November 25th, 2013

Familia!!

   How are ya'll? It's getting super cold here. Maybe i'm just used to the Texas heat and now that it's Utah weather, but i'm freezing! We had a great week. Lots of tender mercies and many miracles. President called us last night and told us our new assignments. I'm being transferred and becoming a Sister Training Leader. Hermana Done will stay here and receive her new comp that will finish training her. So ya'll can send letters and anything else to the mission office this week until I get my new address :)

   On Wednesday, Elder Golden, from the 70 came and held a conference with our mission. It was incredible! A few other missionaries and I, sang in a quartet, "More Holiness Give Me." It was a great way to invite the spirit to the meeting. We received great instruction and training from Elder Golden and his sweet wife. They are from South Africa and have thick English accents. It was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity of talking to him afterwards and asked him a few questions. We are so blessed to have leaders called of God that lead and guide this wonderful church. 

   Thursday morning we got a call from Hermano Meza. He invited us over for breakfast. It was suuuuper cold that morning so we bundled up and headed over to their house. They set a bowl of soup in front of us and we put onion and oregano and limon in the soup. We started eating.. It didn't taste that good, but i just smiled and kept eating. Their son walked out of his room and Hermano Meza said "Quieres menudo?" I dropped my spoon and asked them.. "estoy comiendo menudo???" They both started laughing so hard. I, now, have officially eaten cow intestine. Haha 

   Friday we did an exchange with our Sister Training Leaders. We had a lesson with Akemy.. she told us "I want to get married so that I can get baptized. Then we'll get sealed in the temple. That's what would bring me the most joy right now." I sat there in shock. The spirit testified to each of us, the truthfulness of this Gospel and the plan that Heavenly Father has for each of His children. Earlier in the week, Hermana Done and I had taught Akemy a lesson and she wrote us a letter.. she read it to us and it was all about how grateful she is that we knocked her door 3 months ago and offered her this "new hope" and this "true church." She testified of the Book of Mormon. We all were teary eyed as she finished reading the letter and said how grateful she is for Jesus Christ. It was incredible. 

    Saturday the elders in our district had a 2 baptisms. Alan and Akemy and Ambar came! They loved it. The spirit, again, reaffirmed the truthfulness and divinity of this Gospel. Afterwards, Akemy pulled me aside and said "Hermana, you can't leave, you'll break my heart. I want to be baptized." I told her that even if I were to get transferred, I could come back for her baptism. She smiled and gave me a huge hug. I sometimes wonder if it's too good to be true. She and her family are incredible and love this Gospel so much! 

   Last night we had another lesson with Alan and Akemy and Ambar. We read about the 2000 stripling warriors. They loved it! Ambar, she's 6, was reading the scriptures and said the opening prayer. They told us they're planning their wedding! For springtime.. then they want to get baptized right after. We'll make it happen before then :) Akemy asked if she could say the closing prayer. As we knelt in their small apartment, Akemy began to pray. She thanked Heavenly Father for everything she has. I felt Heavenly Father's love come over me, stronger than before. This work is true. Miracles do happen. This week, count your blessings. We have so much to be thankful for. I know that for me, our family, and this gospel are on the top of my list. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us. Let us be instruments in His hands and help him spread His gospel. I love you all and am SO thankful for each one of you. It's hard to be away at this time of year, but to be able to share this Gospel makes is all worth it. 

   I thank my Father in Heaven each day for the opportunity I have to be a missionary. I love this work. I look forward to finding more people in a new area and sharing the message of the Gospel with them. 

   Have a great week and enjoy thanksgiving! Don't miss me too much :)
I love you all more than you know!

Con Amor,

   Hermana Egbert

Alan, Akemy, Ambar y yo

Hermano y Hermana Meza y yo.. con mi menudo

Judy Meza and I

Sister King, me and Sister Hill at Zone Conference

La familia de la cerda...sisters. i love them!

Freezing cold...i look like a zebra

La Familia Martinez. They are hilarious. He is the first counselor in the obispado 

Remember when I was matching outfits with Adimary? This is her sister Limary...we were matching yesterday!

Hermana Guajardo...She made the headbands I'm going to send to Rybear, Dilly, Londyn and Harper

On exchanges with Sister King...Hermana Castillo-love her!

November 18th, 2013

Familia!

Wow.. i dont even know where to start.. 

  Transfer calls are Sunday night.. so i'll let you know next week if i'm staying or going!

   Rylee.. Good luck at your baptism this week. I'm so proud of you! You'll do great. 

   Tuesday, we had piano lessons and tons of people came. We had 4 investigators there and 2 other non members that came with their friends. We got home that night and as we were finishing our prayer, there was a knock at the door.. Papa Johns? "I have a delivery from your brother in Tennessee" hahah how awesome is that! Thanks Jon for the pizza.. it was so good!

