Pink Eye

    My companion has pink eye, luckily I don't, hopefully I don't get it! This past week has been a roller coaster. We've had some ups and some downs. We haven't been able to teach many lessons, but this past Sunday the Gonzalez family came to church again! This is the third week for them! We also had a branch activity Sunday night. The missionaries sang, Mormon messages were shown, and testimonies were shared! It was great, but the best part was that 5 of our investigators came! Gonzalez family came, David, and Israel! David was truly touched he enjoyed it very much. David has been reading the Book of Mormon a lot! He came across something that gave him some doubts. We were afraid that he wouldn't want us to keep teaching him, but the Lord answers prayers! During the last testimony he received a personal revelation! He wants to be baptized, he wants to come to church, and wants to keep reading the Book of Mormon! David is letting the Holy Spirit convert him!
      We are visiting a less active lady who's husband recently died. She has been looking for a job for a couple of weeks now. We went over one night and we were talking, we asked if she had prayed asking God to help her find a job, she said no. We invited her to do so and she said she would. A couple of days later we had an FHE activity with her and the Marquez family. When we arrived the first thing she tells us is that she got a JOB! We asked if she had prayed and said yes! The scriptures promise us that if we ask, and it is a righteous desire, we will receive! She now has her own testimony about prayer! 
      Today during personal study I was reading in Alma 34, what a great chapter! Amulek is sharing his testimony about Christ and his atonement. I am going to back track a little, to chapter 32, it talks about planting a seed in your heart, the seed is compared to the word of God. In Chapter 34 is states that The word is CHRIST. We need to plant JESUS CHRIST in our hearts. Many people already have that planted, it doesn't matter which christian religion, if they believe in Christ they have it planted, but now they must nurture it. We must take care of it with diligence, patience, and faith. As we read both Bible and Book of Mormon, pray daily, repent daily, and helping others the seed begins to grow and bear fruit. 
         This week for me has been about Diligence. What is diligence? My definition (definition in Preach my Gospel) is that diligence is a constant, steady, and earnest effort. Sometimes its hard to be diligent here on the mission because some days you are just so tired! But the key work for me is effort. Sometimes as missionaries we confuse the definition of effort. Some people see it as being perfect. If you aren't perfect it's because you aren't putting enough effort, wrong. We must have a perfect effort. ( I am hoping this makes sense to you all) We will never be prefect, we are human, we will always make mistakes, but God see's our efforts. I LOVE this Gospel. I know it is true, God wants us to be happy and he has given us a way to accomplish that, it is our choice to accept or reject it. I have seen so many miracles an blessings that come from this gospel. I know Jesus is the Christ. He died for us so that we may work diligently to come unto him. His hand is extended out to us, we just need to stretch out our hand and take a hold of his. 
-Hermana Recinos

Foto: All the Battalion Missionaries.

Staying in La Mesa

    La Mesa which is my area is great! Our members are the best! So eager to share the gospel and feed us! We have a couple of investigators; we are teaching 2 families. The Gonzales family, they've gone to church twice! The other family is the Bahenas, hopefully they will be coming to the Battalion! We have another investigater named David! He's great! He has a great heart and really wants to change but he works on Sundays so he hasn't been able to come to church! 
     Transfers are this week! I will be staying in La mesa with Hermana Calderon! Hopefully this transfer we will see even more miracles! 
       Last P-day we went to the temple! I love the temple because it is so peaceful. It's a place where I can go and not have to worry about the mission, but focus on my savior and what he's done for me. When I get home I want to make it a prioroty to go to the temple at least once a month! There are some people that go to the temple once a week! I'll get there! 
     Last Friday there was a potluck for Father's Day, so gooood! David, our investigater went! Hno. Marquez gave him a church tour without us asking or even knowing! The Members here are great!!
      We see a lot of people that fall away from the church and it is sad. There's a young man here who has been a member his whole life, but lately he has been falling away. He's caught up with worldly things. Friends, girls, drinking, smoking etc. He's been in jail a couple of times. We've taught him several times and he says he wants to change but is missing the action. He decided to leave his home and his family because he doesn't want to change. I've been thinking lately about the people that fall away, why is it? It all boils down to their testimony. When we don't have a testimony about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ we are bound to fall some day. Of course, a testimony doesn't grow overnight; it takes time. It took me 19 years to build the testimony I have and everyday it is strengthened. We must read, pray, have faith, and repent daily in order to receive and strengthen a testimony. When we do that we stand steadfast and immovable. The worldly things don't matter anymore, what people say against the church doesn't influence our faith. I know this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that as we pray and read the scriptures we will strengthen our testimonies. I love this gospel and I love sharing it. I know my Savior lives and loves me. That is what helps me move forward in this work. 
-Hermana Recinos

Pic- The Zone

 
       

Sechs Monate

     This week I will be hitting my 6 month (sechs monate-German) mark! It's crazy how fast time goes by! I know the rest of my time on my mission will go by even faster so I will be working my hardest to accomplish what I have been called to do which is to invite others to come unto Christ. Everyday I have the opportunity to do that! At the Battalion Historic Site, at the Temple and in my area. What I've noticed on my mission is that the Lord always provides a way to find those that he has prepared to meet the gospel. I've seen this especially at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site. Everyday we get visitors from all over the world. Finland, Germany, China, United States, Australia, France, Italy, Iraq, Mexico, Guatemala, Spain, Venezuela the list goes on and on! As a missionary I have the opportunity to get to know them and introduce them to this Gospel.
    On Sunday, Father's Day( Happy Father's Day to all the dads! You're all the best! But my dad is better:)), it was 8:45 and 3 young men walk in. We close the Battalion at 9 so I took them to the back and explained a little bit about the Battalion, who they were and what they did. These 3 guys were from Iraq and I'm not familiar with their beliefs but these guys were Catholics. I introduced them to the Book of Mormon and explained a little bit about what I was and gave them a copy in Arabic. They were intrigued and wanted to learn more, luckily the San Diego mission has Arabic Elders so I was able to send the Elders to them. MIRACLE! 
-Hermana Recinos
       

