Happy Valentine's Day

On Monday, Hermana Rivera and I deep cleaned our house and she finished unpacking.  We bought lots of fruit at Tiangis and even went running in the morning!  When we went to visit Walmart in the afternoon, I had forgotten that this week will be Valentine's Day and the whole store was filled with chocolate, teddy bears, and hearts!  After writing our families, we visited some less active members.

I have no idea why Hermana Rivera has these....but they are hilarious to put on
and we couldn't stop laughing! haha

Tuesday we had our first District Meeting as a new district.  It all went well, and afterwards we started exchanges with Hermana Empey and Hermana Cuque from our district.  Hermana Empey and I stayed in my area and started working together after the District Meeting.  She is from Washington, where her family manages a bunch of crop and orchards.  (They have about 900 acres filled with apple, peach, cherry & pear trees, but also corn, wheat, alfalfa, etc.)  It was so cool to hear what her life is like working on the farm with her 4 brothers and 1 sister.  Hermana Empey tries to be exactly obedient and works hard - so I enjoyed the day with her.

Wednesday afternoon right before lunch, we finished exchanges and I was reunited with my companion Hermana Rivera.  We had an incredible day together and taught so well with the Spirit.  Now a lot of family members of other people we've been teaching are sitting in on the lessons when we visit.  Teodulo & Maria's son, Pedro, loves learning and always participates.  Bertha's two children are progressing and want to come to church, and Enriquets's other daughter asked us for her own Book of Mormon because she was reading from her sister's and is finishing 2nd Nephi!

Enriqueta said the most touching comment after we asked her how she had been feeling when we visit.  She told us, "After the car accident, I was going through a really rough time and was even recomended to take medicine from my psychologist.  But you and your companion showed up 2 days afterwards, and I've felt so good that since the first visit, I haven't taken medicine.  Now I feel more peaceful, self-confident, and I felt a change from before."  As she was telling us all of this, I actually almost cried because it was just a really sweet experience / moment.

On Thursday, we spent the day looking for less active members on the ward list.  It was great because we could contact a lot of people and also set up a lot of new appointments.  We walked a ton, and we were both pretty worn out by the time we got home at night.

So sometimes the addresses that we had to look for didn't exist anymore.
So that was always fun! haha

On Friday we continued the search for less-actives and I actually really liked it.  It was like a crazy detective adventure to go looking for addresses and find out what had happened to a lot of people.  One less active lady told us we were the first missionaries in years to come looking for her.  It was a rewarding experience because it shows the less active members that they are never forgotten and we still care about them.  :) 

 

These are the balloons and her desk that I heart attacked

Saturday was Valentine's Day!!!  I heart-attacked the desk of Hermana Rivera with stickers, post-its, and balloons and she gave me an ELEPHANT!!  

This is the cute elephant she gave me with a chocolate sucker

We had an outstanding day visiting lots of people.  Lulu gave us candy in the lesson we had with her before lunch.  Then Adriana made us super yummy hamburgers for lunch, and afterwards when we got to Teodulo and Maria's house, we decorated a cake!  We wrote "amor y amistad" because to them, it's the day of love and friendship - which I kinda like better than just Valentine's Day.

In the evening, we saw Bertha and her two children who are investigating the Church.  We taught them about the Book of Mormon - and they had read the introduction just like we had asked  :)  Before going home we taught Enriqueta and two of her daughters.  (Mariela and Ximena)  We explained the priesthood power and the sacred responsibility that the men have in our church.  It was a great lesson and they committed to come to church.  When we got home, a sister in our ward, who washes our clothes, brought us tacos for dinner and a big bag of candy!  So Hermana Rivera and I were pretty happy campers  :)


Sunday was fantastic!  Enriqueta and her two daughters came to church, and Teodulo received the priesthood!  The classes went well and everyone passed out a bunch of candy.  After church we ate with the Yera family - who always fee us as if we've been fasting for like a week  :)  They give us SO much food.  Just to give you all an idea of what I ate:  6 potosi enchiladas, 2 servings of beans, a huge carne asada, vegetables, 2 glasses of mango water, and dessert!!  I felt like I was going to explode, but everything was scrumptious.

I hope everyone had an excellent Valentine's Day.  I love you all so much!

xoxoxo

Hermana Eliason

Kenya might have gotten a little too excited 
and had frosting all over her face 
and in her hair- but still so stinkin adorable!

This is Pasaje E- E is for Eliason!

