Conference is coming...it's true, it's true!

Hello,

This week was great!  We had a very successful week.  We found 3 new investigators!  Yep, it's true. 3.  They are all from the same family, but still it is incredible!!  This week we saw the mom working in her yard with her girls.  We stopped to see if we could help.  After we helped, we all sat on her trampoline and told her our purpose as missionaries.  They asked us questions and were just so grateful for us and our service.  It was great and they even invited us back!!  So we went and taught the Restoracion.  It went very well.  I think we are going to be seeing great things from them! :)

This week we didn't get in with "D" or her family once.  She still came to church, though, and it was our fast and testimony meeting.  Guess who went up?  This girl.  It's true.  I was a little blancita shaking trying to bear my testimony to all these native Hispanics.

After church we stayed after in primary with "D"  and the leaders (I've been helping a lot with the primary in the ward.  Teaching classes and sitting with them in primary).  "D" received her part for the primary program.  She was asked to bear her testimony on prophets.  She said, "is it okay if I say this..?"  She then began to share her whole testimony.  Wow!  Literally broke down.  This girl kills me.  It was the most beautiful testimony.  Later that day, we went over to her place and she had her testimony all written out on a piece of paper.  She read it to me and in her testimony she shared how grateful she was for us missionaries who have taught her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  I know when that primary program comes I am going to lose it...again.

Oh oh oh, CONFERENCE IS THIS WEEK!  Yes. I think I am a little too excited.  Actually, false.  I cannot be too excited, but I'm ecstatic!  The whole Woman's broadcast was fantastic as well.  I am so glad we were able to go to that.  I am also so grateful that there was a room showing it in English.  Mostly all the missionaries were in that room. ha!  It just makes me so happy to hear words spoken by the prophet and others called of God.  It is just a testimony builder.  After, I had the desire to read my baptismal and temple covenants.  I will forever be moved by the words I studied and heard that day.

Another bright note, I think we killed the mice family...key word: think.  There is now a stench in our apartment.  Yeah.  It's bad.  I think they died under the dishwasher.

I love it out here.  Spanish is coming.  I understand it a lot better than I can speak it but it is coming :)  I can get my point across which is good.  It's all those people that slur their words or use slang when they speak that kill me.

You and those special people I know are always in my prayers.  Remember who you all are.  People are watching you and judging us as members.  Things are getting crazy in the world today, but we need to stick strong as a family and help each other out.  None of us are going to fall.  We will all make it back to live with our Father in Heaven...okay?  Promise me that.

Read your scriptures.  Say your prayers.  Remember that everything is going to work out.

Tu hermana,
Hermana McChesney

Shoutouts:
--Shout out to Cabrina Blackhurst for getting her papers in :)  AH!  Couldn't be more excited about this!
--Shout out to Crew for getting braces.  Cutest kid on the block that's for sure!

Funny things that happened this week:
--Learned how to dance like a Mexican this week.  Yeah, let's just say two white girls should never try to dance like that ever again.

Cielito Lindo..HA!

Thanks again for all the emails.  I literally laugh way too hard here in the library.  I try to hold it in, but it's impossible.  One thing I've learned on the mission is that ...I laugh way too much.  I think it's good, but others may think differently. HA!

Well, this week was full of adventures.  Somehow this week we were running short on miles.  On Thursday, we decided to walk to the store to pick up some clothes for our skit, and then to the post office.  It was such a beautiful day, just walking!  Then off in the distance we see black sky and clouds.  We realized we should probably walk a little faster.  We got the mail and then it started to rain a little bit.  I thought it was awesome!  So I was enjoying the breeze and the rain instead of the sweat and heat.  We walked for about 10 minutes and then straight down pour!  The whole back of my skirt was drenched and then the front was dry.  We still had a mile to go.  Then comes the lightning and thunder.  I thought for sure we were going to get hit by lightning and die.  The heading of the newspaper would read, "Sister Missionaries Trying to Save Miles Can't Save Their Lives"...yeah.. those were my thoughts.  People asked us if we wanted a ride, but we aren't allowed to.  Let's just say after 2ish miles in down pour, I felt like a champion when I made it home!  HA!

We had exchanges this week.  It was good.  I got to go out with Hermana Rife again.  We had some great lessons!!  One in particular was with "D" and her family.  Yes, I said family.  HER DAD LISTENED TO THE WHOLE LESSON!!  We taught about obedience and the ten commandments.  I asked the dad if he was interested and he said he was.  (heel click)  I was so happy!  It was great.  We told the mom again that "D" cannot be baptized if she does not bring her to church.  She didn't bring her this Sunday...so, that was sad.  We will hope for the next.