The Park of Miracles

      There is a park a block away from our chapel and we call it the park of miracles! We decided to go to this park on Saturday in the afternoon and the park was filled with people. We go up to this one group of four people and asked them if they have seen missionaries before? They said yes but they weren't interested. We walked away and went to the next person, his name was Dan, he was sitting underneath a tree reading. We talk to him for a little and find out that his mom and sister are LDS and that he's gone a couple of times to church! We sang a song, and prayed with him but he didn't want to meet with the missionaries. Hopefully we left him with something to think about. We talked and sang to a few other people. My companion really likes to sing, I do too, but it's kind of scary some times. The last person we talked to was Calvin. He's probably in his 20's and is going to a Christian college and is playing baseball for them. We explained to him what we do and why we do it. He was really impressed, we asked him if we could stop and share more with him and he said yes! Since we are Spanish speaking we gave him to the Elders, hopefully they will be able to see him! All in all we taught six lessons while we were at the park. 
      Yesterday was another day with miracles! We started to go through our area book and there were a lot of people who had previously been taught by missionaries so we decided to go contact them again. We didn't find any of them instead we found other people. We talked to this lady named Nina. She was in a rush so we just introduced ourselves and asked if we could come back another time and she said yes. We weren't thinking about setting a specific day because she was in a rush and since we have a busy schedule because we are at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site but just when we were about to leave she asked when will you be becoming! So we set up a return appointment with her! Then we street contacted this guy, Jeremy, asked him if he has seen missionaries before, he said yes. He lived in Salt Lake for about 6 months for work. Turns out the lady we talked to, Nina, was his mom! That day we also sang a lot! We also received 2 referrals for other missionaries. I know that when we work hard the Lord puts people in our path so that we can share the Gospel with them. 
      Today we had a brunch with all the Sisters in the mission and Sister Clayton (Mission President's Wife). There was food, so it was good! Haha. We sang the Primary Song, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" which is probably one of my favorite primary songs. They asked the question: "What if the Savior was your companion?" That got me thinking, why are they asking "what if." It shouldn't be asked that way because there isn't a possibility that he's not (I'm hoping this makes sense). We know that what we do as missionaries wouldn't be possible without the help of the Savior. He's not just there for us as missionaries but he is there for everyone. He always has his hand extended out to help us, now it's up to us to reach out our hand for help. He is our companion, but are we his companion? President Clayton shared a scripture today that I'd like to pass on to you. Usually in the Scriptures when you read about a yoke, you think of bondage, or something that weighs you down but in this passage of scripture it's a whole different meaning. It is in Matthew 11:28-30 

"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
 29 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.
 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Sometimes we are asked to do hard things (papi), but when we develop a relationship with our Savior the things we are called to do can be accomplished. When we take upon his yoke we receive blessings. The scripture promises us rest and as missionaries that's what we never have enough of, but that's okay because we know its worth it! Love you all! Sorry forgot my camera! no pics! 

-Hermana Recinos

Cowles Mountain hike.

    Last tuesday we went on a hike to Cowles Mountain. It was pretty tiring, it wasn't a hard hike, but it was super hot that day! 

Sister Calderon and I 

       This week has been a good week. We have a couple of people that we are teaching, but none of them want to do the commitments that we leave them. It's a little frustrating because I know the blessings that come from living the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We were at the temple on Thursday and we had a surprise visit! President Hutchins came! When I saw him I was so happy! First reason was because he's awesome and the second because at that time we were talking to a man, who is familiar with the church. He has taken the missionary lessons 4 times and is really sad. His last daughter was going to get married in SLC and he was sad that he couldn't go be there because he isn't a member. He has lots of doubts, especially about early church history. President Hutchins was telling him about modern day revelations but he just wouldn't have it. We tried to explain, share our testimonies but once a person has closed their mind and heart the spirit can't testify, and sadly that happens to a lot of people. 

  Yesterday morning we were studying at a park, it was a really nice day. We were reading the scriptures and 2 teenagers, Chang Kai and Bree (BF & GF) asked us what we were reading! We told them The Bible and The Book of Mormon. They asked us what that was then they sat with us and we explained and shared a couple of scriptures. I shared one in Mosiah 3:19

 "19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

This is one of my favorite scriptures! It reminds me of the talk that Elder Bednar gave called the Characteristics of Christ. We as humans will make mistakes, it doesn't matter who we are, we are imperfect. The only way that we can be better and do better is following the example of Jesus Christ. He has shown us the way to eternal happiness. It is through his Gospel, having faith, repenting daily, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. There is so much opposition in the world. We need to build our foundation on a rock, on Jesus Christ and his gospel and that way we will not falter. It's easier said than done, but it's possible! I know this church is true! I love sharing it! I love meeting people, no matter if they reject us or accept us. I love the mission! 

-Hermana Recinos

Our pet Max

 

     We have a pet, his name is Max, he's a baby skunk, and he stinks! For some reason, every night, without fail, our pet Max, stops by a pays us visit. Sometimes is happens during the day, several times a day! It's horrible!! Our apartment smells so bad, one night I had to sleep with a febreeze spray, it was that bad! My companion laughed at me the whole night. Hopefully Max will find a new home somewhere else, sometime soon! 
      We went to go visit a recent convert yesterday. We called ahead of time to see if it was okay to go visit her. She said that she just wanted to stay home and sleep and that she didn't want anybody coming over. We knew she was sad so we decided to stop by a store, buy some flowers, get a card and drop it off. We knocked on the door for a good 3 mins, she didn't answer, so we left the flowers on the door, slipped the card under the door and left. A few minutes later we decided to go back. We knocked, rang, and called for a good 5 minutes until she opened the door. She was happy about the flowers and the card and by the time we left she was happy we stopped by! Persistence becomes annoying when it's not done out of love. We love her a lot and she loves us! 
    Funny thing that happened at the Battalion. There was a little kid who peed and one of the senior couples (Elder Rasmussen) had to clean it up. Haha he wasn't too happy about it. 
    This week we had a special Training for all the Sisters that are serving in the Battalion. Bro. Rasmussen who works for the church in the visitor center department came to visit us. He took tours to see how we were doing them, but he didn't say who he was, luckily I wasn't the sister to take him on a tour! Our Mission President, President Clayton, talked to us and gave us a little pep talk. He said that there are 2 sets of glasses everyone puts on. The glasses of obligation or the glasses of opportunity. This isn't figuratively speaking, but more mentally speaking. Every morning we can either wake up and say; "Ok another day of work that I don't want to go but I have to" or "another day of school, I don't like school." We just put on our glasses of obligation. When you "put on" the glasses of opportunity it's a whole different view! You can go to school expecting to learn something new, you can go to work with the mind set of having the opportunity to be able to make money for the things you need. This is helping me a lot while I'm on my mission. Every morning we wake up a little before 6:30 to work out. Recently instead of thinking I HAVE  to work out, my view of things have changed. I think more on the lines of, I GET to work out and strengthen my body. I have the OPPORTUNITY to share my testimony, not the obligation to do it. As do all of you! You have the opportunity to work, to be in school, to raise a child, to help someone else, so don't look at it as an obligation because then life becomes numb. 
I love you all! 
-Hermana Recinos

Pic 1- Sister Contreras came back to visit! 

Pic 2- Sister Tucker came back to visit! 

Pic 3- ​Sister Calderon, Sister Rex, Me, Sister Tucker, Sister Contreras, Elder Hernandez, and Elder Blackley.

Pic 4- Cute cards I found, I love turtles!!

