It is True!

It was my birthday was last pday so it was super fun! :) I had 3 birthday cakes lol and the Rades family (our old landlords) paid for us to get a mani pedi. How sweet and nice was that??! It was so much fun :) Birthdays on the mish are the bomb :) Thank you all for the birthday wishes! :) 

So we have started teaching Librado and some of his roommates this past week and he is amazing! He is so humble and willing to learn and believe. It is so amazing! :) He lives on the mink farms and he is living with 8 other guys who sometimes listen in on the lesson. He came to church yesterday and it was fantastic! :) I am so excited for the upcoming weeks!

So Hermana Huebsch, who made me one of my cakes AND my favorite, platanos tentaciones :) had her son's lego party that we helped her with. She is so creative and fun! :) There are pics below of the party lol :) She had signed up for dinner for us the day of the party so we got to see the festivities. The big lego box is a pinata that we helped her make :) so fun! ;) 

Our district was chosen with 2 others in our mission to be trained on how to train members how to use social media :) It is awesome! So we are going to teaching them during the afternoons when we don't have appts :) I am super pumped!!! :) It is put on by the More Good Foundation :)

Something funny that happened on Friday, we were driving by this kool aid stand and we had a second and we were thirsty so we got a drink lol There was a kid walking up and Hna Despain had an extra 50 cents so she paid for him. He was like, "no no thank you, but you don't need to pay for me, I won't get any" but we said that we had already paid for him but he insisted on not letting us pay lol he said "I know Jesus would want you to but no thanks" But FINALLY he accepted lol but as we were driving away, his mom stopped us and said "I am not letting the missionaries pay for my son" and gave us 50 cents lol. man. we tried. haha

I hope you all have a lovely week :) I just want you to know that this gospel is true. I know that Christ's true church in on the earth today. I know because I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know it every time I say the first vision. :) It is so powerful! I know it also because I have prayed and I just know that it is true because the Spirit witnessed it to me :)

I love you all, keep being member missionaries! :) Just open your mouth and it will be filled! :) 

Love, Hermana Derges :)

Easter!

I am so excited that today is my birthday!! Happy day! ;) Thank you for all of your love :) it really means a lot out here!

This week was pretty fun :) I hope you all saw the #BecauseofHim campaign on social media :) I hope you all got to take part in it or at least see the amazing video about the possibilities that come because of the life, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ :) It was really fun to see the message spread everywhere! :)

Last night at dinner Hermana Despain and I met the actor off of the RM, Singles Ward, and Home Teachers lol it was Michael Birkeland! He is married to the sister of one of the members in our Spanish ward. It was so neat!

They had to put the cat in the laundry room or it would have sat in the basket lol

So yesterday was amazing because it was Easter! I love Easter!! :) The Easter bunny came lol :) I remember that 14 years ago on Easter weekend I was baptized :) My birthday was on Good Friday and I was baptized the next day and then on Easter I was welcomed in as the newest member of the church. It was such a special weekend for me :) I hope you all can remember how special your baptisms were to you! :)

The last pieces of the platanos fritos that I made :) Yum!

But the Easter holiday was really fun. The night before Eva and her husband Juan and us went to the musical production "The Lamb of God" It was so so amazing! It was a beautiful rendition of the life of our Savior! :) It was put on by a mixture of the churches in the valley. I felt so lucky to be able to be there with Eva and to feel the Spirit so so strongly! :) It really helped me turn my thoughts on the holiday of Easter more towards Christ and His life.

I just want to let you all know that I know that this gospel is true :) I know that the Spirit really does guide us if we let it. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ really did die for us and that He lives again :)

I love you all! Have a great week! :)

Love, Hermana Derges :)

Because of Him!

It is almost Easter and it is a time to remember, in particular, the resurrection of Jesus Christ! :)  I want to share a video portraying what possibilities are unleashed once we truly embrace the true reason for this season.

I also want to share my testimony that I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that He suffered and paid the price for my sins and for yours. I know that He died on the cross and I know that that wasn't the end for Him. I know that He rose from the dead and that He lives! He lives to show us that we will live again too. That death has no sting; that there is hope beyond the boundaries of this earthly life we are living. Because of Him and His Atoning sacrifice, we are free from the burdens of our sins and pains in this life. Because of Him EVERYTHING is possible, everything. I hope and pray that you all embrace Him and the true meaning behind the Easter holiday. The true meaning being our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. I know this to be true and that He did all of this because of His love for us. And I say all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. :)

Hastening the Work of Salvation!