These are the posters she put on my wall! haha We are Pooh Bear and Tigger

This is during lunch when we took a quick selfie

New Beginnings

This is the reunion of zone leaders and sister training leaders

On Monday I spent the majority of the day in the bus station.  Our leaders told us to arrive at 7:30am, and it turned out that Hermana Gonzalez's bus didn't leave until after 1pm!!  But, it wasn't too bad, because I got to see a ton of sisters and elders that were also going to change areas - so it was like a big get together in the bus station.  When it was time for Hermana Gonzalez to go, she was crying, but I assured her that we'd see each other again after the mission.  :)

Me and Hermana Rivera

Then I met my new companion, Hermana Rivera.  At first I was nervous, but I quickly realized that we are exactly the same!  Another sister missionary who knows us both told me, "If I were to put the two most similar sister missionaries together, it would have been you and Hermana Rivera."  She was right, because we soon had become great friends and were making each other laugh.  Hermana Rivera is 21 years old, has two little brothers and an outgoing personality.  She speaks perfect english and has been in the mission for a year.  It's fun hearing about her home in Puerto Rico!

On Tuesday we visited Lulu, before lunch with the Loredo family.  The Loredo family is the coolest.  The Dad is our mission leader in the ward, the son always came with us to teach Brandon, and the daughter is always willing to come with us to visit investigators or pick them up on Sundays.  They made us carne asada!  It is incredible how much the members take care of us.  I am so grateful for all their help and support.  And since it is the first week in February, we got on the bus for Aguascalientes, because we have the Council Meeting with the mission president and all the zone leaders tomorrow.

Here I am with a few sisters from our zone

Wednesday was exciting because I got to see all the new zone leaders and sister training leaders.  Guess what?  Elder Oldham (an Elder that was in the M.T.C. with me) is a zone leader now!  It's weird to think that we almost have been in the mission for 14 months when I remember being in the MTC like yesterday!  Time truly flies by.  The Council Meeting was excellent, and the topics were on unity and obedience.  I learned a lot and had a fun time with Hermana Rivera.

Thursday we were able to teach a ton of people!  We've been teaching Jose Guadalupe's niece, who recently moved in with him and also the family members of some less actives and recent converts.  I love watching the family members learn and grow together.  The gospel truly brings people together.  Before heading home, we watched The Testaments movie with Enriqueta and her two daughters.  They loved it, and we all cried because it's just such a touching / inspiring movie.  It tells the story of some people who lived here in the Americas and how they prepared for and received the visit of Jesus Christ.

Friday we had the zone conference.  All but two companionships in the zone had changes - so there were a lot of new faces  :)  I talked about the importance of unity in all aspects of the mission.  To be unified, we need to be one in thought, desire, and purpose.  I learned that when Jesus Christ was praying to our Father in Heaven in the Garden of Gethsemane before carrying out the Atonement, he was mostly praying for unity.  (John 17:11, 20-23)

This is me in Walmart with a huge stuff animal caterpillar that I thought was adorable.

Saturday was a great day!  Teodulo and Maria's son, Pedro, was interested in the lesson we were teaching and decided to sit-in and listen.  I know that one day all their children will join the church and accept the gospel.  And in the evening we helped the Rose Family pack-up and move from their small house to an even smaller apartment.  They were so grateful for the time we spent helping, that they bought us tamales to eat for dinner.

This is when we ate pizza for Hermana Rivera´s 1 year anniversary in the mission

Sunday, we spent the majority of the day in church.  Before church started, we had a ward council meeting in the Bishop's office.  Then after 3 hours of services, we ate a yummy lunch with the Nino Family.  Before going to the meeting in the stake center for the leaders, we visited Patricia (Bertha's daughter).  Patricia just started listening to our missionary lessons and accepted a baptismal date in March.  :)  She works in a cake shop and gave us some scrumptious cake - so that's a bonus.  :)

Here is what my comp did for my 14 month anniversary :)
She is so cute

All in all, a fantastic week.  I am happy and healthy and hope you are as well.  Happiness is a choice as Abraham Lincoln said, "People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be".

I love you all and pray for your happiness and success.

Hermana Eliason


[more random pics]

This is Hermana Rivera and I with Hermana Flores because she was once the companion of us both

Brandon's Baptism!

We received free facials from a ward member on P-day - so that was super relaxing / refreshing  :)  Then we followed the Monday routine:  Subway for lunch, some window shopping, our appointment at the dentist for Hermana Gonzalez's braces, and email time.  A great day, and in the evening we visited a less active family who wants to start coming back to church again.