              

The Accident

    I survived my first week in La Mesa, barely (kidding). We got into a little accident this past week but no worries we are fine. We got rear-ended by a lady and then she got rear-ended by another guy. Whoopsies. The car is fine, minor scratches and the bumper is a little off. California drivers I tell ya, they are Crazy! 
   This week has been good! La Mesa is a huge area! There aren't lots of Spanish people, but we are determined to find them! The members here are AWESOME! They are so loving and kind and really like to feed the missionaries and I'm ok with that! One sister brings us food every Sunday! I love it! It's a little branch, but it's growing! 
    Every 3 months there is something called MTE's or Missionary Training Experience.  We receive training on the things we can do better on so that we can see more success in our area. They taught us about teaching Simply. something that can be really hard! Now I am not saying that I am a genius or anything but I am learning a lot, and sometimes when you go too much in depth things get complicated and confusing for some people so it is important that we teach the basics. Usually after every MTE'S we see miracles and we did! We talked to many people, asked if they would like to learn more and they accepted! 
    We are now teaching a Part-Member Family, the husband it not a member but he accepted a date to be baptized! June 5th! Yay! 
    About once a week we go to the Temple and walk around. On Saturday we were at the Temple and we were really hungry so we went to the cafeteria. There we meet a sweet, sweet lady named Liza who goes to the temple every week and is usually there for hours! Liza has a disease, she has problems speaking and walking, she is physically disabled but she knows exactly who she is! She has such a great Testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, his Gospel, and her Divine Potential. She is always happy and loves to talk to everyone. We sat with her for dinner and she gave us a pep talk. This was right after the accident and it was exactly what I needed to calm my nerves. She talked about the Holy Ghost, how it's a guide, a constant companion, and the comforter to us. I love the Holy Ghost! I am going to quote one of my favorite movies. Don't judge. It's from A Walk to Remember. I am going to change it up a little but the main character says, 'It's like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it', and that's the same for the Holy Ghost. I invite you all to watch the clips, Patterns of Light: Spirit or Revelation, by David A. Bednar, he touches upon the Spirit and the light of Christ, and the blessing it is to have it! 
    I love the mission, I love all the people I get to meet, and I LOVE this Gospel. I know it is true and want to share it with all the world! 
-Hermana Recinos

Pic 1-​Mission President Clayton. He's an Anesthesiologist (spelled this right w/o spell check whoo-hooo)

Pic 2- Las niñas en Sweetwater- gotta love em! 

Pic 3-​ Skyping home!

Transfer calls.

    Every six weeks we get a transfer call, ours was today. I am leaving Sweetwater:(((((((((( I loved this area and this branch. I don't know where I am going yet, or who I will be with, but I do know that I will be training! Aghhh it's scary! I don't know what I will be doing!!! There's slang for missionaries here, when you train you become a "mom" and the person you are training becomes your "baby".

    It was great seeing my family on Sunday! I'm not too home sick so that's good! I cried a little but it was good! (found out after facetime, that I could have done a hangout, whoopsies)

    Not much happened the rest of the week. We don't have many investigators, so recently we have been training to contact previous investigators but we haven't had much luck. We did find some people, though. Sweetwater has a lot of potential so hopefully Sister Stephens will see miracles next transfer.

    For Mother's Day our branch had a party! DJ,food, and dancing! It was fun! It reminded me of back home and our Christmas parties! It was sooo hard not to dance.  As missionaries we sang, that didn't go too well. Found out, I'm  pretty bad at singing. 

That's all I can think of to write, I'm too nervous!!! 

Love you all!

 -Hermana Recinos

Pic: Sister Nicholls and I! She ISN'T my new companion.

"Raising children ain't for sissies."

    Last Monday we were out in our area and we went to go visit a less active member in our branch. She has lots of dogs, three small dogs, Chihuahuas, like every other person in California. They are always jumping on and off the couches and like to be pet. So there was one sitting right between Sister Stephens and I and I started to pet it..... I look down at it and what do I see. FLEE'S! I had a mental freak out. I quickly inspected my hand to see if any were on me, I didn't see anything. My hair was down, so I was really scared that some would get into my hair, "ain't nobody got time for that." I wrapped up the lesson really quick, we said a prayer, and we were out. I shared with my companion what I saw so we decided that we should go to Walmart to buy flee stuff and go home and shower. So we did that. We bought Tea Tree Oil, went home and showered. I can say for a certainty that we do not have flee's! Hallelujah. 

    This past weekend was "Cinco de Mayo" weekend, so Old Town was filled with people. We thought that the Battalion was going to be busy so there was a special schedule. Turns out Cinco de Mayo and Mormons don't mix. We weren't busy at all. Who would have thought. 

    Monday, May 5th, we had a special Mission Conference. All the missionaries gathered together to hear a special guest. Since our mission Presidents wife, Sister Clayton, is Elder M. Russell Ballard's daughter we got to hear from him and started out by shaking his hand. There were a couple of other speakers also, the former Mission President and his wife, Brother and Sister Holtsofle (not sure if that's right), gave their testimonies and some advice. One thing that Bro H said was that "God has a way to micromanage us, if we are WILLING to serve" That really stuck out to me. There is a scripture, Mosiah 2:17 that talks about service. It says, "and behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Find a way to serve someone else this week, there is nothing else that will make you more happy, I promise. 

    Elder Ballard is super funny, that's why I love old people, so much humor and knowledge. He said, "Raising Children Ain't for Sissies". He has been an Apostle for 29 years! That my friends is service. I think the main highlight of his talk was centered on the spirit. He compared it to a light switch. There are certain things that can turn it off if we let it. But we must keep it on. Without the spirit we are in the dark and we can't be guided. I have a journal that says "The Spirit is the Key" ( thanks to Solanchi for giving it to me) and it really is! It is the key to true conversion, to feeling the effects of the Atonement, to knowing all truth. I'm really learning how to recognize the promptings of the spirit and also acting on them. 

I love you all! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS! SPECIALLY MY MOM. And Marissa! love you! 

-Hermana Recinos!

Pic: Family that came to the batallion and recently was baptized.

*CAUTION: Peacocks crossing*

    Most of our investigators live in the same area or close by, so we decided that we need to branch out and explore our area. We are driving up a hill and we see a sign that says, "caution peacocks crossing". We were startled for a second until we see at least 5 peacocks on the side of the road. It was crazy! Then I see one flying! (I didn't know they could fly) We stopped for a second to take pictures and as we were about to leave there was one right in front of the car so we couldn't move until it walked away. It was pretty fun. The other day we went by again and we saw one with its feathers extended, I couldn't get a picture of that though. :(

    This week has been pretty tough. We don't have investigators that are progressing. It's a little frustrating just because I know the blessings that come from this gospel and the joy that it brings, but they don't want to work for it. I wonder how our Heavenly Father feels. 

