blurb

It's really bad, but I have zero motivation to write right now. This can probably be attributed to the fact that I just spoke to y'all yesterday via telefono. I will update by saying this. Unfortunately, Carlos wasn't baptized. We're all a little bummed, but not our will but Padre Celestial's right. 

This week was a bit of a dead one for us, sometimes you have weeks where nothing seems to work out, and this was definitely one of them. But, all is well in Zion right!? Always. Sorry this is more of a note than a letter!

Hna Flores. 

(foremerly known as Lauren)

Trio down to two.

Trio Training in Pecan Park. (Hna Dedrick, Hna Post, & Hna Flores)

1. Spotting a little boy dressed as Luigi riding a scooter = miracle contact with Adela.

2. 1st HOP (Hour of Power) Hna Dedrick knocks on all the English doors, Hna Post finds sasquatch man.

3. Castro and divine discontent: You believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe people can change?

4. Mairena and her well-versed-in-the-Bible children.

5. Exchanging "knowing" looks every time Hna Post does something funny or "scatterbrained" as she (Hna Post) calls it.

6. Blue Bell Mondays!

7. Making up stories about the people who live in houses we walk by.

8. Patricia M & her alien baby story.

9. Hna Post having 3 of the same shirt in different sizes in her closet.

10. "ooooh yeah!" -Elder Sully.

11. Antonio M. believing in Black Magic and that his TV was possesed.

12. Hour of Power miracle meeting Carlos A. who was baptized 18 years ago in Mexico.

13. The day we decided to be triplets and Hna Post got stuck in the size small shirt.

14. The time the gardener blamed us for making the devil go into his lawn mower.

15. Getting soaked in the rain, but somehow miraculously teaching 2 member present lessons.

16. Opening prayer in sacrament meeting: "Bless the Pope whom I consider to be a bishop"

17. Walter: "Hna, ju are a guuuuud missionary!"

18. Teaching the Lamberts, a family who's been inactive for 10+ years.

19. Pedro coming to church! (& loving testimony meeting)

20. Singing Disney songs till 11:30

21. "I'm naked. all. the. time." -Jared (the Garza's 8-year-old son)

22. Teaching Pedro how to read by using el LDM.

23. The time the Jehovah's Witnesses came knocking on our door. We learned nothing about what they believe, but they learned a whole lot about ours!

24. Hna Post wanting to check the mail every time we leave or come home. (Ironic since E. Davis' nickname for her is Post Master General)

25. Stepping on dog poop INSIDE a house, and said dog peeing everywhere.

26. Elder Jensen being really excited to take us to see the bread factory for the smell of warm, just baked bread.

27. E. Jensen riding as fast as he could and wanting to see just how fast it was. "How about now?" "20 mph" "now?" "20mph" "what about now?" "20mph"

28. Our down day: being delivered mustaches, oreos, and a life size captain Jack Sparrow.

29. Sunday Dinner with the Venturas.

30. Trip to the temple! Carpooling with the Venturas and having them bring picnic/gourmet lunches.

31. The time the assistants left their phone, and while picking it up from us, they ran over a curb in the 12 passenger van.

32. "Your book is NOT welcome in my house!"

33. Somehow seeing President Crawford at least once a week every week this transfer.

34. Meeting Nancy. :]

Another transfer under my belt & I'm halfway done with training the second time around. We're a little sad though, Hna Dedrick has decided to go home, so our trio will be down to two. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision, this is something we've been counseling with Hna Dedrick since the beginning. We're sad to see her go, but all is well in Zion!

The End-Start period of a transfer is always an exciting time--a clean slate. A chance to reflect on the good, the bad, and the miracles. & It's nerdy, but I especially love being able to start a new planner. I can best compare it to the thrill of buying school supplies for a new semester. I kind of really like things neat and orderly.

