Week 43 - Woodland - Getting Transfered

Querido mis amigos 

So transfers are happening!! I am actually leaving Woodland. I will be moving to San Rafeal and will be one of the Sister Leaders of that zone. My new companion will be Hermana Tribe I haven't really meet her before so it will be an adventure! I'm so sad to be leaving Woodland I definitely didn't want to leave but the Lord knows better than I do so we will see what's to come in the new area.

This week was so awesome! We had a really good pday! We actually went to a super cool park and had a picnic. I realized how much I was from Texas as I was freezing in a long sleeve shirt. But Elder Carter brought a hammock and I've decided I SO want one I got in it and I think they could have left me there for two days and I would have sat peacefully and it would have been great.

We did go get flu shots with the Spanish Elders and it was terrible but I did it.  If you know me, you know my hate of needles! So you're welcome. Only because Sister Wright asked us all to get one as well so I decided fine better follow the advice of her and my mom.

On Tuesday we had zone meeting and we were even able to see President Wright for a second there. It was a good meeting and after that we were able to visit with Patty! We had the greatest lesson with her, she told us about her baptism and the Lord led us straight into a conversation about church. She told us that she wants to come back and that Tomas has been asking to go to church. We've been praying for so long that her schedule for work will change and today she talked about how if her kids want to go to church she will go back. She also expressed that she knows that this is the Lord talking to her. I think I could have run a marathon after the lesson I was so unbelievably happy. Seeing how Christ has worked in someone's life and hearing the ways people are drawing closer to Christ is the greatest and most exciting thing in the world!

We also visited with Miguel he said that he in essence knew the church was true and that he had fears of doubts because he knew that baptism is a serious thing. We had an awesome lesson with him about prayer though he has been neglecting prayer and we really talked about how that's the only way he can communicate with our Heavenly Father and that's the only way he can get answers to the questions he has, so he promised to pray!

So with one day the week was so exciting we were able to see two people come nearer to Christ which is what our purpose is as missionaries! Bringing Christ to people is the most exciting thing!

We also meet with some less actives and talked a lot with people about the atonement! My favorite subject right now!! :) I want to scream the gospel to the world at most points. Satan knows what he's doing and the world has made a very easy way off the straight and narrow. We have such a job to share the gospel with ALL of those around us, to help them feel the happiness we feel and know they can have. 

More of a short letter this week but I want you all to know how much I love his gospel. Truly I can testify that I know it is true and that I know Christ is our savior and loves each and every one of us. I hope you all had an awesome week! 

Que le vía bien 

Hermana foster 

PS - Because of transfers, lots of picture and goodbyes :-(

Familia Lopez

Familia Perez

Familia Quezada

Familia Solorio

Little Sister Missionary on Halloween

Happy Hot Dog, Brother Hoglund 

Hermana Mayorquin

Lauras Baby 

Lizet

Nancy and her daughter

Coffeeless visit to Starbucks

Temple

Woodland Zone

Young Women

Week 42 - Woodland

Hola hola! Como estan? 

This week we got to meet with Miguel again! It was so exciting and he had read in the Book of Mormon! He said that he was enjoying it and we talked a bit about the Plan of Salvation. We were on exchanges this day and I was with Sister Irvine who isn't speaking Spanish on her mission. So I got to see kind of how far my Spanish had come since I was kinda solo for the lesson. But it went super smooth after I chilled and relied on my faith that the Lord would help me say what I needed to. Miguel asked a ton of questions during the lesson and had some follow up questions at the end. He hadn't prayed about what he had read yet so we are still encouraging him to do that but he is really moving forward! We plan on asking him about baptism this Tuesday!

Maria is well, she was so happy this week most of the times we saw her. She's been reading everyday on her own and you can see the small differences that it is making. Small and simple things make great things come to pass! We KNOW that one day will be such an amazing day where Maria enters the waters of baptism. When that will be we aren't quite sure but we know the Lord has a perfect plan for everyone, so we will continue to be with her and help her until that day comes.