    What makes the LDS church different from other churches can be summed up in 3 things. Authority, Modern day Prophets, and The Book of Mormon. Recently, some people that we have been teaching are doubting all three of those things. I'll start with Authority. Authority, in other words, the Priesthood, it's the power or authority to act in Gods name. With the Priesthood we now have the authority to make sacred ordinances, give blessings, and receive the counsel and guidance of heavenly father. Second, Modern Day Prophets. One of the many ways that God shows his love for us is by prophets. We know that God speaks to us through Prophets. They receive revelation to help the world know how to return back to God. Without Prophets we would be lost. Lastly, the Book of Mormon. Written by ancient Prophets who lived in the Americas around the same time that the Bible was written. It contains the fullness of the Gospel. It is the key stone to our religion. It is another testimony that Jesus is the Christ. Some people say that the bible is enough, but we know that two testimonies are better than one. I know that as we read, ponder, and apply the message the Book of Mormon contains we will gain a better knowledge of the plan that Heavenly Father has in store for us.  We have the Book of Mormon because of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and was called by God to be a prophet and to restore the SAME church that Jesus Christ established when he was here. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, that today we have a living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. He is our savior. 

    I've been trying really hard to help people with their doubts. In order to over come doubts you must have FAITH. We do not have the capacity to understand or to learn everything. If we could know all things there would be no reason to be here on earth. My purpose as a missionary is to help others come closer to Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel, through FAITH in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

    I had a special visitor at the battalion! The SALAZAR family came! It was great to see them! 

Love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos

Pic 1: Us at the Midway Sis. Amendola (Bottom), Sis. Stephens (Top), Sis. Calderon (standing) Sis. Harris (middle)

Pic 2: Peacock! :D
​

He is risen!

    It's Easter! Our ward had an Easter activity! It consisted of; face painting, carne asada, tortillas, piñata, and candy! Being there reminded me of back home, it was great! While the adults were hiding the eggs for the kids, as the missionaries, we shared a little message about why we celebrate Easter. We talked about Jesus Christ, his life, his atonement, and his Resurrection. Now before we teach, most of the time we prepare for it, so in order to prepare for this I read in John 20. It was when Mary Magdalene saw the resurrected Christ. He repents a couple of times in this chapter "Peace unto you" and I really liked that. Christ tells her to go to his disciples and tell them that he has risen. Most of the disciples believe her, but there was one, Thomas, who didn't believe until he actually felt the prints of the nails on his hands. He says: "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
What stuck out to me was "they".. All those that believe in Jesus Christ are the 
"they" (hope this is making sense). But because we believe in Jesus Christ, our older brother, our savior we will be blessed. We have not seen him, but we've felt him in our lives. He lives and he loves us. That brings me a lot of peace. 

    I know that Jesus is the Christ. That he suffered and died for us personally. Because of my belief in him I have received so many blessings, my family, friends, and opportunities to grow. I will never be able to comprehend the pain he went through, but I will strive everyday to show my appreciation and love for him by keeping the commandments and sharing this truth to everyone. 

Love you all! hope you had a great Easter! 

-Hermana Recinos

Pics: Easter activity, and Hannah and I. 

Four weddings and a no show.

    We had temple shift on Saturday the 12th and we saw 4 weddings. We really like seeing the weddings mostly because we get to plan for ours, haha. Even though that's a long way from now it's always good to be prepared;)That same day we were going to have a baptism. Everything was planned. The baptism was at 5:30 so we went early to get everything organized. Around 5pm members and missionaries started coming. Ten minutes before the service was about to start our investigator texts us and says they can't do it. Probably the worst text I have ever received. We had to tell everyone that our investigator was a no show and that he wouldn't be getting baptized, which was pretty embarrassing, so we had cake and went our separate ways. We were pretty sad and confused. We weren't sure what happened. As we were leaving the chapel to go find our investigator we see them pulling up into the church. For a split second I thought, "he came back to be baptized", but I was mistaken. We sat and talked, although that didn't really help, still don't really understand his way of thinking, but i'm trying. After our lesson, there was another baptism going on so we decided to go to it. It was great, not sure what our investigator thought. 

    This week I've been working on  patience but boy is it hard. I thought I was a pretty patient person before my mission, but once I got here I found out I wasn't. The definition of patience is "the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious." The perfect example of this was our Savior Jesus Christ. As missionaries we are representatives of Jesus Christ so we strive to be like him. Although it's impossible to do that, it is possible to work our hardest. Patience and charity kind of go together. Charity is the pure love of Christ. As we strive to love everyone, as Christ did, and have patience we will be able to better serve them. Hope everyone is having a great week! Love you all! 

    Because Easter is coming up the church has made a website to remember the meaning of Easter check it out!. 

Visit this website mormon.org/becauseofhim 

It's awesome! 

-Hermana Recinos

Photo: Sister Stephens' awesome idea on how to keep track of our investigators and members. 

Transfers/General Conference and so much more!

    What a week! It was transfer week! I am in the same area, Sweetwater, but with a new companion. Her name is Sister Stephens! She is from Ohio, she's been out for about 10 months, and shes 5' 8". So we are one of those companionships, you know one really short person and the other really tall. Haha but she is awesome! I knew I would like her because she loves Chipotle just like me!!!!!!!! We've gotten it twice since we've been together and we've only been together 1 week! We've set a goal where we can only eat it once a week because then we would be poor if we didn't. She's great, super funny, and just awesome! 

     Sister Stephens taught me about tools. I now know what an Allen wrench is; my dad would be proud. Our first night together we disassembled and assembled a bunk bed, moved it from our apartment to an apartment that was upstairs. Now if we assembled it correctly, we don't know, but the Sisters who now have it aren't complaining so that is good. The next day we had a shift at the temple. We met a Brazilian couple that were so amazed by the Temple. I mean who wouldn't be but they actually searched up the temple before they got here. We talked to them a little, got their information and want missionaries to go by a teach them!! Miracles! The lord is truly hastening his work! 

    Change is good! That's what I've learned this week! Sometimes we get comfortable where we are. Whether it's at work, in school or in our life, we stay within our comfort zone. What change does is it gives us the opportunity to grow and to learn. It takes us out of that cycle that we fall into, and helps us be better. Sometimes the change can be uncomfortable, makes us uneasy, but when you have a positive attitude, a grateful attitude, the whole situation changes. You have the choice, whether it's going to be a good change or a bad change. It all depends on your attitude. In the tour that I give there is a quote that I love that basically sums up everything (i might have used it before, but oh well.), "Despite our difficult circumstances, we CHOSE  to be happy"

    General Conference is the best! For those who don't know what it is here's a little info on that. Twice a year the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, hold a conference. We receive the counsel of our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, and those who are chosen to talk. They share their experiences and testimony about the restored gospel. You can do to Lds.org to watch it! DO IT! You won't regret it! 