Tuesday's district meeting was in English and I noticed that all the Americans in our district talk so differently.  Hermana Gonzalez said she can't understand Elder Summers and Elder Burns' accents, and that my English is the clearest.  She says I talk like all the American actresses in the movies.  ;) haha  Gotta love being from Southern California!  We made more visits to less-actives in the evening and saw some of our recent converts.  Something that Hermana Gonzalez and I started doing is taking 30-second videos once a day to compile all the videos into a short "movie" at the end of our missions!  It is a lot of fun and I really don't know how I got so lucky to be her companion.  We have a blast together and are the best of friends.

Me and my great companion, Hermana Gonzalez.

On Wednesday we went to Aguascalientes to renew my visa.  Our bus left at 7am and we arrived at 10am.  By the time we waited and did the paperwork and finger-prints, it was lunch time.  Right after lunch we took the 3 hour bus ride back to San Luis - where we managed to visit 2 less-active families.  :)

Brandon was interviewed for his baptism on Thursday and he and his dad were excited for tomorrow.  He is getting baptized at such a great age, because he's young and will learn quickly in the church.  His dad, Arturo, wants to be baptized but since he is a police officer, he always works on Sundays.

Here are the shoes that Teodulo and Maria
bought for us- like the tan lines?

Teodulo and Maria are still just as awesome as ever.  When we visit them, they always give us something to drink and some of their delicious bread and ask, "What are we going to learn today?"  We explained about patriarchal blessings and how they can prepare to receive their own patriarchal blessings.  Oh, and in the evening, we visited Enriqueta and her daughter, Mariela.  What was incredible was that Enriqueta and Mariela read one or two chapters in the Book of Mormon every day and are already in the second book of Nephi!!  I admire their desire to know the truth and put forth the effort to read the Book of Mormon daily.  I absolutely love the Book of Mormon and have learned so much from it's inspiring stories.

On Friday was Brandon's baptism in the late afternoon.  Everything went perfectly!  The Young Men's President, Nefi, baptized Brandon.  Nefi had prepared a musical number on the ukulele that was beautiful and lots of members were in attendance.  Afterwards, Hermano Teodulo taught the sisters in the Relief Society how to make some yummy and simple empanadas and sugar cookies.  He loved teaching everyone and I think everyone had a good experience.

This is the baptism of Brandon with his dad and grandfather

Saturday flew by so quickly.  We borrowed the block game called Jenga to explain the Apostasy in a fun / interactive way and Teodulo and Maria loved it.  Some of their grandchildren and children played too - and we hope to start teaching them soon.  They showed us their 12 chickens they bought that will soon produce the eggs that Teodulo needs to make his bread.  Brilliant idea, right?

We also played Jenga with the family "de la Rosa" and with Sara Dominguez's grandchildren.  It was a fun day.

Sunday's sacrament meeting was fantastic because it was Fast Sunday; where the congregation has the opportunity to share their testimonies.  I can't describe how happy and content I felt to see our recent converts arrive early and participate and socialize during the services.  Teodulo and Maria, Lulu, Brandon and Jose Guadalupe all have friends in the church and have been so warmly welcomed.  I am grateful for a ward that fellowships new members so well.

In the evening Hermana Gonzalez and I received the devastating news that she would be finishing her mission (or her last 6 weeks = 1 transfer) in Matahuala.  She was pretty upset with the news, and I was just sad and shocked.  We got along so well and are the best of friends, so I think that's why the news was so hard.  But she lives less than 3 hours from me, so I know we will see each other again - and we promised each other and the people here that we'd come back to visit.  So it really isn't "good-bye", more like "see you soon."

Hermana Rivera - my new companion

My new companion is Hermana Rivera.  I'll fill you all in with more info next week.

Thank you for all the love and prayers and support.

Con Amor,
Hermana Eliason


[more pics]

This is us with Hermana Fullmer in the central- bus station

This is us with elder Rosas and elder Tlaxtalteca

This is hermana Sara who is like a second mother to us :) 

This is when we were hungry and bought ourselves 

a pizza for dinner. It was like a mini pajama party! lots of fun

This is when we heart attacked the car of 

Hermana Sara who is like a second mother to us :)

This is the name badge that the ward printed out 

on the calendar for February to remind the sisters 

who is going to feed us

Lots of Exchanges ... and a Guitar !

