9/1/14

 I feel like my heart is turning a little bit Texan all thanks to my new companion sister Boyd. I actually used "y'all" out loud yesterday without thinking, she was super happy.

Last week was really interesting.

 I have been sick since I arrived in Mountain View and it has made working really hard  and not very productive. It was difficult to feel the spirit and even harder to concentrate or remember people's names or addresses. I finally admitted I needed help and asked the Elders in the ward to give me a blessing. I wish I'd done it sooner because it helped tremendously. It was really interesting to see the way Heavenly Father worked. I was still sick but the symptoms were so mild that we could work harder and longer, I could feel the spirit's promptings, and I honestly enjoyed walking around for 3 hours. 

There are a ton of very interesting characters in the city. Yesterday we talked with a man who kept saying he wasn't going to kill us but made weird remarks about burning himself with the acid from my stomach and having to go to jail. We also ran into a man who believed the Book of Mormon to be an accurate historical record of a people who populated the Americas long ago but he believed Joseph Smith had added chapter (3 Nefi 11) about Jesus to make a religion out of. He failed to notice that the WHOLE book testifies of Jesus Christ. There is not a single chapter, or page for that matter, that does not talk about him or refer to him or his work. 

We also met some really incredible youth. Yesterday we spent 30 minutes talking to a young woman about Christianity. We shared a lot of the same beliefs and then she found out we were Mormon and she freaked out. We kept talking and by the end she said we were her favorite Mormons ever.

This week's spiritual message comes in the form of a quote we received from Sister Mella (Mission president's wife).

"One of Satan’s most frequently used deceptions is the notion that the commandments of God are meant to restrict freedom and limit happiness. Young people especially sometimes feel that the standards of the Lord are like fences and chains, blocking them from those activities that seem most enjoyable in life. But exactly the opposite is true. 

The gospel plan is the plan by which men are brought to a fulness of joy. This is the first concept I wish to stress: The gospel principles are the steps and guidelines that will help us find true happiness and joy."

Ezra Taft Bensen

I know that God's commandments are given to us for our protection, for our benefit, and are given with love to help us return to the presence of our heavenly father.

Love all y'all,

Hermana Quintana

8/25/14

Last week was transfer meeting and I replaced my green fields and rolling hills for freeways and tall buildings (and roommates). It was definitely a culture shock. Most of our neighbors are Indian and there are a ton of Asian people and now instead of playing "spot the white" we play "spot the Hispanics" because as Spanish missionaries it is really hard to find Spanish speakers to teach in this area... 

This week was harder than my first week on the field mainly because I was used to just going from lesson to lesson but we are whitewashing a brand new area and, as great as the previous missionaries were, there are no records or progressing investigators to work with so we are just making it up as we go. Our area is quite large and 30 minutes away from where we live so that kind of feels familiar :)

I am very grateful to have Sister Boyd as a companion. She is an incredibly consecrated missionary who loves to serve and loves the Gospel with all her heart and it definitely shows! We have been going to bed absolutely exhausted and have been blessed to witness the Lord's tender mercies. In the last two days we have been able to catch up on lessons which lifted up my spirits and helped me to feel better about the whole situation. 

Yesterday we met two incredible people. One was a philosopher type guy who kind of thought himself into not needing God or religion. We talked  about research and I asked him if he wanted to try an experiment he said "sure" so I gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon (haha) he kind of smiled but took it and as we explained the background his attitude changed and he said didn't really want us to teach him about the religion but that he was willing to read the Book of Mormon and to test it out first. I took this conversation as a huge sign from Heavenly Father that he is aware of how I feel and that he loves me and is taking care of me.

Later that night we met another young man who is unlike any other person I have ever met... He had a hard time focusing but by the end we managed to through in some gospel principles and have a good discussion about our purpose here on Earth. He had an attitude of happiness and that really was an example to me of how, even in the most difficult of circumstances, we can choose to be happy. Joe invited us over to his house and asked if he could walk with us. He isn't interested in religion but we might take him contacting with us. He'll be our nonmember present ;) haha

For my spiritual thought I'd like to share an experience from a recently returned missionary (the daughter of bishop Haight) who served in Canada. She told the story of how they had one hour to get someone baptized who was on an oxygen machine and would not be able to make the trip to the chapel to be baptized. They were told to find a pool so they ran around trying to find someone who would let them use their pool, after searching and searching and knocking on everyone's doors they finally found someone who said yes and they were able to baptize this man. She spoke about how Heavenly Father always provides a way, that He knows what is going on and that he allows us to work for things but that he always answers and helps us to accomplish His work. As Moroni once said "And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will." I know that this is true. I have witnessed it myself very closely this week. Do not loose hope, do not loose faith. Everything works out for the best in the end.