    One of my favorite talks was about having an attitude of gratitude. Ha that rhymes! President Dieter F. Utchdorf really has a way to hit home. He spoke about having a life IN gratitude instead of a life OF gratitude. He said something along the lines of "Seek gratitude as a way of life that stands independent of our situation in life." No matter our situation, whether good or bad, ALWAYS be thankful for each situation because in its own way it is there to help us. As we live a life of gratitude we will have a sweeter life. He also said, "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power" It's our choice! 

    All the speeches given were AMAZING! I encourage everyone to watch or read the talks, even if you saw it the first time. I know I will! 

Love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos!

Many Miracles.

    So this past Sunday we had a ward missionary activity! About 3 recent converts gave their testimonies! Two of those three were Cynthia and Carlos! I am always so amazed by them! They are truly trying to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They've both expressed the change in their lives since the day we started teaching them, and I cant help it, every time they talk I just have the biggest smile on my face. Their testimonies help me so much! There are so many people who are looking for the truth, they are looking for true Happiness, but they don't know where to find it! That's why I am here, serving a mission, trying to help those who the Lord has prepared to receive this restored Gospel. 

    There have been many miracles this week! We found this lady about a week ago, she was a referral from her neighbor. Her neighbor told us her name was Lorena so we knocked on her door and it turned out we met her already a couple of weeks ago! So now we are going to go back to the night we first meet her: She introduced herself as Maria. She said that she was just here visiting her cousin and that she was from mexico. We explained that there are missionaries all over the world that they could go by and visit her, she was a little reluctant, so instead she took down our number and told us she was going to call us. We knew we wouldn't ben getting a phone call, but we gave her a Joseph Smith pamphlet and invited her to pray. 

    Now we are  fast forwarding to the 2nd time we met her. We knocked on the door, asked if Lorena was home. It was her! Turns out Maria's real name is Lorena! Hahaha it was pretty funny! Although she lied to us we still found her again! She is super sweet! We didn't mention anything about the other night, but she did remember us! We had a short little lesson about prayer. It was great! She said that before we came she was really really sad, but once we got there she became really happy! That night we had a Relief Society activity and we asked her if she wanted to come. She was a little hesitant but we basically gave her no other option. She came with us and loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We knew that it wasn't a coincidence that we met her the first night, and that we found her again after! The lord works in mysterious ways! 

    I know that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, he loves us and wants the best for us, he knows us perfectly, and he wants us to return with him. But it is up to us. The only way we can return to live in his presence is through our obedience! There is a scripture in the bible John 14:15 and it says " If ye love me, keep my commandments" It may be hard but as we have faith, keep trying to do our best and be our best the Lord will help us and guide us! 

    So both my companions, Sister Rex & Benfield, are gone! The Lees came by the batallion to say goodbye. (pic below):(( By this time now, they are probably with their families and in jeans! weird! It was super sad seeing them go, but they have other missions now! I don't now who my new companion is yet! It's nerve wracking, I find out tomorrow! So this week was good, we had an awesome lesson with Lorena, (Carlos and Cynthia Lee came with us). They shared their testimonies on how they changed and how much this Gospel helped them! It was exactly what Lorena needed! Carlos shared an AWESOME scripture about having doubts, but as you have faith those doubts will be resolved; it was the perfect scripture! Lorena has a date to be baptized on April 19th!!

    Some funny things happened as well, we had lunch with some members yesterday. One of the sons, Christopher, asked if I was African American. That goes to show how tan I've gotten.  

    We also had a dinner appointment with the Lee family, Cynthia made mole verde, green mole, oh my goodness that was super gooood! Then our next appointment was with the Bahena family and they fed us pizza! I was soooo full I couldn't finish it! It was sooooo sad because I love pizza. 

    Miracles at the temple!!!!!! About once a week we get to walk around the Temple grounds and talk to everyone. So this guy comes and he is from China, so his English isn't good, and he says "I'm ready, I'm ready for your mission, I want to learn more" AMAZING!!!!! So we receive his information and gave it to the Sisters that speak Mandarin. He has a really hard name to pronounce but the english version of his name is horse, and his son about 2 years old is Swan. We were able to see him a couple of days ago and he is getting baptized! MIRACLES! 

    Also, a member who was visiting the temple gave us 40 bucks! Tender mercies because I had zero dollars to my name!!!

    I hope all is well in little Rhode Island! Every time someone asks where I'm from, they are all surprised! Haha it's fun seeing their reactions. 

    Since both my companions are gone that means that I will be "In charge" of the area, just because I now it and that scares me. So I really had to trust that the Lord will help me. I also had to realize that change is good. Sometimes we don't know why some things happen, but there is always a plan. We may not now why things happen, but we know that it will help us grow and be better.

-Hermana Recinos

Yek, Do, Se.

    Yek, Do, Se is one, two, three in Farsi! That's right, I learned some Farsi! I took these people from Iran on a tour the other day, and they taught me some Farsi! They were so awesome, they loved it! I love being at the Mormon Battalion so much, you meet so many people! A couple of weeks ago I met a man from Qatar, some people from Germany, also someone from Boston, which I was super happy to hear because I thought of everyone back home! Everytime I Tell people I'm from Rhode Island, they try to crack a joke like "Oh 1 out of the 5 people there" hahaha so funny! (but not really!)

    Anyways, someone on my tour had to write a paper on the history of Rhode Island and they told me some funny laws that they had before. One of them was something like, "Thou shalt not bite another mans leg" and "If you marry an Idiot than the marriage doesn't count" Good thing those laws where there huh..... There were some crazy laws back then. 

    This week we had Zone Conference! Mind Blowing! Basically about 2-4 Zones get together and the Mission President, his assistant, and his counselors talk to us and help us improve on some things. President Clayton talked about 19 evidences that prove that the Book of Mormon is true, it's the word of God. I will list them for you :

1. The speed at which the Book of Mormon was translated- 2 months 

2. Plausible History

3. Plausible Geography 

4. Volcanoes

5. Chasms

6. Metal Plates

7. Gorilla Warfare

8. Locations

9. Alma

10. Land of Jerusalem

11. Burying Record

12. Mosiah

13. Olives

14. Thieves & Robbers 

15. Simile Curse/Oath

16. Cognitive Accusative

17. Sidon & Tyre

18. Bible Quotes

19. Pseudepigrapha 

    Now you're probably thinking, what in the world are you talking about? Although we have all these evidences that the Book Of Mormon is in fact ancient writings of people who lived long before we did, they do not matter. The only evidence we need is the Holy Spirit testifying to us that it is true. So many people get caught up in the facts, in the little things, but when we ask God with a sincere heart then we will receive the BEST evidence that we need! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that it was translated buy Joseph Smith by the power of God. It is our guide to help us so that one day we may return with our Heavenly Father. I know it has the power to change people's lives, but only if they let it. To all those who have a copy, read it, learn from it, and ask God if it is true. If you don't have one go to Mormon.org and have a free copy sent to you, then read it, learn from it, and ask God. 