I'm currently most excited about teaching Pedro & Victoria, Brenda & Joaquin, and Nancy! Pedro & Victoria, it's been a while since we started teaching them, they learn at a slower pace. But, we're meeting them more than once a week. Yesterday we invited them to be baptized, and we extended the date ofJune 29th, so we're working with them towards that goal. We were nervous yesterday going in the the lesson because we knew we had to extend that baptismal date. And it was a christmas miracle because Pedro finally prayed! Granted I had to walk him through the steps in the prayer, but it was said. It was simple, but it was one of the most precious prayers I have heard on my mission. The Venturas (senior missionary couple) were there and were able to testify of the gospel and the blessings they've received in a way that Pedro & Victoria were able to understand.

Brenda & Joaquin are a part member family we're working with. Joaquin is a less active member, but they both came to church this Sunday. We made cinnamon rolls and went to their apartment before church. We have invited Brenda to be baptized before, but we just need to extend a specific date, a goal to work towards. 

Nancy is a 21 year old we found in kind of a round-about way. We were trying to find a former investigator who lives right across the street. We ended up knocking her door, but first spoke to her mother who told us we could come back. Nancy answered the door the next time. Nancy was raised catholic, but is currently at a crossroads between paganism and Christianity. The best thing about teaching Nancy is that she really questions things. She really thinks about things. She was raised in Catholic school, and she's a bright girl so she really understands what it is that her religion truly believes. When we first came back for an appointment Nancy had read through the pamphlet and had blue post-it notes with questions on every page, it was such a fun lesson to teach!

We're working hard towards a baptism! It's close, I can feel it, I just don't know where exactly it's going to come from. We will work with faith and we know that Heavenly Father will help us with the rest. 

Te amo times a millz,

Hna Flores

8 month mark!

8 great things that happened on my 8 month mark.

1. Pedro came to church! 

(Pedro from the couple Pedro & Victoria that Hna Fox and I taught on my 7th month mark). At zone meeting on Friday we had a discussion about how when we taught our investigators about the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy they would understand the importance of coming to church. Victoria unfortunately had to work, but Pedro came! It was fast and testimony meeting, and he loved it. He loved hearing the testimonies of our wonderful members and even told us, "I wish my wife had been here to hear this." Hno Jaime and his wife who had accompanied us on a lesson with them, sat with them at church and invited him to Carlos' baptism on Saturday as well. 

2. Carlos is getting baptized!

The services were announced, and if all goes according to plan, we'll have a baptism this Saturday.

3. M & J a less active couple we've been working with came to church this Sunday. 

It was so great to see them! It was lucky that we had a trio to divide and conquer and sit with all the people we had at church.

4. Cinco de Mayo!

Self explanatory

5. I <3 familia Garza. 

The Garza's are one of my favorite families in the ward. Hno served in the same mission as my dad, and has a VERY similar personality. He's hilarious, and they've been doing so great at missionary work. Hna Garza reminds me of one of my best friends from high school, Jeniffer. We had lasagna, garlic bread, and vegetables to celebrate cinco de mayo! :) ole!

6. Kelly is going on a mission!

The Garza's oldest daughter decided that she wants to go on a mission, meaning that she'll be coming out on appointments with us.

7. We met Hno La...

I've been trying to meet this less active family since I got to the area, but only last week did we start having success. Hno La... works offshore on a boat and is never home, but this Sunday we met him. He was the only one home, but we had such a great lesson with him outside, and were able to set a return appointment for Tuesday with the entire family. We're really hoping we get to meet with them!

8. Found another Less Active Part Member family.

I've also been trying to meet the Cantus, but for some reason could n e v e r find them home, then yesterday I suggested we go try them, and sure enough, success! We didn't get to have a lesson, but simply meeting them was enough. I'm so excited to be working with such great families. 

We felt so blessed this week. At the beginning of the week, I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. We had our first ever mission leadership council on Tuesday and I was told about what my responsibilities were as sister training leader. Ideally, I'm supposed to go on an exchange with every sister in my zone, and my role is to make sure that the sisters are doing okay, that they are being trained properly. I also was starting to feel a little unexperienced and underqualified as I saw that all the other Sister Training Leaders are close to going home! But, I know with Heavenly Father's help anything is possible.