Let's see we had a lot of service this week and mulched for what seemed like forever but I made a two year old friend who was playing in a sand pit and was slowly but surely carrying the sand from the pit to the sidewalk on the other side.

We also helped a member make raviolis and we had a taco fest on Saturday night for our branch! It was so fun and awesome everyone brought different kinds of tacos and there was music for people to dance to, it was super fun. The members here are just my favorite.

I'm so nervous to find out about transfers this week I want to stay here in Woodland but I know the Lord has the perfect plan for me! 

We saw a drug bust go down in the church parking lot. Three cop cars actually pulled over this car and blocked us into the church parking lot so we watched that go down and that was quite entertaining. They searched the whole car, brought some dogs, and put some stuff in bags in the police care. It was like watching TV but not.

We lost our gas card? Yea well we haven't gotten another one so we have to keep using someone else's and we were like super out of gas and didn't have the card so we drove with the elders all night. During this all there were multiple conversations but Elder Osorio got the quote of the day when he said "man there are like four girls in your family that means your family must be loaded, girls are way too expensive."

I read a talk from the 2007 March ensign this week as well that was called "Forgiving Oneself" it is an amazing talk if you have time to read it but I'll include one of my favorite parts! 

"The Savior, in contrast, would have us understand that we have sins that need to be cleansed, but we are much more than those stains. If I spill ketchup on my shirt, I have a stain. Perhaps it is right in front where everyone can see it. But while I have a stain, I am not the stain. I need to recognize that there is a good deal of my shirt that is clean and white. I believe that God sees the white shirt--the goodness in His children--and offers, through Christ, to remove the stains. If we obsess about the stain, however, it will become who we are in our minds and then in our actions."

The atonement is being talked about here and how through it we are cleansed from sin and then the next step is forgiving ourselves. God has commanded us to forgive ALL even OURSELVES. Which that leads to my continued reading in the Infinite Atonement this week and I'm SO grateful for the atonement and it's so amazing to be able to study it as a missionary it is so true that everything revolves around this one selfless act done by Christ.

Because of this EVERYTHING will be ok in the end and that is something that can give us each hope as we go through each day. I testify that this gospel is the best and that it is true. I love it and being able to share with others the things the atonement can do for ones life.

Yea...  being a missionary helps you see how much can be done in Wards that isn't happening. But hey it's all good because I never would have known any of that if I hadn't come on a mission. Being a missionary doesn't lack frustration and down times but along with that comes some great ups and awesome experiences. I am where I am supposed to be!

Love you all lots! Que tenga un buen semana.

Nos vemos 

Hermana Foster

A rock I painted

Week 41 - Woodland

Hola mis amigos como estado, 

This week was pretty crazy but great! Tuesday we were running all over the place, we went from Davis for district meeting to Woodland to pick up a member to Knights Landing to have a lesson. We picked up a new investigator named Miguel! He so super cool and showed up to sacrament meeting and said he wanted to learn more, and that was something SO exciting. He knew stuff about the church and had a Book of Mormon he agreed to read and said that he thinks everything is true but he wants to feel it before he really commits to baptism. Ahhhh so awesome! So we have appointments to meet again with him, prayers that all goes well!

We contacted a referral, well tried his son answered the door and was this super nice dude in his 20's that told us we needed to come back when his dad was home because they both could use a message and it was super cool. He opened the door and was like what up guys and said it was nice to see youthful preachers instead of the 90 year olds, it was so nice to have someone so welcoming haha he was rocking a man bun too. 

We also ate dinner with Patty and got to hang out with Tomas for a bit and went to see Maria. The spirit lead us to go when she needed us and it was amazing to see how peace entered her heart as we were able to pray and read the Book of Mormon. We love her so so much and to see the spirit work in her is probably the most exciting thing ever! She has become so aware of the Lords hand in her life and how he is helping her overcome things through her situations. We saw a happy in her we haven't seen for a while and that made us so very happy as well! It's the best to go visit with her and talk with her! I truly love the people here in woodland SO much. 