Hey! Happy Happy Week this past week!!

 

Transfer info came today and I am staying!!! :) That means because Hermana Despain is going home this transfer I am for sure staying for another 3 months!! :) Yay!! I love Saratoga Springs and I love my awesome comp!!!! :)

We got another car today to trade in for our truck, just until ours gets fixed. They found out that the axle got bent when it got hit! So it will take just a little longer... lol I liked driving the truck but I am happy we are back in a car!

So last night Elder Galvez from the 70 came last night to specifically speak to our Spanish Ward :) It was so so nice! The Spirit was so strong! He taught about the many signs that show if we are converted to the Gospel or not :) It was an amazing talk! :) One of the points was that if we do not invite a family to join the Gospel in a years time, we are not as converted as we thought we were. I thought that was really interesting but it makes sense! We don't have to be accountable if they say yes to baptism or anything like that, we just have to do our part of opening our mouth :) D&C 33:7-10 :) I LOVE this scripture! LIVE IT! :)

 

After Eva's Baptism! :) 

 

Then Saturday was a very very special day for me and Hermana Despain and especially for Eva. She was baptized on Saturday!! :) Seriously it made me the happiest girl ever!!!! :) To have the privilege of meeting her and teaching her has been such an honor. She was so so ready and she is so sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord. She is so special to me :) She just wants to learn more and more!! She wants to go to the temple and do baptisms for her mom!!! And we get to go with her!!! Happy day! I can't wait til she gets to enter into the doors of the temple of the Lord and feel the Spirit so so strongly!!! :) I am so excited for her future!!!!!

That was basically my week :) I love it here and I know that the Gospel is true. :) I am so happy and I love seeing the Gospel being spread. We had 4 new investigators this week, which was a pure miracle from our Heavenly Father. This area is blooming and I love being here to see it :)

I love you all, keep being awesome member missionaries and opening your mouths so that others can know this wonderful knowledge and truth too :)

 

Bye! Love, Hermana Derges :)

For My Yoke is Easy, and My Burden is Light

This week was fantastic! :) 

I hope you all enjoyed conference!! :) It was amazing and so spiritual for me :)

First Time! :)



Eva is still on for her baptism this Saturday! :) We are SO PUMPED for her :) Even her husband and maybe her kids are coming to watch! Yay! She is so so awesome and special to me and Hermana Despain. She is so willing to learn and she is so sensitive to the Spirit :) We are so excited for her to start this amazing journey!

Salt Lake Temple from Afar :)

We have a new temple policy! Which is bitter sweet. We only get to go 1 a quarter instead of 2 times every month lol talk about a cut back! But, if a recent convert is going to do baptisms or if a less active is going to the temple for their endowments then we can go with them! And not just to our temples in the valley, we can go to any temples in the Salt Lake Valley, ours, or Manti. Isn't that neat?? :) It is super fun! :)

So because our car got hit about a month ago, we are driving a TRUCK! This week until this Friday lol :) It is pretty fun! :)

Then of course GENERAL CONFERENCE! :) How could I miss that :) As some of you may have seen, I was able to go to the Saturday morning session of Conference! :) It was my first time ever and it was so so cool! :) we were really close too! I was, if you are looking at the podium, on the very left side in the front! :) We went up with our mission president and rode back on the Frontrunner! :) Hermana Garces, who was with me in the MTC was there with me! :) What did you all like from conference??? :)

 Hermana Garces y Yo :)

The Prophet!! :)

I LOVED so so many! I forgot my notes at home...but I loved Elder Bednar's talk about how it is necessary for us to carry a heavy load so that we won't get stuck in the snow or in life. BUT we don't have to carry that heavy load on our own. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29. :) Rely on Christ and He will make your burdens lighter or make you stronger to bear them. I also really liked the talk on understanding one another and who is right does not matter. We need to communicate love and respect to one another. I also loved President Utchdorf's talk on gratitude! :) I am learning more and more that I need to be grateful for everything in my life and especially now on my mission. What a wonderful blessing we have to be a part of the Lord's church and to be led by Him! :) I am so thankful for my trials and my "heavy load" that I carry that make me so so much stronger everyday!! :) I know that this gospel is true! :) There is no doubt in my mind :)

Pretty View inside the Conference Center!

Sister Tjong-Ayong and I riding the FrontRunner!! :)

I love you all so so much! :) have a great day!
Love, Hermana Derges :)