Lots of love,

Hermana Quintana

8/19/14

Last Friday night we got a phone call from the APs that Sister Bair was going to train a brand new missionary next transfer. I was super excited for her but also a little upset because that meant that I was getting transferred for sure. She was still on the phone when i tore the closet door open, pulled out my suitcase, and shoved all my clothes in it... 

On Saturday Lupi spoke at Stake Conference and did a really great job sharing her testimony in front of a very large group of people and Elder Nielsen from the 70. I'm not sure she knew who he was but she wasn't nervous at all. Sonia came with Lupi and really enjoyed the talks. We had a sleep over with the Seaside sisters so we didn't have to drive back and forth for the next session. It was there that I got the official "moving out" text from the zone leaders. We spent a big portion of Sunday night saying goodbye to people.

On Monday we went to the beach to say goodbye to the zone and sign journals. The Elders found a big dug out fort and we it over. We took a few pictures then headed back to our own private tour of the Richardson Adobe (aka the haunted hotel in Ghost Hunters International!!!). A member of the ward works for the city and let us run around and told us the history. It is pretty old and racketty and I would not be surprised if there were giant rats living there but thankfully we didn't see any rats... or ghosts.

We also had Sonia's baptismal interview on Monday and now Sister Bair and her new trainee are set to go for her baptism on Friday night... oh yeah, did I mention I got TRANSFERRED?!

I just got moved to a brand new area that is in a big city just north of San Jose. There are a ton of hindu and indian people and almost no hispanics which is really weird for me. Also, there are a billion cars and freeways everywhere so driving is kind of scary. Sister Boyd and I are opening up a new area so neither of us know anyone or anything and the boundaries are still kind of unclear but we've decided that our new motto is going to be "We'll figure it out!" I am in an apartment with two other sisters who will be going home pretty soon. About half our zone will be home within the next 3 transfers so that is kind of weird. 

I absolutely loved serving in the Greenfield ward. There were many people prepared to hear and receive the message of the restored Gospel. I am sad to leave but grateful for this new experience. It will definitely be a growing and humbling one but this is the Lord's work and he will not let me mess it up too bad, right?

I'd like to close by sharing a thought from the Monterey Stake Conference. Sister Nielsen, wife of Elder Nielsen (area 70), shared a quote her dad used to say: "the Holy Ghost is in you like breathing". It was kind of a funny quote but also really deep. We often do  not think about breathing, it is something that we do all day every day but it is not until we are unable to take in air that we become aware of what we are doing. She said that it is the same with the spirit. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have been confirmed and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. As long as we remain worthy of its companionship it can be with us all the time. We get so desensitized that we forget it is there and that it has a special purpose. Let us prepare ourselves to be sensitive to that spirit. Let us pray, study, and look for signs of its presence.

I love you all,

Hermana Quintana

8/12/14

This week we had a couple of meetings and things come up so things got switched around and it ended up being a very unusual week. It started off kind of slow because some of our big appointments fell through but we were still able to meet with Sonia and keep her on track for baptism next week (the 23rd). She came to church this Sunday again and we found out that her situation at home just got super complicated and difficult but she is such a great example of faith because she still wants to go through with her baptism. She shared her experience in Relief Society and it was heart warming to see the love the sisters in the ward already have for her. They all reached out with comforting advice and the spirit was really strong.

We were also really fortunate to still meet with Maria and Pedro who have been reading in the Book of Mormon and who both came to church last Sunday!!!! It was a really big sign of Pedro's faith because it was a huge sacrifice to close his ice cream truck for an hour during his highest selling time and come to church but we talked with them about the importance of baptism and they both agreed that it was something they would like to do together. The only thing is that Maria is planning a month long trip to mexico next week so we can't really teach Pedro... 