This week an abiding principle was even more so instilled into my missionary soul. My companions and I are really striving to be Preach My Gospel missionaries. The mission is in a small sense a parallel to the plan of salvation. 

Life before the mission = pre earth life

MTC = childhood

Missionary service in the field = our life on earth

post-mission life = exhaltation

We are tested on our mission in different ways, we can choose to be lazy missionaries, we can choose to put our wants before the Lord's wants, we can choose between consecration and so-so missionary work, we can choose between talking to everyone and only some. But, when we do missionary work the Lord's way is when we see true blessings and miracles. 

My greenies have seen how some investigators have kind of dwindled off after we invite them to be baptized. But, as I pointed out to Hna Dedrick, it's like we're on a treasure hunt. We invite people to be baptized after the first lesson as a filter. Because in a sense teaching people without inviting them to be baptized is a waste of the Lord's time. I know that doing missionary work the Lord's way I can be an instrument for good, I can see more milagros, I can see more people take those necessary steps towards baptism. 

We made a commitment as a companionship today, that we're going to work with that faith, work with that drive, we are working towards having a baptism a month. I know it can be done, in accordance with our faith.

I love you all!

Hna Flores

mission moments.

Every moment is occupied. Mission days have so many details mixed into them. I can't believe that Hna Post & Hna Dedrick have only been here for two weeks. I feel as if we've done so much and had so many experiences together. We had a really great Hour of Power together this past week. Hour of Power is a President Crawford invention. Every Thursday, at 5pm we gather at the home of a member have dinner, and teach a lesson about faith unto miracles, then at 5:50 we ask the head of the household to offer a kneeling prayer so that we or sometimes other missionaries in the field will find someone to teach. Then, from 6-7 we knock the doors of a nearby street. I got really sick on Wed night to Thurs. I had a horrible pressure headache. I could feel fluids moving and getting trapped in tiny vessels under my skin all throughout my face. It was as if I had dived to the bottom of a pool and risen up out of the water too quickly. Or as if the sensation of ears popping during a plane ride was occurring in pockets all over my face. It was awful. After weekly planning, I took a nap to see if my pain would subside. I knew that I for sure wanted to make it out for Hour of Power, because hour of Power is a sure bet for miracles. We had Hour of Power with the Jaimes. I felt so awful during it all. Luckily, not too many people answered their doors. I say luckily because I speak for 90% of the contacts in Spanish that we make, and on thurs I couldn't think in Spanish let alone English. We had no luck during the hour of Power, but at the very end, I told the Hnas that we should walk up and talk to a group of men. We were a bit hesitant and this man called out, "don't be afraid! come talk to us!" Turns out, this man was an inactive member baptized in Mexico 18 years ago. He had even visited the temple in Mexico City, because he was going to marry a girl who was a member. He told us that the standards of the church were too high, that it was tough to follow sometimes. As he was talking to us, a car pulled up and out came Hna Salas, a member from Pasadena 3! I asked it he knew this man, and he said he had just met him that day and was trying to buy a car from him. It was a miracle. We had an appointment, and had to leave, but we left the man in good hands. We went back to the Jaimes to tell them about the miracle, and it turns out that Hna Jaime had been present for a lot of the lessons when Hna Salas was getting baptized. So, Hno Jaime jumped in his car, and drove up the street to talk to Hno Jaime and the man (Carlos A.). I really hope that we can see great things from this mini miracle! On Saturday it was pouring rain. We only taught two lessons, but they were both member presents and they were great. It was a blessing that we were kept safe Saturday. I know that I had the blessing of safety. We were almost crashed into. I was turning left off gulf fwy onto woodridge when this car from the left turn only lane cut me off and forced me to go straight. It was definitely divine protection. One of our two lessons was with Carlos. We normally meet with him outside his trailer, but because it was raining buckets, we set up a ride and had him meet with us at the chapel. Carlos is getting baptized May 11th! It is amazing how he has been prepared. He readily accepts everything that we teach him, and his face lit up the first time he saw a picture of President Monson. Everything about meeting/teaching Carlos has been a miracle.


I love this work, and I love y'all! 
Hna Flores