We are still teaching English class every Wed and Thurs.  It's so amazing!  I love it!!  We have so many new students.  It's getting a little hard to manage it all.  We are trying to get members to come and fellowship so our students can feel welcome if they come to activities.  Speaking of which, TWO OF OUR ENGLISH CLASS MEMBERS CAME TO NOCHE DE NATIONALIDADES! :)

Okay---Noche de Nationalidades.  Yes, it happened.  Was I humiliated?  Yes.  Did I act natural like Beyonce?  Yes.  I literally was so sick that whole day because I was so nervous.  It brings me back to basketball games and other events.  But it went well.  I had somebody film it so I am going to try and get it sent over (video couldn't be downloaded, so Mikayla is sending the SD card home.  Once I get it, I "might" put it on here...just depending on how humiliating it really is.)  We sang Cielito Lindo, then did a skit with all us missionaries, and then danced with the Relief Society.  The one that everyone died laughing at was the skit we did.  We had it look like we were midgets.  Hermana Hosking was my hands/arms, my arms were my feet, and then just my head.  Everybody was in tears, including me!  I don't think I have laughed so hard.  It went really well :)  "D" and her whole family came!!  She and her little sister danced with the primary.  The mom and dad loved it...and even grandma came!  It was great!  We had a lot of success that night!  So happy!!

I got to play basketball for the first time in FOREVER!  I forgot how much I missed it.  Played with all the Elders and a couple guys around here in Waller.  It was a blast!  Even if Hma Hosking and I were the only girls, we competed well.  HA!

Um...well, as for investigators this week.  We had a rough week.  We had some great lesson though as always.  One thing I've noticed is that all the good things always out weigh the bad things!  So as hard as a week this may have been, we still had success in other areas.  It's nice to know that each week is different and we have different things to look forward to.

Oh, we had interviews this week.  I had a great interview with President.  He had me pray in Spanish and he said that my Spanish sounds fantastic and is much better than last time he saw me.  He asked Hma Hosking if I could take on the area...yeah.  So please pray for me. AHHHH!  I don't know how I feel about that.

I was studying today on pride and contention.  I found a lot of great scriptures in Proverbs.  I now have a better understanding of how some of my investigators are and how I can better help them and connect with them.  I love personal study, it's sad we only have 1 hour (I never thought I would ever say that before the mission..it's true, I'm growing up. ha!)  I just know that love always beats contention, always.  Nothing good comes from contention and it can easily be avoided.  I am excited to use what I have learned in teaching.

Well, hope all is going well for you all.  Love and miss you all :)  Remember to read your scriptures and through Christ all is possible, I know that to be true!  Read Mosiah 24: 13-16

Con amor,

Hermana McChesney

P.S.  It looks like I have a disease on my foot...too many ant bites.  I stepped on an ant hill...

Shoutouts:
--Shout out to Jackson Wooden on the mission call to the Philippines!
--Shout out to Dad for visiting Forks, Washington!  Ha!  Dying!
--Shout out to Austin..Zone Leader!  YEA!
--Shout out to Steph Mersmann for the letter.  Loved it!

Houston, we have a (mouse) problem!!

Hello, Hello, Hello!

So first things first...we have a mouse in the apartment.  Yes, it is so true.  I saw it with my own eyes this morning.  Let me give you all a little run down.  So I wake up at 5:50am (yes, this is real life) and I am downstairs pouring myself some water before heading out the door to zumba.  Out of the corner of my eye what do I see?  A mouse scurry underneath our dishwasher.  YES!  Hermana Hosking was upstairs so I screamed and then ran to go tell her.  Sadly we have not seen the mouse since, and just have to live with the fact that maybe we never will.  HA!  We are buying mouse traps today.  I will keep you all updated on this nightmare ;)

Anyways, HELLO!!!  It was so good to hear from so many of you this week.  Why am I so blessed to get emails upon emails?  I haven't quite figured that out yet, but I do want to thank you all for taking the time to write me and tell me about your life and dropping spiritual thought.  They always help so much!

So, this week we had some more miracles!  Things have been going so so well.  We have been teaching a lady named "J" who is probably 60 years old and the sweetest thing ever.  Her son is a recent member so that's how the missionaries first go in with her.  She hadn't been progressing, so we decided to restart with her and that was the best thing that ever happened!  She is not able to read so we have been reading from the Libro de Mormon with her and also the little pamphlets.  We only cover a couple points each time because her attention span is short.  This week she wasn't feeling well, and she expressed how it's been a hard week.  We bore solid testimonies to her and then I asked her "Have you been praying everyday?"  This was in Spanish, and I thought I said it right...and I still think I did.  She just said "si" and then bowed her head and started to pray.  Hna Hosking and I just looked at each other, smiled, and then bowed our heads to join.  She gave one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard.  Not only that, it was her first prayer she gave that was NOT a recited memorized prayer.  We were so excited!  I know that maybe that was not what I was asking her to do, but it worked out for the better.  God really does work in mysterious ways right...por ejemplo..making people not understand my Spanish!  AWESOME!