On Friday we had Zone Training Meeting and sister Bair and I taught about the importance of contacting (something our mission does instead of knocking on doors). I believe they assigned me that topic because is something that I struggle with. I can do it and I will do it when we need to but it is not something I look forward to doing and I really do need to change my attitude about it. I think it is just hard for me because I am not good with small talk and I don't want to interrupt people but I just need to remember that I have something they need and that they'll be so grateful on the day of their baptism.

We had exchanges that day and Sister Ikegami got to come down to Greenfield with me. She is so incredibly awesome that I felt super spoiled to get to spend the whole day with her. She is super funny and has a real gift for talking to people. 

On Saturday we helped out with the set up for the wedding of a family in the ward. It was a lot of work but kind of fun. 

Yesterday we went to the temple visitor center with one of our part member families. The mom is a returning less active, the dad is not a member, and the daughter is getting baptized next month. It was a very long car ride (5 hours total) and we didn't really have a preparation day but it was totally worth it because the spirit was super strong and the dad, who has never shown any interest in the church before, was the one who participated most during the presentations. He was really attentive to the videos of the first presidency and the quorum of the 12 apostles and even asked questions. We were able to teach part of the restoration and he was really receptive. He was even a little bummed that the garden was closed for renovation so we couldn't go up the stairs to see more.

After the temple they took us out for lunch and even dropped us off at a zone missionary activity while they ran errands so we could see our missionary friends we never get to see. 

On a more spiritual note: I'd like to share with you something that a departing missionary shared with us during ZTM. They are directed to missionaries but can be applied to everyone.

- Don't be so judgmental. As members of the church we tend to judge each other more harshly and hold each other to higher standards than to the rest of the world. And although it is true that members should and do know the commandments and standards of the church, no one is perfect and it is not our place to judge anyone.

- Think about what is the most important thing in your life. A truly converted person will always put the Lord first above all other things, a truly converted person will want to share the Lord's gospel with everyone.

- Be happy! So many missionaries go around stressing about time and numbers and, although those things are important, we sometimes forget the reason we are out here. We do this for love and love is something that makes us happy.

I love you all!

Hermana Quintana

8/5/14

 This week was kind of slow but really fast at the same time. I've just come to terms with the fact that time has no relevance as a missionary, it just kind of comes and goes at it's own pace like a little puppy that is taken out and let loose for the first time. Perhaps I should save the deep analogies to Sister Bair haha. We had two awesome member present lessons with Sonia this last week. The problem with member present lessons is that they are so hard to predict. The first was with our recent convert who is still learning herself so it was great to include her and show her that she has a deeper understanding than she thinks and that she does not need to be a scholar to share her testimony and impact lives. She also offered Sonia a ride to church which was a great blessing. After the lesson they stayed and talked and that really helped her to feel comfortable enough to accept our church invitation. The next lesson we had with her we took a very experienced and knowledgeable member of the ward who kind of went into deep doctrine but it just really helped Sonia to feel that she can be a part of the Church and that the members of the ward really do care about her.

We did have a very ... exciting? thing happen on Wednesday. We usually meet our young investigators on Wednesday mornings because they are not currently in school and no one really has plans on Wednesdays. Well, we were teaching Adriana on her doorstep when a guy walks past us on the sidewalk and then comes over and asks if he can study with us. We said sure and he pulled out his bible from his backpack and starts bible bashing. He called us liars and said that the Catholic church could trace their authority back to Timothy or someone. It was quite rude but Adriana just rolled her eyes, the situation was pretty manageable until Enrique (a recent convert) came out and started fighting back. The spirit was just a mile away and then Sister Bair asked the biblebasher to say the prayer and he prayed for a really long time thanking Jesus with open arms and looking at the heavens. He invited us to go talk with him at his house we told him we'd send boy missionaries ;)

It was really hard to get the spirit back for our next lesson but we were rewarded with 3 new investigators that day!!!! Talk about miracles after the trial :) We also had a lesson with Hermana Guapo who actually felt something and we were able to have a discussion. It has been a really long time since she has felt the spirit and it was really humbling to be able to witness that. 

