Oh man. Another week

Hello Family

Still, I continue to work. Our investigators have started to drop us. The dad is still interested in being baptized, but the wife won't talk to us. She is angry at the world. We pray for them, but still are not sure what to do.

We had Zone Conference this week. It was really good. Focused on teaching simply and with the spirit. And then today we had a dart war game. Went around the building shooting nerf darts through PVC pipes at each other. Senior companions vs. Junior companions. The Juniors won almost every time :).

We had a great lesson with a less-active family here. They stopped going to church pretty soon after they were baptized. We talked to them about remembering their baptismal feelings and about renewing their covenants. I don't know if they will come to church, but I believe it got them thinking more, and they felt the spirit.

We had a baptism this last Saturday in the ward. It was for an 8-year-old, but Sis. Lakip and I came about 15 minutes early to help out. Turns out no one had filled the font, which takes about 1 hour to fill if you want warm water, 30 minutes if you don't mind cold. So we called the Zone Leaders who had the keys and they rushed over to help. It was a pretty interesting baptism. So many things went awry, but all in all it was good. Just remember to get the font filled in time.

Hope all is well. I'm glad the move went well. I love you all and hope that you have fun in Utah! And is Jarom going to send me an invitation? I'd love to have one.

Love you lots,
Erin

Good, Good Times...

So.. honestly I am doing better. I've really been working on focusing this week and particpating more in Spanish. Yes, it still is a day to day struggle for me. And really putting all my heart into the work. I was talking to some sisters the other day and we were saying how easy it is to be outwardly obedient, but the real struggle is in controlling you mind and controlling you heart in really putting your whole heart in to the work. It didn't realize how much that would be a struggle, but I'm learnin. That's why the Lord doesn't say... "I require that you do this..." but instead he requires "the heart and a willing mind." And I continue to learn.

These past couple of days have been higher. We stopped by Maria and Jairo Jimenez. We were nervous that they were going to drop us because we hadn't heard from them in awhile despite are numerous calls and visits. But we stopped by yesterday and talked to Jairo. It turned into an impromptu lesson about tithing and word of wisdom, which he committed to live and told us he still wanted to be baptized on the 26th! We are so excited. The wife stills struggles with smoking, but she really wants to quit and we are working with her on that.

We also met with William Stimeberg yesterday. He's retired. We tracted into him about two weeks ago, but he went on vacation. It was so cool, he had so many questions. He knew a lot about the church history in general and was appalled by it.... perfect for the apostasy. He didn't believe in infant baptism and readily accepted the fact that God could call a prophet today. It was a good lesson. He told us that he would read the Book of Mormon and pray. We will be following up with him this week. He even told us how Elders had knocked on his door 20 years ago and he had let them in, but that even though they were nice they just brushed over the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith (which I can understand with the 7 discussions), which is what he thought was the most distinguishing factor. I'm praying that he will sincerely pray and feel the spirit.

Oh, I learned how to make empanadas yesterday. We went to the Vidal's house for lunch and she taught me. It was pretty good, but so greasy. And they kept feeding us. I'll be honest, I was sick by the end. Sisters can not eat as much as Elders can even though the members think it's the same. Sis. Lakip and I were both really sick by the end. Fortunately it wore off during the day.

Today was fun too because a group of elders and us sisters  went to a member's house in New Canaan, who has this huge house, and basketball/tennis court, trampoline and such. We played basketball, tennis, wiffle ball. So much fun. Elder Garcia was even teaching me how to skateboard... it was actually pretty cool. It ended with a game of ultimate frisbee... what fun. But it is so hot and humid here. You get all sweaty, but there is really nothing you can do about it.

Hope the move goes smoothly and that you have tons of fun. I hope you know that I still tell everyone that I am from California.... :) It will always be my hometown, but it will be fun to see all the changes when I come home. Still... that's a long time away so I won't think about it. Let me know the new address so that I can let the office know. Or maybe you should just call the office and let them know because I don't know all the information they need. Let me know if you would prefer to do that.

Love you lots. Keep me in your prayers and mailing list. ;) It helps a lot. I pray for you too.