We didn't get in with "D" once this week.  Yeah, super big sad face.  She and her family were very busy.  She still came to church, however :)  Once again I sat next to he and fought back tears as she sang her heart out.  These people kill me!  I love them so much.  We still have the baptism date with her, but the branch president said that we cannot baptize her until her mom takes her to church because she can't be reliant on only members.  So, we hope we can get the mom to take her so we can follow up with the baptism.

Um, Oh yeah, adding to the mouse story.  We have bed bugs.  It's fine though.  They aren't in my bed!  HA!!  Poor Hna Hosking has bites all over her legs.  Luckily we have 3 beds...so the one with the bed bugs is definitely going to the trash!

Family home evenings are going well.  We have another one tonight actually!  We have 2 investigators and their families coming :)  Two cheers for excitement!

Okay, you all are going to die when you hear this.  So guess who is singing and dancing for Noche de Nationalidades...yeah, this sister missionary!  Our branch is doing a little talent show where all the people in our branch show off their country.  So somehow Hna Hosking and I have to sing a song called Cielito Lindo (look it up) and then do a dance with the relief society.  It is truly going to be humiliating.  Each time we tell somebody what we are doing, they burst out into laughter and say "Ohhh we gotta go see this".  It's this Saturday, so we will just leave it at that.

Overall this week was great.  We got in with nearly everybody we wanted to and have a good 3 progressing investigators!  The work is moving!  It is so amazing to watch the Lord's hand in my life.  I truly feel like this is my mission, here in Texas.  I am becoming less worried about my Visa and more on helping the people while I can.  I don't know when my time will be up here.  I love the people here and I am really learning to see them how God sees them.  It's such an incredible experience.

Football season has started up here.  It brings back way too many good memories :)  Not the ones in the snack shack though...those will probably never be good memories! HA!

Love you all!!
And remember--THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!

Con Amor,
Hermana McChesney

Shoutouts:
--Shout out to my girl Bethanna Beifuss for writing me a letter!!  Missed you way too much!!
--Shout out to Jackson and Dad for their letters they wrote from the family reunion...literally laughed so hard at those.

Funny things that happened this week:
--While driving here to the library, the emergency brake was left on....Hermana Hosking pushes it down and so seriously says "Some emergency brake".  We lost it laughing.  (Sorry...mission humor)
--Each and every morning for comp study we sing a hymn together.  For some reason we can never make it through without laughing...literally..it's sad.  We laugh because there is always a note we cannot hit and so we go quiet or try and it just gets so awkward. HA!
--For Hermano Contreras birthday he wanted us to make him tortillas.  Yeah.  So yesterday was the day...and we did.  All I have to say is I think I mastered a good 6 out of 30 tortillas.

Well....that's all folks! :)

The work is growing!

FAMILIA!

I have been so excited all week to email you guys.  Literally!  P-days are so precious to me because I get to hear from all my family.  Thank you for being so consistent in writing me.  I had a good 27 emails.  So, I apologize for not replying to pretty much anyone, but just know that I loved them all and am always so spiritually uplifted and usually get a good laugh.  Just what families are for!

This week was fantastic!  Hermana Hosking and I are really striving to push the work forward.  With this mindset we found 4 NEW INVESTIGATORS!  That just proves that anything is possible, even out in the middle of Waller, Texas.  I will try to go into more detail on some of them throughout this email.

We visited with "D" and her family on Wednesday.  We taught her the 5 points that make up the gospel.  She knew every answer to every question we asked.  I am always amazed by her knowledge and dedication.  We asked her if she was still wanting to be baptized and she said she really does but she's afraid of the water.  After addressing her concern, we set a baptism date for Sept. 28.  We knelt down and prayed about the date and the spirit was so strong and her prayer was so sincere.  She told Heavenly Father "I want to follow Christ's example and I know I need to be baptized, help me not be afraid"..she then proceeded to ask if the 28th was right.  It was such an incredible lesson.  I am so excited to see where she ends up.

We have started this FHE calendar in our ward.  We sent it around the classes and people sign up once a week for FHE.  Hermana Hosking and I will then go to their home and teach a lesson.  What we want to happen is to have them bring a friend who is a non-member or a less active from the ward.  We have done one so far and it went really well.  We brought a recent convert and then "D" and her family weren't able to come..but..it's okay!  We have one tomorrow so we are super excited!

We have been working a lot with a member in our apartment complex who works for an incredible organization.  She is a sweetheart.  We did service for her work on Saturday and with that we found a new investigator and had some amazing experiences.  Service opportunities are the best!