Love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos

Baptism!

    The Lee's were baptized on March 8, 2014!!! Probably one of the best feelings ever! So the service was supposed to start at 6:30, but to Spanish people that are Mormons that actually means 7. so we didn't start till 7! We had a surprise guest there, our mission president, talk about intimidating! After the ordinance Cynthia and Carlos had the opportunity to give their testimonies, and it was great! They were so sincere, I might have teared up a little bit! They are the best! 
    Before the Baptism we had a temple shift, and boy was it hot that day! (hence my bad hair in the pictures) but we went to buy them a little gift. We bought them the Book of Mormon with pictures; they were so happy! On Sunday they were confirmed Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and were given the Gift of the Holy Ghost! Now we are helping Hannah, (the little girl by me) be prepared for baptism! Saturday was such a great day full of Miracles! 
    During our temple shift we met this Chinese man, not sure what his name in mandarin is, but the English translation is Horse. So he lives next to the temple and was walking with his son, he was so intrigued by the temple, he wants to learn more about the Church, and is ready! He kept saying "I'm Ready for your mission, call me, I'm ready." It's crazy how the Lord prepares people for us! We didn't even have to ask him if he wanted to learn more he told us to go to his house and teach him. We had to give him to the Mandarin Sisters, hopefully they see him soon! 
    The week went by so quickly because we are already on week 4 of the transfer, and there are 6 weeks in a transfer, so my companions will be leaving in 2 weeks! It's crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had Zone meeting, which means, all the missionaries in our Zone get together and we talk about things we can improve as a zone, so this is my zone! (pictured below) They are all great! It's a tradition that whoever is leaving this transfer has to give their testimony, so my companions, Sister Rex and Benfield, had to give theirs and I couldn't hold it in, I started to cry! I'm going to miss them so much! I'm freaking out because I don't know what i'm going to do when they leave? I will be in charge of the area and its very very stressful, but I know I can do it and I know the Lord will help me! 
    This week was great we met so many new people and we had so many lessons!!!!! Since we are in the Battalion half of our day we aren't in our areas, so that means less time teaching people, but we had about 19 lessons this past week, that's our record high! It was crazy awesome! 
    I'm learning so much here! Although it may be tiring and hard, I couldn't be happier. Seeing people change, seeing the blessings that come from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and seeing the Atonement of Jesus Christ help others, is what helps me wake up in the morning. We all have the responsibility to help others come closer to Christ, to build the kingdom of God on this earth, so lets get to work! There's no time to waste, that's what I've learned the most! We have such a limited time, and there's so much to do! I know that the Church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the Earth, is here once again, for the very last time. That the church has been restored by a Prophet called by God, whose name was Joseph Smith, and now today we have the fullness of his gospel, and the evidence is the Book of Mormon. As you read, ponder, and pray, you will know the truthfulness of this gospel because the Holy Spirit will testify to you that it is. My life has been so blessed because of this gospel! I know it, I live it, and I Love it! I'm a MORMON! 
-Hermana Recinos 

My Rock.

     Being in a trio has its perks and downs. Some perks are, less talking for me, I know bad, but it's so scary talking to people! But I'm getting better! This week has been hard yet rewarding. Sister Rex is the training leader which means she's in charge of all the battalion sisters so she has to go to a lot of meetings. Therefore we have even less time in our area :( but that helps us use our time wisely, plus more study time, which I definitely need! 

Here's the update on our Investigators:

The Lee Family- they were supposed to get baptized this Saturday but we have to push it back a week because we haven't taught everything, and the mission has a rule that they need to live the Word of Wisdom for at least 7 days before they get baptized. They do drink coffee and tea, but they aren't addicted, so they said they would obey the Word of Wisdom. :) They bought their daughter Hannah a triple! She was so happy! 

Joaquin- He came to the battalion with his sister Claudia! I had to give them a tour in Spanish! YIKES! I messed up so bad! I need to work on that! But I also blame Scott Eagleston for that because he surprised me by showing up and joining that tour even when he knows no Spanish at all! It was great to see him though! But also weird! Haha.

Guillermina y los nietos- They haven't come to church and we've tried to visit her but she's never home.... We did have a miracle though! One day while we were with the kids their uncle, Josue, came and sat with us! He said he wants to learn more! (might have mentioned this already, but I forget what I write)

     We found a lady named Karina, whose husband was recently deported, leaving her alone with four kids to support. She's been taught before and is super willing to keep learning but she went to church once and felt really out of place because everyone else was all dressed up and she doesn't have those kinds of clothes. :( We tried to help her understand but she would not budge, but no worries it's a work in  progress; we will get her to church! 

     We had a missionary activity. We wanted to bring to life the vision that Lehi had about the tree of life, it went ok. It wasn't well planned and not many people showed up, but we made the best of it!

     This is a story that President Clayton (Mission President) shared with us during our MTE training: There once was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared to him. The Lord told him He had a work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin, explaining that he was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, and for many weeks he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulder set squarely against the cold massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling his whole day had been spent in vain.
     Seeing that the man showed signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture - placing thoughts in the man's mind, such as “Boy, you've been at it a long time and you're never going to move it!” or “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in a minimum effort, that will be enough,” giving the man the impression the task was impossible and the man was an unworthy servant because he wasn't moving the massive stone.
     These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man and he considered easing up in his efforts, until, one day, he decided to take his troubles to the Lord in prayer. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored hard and long in Your service, putting forth all my strength to do that which You have asked of me. Yet after all this time, I have not budged that rock, not even half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
    The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you your task was to push against the rock with all your strength. That you have done. But never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me, your strength spent, ready to quit, thinking that you have failed. But is this really so?
“Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewed and brown. Your hands are calloused from constant pressure and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your ability now far surpasses that which you used to have. True, you haven't succeeded in moving the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and push, and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done.

“Now, my friend, I will move the rock.”

     This story left a great impact on me. We all go through hardships, times where we think we can't do it anymore, times where we've felt that we've failed, but as we are obedient and we strive to do our best the lord will move that obstacle and because of our efforts we are enlightened, refined, and stronger. Sometimes we don't understand why we have to do some things, but if the Lord commands it it doesn't matter. As we put our faith in the Lord, as we strive to keep the commandments, as we put all our might, mind, and strength into living his gospel, in return we receive much more than what we put in. This mission is hard but it's worth it! Life is hard but our ultimate goal is worth it. I love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos

Pics: here's our tree of life! Sis. Benfield, Sis. Rex, and me! 

Transfer Calls!