Love,
Erin

P.S. I got the package... thank you so much. I'm all ready with my rain jacket now. You are amazing family. What more could a sister missionary want... love you.

I've seen lightning bugs!

Hello Family,

Guess what happened. We had a whole family come to church on Sunday. They came and said they enjoyed it. The mother and father have a baptismal date. Their daughters don't necessarily because they never come in when we teach. One is older and never home and the other always has friends over. But we are still working closely with them and are excited with how much the progress. We heard the father pray for the first time and it was so sweet. There isn't anything as tender as hearing someone pray with sincere intent for the first time. There was such a great feeling in the room and all of us felt it. We will be seeing them this week to talk to them more. There names are Maria and Jairo.

I also saw a lightning bug for the first time. It was amazing, just made my day. Do we not have them in California? Now I see them everywhere. I want to go catch some one night and put them in a jar, but alas I really don't have time for that. Maybe another time when I visit.

Oh, another cool thing. We had mission conference last Friday, but what was unusual was that the whole mission was meeting together instead of splitting it into two areas like they usually do, but they wouldn't tell us why. It wasn't until we arrived to a church in Manhattan that we found out. President Uchtdorf was coming to speak to us. It was amazing. He was on vacation in New York and wanted to speak to the missionaries here. He spoke for an hour and a half or so and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong and he said a lot of things that helped me out. It seems that I keep needing those constant reminders.

I am grateful for the words of counsel and comfort I have received in my setting apart, my blessings here, and in my patriarchal blessing. They keep me going because I see how they exactly relate to what I am struggling with. It doesn't make the struggle any easier, but it is a comfort that God knew and prepared me with counsel for when it came. I'm praying that everything will be resolved.

That's way cool about the job, Dad! I hope that you get it, but I know whatever happens will be the best for the family. He is watching out for you. I don't have the new address for Utah... will you send it to me. I'd appreciate it much. And also will you have a new email address and phone number. These are things I need to report to the office once you move. Also probably the new ward information.... maybe more, but I would have to ask.

Love you lots and pray for you. Thank you for your prayers and support. Don't get too exhausted moving all the stuff to Utah. Have fun.

Love,
Sis. Price

Another cycle past!

Good Morning Mom, Dad, and Family,

Jackie was confirmed on Sunday! Which was a relief and excitement because
the whole family came to church. Yesterday we were over at her house and she
comes up and says... "Do you notice anything different? About my face?" We
look at her and are thinking... "no you still have the same makeup? Maybe a
little tanner? I don't know." Finally she retorts, "I took like 5 earrings
out" Lo and behold, she had taken out several earrings that she refused to
do before. We were so happy. She has changed so much and the girls from the
church have been so supportive, especially since she has made a lot of
changes with the friends she usually hangs out with.I'm not worried about
her anymore for when we leave because of the great youth we have here.

We also met a family whose son is friends with Jackie. We started teaching
them about the church and they seem really interested. :). We of course left
them with a Book of Mormon and we are going to come back and give them a
baptismal date. As we left we were talking about baptism by immersion and
their daughter was amazed that it was completely underwater. She said, "I
want to do that!" So we asked how old she was, when she responded 10, we
said, "Well, then you can." Of course, we want the parents to be excited
about it to. But I have lots of faith because at one point the father was
quizzing me about me testimony, how I got it, what it was... etc.... and
then he said, "When I studied with the Jehovah Witnesses, they knew a lot,
but I didn't feel anything. But I feel something with you." That's the Holy
Spirit! The church is true!

Thanks for the package, I am excited to get it. We've been having random
rainstorms almost everyday. Apparently it rains a lot in the afternoon
during the summer. Who would have guessed. I don't think I could live here.
I prefer the East Coast, but it's been a good experience.

Love you lots and miss you. I'll get through, I've gotten through this far.
Just tell me the happy news and how you are doing. And when is Jarom getting
married. You told me that it is less than a month away. Is he getting
married in July or August? Anyway, love you lots.

Love,
Me

Happy Wednesday!