     We have been meeting with Akemy almost everyday now. I love her! She's the sweetest girl and truly wants to know our Heavenly Father. She called us Friday morning and asked what time we were coming to see her. She said she wanted to talk to us. We told her we would come right now, so we did. She made us breakfast and we talked with her and shared scriptures. She is incredible. Her family and friends don't understand why she meets with us, but she knows that what we teach is true. She then asked us to come back the next day. 

     After weeks of praying and trying to find someone to drive Hermana Done and I to the temple in San Antonio, we finally received an answer to our prayers. I talked to Hermana Gonzalez about how I have been wanting to go really bad. She offered to take us! We were able to attend the temple Saturday morning. It was incredible. It was the first time I've been since I've been out. I cried as I walked in. The Temple truly is the house of the Lord. I know that there is power in His Holy Temples and we can partake of it as we attend the temple. Make it a priority. 

   We got back to Austin around 2 and didn't have lessons until 4. We had this feeling like we should go see Akemy, but she lives a little bit out of the way so we decided to call her first. She didn't answer. We tried again, no answer. We pulled over and said a prayer. In the middle of the prayer, the phone rang. I opened one eye and it was Akemy! We both looked at eachother.. "Gracias! Amen." She sounded really sick when she answered. She said she had just been stung by a bee and that she's deathly allergic. The clinic she normally goes to was closed because it was Saturday so she didn't know what to do. We asked if the elders could come give her a blessing and she said yes. We met at her house right away and she couldn't feel her left arm and her throat was starting to swell. We explained how the Priesthood blessing would work and then the elders arrived. They gave her a blessing then we left. Later that night, she texted us and said "Hermanas, me siento mejor. Es como nada hubiera pasado.." (I feel better.. .It's like nothing ever happened." I am so thankful for the priesthood and for a loving Heavenly Father who is so aware of His children. It truly was a miracle.

     Sunday, Akemy texted us and said that Alan didn't have a tie, nor did he know how to tie one. We told her he didn't need to wear one and she responded with "Ya Vamos!!" They came to church! They really liked it. We had an incredible sacrament meeting and the spirit was really strong. Ambar, their 6 year old daughter, loved primary too :) Altogether, we had 5 investigators at church. 

    We truly have seen miracles this week. I feel like the Sons of Mosiah when they said that "they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any should should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble" (MSH 28:3) This work is oh so true. It's necessary. I love it. I know that God loves us. That He is aware of us. And that this is His true Church. I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jesus Christ is our Savior. We are not alone, He has felt everything we go through. Call upon Him. Go to the temple. Live worthy of the Spirit. I love you all!! Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Hermana Egbert

Britney is a member who is preparing to serve a mission as soon as she graduates :)

Hermana Gonzalez took us out to dinner at Taco Cabana

Ernesto and his saint.. with a halo made of painters tape.. haha

San Antonio Temple! Hermana Done, Hermana Gonzalez y yo

Alex.. we're teaching his family. He's the funniest little boy!

todo es mas grande en tejas.. un tren

Judy Meza y yo

templo

November 11th, 2013

Familia!!
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAM!!!
 This week was crazy.. 
    There have been a lot of rainstorms here and due to them, there was flooding in a subdivision in our area. Three streets of homes were completely covered in water. There were two deaths and cars that had been carried away in the water and left three miles down the street.  I felt like deja vu from being in Eagle Pass.. We grabbed our Mormon Helping Hands vests and got to work! Most of the families lost everything. The people were so thankful for our service. And once again, I realized the importance of the things that matter most. It made me so thankful for our family and this Gospel.
     We had a lesson with Akemy and Alan this week.. We have been trying to teach them about marriage and the importance of an eternal family but every time we have it planned, either the spirit guides us to teach something else, or they have questions about the Book of Mormon/their readings. We went with the intention of reading the chapter that we had left with them the previous time, but as we sat down, Akemy said "Aren't we going to talk about the proclamation?" She has been asking us about that ever since she came to piano lessons and saw it hanging up in the church. We immediately pulled out our copy of "La Familia: Una Proclamacion al Mundo." She pulled it up online and we started reading together. We had Hermana Guajardo with us, she's a member in our ward who lost her husband to cancer about a year ago. She bore powerful testimony of the peace and comfort that comes from the covenants she and her husband made in the temple. After we read the proclamation, Akemy said "I like this a lot.. the only thing we're missing is we're not legally married" We sat there in silence, letting the Spirit guide us what to say, and before we could say anything, Akemy and Alan looked at each other and said "we need to get married." The spirit filled the room! I couldn't believe it. I added my testimony of how grateful I am for my family and the knowledge of this Gospel. I felt so much love and appreciation for each of you. Alan and Akemy are going to get married! She told us afterwards that her family has been questioning her on "Why she meets with the mormons" and she told them she feels comfortable when we are there and she knows that the things we teach are true. She also told us that she doesn't let any other religion come in her house. Only us! Wow :)
    Last night we got a call from La Familia Carrillo. They have two darling girls and they invited us over to make donuts. Hermana Carrillo has been struggling a lot so we went over to try and cheer her up. She talked with Hermana Gonzalez as we made the donuts with her two daughters. She and her husband are going through a divorce and she told us that "Only this gospel" is getting her through. It made me think a lot.. only this gospel is really what truly matters.
    Our district sang in church yesterday "Divina Luz" (Lead Kindly Light). The Spirit was there and as we sang, I truly could feel my Father in Heaven's love. I love being able to feel the Spirit. Afterwards, we got a call from one of the Sister Training Leaders and she asked if I would sing in a quartet for our Mission Conference that we're going to have next week with Elder Golden of the Seventy. I was surprised they were wanting me to sing, but I accepted. Good thing I've been practicing by singing all my Christmas music! (I'm already counting down the days)
    I miss you all more than before. But this Gospel is true. And I love being a missionary. I am so thankful for families, for our family, and for the priesthood. I know that it is only through this Gospel, and the Priesthood that we can be sealed together as a family for eternity. Thank you for your examples, for your testimonies, and for your support. I feel of your prayers daily. 
    Con Amor,
  Hermana Egbert

