! Ahhhhh!! Look at me being a missionary! It was actually not as hard as I thought it was going to be! Everyone was super friendly and open to my message. Missionary work is the coolest!! And I was all by myself as well! I'm such a big girl! hahah! I then meet my Mission President and his wife! I love them!!! They are so sweet and I got to talk to them for an hour while we were waiting for the other missionaries to land! Such a sweet experience!! Meeting my companions: Yeah that's right! I said companions!! I have two! Watchout Sactown, you got a trio coming your way! They are so sweet and amazing missionaries!! Their names are Hermana Torres and Hermana Stevens. Hermana Torres will be going home in May so most likely I will be her last companion...pressure!! But I am so excited!! We work great together! Biking experience: So I got my first biking experience...that was interesting. Who know that biking in a skirt would have to require so much skill?! My skirt would literally get caught on my seat anytime I tried to dismount!! It was ridiculous!! Oh and no...there was no flipping over the handle bars this time around...we will see about next though! haha! Oh by the way I placed my first Book of Mormon! It was such a cool experience! I wish I had brought my journal with me! I have all the cool miracles that have been happening in there and right now I can't remember any!! Frustrating but its fine! I love you all, Hermana Paredes Over and Out

One week left in the Mexico MTC

The one photo that was in focus was skiwampus.  

This is so crazy!!! I can´t believe how fast time has flown! By this time next week I will be in California!! ¡Orale! 

Funny moment: So my companion and I were teaching a "Investigator" about the ten commandments. The lesson had gone smoothly and we had gotten him to commit to keeping the ten commandments. My companion and I then asked him if he had any problems with any of my commandment and he responded that he didn´t but then he jokingly asked us if we had any problems especailly with though shalt not kill. Laughing I said no and then he turned to my companion and asked her the same question.... And with the biggest smile on her face she gave an enthusiastic "Si!" There were a few seconds of silence then I and the investigator busted into laughter. She turned so red and said "Si! wait no!....¡que?" Oh my poor companion! Everything ended well and our "Investigator" kindly helped her out but oh was it funny!

Sad moment: One of the members of our district and my good friend caught some sort of bacteria during his stay here and couldn´t hold down food. He ended up loosing 15 lbs! There was a decision made that he would need to go home so he left this past Thursday...I have now seen two people go home. Coming out on a mission is not easy but going home from one I think is even harder. I am amazed how he handled it with grace and put his trust in the Lord. We do miss having him in our group but we know that he is getting the care he need and that the lord is proud of him!  I have said this before but I didn´t want to come out on my mission early but I now know that there is a grander purpose behind it all. The people I have meet here have influenced me and made me so much better. I honestly feel like my district in the CCM was carefully put together by God. All of their testimonies have strengthened me and my belief in the church and gosple! I am so incredibly blessed! I defiantly have no reason to complain...ever again.

Spiritual moment: Can I be so bold as to say the Book of Mormon is the word of God? It is the word of God! So we had TRC this past week and it was AMAZING!! We taught this man, Moroni, who is already a member of the church on how to get revelation from the Book of Mormon.  We asked him how his reading was going and he told us that it wasn´t going so great. He was having a hard time getting the will power to actually study his scriptures. So I shared with him the story about the women at the well in John chapter 4. 

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest thegift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up intoeverlasting life.

Then my companion and I bore witness that Jesus Christ is the living water and the Book of Mormon contains his words and the fullness of his doctrine and anyone that read this book, their soul will never hunger and it will be filled. It was so powerful. By the end of the lesson, this man was clinging on the Book of Mormon like it was his life source. In a way...it is. I´m going to share with you what I have been doing to study the Book of Mormon. 

1. I think of a question

2.I pray and ask God the question with a heart full of faith (James 1:5)

3. I write my question in my notebook

4. As I read I write down feelings and impressions

5. I close with a pray and thank god!

I can witness to you that god does answer honest and pure questions! He wants to speak with us. He is our Heavenly Father. Like I always tell the investigators, when we want to talk to God we pray, when we want god to speak to us, we read the scriptures! The Book of Mormon is the word of God and I challenge you to study them and for those of you who haven´t read it...Read it!! 

I love you all,

Hermana Paredes 

Over and Out

P.S. Elder Oaks is coming today to speak!! and guess who got chosen to sing in the select choir....yours truly!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! So next email I will send you guys some notes from that! There will not be a email next week because I will be flying!! 

 Hermana Sofia Paredes' district 8B!!!!!

Week 4 Homesick

Avengers!!!

OH this week was the worst week and the best week all at the same time!! I LOVED IT!!!

So reason why it was the worst week...homesickness set in. Yep lovely homesickness. I was really doing just fine the first two weeks that I was here but then around the middle of my third week, I started to feel pangs of homesickness. I really do miss having my mom around to talk to 24/7. I really do miss my dad´s council. I miss my sibling who never failed to make me laugh...oh and my guitar!! UGHHH!! I miss my guitar!!! It was aweful!! On Tuesday night I completely broke down. Just locked myself in the bathroom and had a cry fest...not pretty people! It didn´t last long though! I have the best district Hermanas in the world!! Turns out that they had been missing home just as much as I had so as a Sisterhood we decided to lighten our week and did Spirit Week. 

So you now how school´s have spirit weeks right before homecoming?? And each day is a theme?? And you are suppose to dress up for the theme of the day?? Yeah so we might have done that. ;) Here is the order; Monday(dressed in Red), Tuesday (Burgandy), Wednesday (Disney princesses), Thurday(AVENGERS...my favorite day!), Friday (Winnie the Pooh), and last but not least Saturday (Inside Out)...I will let you all figure out who was who for those days. :) Oh we had so much fun matching outfits and trading clothes back and forth! It lifted our spirits so much! Our district leader told the MTC president about what we were doing in his report and apperently he loved it!! Our MTC President is so awesome!! I will send pictures!! 

As great as all of this was, my heart still hurt. I talked to one of the councilors in our Branch and he suggested a blessing from my district leader. I at first was not to keen about this idea but I eventually gave in. Let me tell you, I am so glad I did! The blessing was exactly what I needed. The blessing was almost identical to my setting apart and my father´s blessing. It brought so much comfort to hear those exact same words over again, reminding me of the promises made to me before I left on my mission. There is a scripture in 

1 Nephi 10:18-19. 

18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.

 19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and themysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

Even though I am very far from home, in a different country, god still gives the same promises. I am not forgotten here. I am not alone. I know that my family is praying for me and I know others are too. I hear the voice of god hear more clearly then I ever had in my life! Oh it is such a joy to be on  the lord´s errand! I love you all and I will write soon! 

Hermana Paredes,

Over and Out

P.S. My companions name is Hermana Troseth. Apperently I forgot to say that in my past few emails. Also Hermana Stocking (the blonde) and Hermana Torrez (the burnette) are the new training sisters and my district leader and his companion are the new Zone leaders...just proves we have the best district. ;) (not really, we are just the only district in our zone currently..haha) 

Same Spirit day as the first photo----Avengers

In-side-Out day!

Disney Princesses ?, Bell, Cinderella, Pocahontas?

Winnie the Pooh Day, looks like Piglet, Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger