Monday, March 24, 2014

Juarez Missionaries and Members





Juarez Missionaries




Primary with CTR rings


Missing Soccer


Missionary Basketball




Week of Miracles

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me just testify that the Lord lives and He loves His children and knows exactly what they need and how to help them!  I had the craziest and some of the greatest experiences this week.  I am so grateful that the Lord is always looking out for this crazy sister.

So last week I think I mentioned that one family in our ward had a really old aunt who was really old, and her spirit reminded me a lot of Great Grandma, well on Thursday she passed away...  Yes, you heard that right, Thursday.  Her body gave out just like our sweet and perfect Grandma.  Somehow I knew it was a sign that Grandma had left too.  I knew how weak Grandma was and how much she just – in her words - ¨She just wanted to die" ;)  hahaha  but what an example she was to us in our lives!  I also had the opportunity to sing at her funeral and her viewing and it was something unlike any other.  The spirit was so strong and gave me strength unlike my own.  I knew that for me this was Grandma’s funeral, and I really don`t know why it worked out the way it did - that they both passed away on the same day, but I know the Lord is looking out for me and knows exactly what I need!  He knew how much it meant to me to sing at her funeral and in a way - I did do just that!  Never forget that the Lord has a plan for each and every one of his children and He is ALWAYS there :) 

The truth is this week was one full of many miracles just like the funeral!  I wish I could explain all of them, but words just don`t even start to explain them!  We had the activity for baptisms for the dead in our ward this week, so we got to go to Colonial Juarez!  AND of course it was an incredible experience to be in the temple!  It is the best place in all of the EARTH!  The spirit there is overpowering; there is no way one could feel sad in the temple - I don`t think!  The Lord is there and he has so many blessing that He wants to give us!  If I could explain the temple in one word it is POWER!  We receive so much strength in the temple it is unbelievable :)  Judith (if you remember got baptised in December) went for her first time, and had an incredible experience of doing family names :) The plan of God is perfect and we can see his love for all of his children and all of the opportunities he has for us :)

Also we had another experience BEYOND amazing this week!  There is a Hermana in our ward who is menos activo and who has been sick for over a year.  She has a disease in her bones that doesn`t allow her to walk and gives her a lot of pain.  For this reason she hasn`t been able to come to church, but we went to invite her anyway!  She lives with the grandsons and she wants them to start going to church and learning, but she hasn`t been able to take them.  But we invited her none the less and I felt impressed to promise her that if she had faith and a real desire to come to the church with us, the Lord would help her to feel strong enough to go, because that is where He wants her.  She thought we were crazy but told us that she would see what happens....  When we passed by her house to pick up her grandsons before church she was waiting by the door in her wheel chair with the most beautiful smile ready to go to church :)  I honestly have never seen anyone look that great to go to church in my life!  She was shining!  And The Lord provided her exactly what she needed!  She told us that she hadn`t felt this good in years and now she knows more than ever before that the Lord lives.  I wish I could explain her smile and countenance at church and with the members and everyone!  SHE WAS SHINING WITH THE LIGHT OF CHRIST!

Miracles happen folks!  God is a God of miracles :) 

I love you with all of my heart and soul and you better believe that I pray for you always :)  Never forget the power and love of our Father in Heaven!  He wants us to be happy just like He is and receive everything that He has :)

ADIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Sutton

 

 

Monday, March 17, 2014

A messy desk means you are learning lots!!!!!!!!!!!


It rained, ALL DAY!!!



Las Hermanas de Colonial




I Ate a Whole Fish!!!


Hello from Mexico!!!!!!   I hope you had a birthday party for me yesterday; I turned 5 MONTHS OLD!!!! (in la mision)  Wow am I ancient!  haha  I really can`t believe that I have been in the mission for 5 months; it has gone by like a dream! (a dream with lots of walking ;) hahaha  but I am truly happy!   So if you were doubting that ever... make sure you know that I am happy and fed and have a place to sleep at night, and most of all have the AMAZING gospel in my life!  The mission really has changed me so much - I am a completely different person than I was 5 months ago...  WOW and thank goodness!   The truth is, the mission helps one to  always improve and allow the Lord to mold you into what He needs of you!   You learn here in the mission that you really don`t matter (hahahaha - harsh!!!)   But we really are just instruments in the Lord’s hands and if we let Him, he will guide us and help us in ALL things!  D & C 90 :24 is awesome!!   READ IT!   It is a promise that if we do all the things the Lord asks and keep Him in our thoughts always... EVERYTHING will work together for our good.   What a promise!!!

Anyways, needless to say this week was soooo fast but really great and I am learning and growing like a mad woman! (or missionary)

 
What’s Hermana Soto like?  Is she all work and no play?  Is she very athletic?  (I hope she makes you speak in Spanish and you don’t start slacking off – hahaha).

Hermana Soto is awesome!!  She is so not like me but thank goodness that she isn`t (can you imagine 2 crazy hermanas like me???)  Wow - no way!   I think the world would fall apart... ;)  But she is awesome and really is a great missionary and Hermana!   We have a lot of fun no worries, but we work our skirts off (not literally thank goodness) but we make a good companionship!  She is a little athletic!   We have been going running in the morning!!  AND I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I never thought I would enjoy running, but the day has come and it is one of my favorite times of the day! 

 
Have you been able to play any soccer since you’ve been in Mexico?

Sadly not very much... once in a while I will juggle for a few minutes with the little boys that are sometimes in the streets.  But to be honest, it isn`t that huge here :(   People like watching soccer but not very many are out and about playing.....   I MISS IT!!  But today we have an activity with our zone to play soccer or basketball; needless to say, I am SOOOOO excited :):):):):):):):):):)

 
Do you ever get to take any “field trips” on you p-day to see the area?

Hahahaha -  Sadly there isn`t very much here in Nuevo Casas Grandes to see....   Just desert and desert and desert!  There are some ruins, I think, semi close but to be honest I doubt we will be able to go...!   But we make our own fun here on P-days like searching for crazy new candy in the dulcerias or playing soccer before the reunion de districto! 

I had a really cool experience this week!   So background... there is a family in our ward we are really close to and they have an aunt that is really really old and really really sick and weak - a little bit like our sweet great grandma!   Anyways they asked us to go and visit the family and her because they aren`t members and need a little bit of light in their lives right now...  So we went and it was such a great experience!  I was able to talk to her like she was my best friend!  (This was something that I think would have been weird for most people - I know it was a little for Hermana Soto.)   While she was in her bed and couldn`t move and really weak and skinny, I could see in her eyes who she really was and it was so special to see her smile and know that she is a daughter of God and her spirit is strong even if her body is weak.  I know that I had to work in the nursing homes before my mission for a reason!  There is something special about that age!   They have so much experience; it was great to share with her and learn also! 

I hope that made sense... I really can`t explain how I felt!  I just know that everything that happened before in my life happened for a reason and i know the Lord gave me opportunities so that I could be a more effective missionary now!

I know this church is true!  It is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!  Never forget to do the little things and remember the Savior in everything!  He is why we are here, and He is why we can return to our Father one day :)

I love you so much!!!  THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST FAMILY & FRIENDS IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Hermana Sutton! 

P.S.   I ATE A WHOLE FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Like fried, with the eye balls and bones and EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was awesome and really good :)  I just hope it was clean!!!! ;)   Of  course it had chile on it…..  EVERYTHING HERE HAS CHILE!  and not like the fake stuff like the really really really really hot stuff!!!!!  And I eat it all and LOVE it :)  I have to have my chile for everything :)  I am a MEXICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (at heart at least) 

 

Monday, March 10, 2014

Worn shoe

 





HE Knows His Children!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVED ALL THE PICTURES of Emily & Juan’s wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Wow make sure Emily knows how amazing she looked and how happy I am for them.  They are honestly such a cute couple and I am glad I got to meet Juan a little bit before I left!  FELICIDADES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What an exciting week for our familia, and I am glad to hear that everyone is alive still and happy!  Just make sure that everyone knows that when I get back we are going to have another party to celebrate, okay??  You can´t get enough of the parties, right???  hahahahaha 

WE GOT A NEW BISHOPBRIC???? :(  What a huge change for our ward!  But how exciting that there are changes and the Lord is a part of them all!  Make sure you are patient with Bishop Halling because without a doubt, things are going to be different.  But I am so excited for him, oh and the ward!!  CRAZY CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND... yeah how crazy that my comp`s boyfriend and Derek were companions!!!  HOW IS HE LIKE???  I want to hear the good stuff!  hahaha  It really is a small world!!

Okay my week was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!  We have a brand new house, which is honestly really nice and we have loved making it our own!  We live right next to our old house so it isn`t any difference in walking but so much difference in the look!  I didn`t take any pictures but just imagine, and maybe next week I can send some for you!  My companion is hilarious; she has a crazy mind on her head but I love her so much!  You really get to know someone when you are with them 24/7 but you also learn a lot about yourself also!  When you think about the mission (worldly) it really is something strange.  You leave everything you loved and go to a different country and live with a stranger and eat crazy food and walk ALL day long to teach people that usually don`t want to listen to you...  AND YOU GROW!!!  AND YOU BECOME BETTER!!!!!  AND YOU FIND OUT WHAT REALLY IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HOW AMAZING IS THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a really great experience this week, actually yesterday!  Because our church is at 12:30 we leave right from church to go eat with the members.  But we forgot to plan time to help cook the food with the members and we had another lesson right after.  None the less we were late to the other lesson and running like crazy to get there and teach a little bit of something and put another cita.  After that lesson we had yet another which was all the way across town, so off we went running once again to find out that they weren`t in their house....  Of course right??  hahaha  A little disappointed we thought, okay - fine we can go and contact a reference that lives close to them so off we went. 

We knocked on the door of the apartment building and someone yelled out “Quien es??”  and we yelled.... “Las misioneras!!!!”  hahahahaha  Then there was a short pause and then yelling really really excited  “HAY VOY HAY VOY HAY VOY!!!!!!!!!”  (meaning they are coming!)  And wow, we had such a surprise!  There lives 3 hermanas who all are so excited to learn and change their lives.  They had talked to the missionaries before when they lived in another city, but they were searching for something that could help them!  I wish I could explain how excited they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was such a blessing!!!  But the amazing thing was they were headed off to work so we only had 10 minutes to visit with them and put another cita!  Perfect or what???? 

From this experience I learned that our timing is not perfect!  If everything hadn`t happened the way it did, we wouldn’t have found them there!  TRUST IN THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HE KNOWS HIS CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This work is amazing and definitely lead by the One who knows it all!  I know this is the true church of our savior Jesus Christ!

I love you with all my heart and soul!!!!!!!

Your Hermana Sutton! (the favorite daughter)
 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Burritos

 
Hermanas Soto and Sutton


We Move Tomorrow ;)


Hola Familia!!!!!

If you can believe it, we had an even better week than the last one!  I feel so great to be here in the mission and so great to be serving the lord 24/7; it is one blessing I will never forget in all of my life.  It is true when people say the mission will shape the rest of your life, and I know that is true!  I am a completely differente person now than I was a few months ago.  I now understand a little bit more why we are here on the earth and what it means to be a child of GOD!  It is incredible and wow... yeah, just wow!

Sounds like it was a busy week for everyone back home!  Lots of things are happening and changing and it is so fun to hear about it!  I hope everything works out with Emily’s wedding and all the decorating and the fun food!  (Just send some my way)  hahaha  I got her invitation to the wedding and the luncheon and everything, but sadly I think I might be a little late for this one.  Make sure she knows I am sorry!  But I can´t imagine she is tooo sad; she is probably MADLY in love - the world is spinning around her ;)  hahaha  FELICIDADES para toda!  And next week you had better send me some pictures of EVERYTHING!  Food, her, the church, the cake, EVERYTHING! 

   …1…    How have the discussions been with your new family from last week?

YES!  We had another lesson with the Carballo´s and it was just as incredible as the last one!  They are the sweetest family ever.  (side note... they always have a little snack for us too)  The last time we were there the dad said to us... I hope you feel comfortable in our house; if there is anything we can do to help you feel more at home in Mexico, let us know.  THEY ARE GREAT!!!  They really want to learn and to know that this is true, and we are here to help them as much as we can!  But really the goal as missionaries is not to convince anyone that this is true, just to be guides to show them how THEY can find out for themselves and gain a relationship with the Lord :)

    …2…    Have they finished the “remodel” of your apartment yet or are you still in search of a place to live?

 WE MOVE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We are so excited and everything is ready!!!  La verdad, our other house was well.....  It is good we are moving!!  All part of the experience right??? 

    …3…    How’s your weather?  Is it starting to warm up a little?

Today is freezing, but this week the weather was pretty warm!  The warm weather is coming soon I can feel it, and then I will be wishing for the cold!

    …4…    What really made you smile this week?

To be honest, something that made me smile was, Grandma Carlene sent me a package with a whole bunch of pictures from when I was like 4 and 5 and I was so fat and look so crazy!  My companion thought it  was hilarious!  We had a lot of good laughs with these pictures ;)  But yes, I got all my mail from the past 2 months - I think!!!!  It was like Christmas again!!!   Wow  -THANK YOU TIMES A MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me just take a minute to be preachy okay????  READ THE SCRIPTURES!!!!!!!!!  If you have a question about anything.... READ!  Honestly they are such a blessing that we have in the life!  The Lord doesn´t leave us alone!   He has provided so much help in this life that we might know what path to take & the things that we need to do and how!  READ THEM EVERYDAY - IT IS NECESSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!  There is power in the word of God, there is guidance and there is peace!!!! :)  My testimony of the scriptures here in the mission has changed so much, they are incredible!  And they have the power to touch even the hardest of hearts! 

I know this church is true!  And I know true happiness comes from living the gospel!!!

Thanks for everything and I am always praying for you!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Sutton