On Monday Hermana Gonzalez wasn't feeling too well, so while she napped, I died my hair and cleaned the house.  Then we ran some errands and ate lunch in a cute cafe.  It was a beautiful day and in the evening we visited several less actives.

Here is the Yerra familia. They always treat us so well and when
we eat with them it is like a Thanksgiving feast.
"always the best for the missionaries" they say.

Tuesday's district meeting went well and we learned about the importance of having companionship inventories.  I am so blessed to have had great companions.  When we have unity in our companionships, the area is more likely to have success.  Each day passes so quickly because we have fun together and we focus on the work.  In the evening we had exchanges with Hermana Avelino and Hermana Bingham from Terrazas.

Me being crazy with money

Wednesday was scorching hot - pretty sure I got a little sun burned.  I worked with Hermana Bingham in her area and I learned several things from her.  She and her companion are being really obedient, but not seeing results - which is rough.  Hermana Bingham taught me how important it is to be humble, patient, and trust in the Lord's timing.  I loved how much energy and enthusiasm Hermana Bingham had, despite her difficult circumstances.  Her example motivated me to be better and I really enjoyed the day with her.

Thursday flew by after weekly planning and we visited Brandon with Hyrum, and Enriqueta and Mariela with Hermana Nino and her daughter.  I love lessons with members!  Right now we have been inviting everyone to the stake activity we have on Saturday.  I am so excited for the activity because one of the members in our stake is one of 23 people in the entire world that knows (fluently) 9 different "dead languages".  His name is Brother Roche and he is going to historically prove that the Book of Mormon is true and that Jesus Christ visited the American continent.  Aside from his incredible conversion story and strong testimony, Brother Roche has studied over 30 years in ancient languages and religions.  (Not long ago he converted and baptized a well-known Jewish Rabi!!)  Anyway, I'm pretty pumped to hear what he has to share with us.  In the evening we went on another exchange with Hermana Carreto and Hermana Leo from the area of Independencia.

Here is Jose Guadalupe with his corn plant! He has a cool garden
in front of his house with chilis and tomatoes and melon.

I spent all day of Friday with Hermana Carreto in her area, just like last time.  We click really easily and I like being around her, because she teaches me so much.  One thing I really love about Hermana Carreto is how humble she is.  We made lots of visits and enjoyed the day.

Saturday, for the first part of the day, I was still with Hermana Carreto for exchanges.  And then in the evening at the activity, Hermana Gonzalez and I were reunited again.  The activity was really interesting and Hermano Roche explained a lot about the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.  He used lots of photos and visuals to capture our attention - smart.  I learned a lot.  After the activity, our lesson plans fell through, so Thalia bought us hot chocolate in a cute restaurant.  Oh, and it rained - the weather is so bipolar!

Sunday night it rained again, but throughout the day it was nice.  Teodulo and Maria received the gift of the Holy Ghost during the Sacrament Meeting.  They also gave Hermana Gonzalez and I new shoes and asked us when "it was their turn to feed the missionaries!?"  haha  They are incredible.  I love them so much!

Enriqueta, Mariela and her other daughter, Ximena, came to church and the Bishop announced Brandon's baptism for this Friday.  :)  In the evening, we had the meeting with the zone and district leaders that went really well.

Zone leaders on the left (Elder Cusworth and Elder Flores) and the district leaders (Elder Geddes, Elder Pico, Elder Espinoza, and Elder Summers).  They are all fun guys

We are going to print and laminate a big copy of our area and use push-pins that are numbered to correspond with members, less-actives, and recent converts.  It's kinda hard to explain, but I'll take a picture of it when we finish.  :)

**Fun fact:  One of the investigators that the Elders are teaching owns a big clothing knick-knack store.  She loves Hermana Gonzalez and me, and one day when we passed by to say hi, she invited us to look around and see what we liked.  She ended up giving us two beautiful dresses and before leaving, I saw a cute guitar in the shop window and asked how much she was selling it for.  "$50, but do you like it?" she asked me.  I told her I always thought it'd be fun to learn how to play, but didn't know how to read music.  She just smiled and handed me the guitar saying, "If you really like it and want to learn how to play, it's yours."

So, yea.  I now have a guitar  :)  And when I told Brandon, he gave me a guitar pick (since he plays the electric guitar and had extras).  Hermana Gonzalez and I have been having fun intenting [attempting] to play it  :)



All in all, another excellent week.  The people are so kind to us and I feel great.  I hope all is well for those back home.  Enjoy the last week of January!





Love,
Hermana Eliason




[more photos]

Me and Hermana Gonzalez

Hermana Gonzalez being funny with money

Teodulo & Maria's Baptism

Monday evening Anais came with us to visit Enriqueta and her daughter, Mariela.  The lesson went really well and they accepted February 14th as the date of their baptism.  So, we are going to work with them to be ready by then.  They are amazing.  Oh, and during Christmas Break, Anais got engaged!  She is planning on having her wedding in July - and since Hermana Gonzalez and I will have both completed our missions, she invited us.  I think it would be so fun to come back and visit her and all the people in this area.  :)

Hermana Gonzalez and me

Tuesday was just an excellent day!  After lunch, Hermana Nino came with us to visit Teodulo and Maria - they finally accepted the invitation to be baptized on Saturday!  I was so happy for them and the choice they made :)  Then when we taught Lulu, she told us she had felt so amazing that it's been hard for her to sleep these past 2 days!  haha  And when we told her that Teodulo & Maria decided to be baptized, she lit up and said, "I am so excited for them.  It's the best decision."  Afterwards, we went with Issac (Anais' brother) to teach Brandon about the importance of commandments.  It all went really well, and he's been reading all the pamphlets we give him.  Then, Hermana Gonzalez and I quickly taught Jose Guadalupe before heading to Retornas to do exchanges with the other Hermanas.

Wednesday I spent the day with my old/ex companion Hermana Flores!  We worked in my area of Avacion and had a fun time together.  She told me everything that happened in Fresnillo when I left and we just caught each other up to date on life  :)  Hermana Flores has such a strong spirit and always tries to look for the good in others.  I loved being with her and can learn a lot from her example.  In the evening we had all our plans fall through, so I checked in our book of people we've contacted, but never visited.  After skimming through several pages, one of the names caught my eye:  Maria Luisa.  I remembered contacting her in the street about a month ago with Hermana Mora - and she seemed really interesting.  When Hermana Flores and I knocked on her door, one of her granddaughters said she was sick and couldn't attend to us.  But I told her it was very important and that we wouldn't take up too much of her time, so the granddaughter turned back into the house to tell her grandma.  A couple of minutes later, Maria Luisa came out to greet us.  She recognized me and said, "I've been waiting for you to come.  I wasn't going to see anyone today, but when my granddaughter told me there were 2 pretty girls who had skirts on, I knew it was an answer to my prayer.  I was beginning to think that you might never come."

Maria Luisa was thrilled to hear our message and anxious to start reading the Book of Mormon.  It was a sweet experience for me; to listen to the prompting of the Holy Ghost and encounter someone who has been looking for the truth.

On Thursday we made the programs for Teodulo & Maria's baptism, and they were interviewed by Elder Summers.  Brandon said he's going to come to their baptismal service to see what it's like (since he is most likely going to be baptized next Saturday).  And in the evening, Enriqueta and Mariela also confirmed that they would really like to come to the baptism too.  We taught them with Hermana Nino and her daughter, who is the same age as Mariela.  All went really smoothly and everyone seems to be happy.

Hermana Gonzalez eating her super yummy crepe! haha

Friday was another excellent day.  After lunch we finally had our interviews with the Mission President (we have interviews every quarter - or every 3 months).  Then we visited Maria Luisa - she had not only read the introduction of the Book of Mormon, but also the testimonies of the 3 witnesses, the 8 witnesses, and testimony of Joseph Smith!  She said she is going to see the baptismal service tomorrow and also try to attend the Stake Conference on Sunday!  Oh, and she accepted the invitation to be baptized in February  :)  She's a golden investigator.  For dinner, Hermana Gonzalez and I treated ourselves to crepes!  There is this cute little "crepes, coffee & churros" stand near our house, so we enjoyed Nutella & whipped cream crepes together.

Elder Summers and Elder Rosas with
Hermana Gonzalez and me on the day of the baptism

Teodulo and Maria`s baptism!!!

Here they are with us and the bishop

Saturday was the long awaited baptism!!  Everyone on the program arrived and Teodulo & Maria brought their granddaughter, Joseline, with them.  Our musical number was great!  We (Hermana Gonzalez, the Zone Leaders, and I) all sang "Oh, My Father" - the first verse was in Spanish, the second verse in English, the third verse in Portuguese, and the last verse in Spanish.  Elder Flores accompanied us on the guitar and several people in attendance cried.  Guess you could say it was pretty professional  :)  Teodulo and Maria were baptized by the Bishop and afterwards they were even happier than before.  I loved seeing them smiling and socializing with the members.  Brandon and Maria Luisa both attended and said they liked the baptismal service.  Hermana Gonzalez and I gave them a framed picture of Jesus Christ and other members gave them a hymn book, the Doctrine & Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and other manuals.  We were grinning from ear to ear the whole rest of the day.

In the evening was the first session of Stake Conference.  There weren't a ton of people, because it was a Saturday night, but the talks were nice and uplifting.

On Sunday, for the Stake Conference, there wasn't enough room for everyone.  It was so packed!  I was thrilled to see so many of our recent converts and investigators show up!  Teodulo & Maria sat in the first row and shook hands with our Mission President afterwards.  Lulu arrived all on her own and was proudly singing from her new hymn book, Enriqueta and her daughter, Mariela, sat with the Ibarra family.  Brandon sat with Hermana Gonzalez and me, and Maria Luisa showed up with one of her daughters.  :)  It was so fantastic, and everyone said they had enjoyed the conference.

Our área limit is the freeway which we call The River. 

And there are always super cool bridges to cross. 

Here are two different bridges :)

Add caption

Instead of waiting for the bus, Hermana Gonzalez & I decided to walk from the Stake Center to the Nino family's house for lunch.  It was quite the adventure, because we crossed a super cool bridge and walked on the cobble stone road that runs parallel to "the Rio" - which is their freeway.  Their freeway used to be a river, and now it almost looks like a park because of all the green trees and grass that is on either side of the 4 lanes.  It only took us 15 minutes and walking is always good reflection time.

After lunch we visited Jose Guadalupe, who didn't go to the conference because his ride never passed for him.  Although he had woken up early to get ready.  He was pretty bummed, but we told him not to worry and that there would be more meetings in the stake center soon.  Jose Guadalupe has such a tender heart and is always thinking of others.  When his ride didn't show up, he waited on his porch for 2 hours, thinking that maybe something had happened with their car or maybe they had gotten lost.  He never gets angry and never blames others.

I continue to learn so much every day from the amazing people here.  I am happy and healthy and enjoying every moment in the mission.  These 18 months are flying by and like another missionary said, "What is a year-and-a half or 2 years of service, compared to an eternity?"  He is so right! 

After the mission, I'll have plenty of time to hang out with friends, work, study, go to the beach, etc.  But these 18 months are the only time I have to give all my time, energy, and talents to the Lord and missionary work.  I am so thankful for all the blessings I've received and all the miracles I've seen.  I love being a missionary and helping others come unto Christ and embrace the Gospel.

Sending all my love and lots of hugs,
Hermana Eliason




More pics:

Me, Maria & Teodulo at their baptism

Here we are again with Maria & Teodulo.  

The Little girl is their granddaughter, Joseline

Baptism :)

So on Monday we basically spend our P-day in the bank trying to pay this month's rent.  Hermana Gonzalez and I waited in several different lines for 2 hours and we were so tired afterwards, that we treated ourselves to Subway  :)  In the evening, we taught Arturo and Brandon and confirmed Brandon's baptismal date for the 24th of this month  :)

Tuesday morning we taught the last lesson to Lulu about temples and family history work.  She was so excited to hear that once she's baptized, she can go to the temple.  After lunch, Hermana Gonzalez and I did some last minute packing and then headed to the "central bus station."  We met up with the other zone leaders and a pair of STL's (Sister Trainer Leaders)  before buying our tickets - so that way we could all sit next to each other on the 3 hour bus ride.  It was fun and for a while we all talked, but then since Hermana Gonzales and I were exhausted, we slept for the last hour and a half.  It felt so nice to sleep!  When we arrived at the Colina's house, the other pair of STL's had already arrived from Zacatecas, so we all ate dinner together.

These 4 elders in my zone are absolutely hilarious! (Elder Geddes, Elder Pico, Elder Mendez, and Elder Garcia)
They all bought matches outfits and always make us laugh. 

Wednesday we spent the day with the Mission President, his wife, his assistants, the 4 other companionships of STL's and all the zone leaders.  It was a great council meeting because we discussed the mission's goals for the New Year of 2015.  The assistants talked about how we can be successful missionaries and improve our numbers.  Sister Villareal talked about how we can lower our stress and have a positive attitude.  And the President touched on the importance of hard work.  All the leaders participated and I learned a lot from all that was shared.  The monthly leader council meetings are so motivating and always inspiring.