We had a very busy, busy week.  It was all go go go!  I love weeks like these!  Oh oh oh oh--ONE OF OUR ENGLISH CLASS STUDENTS CAME TO CHURCH!!  Yes, it's true.  He is pretty much the coolest man alive!  We are having the Elders teach him because...well...he's a man and it's easier that way. But still, we got him to church and so I feel so happy :)

We (just realized that every new paragraph starts with 'we'..whoops) have been waking up at 6:00 am to start working out rather than at 6:30.  We have noticed how much better we have felt.  It's great!  At the school next to us is a Zumba class from 6-7am.  This morning was our first time going and we were so pumped!  We got there around 6:05 and to our disappointment, the gate was locked.  But, that wasn't stopping us.  We most definitely hopped the fence...am I ashamed of it?  Not really.  The Zumba class was all worth it!!  HA!  The teacher was proud we hopped the fence to get there so it was good!

Loved hearing about the BYU/TEXAS game.  So proud BYU won, I will always be a cougar!

Well, I know I am here in Texas for a reason.  Nothing is easy and I have learned so much.  I know I wasn't called to a mission but to be a missionary..and that is what I am going to do wherever I am, I will bring those unto Christ.  Love you all!  Thanks for all your prayers and support.  Keep on being examples to all those around you!

Con Amor,

Hermana McChesney

Shoutouts:
--shout out to JoAnna and Jeff for getting married.  And to Steph for sending me some pics :)  Looked so pretty!
--shout out to the Barrett family (aka Steph) for the letter!!  Loved it so much.  Congrats on the new job and home!!  Tell the kids hello.
--shout out to Zach for leaving to Argentina from the MTC.  Super excited for you!! I'll see you there in the future!

Funny things that happened this week:
--Well, we have a buc-ees gas station that just went in here in Waller.  It has the nicest bathrooms EVER (literally they are known for their bathrooms)..so on occasion we go just to use the bathroom.  It's kinda a joke! HA!
--We were talking with an investigator and she needed help, so we told her we would help her and then be right back..we both got in the car and couldn't figure out what she needed help with but we both thought that the other understood...so we had to go back and figure it out.  So embarrassing!
--Drove by a sign that read "free stuff" on the side of the road...took some stuff...now our apartment has some class ;)  HAHAHAHA!

"You look young, like a teenager.."

Hola familia!

Well, today is September 3, the day that you said your goodbyes to Austin.  I know it is probably hard on you all, but one thing that has helped me is to realize that he is not alone.  There are so many people there helping him through the process, one being our Father in Heaven.  He is going to be Austin's best friend on the mission, as He has become one of my best friends.  Remember that Austin and I are happy...nothing is better for us than a mission.  Our family can do hard things.

We had transfers!  I am still in Waller, don't worry.  The cows wouldn't be able to survive without me so they decided to keep me here. ha!  No, but Hermana Serrano left us so it is just Hermana Hosking and me.  We have a lot of the same ideas and even though our Spanish is not perfect, we are working together at it and have really grown spiritually as we have learned to depend on the spirit for help and guidance.  We are changing up a lot of things this transfer and we couldn't be more excited!  We are motivated!  Can't wait to see where things go!

We got dropped by one of our investigators which was a bummer, but then it made us realize that a lot of our investigators are not progressing and may have the wrong idea why we are there.  So, we are changing a lot, whether it is dropping people, in a way re-teaching people so they know exactly our purpose, etc.  It is going to really help us out, I think.

So, pray that everything works out as we start refining the area!


This week was pretty much 'Rejection Week'..but still great things happened.

We didn't get in with a lot of our investigators.  Our kids that would come to church aren't coming anymore because one of the parents got offended, and now these kids are trying to convince "D" out of baptism.  We had a first lesson with a new investigator we were referred to and when we went over she wasn't available, so it was a rough week.

But, as we prayed for opportunities to help, we ended up helping an old English class student find a job and now he is so grateful and wants to come back to class.  :)YAY!

This week I learned a lot.  I learned that God breaks you down just to build you up stronger.  I have been broken down time and time again out here, but I am changing my ways and views about a mission which I know is Him building me up stronger.  I am so grateful for the trials and challenges.

I know this is the true church, and all I can do is testify and hope that others can learn to know for themselves.

Love you all!
Hermana McChesney

Shoutouts:
--Shout out to Dad for having a birthday tomorrow!!  So lucky to call you my dad, and have such a great relationship with you!
--Shout out to Lauren Eastman for the letter.  TANTO TIEMPO MI AMIGA!! :) ha!

Funny things that happened this week:
--well our neighbors got evicted for 'criminal activity'....hahaha
--"Hey Hermana McChesney, you look young like a teenager..."  Well, I am still a teenager.  I'll take that as a compliment!
--We had this cockroach in our apartment..Hna Hosking and I screamed for a good 5 minutes debating who was going to kill it.  Literally the bugs here are HUGE!!  So, I took the challenge and stepped on it...I think I screamed for 4 minutes after.
--Attempted to do zumba this week.  HA!  We will just stop there.