Maria and Pedro (our investigators with the ice cream truck) took us out for breakfast on Thursday to Denny's we talked about the plan of Salvation and Sister Bair pulled out a drawing she had made to help her study and Maria took it and at the end folded it and tucked it in her Book of Mormon (which she carries in her purse!). Her husband said "that paper is hers" and she said "but I need it to study!" and didn't give it back. It was super cute :) 

On Friday we had the Spanish ward activity. Maria and Pedro as well as one of the Elders' investigators came along with the bishop and 3 or 4 other families. We talked about the Book of Mormon and explained how we can come to know that it is true and invited them all, nonmembers and members alike to take Moroni's challenge and gain a personal testimony.

On Sunday it was Miriam's birthday and we helped Hermana Lopez prepare things for the surprise birthday party they were throwing her. Hermana Lopez has not been able to go to church or work for the past 2 weeks because she hurt her back and can't really carry heavy things or lift things but she seems to be getting better so hopefully she can come back to church next Sunday. She is a really incredible lady with a lot of faith and a dedication to help others.

Yesterday was p-day and we went to Salinas. It was so weird to see stores and to go to the mall. I think we were only in there for 30 minutes before we walked out but I did find a dress for $5 in Old Navy so I think it was worth it. Also, a member from the Prunedel ward paid for our lunch. Josh and Sis. Phui's brother came to lunch with us and they had all sorts of crazy conversations about the second coming and how Utah is the worst and about the history of California. It was really fun to observe and see their point of view though I don't necessarily agree with either of them

This week I've been powering through the Book of Mormon and I've been studying it as well in Preach My Gospel and in Ensign articles. More and more I come to know that it truly was written by prophets of God. There is no other book which speaks more to my soul or stands as a greater testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Heavenly Father loves and cares about me. This morning I was studying in Ether chapter 12. I love how Moroni includes examples of people who were able to, because of their faith, work mighty miracles and bring about the conversion of many. I am grateful for their example of being committed missionaries, fully consecrated to the cause. May we all strive to follow their example and make studying the Book of Mormon a priority in our lives.

I love you all,

Hermana Quintana

This week was kind of slow but really fast at the same time. I've just come to terms with the fact that time has no relevance as a missionary, it just kind of comes and goes at it's own pace like a little puppy that is taken out and let loose for the first time. Perhaps I should save the deep analogies to Sister Bair haha. We had two awesome member present lessons with Sonia this last week. The problem with member present lessons is that they are so hard to predict. The first was with our recent convert who is still learning herself so it was great to include her and show her that she has a deeper understanding than she thinks and that she does not need to be a scholar to share her testimony and impact lives. She also offered Sonia a ride to church which was a great blessing. After the lesson they stayed and talked and that really helped her to feel comfortable enough to accept our church invitation. The next lesson we had with her we took a very experienced and knowledgeable member of the ward who kind of went into deep doctrine but it just really helped Sonia to feel that she can be a part of the Church and that the members of the ward really do care about her.

We did have a very ... exciting? thing happen on Wednesday. We usually meet our young investigators on Wednesday mornings because they are not currently in school and no one really has plans on Wednesdays. Well, we were teaching Adriana on her doorstep when a guy walks past us on the sidewalk and then comes over and asks if he can study with us. We said sure and he pulled out his bible from his backpack and starts bible bashing. He called us liars and said that the Catholic church could trace their authority back to Timothy or someone. It was quite rude but Adriana just rolled her eyes, the situation was pretty manageable until Enrique (a recent convert) came out and started fighting back. The spirit was just a mile away and then Sister Bair asked the biblebasher to say the prayer and he prayed for a really long time thanking Jesus with open arms and looking at the heavens. He invited us to go talk with him at his house we told him we'd send boy missionaries ;)

It was really hard to get the spirit back for our next lesson but we were rewarded with 3 new investigators that day!!!! Talk about miracles after the trial :) We also had a lesson with Hermana Guapo who actually felt something and we were able to have a discussion. It has been a really long time since she has felt the spirit and it was really humbling to be able to witness that. 