With Hermana Flores at the zone conference

With Hermana Carreto

Thursday morning, Lulu was interviewed by our district leader for her baptism and in the evening we made her programs.  On her program is one of my favorite photos of Jesus giving John the Baptist a big hug after being baptized.  I love how happy he looks.

In the evening we taught our "progressing" investigators; or those that are preparing for baptism.  With Teodulo and Maria, we talked more in depth about Joseph Smith.  With Arturo and Brandon we explained the Plan of Salvation.  And with Enriqueta and two of her daughters, we watched The Restoration Video.  All of our visits were just so amazing.  I literally feel like I'm busting with joy.  Even Enriqueta noticed it and told me, "I love how expressive your face is because you are always so happy and that kind of happiness is contagious."  Her comment was so sweet and made me reflect on how much the mission has changed my attitude and my perspective.

Friday, Hermana Gonzalez and I spoke in the zone meeting with the zone leaders.  All went really well and I feel like the missionaries in our zone left more motivated than they'd arrived.  Our zone truly has a lot of potential  :)  I received several envelopes / packages from family members and friends.  Thank you all so much for thinking of me and sending me your love and encouragement.  A simple letter or card or candy really brightens my day!  I asked the mission president why some packages or letters never arrive and what postal service would be best.  He told me that whatever is sent is more likely to arrive through the "United States Postal Service"

Lulu's Baptism

Saturday morning was Lulu's baptism!  It started at 11:00am, but Hermana Gonzalez and I were in the church a lot earlier to set up and get everything ready.  There is a lot of work and preparation that goes into planning a baptismal service.

Everything went beautifully - the speakers gave heartfelt talks, our musical number didn't sound too bad, the water in the baptismal font was warm, and most importantly, Hermana Lulu took an important step in our journey home to our Heavenly Father.  After being baptized, we asked her how she felt and she said, "I feel really good.  I feel renewed."  I know she felt the Spirit and I am so extremely happy for the decision she made to be baptized and follow the Savior.

Sofia and Kenya (two of the granddaughters of Teodulo and Maria).
They always follow us around and ask to put on our missionary tags ;) 

After the baptism, we made several visits throughout the day.  We had a Family Home "Afternoon" with Teodulo & Maria, which was fun.  We shared an article in the Liahona and then played "Basta", which is basically the game Scattergories.  I really enjoyed laughing and spending time with them. They have 3 little granddaughters who are always around and when we arrive they shout, "Hermanas  Hermanas!!"  They are adorable.

In the evening it rained again, but this time since it was so cold, it started to hail  :)  Luckily we were inside the house of a member, because we hadn't brought our umbrellas.  Our last lesson was with Brandon and his dad, Arturo.  We talked about the five things we need to do in this life to return home to the presence of God:

1. Exercise faith in Jesus Christ
2. Repent
3. Be baptized by immersion
4. Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost
5. Endure to the end

They were super receptive and learned really quickly.  Before heading home, they served us chamomile tea - which I guess is some sort of flower  :)  But it was yummy.

Sunday was another fantastic day!  Lulu was confirmed a member of the church and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  She was beaming!  Brandon came and sat with his new friend from church named Hyrum, who has been accompanying us in the lessons.  Oh, and Teodulo payed his tithing again!  Enriqueta and one of her daughters came for the first hour and received a warm greeting from lots of the members.  It was just incredible!  This ward has really helped us with our investigators and everyone is so friendly.  Teodulo asked the Bishop if he could baptize him (most likely this Saturday) and I almost cried tears of joy.  I've never felt so happy for other people.  :)

After eating 8 tacos for lunch, we visited a less active member and her daughter.  We had a spiritual lesson about the importance of prayer and scripture study.  It is so much easier to know what decisions we should make when we've prayed and searched the scriptures.  In the evening, we met with the zone & district leaders.  They shared a short message with us about where our heart is.  It was great and made me reflect on where my own heart is.  Is our heart focused on the Savior, on our families and on helping others?  Or is our heart focused on our popularity, body weight, and material possessions?  I hope everyone can do a self-evaluation like I did and ask ourselves where our heart is.

"for theLord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Samuel 16:7


All my love,
Hermana Eliason

I thought this sign was funny "limite de seguridad" haha