     Probably the most stressful thing ever is waiting for that call, telling you if and/or where you will be serving next! So good news, I will be staying in Sweetwater, but I will be in a trio with Sister Benfield and someone else! This is good news because that means I will be here for all our baptisms. Yipee! I was really stressed out, but it's all good! This week has been good! 

     We had a Mission Fireside on Sunday. It was awesome! So usually what happens is that they choose 4-5 recent converts to give their testimony and then the President of the mission gives his testimony and there are musical numbers by missionaries! Joaquin came and liked it and he also brought his sister! She Loved it! We were really happy that they came! 

     We've been trying to be EXACT obedient. So that means being home before 9 so that we can plan exactly at 9. Be on time to our appointments and shifts at the battalion. There are a lot of rules but we've already seen so many miracles since we've been doing that! 

     We had a lesson with the Lee Family and we taught the Plan of Salvation! They loved it and it seems they already knew about it because they had looked it up! Talk about being prepared! We love them so much! Our next lesson is on Tithing! So if any of you have any experiences or want to share your testimony about tithing send me an email, I would love to share it with them! 

     Here's a miracle we had yesterday! So we went over Guillermina's house and she wasn't home :(, but the kids where home so we had them draw what they thought God looked like. We explained how God is happy when we do the right things and how we are his children and he loves us. Then their Uncle Josue came and wanted to join us! This is a miracle because we've been over their house so many times, and we never thought to ask him if he'd like to join us, but he asked us! We asked him to pray but he didn't want to, so Mariana (9yr old) prayed and at the end of it he was crying! We asked if it would be okay if we visited him, he said yes, that he wanted to change his life! Agh! Miracles! (every time I say "miracles" I start singing the song from princess diaries...haha not sure if that's good or bad)

     We had a lesson with Joaquin and started off by asking him what it meant to be a child of God. We had paper and we each wrote down what it meant to us. After a couple of minutes we shared it. Here's what it means to me: It means that he knows me perfectly, he loves me, and he wants me to grow. He wants me to make my own decisions but it doesn't mean that he doesn't help me. He knows that I will make mistakes, and fall, but that doesn't mean he will love me any less. He knows my divine potential and wants me to succeed. That's why he sent Jesus Christ, to atone and suffer for our sins. He wants to communicate with me, help me, and guide me, but I need to do my part. I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father. My invitation for you all is to write down what it means to be a child of God. I know he loves each and every one of us. We can all live with him once again, and be like him. Love you all!

-Hermana Recinos

One transfer down.

     So it's the end of my first transfer!!!!! Say what???? So that means that I am driving!!!! I was soo nervous to drive, especially here, since there are so many crazy drivers! But no worries I'm a good driver. ;) 

     So last Tuesday we went to the Midway! It was a lot of fun! It's so big so we didn't get to learn much, we just walked around and saw the planes, and took lots of pictures! We had a blast! 

     This week flew by for me!! We had MTE's, which means Missionary Training Experience. So what happens is, the Sister Training Leader (the sister that is in charge of all the sisters in the battalion and does scheduling and all that stuff) is our companion for the day and "coaches" us; helps us to be better missionaries. So we went with Sister Rex, we had a full day planned and were really excited because we were going to visit EVERYONE, but here's the thing, no matter how well you plan things always fall through! But we still had a great day! We visited the Lee family. They are the best! We taught them the principles of the gospel. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. They understood it, accepted our invitation to repent and for baptism. March 1st will be the best day ever!!!!! Then they invited us to go out and eat with them for their anniversary!! How cute are they?! Sadly, it was yesterday and they cancelled on us. :( But its okay! We love them anyways!

     After that we went to visit Guillermina and her grandkids! We taught them what baptism is. We wanted to teach them how important it is and wanted them to understand what they are promising to God, and what he would bless them with after. These kids were so amazed! They love us and we love them! Guillermina is such a great person. She really cares for her grandkids and wants them to learn so that they don't end up like their parents. Her kids are unbelievable, they drink and smoke weed in the house with the kids around. Mariana is more responsible than they are and she's only 9! Its crazy! But we are trying really hard to work with the whole family! We know that this gospel changes people for the better! 

     Then we got food! So good! We went to a place called Rallys, it's a little burger joint and super good! After that we went to visit Esther. Esther is a former investigator who has a great testimony of the church and the Book Of Mormon! She's ready for baptism but her husband is holding her back. We are praying really hard so that he can open his heart and have a change of mind so that he can see how much it means to her! We'll see how it goes! 

     The rest of the week we tried to visit as may people as we could but since we had battalion shifts everyday it was hard. But we did have a great lesson with Jasmine! She is the sister of Jesus, an investigator we found. He's 18. We invited him to pray and we promised he would see a difference in his life! We stopped by and he wasn't there but his sister was. So we asked her if she's seen a difference in him. She said YES! He's a lot more open to her, they get along a lot better, and it's something that she's always wanted! We told her it was because he was reading and praying. We invited her to do the same and promised that their relationship would progress more. She said she would! We stopped by and saw her a couple of days later, she hasn't read but she has prayed and she says their relationship is improving! 

     Church on sunday was good! The Lee Family came again! They are the cutest ever and two of our less active members were there! 

     Today is going to be a good day! We have a mission conference. Clayton Christensen, who is the Author of "The Power of Everyday Missionaries", is our guest speaker! When I found out I freaked out because I read that book before I came to the mission and I didn't get the chance to finish reading it, but what I did read was soooooo good! I'm so excited to hear from him!!!! Then after that there is a fireside for our investigators, Joaquin is going to it! So hopefully he will feel the spirit and learn more! 

    I'm having trouble talking to people on the streets, it's what we call street contacting. We introduce ourselves, tell them our purpose, get to know them, and ask them if they'd like to learn more. I always get so nervous and always get tongue tied. Plus, I need to say it in Spanish so it's harder! I realized that I need to get over my pride. That's what's stopping me, so I've been really working on it! Also asking questions during lessons, thats super hard, but it makes a difference!! I found a scripture in D & C 28:16, "And thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the sound of rejoicing. Amen." So this is my goal this week, to open my mouth, not be worried about what the others may think! I know this gospel is true! That it is the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth. I know it, I live it, and I LOVE IT! 

Love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos

Best week ever and velcro hair!