PS.. i sent marielle a lot more pictures so look on the blog :)

Adamary Carillo and I at church.. matching outfits

Eva and I outside.. she had me try her chile plant.. it was the hottest pepper i've ever had 

Akemy y yo y hermana rodriguez

PROMISED LAND EGG NOG!!!! (without milk hahah)

flood

lizzie molina and me :)

dinner

donuts

CHECK THIS OUT!! i had to make a poster for our thanksgiving activity.. i'd say it looks like something mom would do! or grammy.. haha

November 4th, 2013

Familia..

   We've had lots of crazy things happen this week..
    Tuesday.. we had almost every lesson fall through. Thankfully when it came time to go to piano, Akemy and Ambar showed up! They loved the music and Ambar, she's 6, said the closing prayer in front of all the members that came! She proudly showed me her HLJ (ctr) ring afterwards. I had given it to her a few weeks ago. 

    Wednesday.. On our way to district meeting, our car beeped and on the display it said "low tire pressure." I thought, we'll check it after District Meeting. As i opened the door, i heard something funny.. i looked at the back tire, it was going flat! Luckily half of the zone was there and a few of the elders were able to put the spare on. We went and got it fixed, taught a few lessons, then went to an activity at the church for Halloween. After the activity, we went to talk to Jose. He told us Erika had moved everything out and that she was going to give him the key to the apartment on friday!

    Thursday.. we made cookies and delivered them to almost every member in our area. We're working to gain closer trust with the members and we're hoping that as we do, we'll receive more referrals and people to teach. Afterwards we went to dinner at a members home. Before we left, we sang "Grande Eres Tu" (How Great Thou Art) There were non members there and it was really neat to see them as we sang those powerful words.

    Friday... Erika handed in her keys!! It was official. We immediately started calling members and the bishopric to ask them to participate in the Baptismal Service. We had three 1st lessons set up. After those lessons, we now have 2 new families that set up return appointments! We hurried and met the elders at the church that night for Jose's baptismal interview. Just 2 minutes later, the power went out in the entire street. They finished his interview by using a cell phone to light up the room. 

   Saturday.. We dropped off cookies to more members and were able to visit a lot of less actives. Many of them were so grateful for the visit and we feel like we are making progress with our efforts. We headed to the church to fill the font. When we opened the door, it smelled really bad.. They had cleaned the carpets and had fans in every hallway. Thank goodness for febreeze! We sprayed the entire church and after an hour and a half, the font was filled, the carpets were dry, and we started the baptismal service. It was an amazing service, we had lots of less actives and a few investigators there as well.

    Sunday.. Jose was confirmed and during elders quorum, he received the Aaronic Priesthood. I never thought this day would come. Sacrament meeting was incredible. The spirit was so strong. I am always so thankful for Sundays and the opportunity we have to attend church. I am so thankful for the Sacrament. That we have the time to ponder, pray, and renew our covenants with our Father in Heaven. I felt spiritually recharged and ready to take on another week.

    Things are getting better between Hermana Done and I. We have many differences but we are working through them and trusting in the Lord.
    I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us. He wants us to be happy and return to live with Him again. It is only through the Atonement that we can do that. I know this Church is true. I love the scriptures. I find so much peace and joy as I read them. Thank you for the letters/emails/etc. It means so much. Have a great week! I love you all!!!

Con Amor,

    Hermana Egbert

Jose y nosotras

HALLOWEEN!