Dear Family,

We had the baptism last week for Jackie Fraioli, which was wonderful. The
spirit is always so strong at baptisms and we were happy because quite a few
people showed up. A lot of support, which is the best thing.:). We have been
working a lot with the whole Torres family. They need lots of help. The
mother and father fight all the time and blame each other for their
problems, and yet they are still together.... I was wondering why that is.
The only conclusion is that they love their daughter, Sofia. We have been
trying to get them to do something as small as compliments. That is a
constant struggle.

I had a really good conversation with Christine (the mother), the other day.
We talked about following the Holy Spirit. My original intention was to talk
about how to recognize it, but she told me she feels the spirit everyday and
she knows what she needs to do, but she brushes it aside because it asks her
to do something to difficult. I shared my testimony, that though those
things are hard, it will bring us happiness. That the Holy Ghost always
leads us to right. I believe she realized then that God really was answering
her prayers, she just struggles following the answer. I don't blame her. I
understand (at least in part) what she feels (I'm sure each of us have that
in our lives, where it just seems like too much to ask). But I do know that
until she follows that prompting, things are not going to be like she wants
it to be. Still, the atmosphere in the house is improving.

Had a really cool experience yesterday while tracting. We met a man,
William, who as we started to talk to him said, "Yes, I know the Mormons.
And I respect them a lot because they live what they believe." What a great
way to start! Next thing he says is that he wants to do some geneaology and
wanted to know if we could find out some information about that. We keep
talking to him and he says... "Yeah, if you have some time I'd love to sit
down and talk with you for an hour or so." So we will be meeting with him
next week. Unfortunately we have to work on his wife. He told us that she
thought Mormons were a cult (I've heard that one before). We will probably
bring a couple with us so she can see that we are normal people, with great
testimonies.

So, I'll be coming home to Utah. Wow, things have been changing fast. It
will all be completely new. Oh question... Dad, didn't you serve part of
your mission in Ecuador. There is a family here from Ecuador who want to
know when and where you served there. I know you served in several different
countries, but was fairly certain you spent some time there. Could you let
me know.

Love, Me

Lots of heat and crazy weather!

Family, Friends, and others

I love you all! You are fantastic and thanks for the emails and letters.
They always help out.

So first bit of news.... the weather. We have now officially skipped to
summer. The past few days it has been 100 degrees. When I walk outside I
feel like I'm in a sauna (sp?) because it is so humid. I'm sweating so much,
I've stopped worrying about it. Don't worry, I've been drinking lots of
water. And the good news is that the weather has helped us talk to a few
people about the gospel. They wonder why we would go out for so long talking
to people about religion. Like one lady said, "I'm a devout Catholic, but
you wouldn't find me out in this heat." So we told her why it was so
important.

To continue with weather. Last Sunday we also had a crazy storm with
lightning and thunder. It was raining so hard that I thought it was hailing.
All in all it only lasted for about 5-10 minutes, but I was glad to be
inside talking to the Moranchel family (Part-member, less-active family). It
was a good thing too because when we went to go to a dinner appointment tons
of roads were blocked because huge branches and trees had fallen on the
roads and blocked them. Some had even taken down power lines. After three
different routes, we ended up parking the car and walking to the house.

We have a baptism tonight for Jackie Fraioli. It's so excited, though the
last couple of days have been a bit stressful. On Monday we called up and
her mom was stressed and saying things like, "You pushed her into getting
baptized!" and her mom's a member! We ended up talking to Jackie to see if
she felt the same way, since she had told us that she wanted to be baptized
earlier (aka Wednesday instead of Sunday). After talking for nearly two
hours, she was still set for being baptized. She was having doubts because
her friends at school are not supportive (she's 15 years old) and tell her
things like, "You can be good without having to be baptized." or "You won't
be able to change." Her testimony has grown, but we are going to continue
working on stregthening it and especially her faith in Jesus Christ because
she feels like she has to be perfect, but won't ever be. She has been a
great example to me in overcoming opposition.

I've really been thinking about and working on charity. My companion and I
still go up and down in our relationship. We are just so very different from
the lives we grew up in. She is great though and has a lot of love. I'm
working to strengthen my love for her, but also for the people I teach. It
reminds me of when I was set apart and it said that I would be blessed with
charity and to seek to develop this gift so that I could accomplish all that
I desire. I was reminded of it again with a conversation I had with my
campanion. So I've really tried to pray for that love and understand the
people and their lives. Sometimes it's difficult. Will you pray for me to be
able to have this love also?