    So many things have happened this week! So on Sunday we had 11 people at church!!!!!!! Can you say miracle??? It was the best day ever!!!! The first family was the Lee family, who are the best people ever!!! They are super prepared! This was their second week at church! Carlos bought a white shirt and tie, Cynthia had a dress,and their daughters had dresses too! They loved it!!!!! We went to visit Cynthia yesterday (Monday), asked her about church, what she thought, and she loved it! We asked her what they did yesterday and she said they were home and they went on the Mormon channel and watched videos!!!!! Mormon messages are the best!!!! She said that she and Carlos were talking about baptism and how they want to get baptized!!! I had chills the whole lesson! I couldn't stop smiling!  We asked if they have seen a difference since they've been reading and going to church and Carlos shared with us how he is more patient with the kids! We see a HUGE difference as well! Carlos is smiling and laughing a lot more! They already know about how families can be sealed for all eternity and they want to do that! We mentioned to them how we wanted to have a lesson with them at the temple, and Carlos asked us on Sunday when we would be going! He wants to go! They have done so much of their own research! It's amazing how the church blesses families! I've seen it in my life but now I can see it in the Lee family! They are truly being converted because they are applying what they learn to their life and they are putting it into action! During one of the classes in church the teacher mentioned how we should be reading night and day, before meals and they've been doing it! We brought them to the Mormon Battalion and showed them a video called "God's plan for the family" and they loved it! Cynthia teared up, and we shared our testimony on how we can have eternal families and how we want them to have that. When we invited them to be baptized on March 1st, they accepted! Then we took them through the tour of the battalion and they loved it as well! 
     The other "family" that went to church was Guillermina and her grandkids. There where 5 kids! Mariana (9), Daphne (8), Anthony (6), Jesus (6), and Joselyn (5). Oh man, it was so hard to find them a ride to church but we did it! Although they only stayed for Sacrament and the kids wanted to stay and so did Guillermina, they are moving so they still had packing to do! Guillermina is amazing! She was crying during Sacrament and I know that as we teach her and and as she completes the commitments we leave her she will have a testimony of the restored gospel!  She also has a date for Feb 22 so we are trying really hard to see her so that she can be prepared!  
     Some funny things happened this week as well! A guy walked into the battalion with the same kind of hair as me, and I was like "Hey! We've got the same hair", and he said, "Yeah! Put us together and we're like Velcro!" and we just busted out laughing!!!!!! It was the best thing ever!  Then we had a little talent show at the battalion because it was super slow! So some sisters sang, and sis bermudez and I taught them how to dance! It was really funny! 
     I've learned a lot of things this week. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is for everyone! When we don't use it daily there was no point to his sacrifice. We need the Atonement so that we can live with Heavenly Father and our families forever. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, when we read it daily and apply the teachings to our lives, we will know what true happiness is, OUR LIVES WILL BE SO BLESSED! We are all children of God, he loves us and wants us to be happy and for that reason he has given us the Book of Mormon, so that we may know what we have to do. We have a living prophet today who has the authority of God to help us, so that we may know how to return with our Heavenly Father. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth! Love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos

The Lee Family!!!!!!!!!! and The Lopez Family (Ward missionary leaders, people behind me)

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Commemoration Day!

   So last Saturday was Commemoration Day in Old Town. We celebrated when the Mormon battalion came to San Diego in 1847. In the Old Town State Park they set up booths and everyone dresses up in pioneer clothes, there's a little parade which i got to participate in and people just walk around. At the battalion it was madness! We had 1065 people come through which is our record amount!!! I was sooooo tired at the end of the day and I don't think I've ever smiled that much in my life! We got bombarded by a group of Chinese people. Oh man do they like taking pictures or what! Sis. Benfield and I were walking around and they came up and asked us to take a picture and we thought that it would be one group picture but nope! We took individual pictures with every one of them! Then more people started adding on; it was never ending but it was fun! 
     Sunday was the best day ever!!!!!! Carlos and Cynthia, our investigators, went to church!!!!!! Aghhhhhhh! I almost freaked out when I saw them sitting there! They even went out and bought clothes to come to church!!!! They are so awesome!!! We chatted with them a little after sacrament but they had to leave so we set up a time to go visit them on Friday. Later in the day we got a missed call from them and a voicemail asking if we could go on Wednesday instead!!! Agh! We are so excited! They are super prepared and are reading and praying. It's amazing!! I love missionary work!
     Here's the update on Joaquin: He sent us a text earlier this week telling us that he has set a date for baptism!!!!!! His baptismal date is April 12! I know it's kind of a long way away but he's praying for a sooner date!! Yay!! 
     We are also teaching Guillermina, she has a baptismal date for Feb 22 but it's a little hard getting her to church just because she doesn't have a car and also the fact that she has 6 grandchildren that she would need to take as well. But we are going over a couple times a week and teaching her. We watched the Restoration movie with her and she understood it! One of her grandchildren is named Mariana. Oh my goodness she is the smartest girl ever! She's been reading the Book of Mormon and she understands it!!! They are praying together and this week we'll be teaching them the Plan of Salvation! 
     Even though we've seen great things happening there were some down parts to our week. About 3 people have been dropped, or dropped us! It's really sad just because we have this gospel that we know will help them and bless them! But its okay, we will have to try again later. 
     We did find some other people to teach, we found a girl named Eliza. She's probably in her 20's, is going to school and has 2 jobs! We told her how the church that Jesus Christ established on the earth has once again been restored after it was lost. We asked if she would like to learn more and her response was funny. Ha she said, "yeah I'm down for that." Ha it was great! It kind of reminded me of people in Rhode Island, anyways were looking forward to seeing her again! 
     We also talked to this guy named Mel. We think he lives in a house with a druggy but he really wants to learn more and is so interested in the gospel! He's been taught before and he knows about the Restoration and The Plan of Salvation and agreed with everything! I'm excited to see how he progresses! 
     We went to visit a family in our ward, the Malfabones and talked about missionary work and how they can be missionaries. We gave them 3 books of Mormon, told them to write their testimonies in them, and give them to their friends. Their goal is to give out those books of Mormon in a month! But the funniest thing happened! At the end we asked the father to give the prayer and during it he asked for the protection of those crossing the border! Sis Benfield and I were laughing about it at the end of the day. They are an awesome family!
     I love everything I do! Being at the Mormon battalion historic site is awesome! I love taking people on tours, telling them about the journey that the men and women took as they walked over 2000 miles! We get people from all over the world!  We talk about the first principle of the gospel which is faith! Faith in God the Eternal Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The men who enlisted weren't experienced soldiers, they were just ordinary people who did something extraordinary because of their faith. It's something that all of us can relate too! We all face challenges at some point in our life, we all have to go through something that seems impossible for us to do, but as we trust in the lord, stay faithful and obedient, he helps us! We sometimes wonder "why me?" What I've learned is that we are given these problems so that they can help us be stronger, help us be better. At the moment we don't know why but God does and that's why when we put our trust in him, and have faith, he will help us. We will overcome anything that is thrown at us. One of my favorite quotes from the tour is "God has given us what we wanted the most from where we least expected it." It is so true! So this week try and see all the blessings you've received. Have faith that what you are going through (Whether good or bad) will help you! Love you all! 

-Hermana Recinos

             

sis benfield and I in our bonnets and pioneer dresses!