We have read in the Book of Mormon a lot this week as well with less actives and people and man I love that book. I do recommend it for all, it's quite fantastic. My mission has helped my testimony of so many things grow and one of those is the Book of Mormon. I get so excited to read it each day and I'm recognizing the peace and guidance that can come from it and that's something that I want to just share with everyone. 

Recently my mission president has approved for me to read the book the Infinite Atonement by Elder Callister. And WOW it is something so amazing and so enlightening. It dives into the gospel a little deeper and if pondered can really make you think. A favorite quote so far: "after all the sleight of hand ceases and the smoke clears, it is still Jesus Christ, his atonement, and our obedience to him that saves us- nothing else can do it." I love this!

The only way to get back is through Christ and we discussed this week how the scriptures say the path to god is straight and narrow. Straight is easy walking straight isn't hard the path isn't twist and turny but straight and it leads directly through Christ. So when we follow what we are supposed to and hold to Christ there is no need to worry because he will lead us where we need to be.

Well I hope you all had a super fantastic week! Things are going good here and it actually rained this week, let's talk about how much I missed rain. Well here what people call rain is actually a drizzle but nonetheless it's great! I love you all so much!

Que le vía bien 

Hermana Foster

We like to play on the Jungle Gym

Herman Dorny

Week 40 - Woodland

Mis amados hermanos y hermanas 

So this week was kinda crazy, I hit 9 months this week and we celebrated by eating crepes!! Halfway through the mission! It's actually a super crazy thought, definitely doesn't feel that long.

The Spanish elders had to take their car in to be fixed so we had to drive them everywhere. It was like having children that needed to go places constantly, it was slightly stressful and we had to help them fix bikes so they could ride them.

We did however get to teach a man named Martin and his wife for the first time and it was super awesome! We've been trying them a lot so it was nice to get in and see them. And we got to visit with a part member family! We meet with them on Tuesday and read in the Book of Mormon and they shared such awesome insights about the chapter and it was amazing to see their testimony growing just that much. And after they invited us to come back again that week which like never happens so that was very very exciting.

The next lesson we had was a great one as well and they talked about how they do really need to come to church. And let me tell you as a missionary this is something so exciting and amazing to hear.

We finally got to meet with Maria as well! She's gotten a job so meeting has been harder but we caught her and had an awesome lesson about the atonement. The elders gave her a blessing and she was amazed at how they answered and said all the things she needed to hear. Her ex ended up barging through the door and made the lesson take a quick turn of events, he was more on the contentious side and wasn't totally understanding to the gospel is the least to say.

He did end up leaving and we were able to talk with Maria more and offer a prayer, it was so nice to offer that last prayer as well because you could feel the spirit slip it's way back in after all the contention that had been there. What beautiful gifts we have from our father in heaven friends, the priesthood, and the Holy Ghost. 

We traveled to Dixon this week to try and contact some referrals! We meet many nice people and were able to find a woman that was interested! We showed her the Easter video and she said that we could come back and we also meet a women that asked us to come back this Wednesday with the elders that night, exciting things! It's the best when we find people to teach.

We were also able to attend zone conference this week and I wanted to share something that stuck out to me. It is a story that was shared: a man walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls. After he made it he threw his balancing pole into the water and asked someone to bring him a wheelbarrow. He asked the crowd watching if they believed he could cross the rope with a wheelbarrow and they all answered yes. Then the tightrope walker said ok then I only need one volunteer. The crowd stood aimlessly and nobody offered to volunteer and the man said I thought you said you believed I could do this, but yet nobody will volunteer?

When your dress matches your mission mom's dress

This story leads us to a question concerning our belief in Christ, would we get in the wheel barrow for Christ? 

Hope that you all had a fantastic week!! Love you!!

Quédense 

Hermana Foster 

Sister Mazzoni

When you play dress up at Ross!