We met Jairo and Maria this week. We taught them the first lesson and
committed them to church. They said they would come, so we are hoping and
praying for the best. They are reading, but I'm not sure they are really
praying to know. We will know better when we meet with them again.

I also had another cool experience this week. After a long, hot day we
decided to get pizza at a sit-down restaurant. As we waited for the food
another lady sat down next to us who was eating there by herself. And we
ended up talking about God, families, and the need for it in our lives. We
told her about Joseph Smith, modern-day prophets, and more about the church.
We gave her a pass-along card and invited her to church. She said she might
make it one day and before we left, she said, "You know, I believe that
things happen for a reason. I don't think it was just coincidence that I sat
next to you today." That was a good reminder to me of how involved the Lord
is in our lives.

Now on to your news! Moving in July. That's not too far away. How exciting.
You will have to let me know more about it as it comes closer. I received
Daniel's graduation/Eagle scout card. That's so great!I love you all and all
the accomplishments you are making. Keep it up.

Love you lots,
Erin

Good news....

Hello Mom, Dad, and Family,

Some amazing things that happened this week. We have been teaching an older
man from Honduras whose name is Basilio. He has accepted a baptismal date.
He's great! We taught him the Plan of Salvation the other day and he just
took it all in. I asked him what he thought of it afterwards and if he
believed it. He said, "Well, it's different, but I believe because you
taught me it." It reminds me of the scripture that says something to the
affect of "Blessed be those that believe on your words." Of course we told
him to continue praying and reading about it and he would know with more
surety.

My birthday went well. We were at church from 7:30 am to about 4:00pm. There
were meetings in the morning, then part of the English ward, and then the
Spanish ward, and then a baptism which we stayed for support (and because
Sis. Lakip was playing the piano and I was leading). Lots of people from the
hispanic ward attend the baptismal services.

Funnry story this week. We taught a lesson on Monday for a family home
evening at the Arenas' home. They had several families over. So Sis. Lakip
and I taught about faith and how many times the situation seems dangerous or
scary and we are not sure how we will get out of it, but then at the moment
we think we are going to fail, the Lord lifts it away. (Alma 36:3). We had a
demonstration afterwards where you take a tea bag (the kind that's stapled
shut) and empty out the contents and stand it up on your hand so that it is
a tall cylinder. You then light it on fire and it burns down, but right
before it gets to your hand the entire things lifts into the air and it
finishes burning.

Well, we had one of the youth come up to be the demonstrater, but then we
couldn't light the matches. So Hno Yulan came to help. I guess we didn't
explain well in Spanish what to do because he dropped the match onto the top
of the tea bag, which lit it on fire and then the match dropped to the kids
hand. Of course it burned his hand so on instinct he dropped it (I felt so
bad). All I could think was, "Oh no, don't burn the house down." Luckily the
bag is light enough that it stayed in the air with a couple of lifts from me
and was able to burn out. I was slightly burned in the process, but at least
no houses were burned. :). Hopefully the next demonstration goes better than
that.

We also have a baptism for Jackie set for next week. It was amazing because
on Sunday she stood up to bear her testimony and she started crying. She
said how grateful she was for everybody and the experiences she's had. Also
how she loved the sisters :). But the greatest part was when she said, "And
it has made me so happy. And because I'm happy I am going to be baptized."
She was crying, her mom was crying, Sis. Lakip was crying, I was smiling.
Everything is set for next Wednesday. She just has her interview tonight.

Yes, I would like my raincoat back. We still have random rainstorms here and
it would be good to have. I don't know why Connecticut is more wet than New
York, but it really seeems like it. Maybe it's just the rainy season now. Go
figure.

Question, Did Nancy Madsen move? I never heard if she did or not. Do you
know what Kristin has been up to?

Anyway, love you all and miss you. Thanks for the birthday cards. They
lightened up the day. Again love you lots and hope you have a great week.

Love,
Erin