Lunchables and identity theft

Dear Family,

 

Well there goes another great week! We had a lot of great lesson. The majority of our lessons this week were with less-actives. We have been focusing on them and the members to help build a stronger ward for the recent converts that will join. Stronger wards mean more effective missionary work. We have seen a lot of success from this so far. It's been great!

 

We had one really great lesson with the Llanas family. Maria and her 3 brothers, Maria is coming back to church now and she wants to be that good example for her brother as well. And we have helped her set a few goals to achieve what she really wants for her family, for her parents to get married and them to all be sealed together for eternity. I love being a missionary. :)

 

So these next few weeks Hna. Wilzbach is living on a short budget, something she is SUPER not used to. It's a little funny. She had to cancel her home card because someone tried to steal her identity! So as we talked about what to buy this week she was very stressed. Now, I'm not the best at budgeting but I have learned a bit here. Which I am super grateful for! But Hna. Wilzbach as resorted to lunchables and spaghetti-o's. I tried talking sense into her but that didn't happen... :)

 

Well family I love y'all so very much and I am so grateful that we have eternity to be a family! Be safe and be happy!

 

Love,

Hermana Florence

Birthday week

Dearest Family,

 

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MARYN AND BLAKE THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! I hope y'all got my birthday cards!

 

We had a really great week this week! I am super grateful for the miracles that I've seen this week. Heavenly Father has definitely been helping me out extra. We have been learning about being bold in lessons and what that means. I have noticed, through my scripture study this week, that there is a pattern of boldness that all of the prophets use. It's referred to as "plainness". I have been reading in Alma about Alma and Amulek as they are preaching in Ammonihah to the wicked people there. The people are angry with them because of how "plainly" they preach to them. There are people though that were prepared to harken unto the teaching of God, and they repented. The Spirit was able to touch their hearts more powerfully because of the simplicity of how they taught the doctrine of Christ. I was able to have a few really powerful lessons this week. We had a great one with the Llanas family. It was my Zeezrom experience. Jose, right after the opening prayer just started sweating bullets. And he just says, "Man, I guess I feel really guilty". We had a really powerful lesson about the Atonement and how he can be freed from his guilt. We had another lesson with Rosa Marrufo, we haven't taught her in a while, but we taught her a powerful restoration and she accepted a baptismal date! It's her time to change. She is more open to the Spirit. I love being a missionary and being able to help other come unto Christ through simplicity.

 

A super funny thing that happened this week! So Hna. Wilzbach has been reading the Book of Mormon a lot before bed, she is trying to finish within a set time. So this one night I get up to use the bathroom and I come back and get into bed, just about to fall asleep again and I hear, "Verily, verily, I need help!" Ha ha ha she should read less...

 

Well Family I love y'all so very much! I hope everyone has a great week!

 

Love,

Hermana Florence

Cold Weather and Sweet Memories

Hello Sweet Family!

 

This was a great week! We received transfer calls today and Hna. Wilzbach and I will both be staying here! Transfer #5 in this area, I love it here!! I am super grateful that I'll get at least 6 more weeks with a best friend! Hna. Wilzbach and I work super well together, and it's nice to have a good time while doing it! This week was super cold... I am definitely not a fan. I prayed that it would go away and then BOOM! 70's for a day or so and then today we got a text from leaders warning of more ice storms and sub-zero temperatures. This Arizona girl was not made for this! Friday morning we had a Sister's Training Conference. It started at 9 so we had to leave by 8:15 to be there on time with traffic. Well we didn't account for the half inch of ICE that was stuck on our car. Now, I've scrapped ice off my windshield before at home...but this was a different story. I only like ice in a skating rink and in my glass of water. I did see my first icicles though, so that was fun! 

 

In our Sister's Conference we had an incredible guest speaker, Sheri Dew. She had so many wonderful stories and experiences to share as well as great insights for doctrine. The main theme she focused on was our worth as women of Christ, brought to the earth at the specific time. I learned much about who I am meant to become through my experiences here on the mission as well as throughout life. I know that I was reserved in heaven for this time. Each of us were, we are all here for a divine purpose. I learned So much more about our Heavenly Father's love for us as His children. We each have a great work to do on the earth.

 

We had a really great week with teaching! Rosa and Tano, the Del Aguila's tios came to church!!!! And they LOVED it!!!! Tano is ready to be baptized, he has a great testimony, he is just waiting for Rosa to decide. The spirit really touched/softened her heart at church yesterday. It was great to see! Hno. Noesi is still progressing, definitely in his own time, but the change in him is really sweet to watch. He calls us his "ninas" daughters. We love him lots! We haven't been able to see Eva in a few weeks, we have decided to give her a break due to her avoiding us. I'm trying not to take it personally. She is just confused still and isn't ready to make her decision. We have been working with teaching our less-actives and members lately to strengthen the ward, which is resulting in more solid church attendance and more referrals! It's awesome!!

 

Well family my heart has been really tender today as I have been thinking about our angel, Brycen. I am so grateful for him and what he has brought to our family. For me, personally, I have been so blessed to be able to testify with more power about the Plan of Salvation while here. My testimony is strengthened in the plan every day. And I know it is because of the sweet experience I was able to have because of Brycen. When we have trials in life, we can choose if we will trust in the Lord or turn our backs to him. I am grateful that we each turned to the Lord in that specific trial. As a result our faith has been strengthened and as well as our family unity. For such a small little guy, he sure made all the difference in our lives. I love him.

 

I hope y'all have a wonderful week full of love and family! Remember that I love y'all so much!

 

Love,

Hermana Florence

Change of Heart

Dearest Family,

 

I hope y'all had a wonderful week. I sure did! 

This week our Zone has interviews with President Ashton. Let me just say, I have the BEST mission president in the world. We talked a lot about my health issues and I now have a way different outlook with them. We talked about how the purpose of my mission wasn't only to find and help people come unto Christ, but also to learn how to fully trust in the Lord. In my life that has always been something I have struggled with, letting the Lord really help me. The majority of the time I feel like I can do it myself. But man was a wrong! Try going through life like that...let alone missionary work. That's not how His plan is designed. The plan was for us to always recieve help and guidence, but it depends on our hearts how much we will recieve. Because another part of His plan for us is to be able to choose. We can accpet or reject His help. I am learning how to accept His help, because really that is the only way I am going to be the happiest.

 

We had a great week with teaching! Hno. Noesi is progressing and really understanding the Spirit, that's most important. Eva has dropped off the face of the earth...we are going to give her a break for a while and try later.

 

I was able to sing at the investigator and recent convert devotional last night. It went really well. Y'all know how I get really nervous and my legs are shaky? Well this was the first time in my entire life when I wasn't nervous. And I had all the reason to be because I'm out of shape and it was a last minute improv but I was so calm. I realized though as I sat down afterwards that that was the first time in a very long time when I looked for Dad in the crowd and didn't see him. But I didn't cry. SEE? I'm getting better! :)

 

Well Family I love y'all so very much! Have a wonderful week and know I love being here and learning all that I need to. Be safe and enjoy your time together as a family!

 

Love,

Hermana Florence

An Apostle and Miracles

Dear Family,

 

This week was pretty incredible! We had Elder Russle M. Nelson, a member of the quorum or the 12 Apostles, come to our stake conference! I was able to shake his hand and look into his eyes with confidence, that was a good feeling. Hearing him and being able to see him in person, as well as speak to him personally for a minute, fortified my testimony of this restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that he is an Apostle of the Lord. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God for the world. I know that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has always called worthy men to be prophets and that pattern of His love continues today. I am so grateful for that knowledge that I have that God loves us so dearly. His love isn't only a big blanket over the entire earth, it's like we each have our own individual snuggies. :) He knows us personally and wants the very best for us.

 

I have told y'all about Hno. Noesi, well we had another great lesson with him this week! We talked about how to recognize the Spirit. The Spirit in the lesson was so strong, he even pointed it out. Lesson learned! He is progressing well, we are becoming great friends! We still haven't been able to see Eva since the pitbull craziness. She is never home when we try her. But we have faith that she's still doing well.

 

Funny story time! So I am on this new medication and I started it last Tuesday, turns out it made me SUPER loopy(it's tons better now). Just as bad as when I take narcotics. It took a while for it to kick in so we were just leaving the apartment when I started to feel funny. It wasn't until we were in the depths of a lesson when I was just so incoherent and I had to lift up my legs to stay awake! Good thing Hna. Wilzbach knows me well and her Spanish is great and noticed that my Spanish coming out was really not Spanish at all, nor was it English. So she took over the lesson and it was over soon. She took me home and put me to bed. She tried to tell me some of the things I tried to say but there was no deciphering them. Thank goodness my body is getting used to the medicine and I can be a normal missionary now(whatever that is).

 

I hope everyone has a great week! Wish I could be there with Grammy, Grandad, and Mandie plus the kiddos! Soon soon soon...I love y'all so much! Be good, and safe, and share the happy message of the Gospel!

 

All my love,

Hna. Erica Florence

 

 

Pit bulls and other scary things!

Dearest Family,

 

This was a really awesome week! We saw lots of cool miracles with the missionary work. Eva Vasquez, the sweet lady that I said we were losing to the Jehovah's Witnesses...has a date for February 9th!!!!!!!!!!!! The lesson we had with her was just incredible! We had planned to talk more about the Restoration, but both of us, in personal study on morning, felt like we should go through the Articles of Faith, which outline our belief's as Latter-Day Saints. We went though them one by one and she found that she actually DID agree with all of our beliefs! It was super Spirit-directed. I love the feeling of following promptings that result in helping others. There is nothing better! We had another lesson this week withe Hno. Jose Noesi, he is the non-member husband of a sweet older lady in our ward. He was home one night when we went to teach Hna. Noesi and he decided to actually come when we invited him! Usually he goes into the other room. This first lesson with him last week was just intense. He had lots of questions and spoke really fast...sometimes those lessons just stress me out. But this one wasn't too bad because the Spirit was still there in our lesson. Hispanics just talk really loud when they speak...ANYWAYS. We had another lesson with him this week. We found that the majority of his questions come from not understanding the Heavenly Father's plan for us. So we prepared a BOMB lesson using only the Bible because he is weary about the Book of Mormon still...and...his heart was so softened. It was incredible y'all!! The tone of the lesson was completely turned around and he was calm and listened. It was obvious that he felt the Spirit so strongly, he even teared up. And his wife, who didn't believe that he could or want to change, was awe-struck! It's amazing to me that I can study the scriptures as much as I want, but if I don't listen to the Spirit and teach to the spiritual needs of God's children, I will not find the other half of success, which is to bring others to Christ.

 

So, my crazy pitbull experience...We went to see Eva last night. So we park, walk up the drive way and Hna. Wilzbach is walking in front of me. We're about to turn the corner and she stops dead in her tracks and I run into her. I asked what happened and she said, "Is it nice?" I look and see a white and black pitbull! Well it belongs to Eva's son, and I've pet the dog before and everything so I said, "Ya she's so sweet!" so I walk up and pet her. Hna. Wilzbach walks slowly behind me, timid as ever, and then the dog starts to growl deep in it's throat...So I feel like I should just take a step back...and I did. But right when I did it lunged for me barking like crazy! Luckily it was tied...but I turned and ran anyways. As I turned I looked for Hna. Wilzbach...ha ha ha ha the woman was already half-way to the car!! It was a pretty funny experience. We laughed about it after our hearts stopped racing and we checked for each limb. Then late that evening we went to visit Estela who has this obnoxious little white, fluffy dog. We walk up to her house and the little yapper comes running but doesn't even get close so we don't worry about it. We ring the doorbell and wait for a minute. As I'm looking at the door, waiting, I hear Hna. Wilzbach say, "Um...there are 2 other flippin' dogs behind us!" So I turn around and there is this one tall and skinny dog doing come kind of possessed potty dance and a black medium size dog just staring, along with the white yapper(still yapping). We are pretty much surrounded and Estela obviously wasn't home and we tried to slowly make it to our car. But the possessed one started to look like it was choking! So I ask it if it's choking. But it doesn't answer, probably because it was choking. But maybe also because it's a dog. We made it to our car but the choking possessed dog that has a bladder problem followed us all the way to the car. Hopefully we don't see him again.

 

Well those are my stories for this week! I hope y'all have a wonderful week and remember that I love y'all so much! Be good and safe!

 

Love,

Hna. Erica Florence

Happy New Year!

Hello dear family!

 

It was great to see everyone's faces!!!!!! I have one good lookin' family!! I am so grateful for all of the love that was sent my way, especially for Christmas. I got a sweet package from Aunt Jeanie and her family! That was SO fun to get! I have been wearing my boots nonstop(it's nice to have warm toes) and I had to change my outfit today because it was so cold and I just HAD to wear my cute ear warmer headband from Maryn and Blake! I feel very snuggly today. :) Anyways. I can't believe how big all of the kiddos are!! I swear Kid is a foot taller too. Everyone just looks so good and happy, it was such a blessing to see everyone. I will be jealous when Grammy & Grandad and Mandie's family go to visit. They better save up for another visit once I'm home!

 

So this week was pretty hilarious. It was pretty much a repeat of Thanksgiving. President Ashton encouraged us to visit as many people as possible and to teach short and powerful lessons. Well...in order to do that...people have to be home. It seems like everyone in our area leaves town! Everyone else talks about how they got to see their investigators...ha ha we only saw Eva Vasquez, but she didn't even let us in. We made brownies to take to a few choice families and we had lots of brownies left over. It was torcher because I could hardly eat a half one. But that's life. We ate at Subway(compliments of Mandie's present to me!) for Christmas eve dinner. It was classy. We ate at the Rodriguez family's home fro Christmas Day, it was super fun, the Santillan's came as well! After a bit there we went to call y'all which was super GREAT!!!! And Hna. Wilzbach got to talk to her parents too!! Which was a huge blessing as her family didn't support her going on a mission. For Christmas she got her first package from them in the 10 months she's been here. Needless to say she was very happy!! We celebrated by finishing our puzzle, Maryn will like it!

 

 So Hna. Wilzbach has been sick with the flu these past couple days. So I had lots of time on my hands so I decided to clean. I unclogged the tub drain that has been driving me nuts since I got to our apartment...I attached a picture. It was seriously gross. But I think Dad would have been proud of me for doing it. :) I will also attach some pictures of my Christmas adventures!

 

Have a wonderful New Years, I'll get it an hour before y'all! Love y'all so very much!! Be safe and share the gospel!

 

Love,

Hermana Erica Florence