Maria and Pedro (our investigators with the ice cream truck) took us out for breakfast on Thursday to Denny's we talked about the plan of Salvation and Sister Bair pulled out a drawing she had made to help her study and Maria took it and at the end folded it and tucked it in her Book of Mormon (which she carries in her purse!). Her husband said "that paper is hers" and she said "but I need it to study!" and didn't give it back. It was super cute :) 

On Friday we had the Spanish ward activity. Maria and Pedro as well as one of the Elders' investigators came along with the bishop and 3 or 4 other families. We talked about the Book of Mormon and explained how we can come to know that it is true and invited them all, nonmembers and members alike to take Moroni's challenge and gain a personal testimony.

On Sunday it was Miriam's birthday and we helped Hermana Lopez prepare things for the surprise birthday party they were throwing her. Hermana Lopez has not been able to go to church or work for the past 2 weeks because she hurt her back and can't really carry heavy things or lift things but she seems to be getting better so hopefully she can come back to church next Sunday. She is a really incredible lady with a lot of faith and a dedication to help others.

Yesterday was p-day and we went to Salinas. It was so weird to see stores and to go to the mall. I think we were only in there for 30 minutes before we walked out but I did find a dress for $5 in Old Navy so I think it was worth it. Also, a member from the Prunedel ward paid for our lunch. Josh and Sis. Phui's brother came to lunch with us and they had all sorts of crazy conversations about the second coming and how Utah is the worst and about the history of California. It was really fun to observe and see their point of view though I don't necessarily agree with either of them

This week I've been powering through the Book of Mormon and I've been studying it as well in Preach My Gospel and in Ensign articles. More and more I come to know that it truly was written by prophets of God. There is no other book which speaks more to my soul or stands as a greater testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Heavenly Father loves and cares about me. This morning I was studying in Ether chapter 12. I love how Moroni includes examples of people who were able to, because of their faith, work mighty miracles and bring about the conversion of many. I am grateful for their example of being committed missionaries, fully consecrated to the cause. May we all strive to follow their example and make studying the Book of Mormon a priority in our lives.

I love you all,

Hermana Quintana

7/29/14

This week was kind of crazy and all over the place. I think I already mentioned that we had zone conference in Santa Cruz and traffic was kind of bad and we were 15 minutes late even though we gave ourselves a 30 minute window so we could arrive early.... :/

On Wednesday we had a lesson with Maria :) and we finally got to teach her husband! YAY!!! He is a very quiet man and very restless so it was a big deal for him to give us 45 minutes to listen to the message of the restoration. Maria is super sweet and she had prepared for us cups of cubed fruit and she gave us some juice and she talked with us and told us how much she loved us coming over and how much she liked church and she really wants to go to the temple someday and so we have to teach her husband so they can get sealed... I love her so much!

We also finally got to see Yajaira who has been super busy this past month with work and cheer tryouts and all other teenager adventures. We also saw both Adrianas. I let it slip to Adriana M that I was going to be transfered in a few weeks and she got upset and she wrote a letter saying that I "could not be transferred" and that they should leave me. She said "deliver that!" She's so funny.

This week we also met with Norma and Yadira to help get them on track for Yadira's baptism in two weeks (woot woot!) and we had an awesome member present lesson with Paula. She has been struggling with reading and understanding the Book of Mormon but Miriam was able to really help her dissect the verses and take it one concept at the time. She is a teacher for a living so she really knows how people learn. I think it helped me too :) 

Another really incredible miracle was that when we went to our appointment with Sonia her aunt showed up. Sonia invited her to sit and listen and then she was so excited to share with her aunt all of the things she has been learning that she took over the lesson and talked about Joseph Smith, prophets, the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, and parts of the plan of salvation. It was several minutes before we could talk and kind of explain her overwhelmed aunt in a manner that made more sense. Sonia invited her to her baptism and also to learn more. She hasn't even been baptized and she is already sharing the gospel and being a great member missionary!

Saturday we spent most of the day weeding in the hot, hot sun. I'm pretty sure it got into the 90's and it was not fun but we were super low in service hours because of all of the meetings and such so we rolled up our sleeves and just got to work. Sister Bair got a blister because she didn't use her gloves for the last hour or so. I got to run around with a push mower and that was really fun!

Also on Sunday we met a really incredible guy named Renee at the park. We never go to that side of town but we felt we wanted to switch up our contacting routine. He looked pretty tough and I was a bit apprehensive of talking to him but once we started talking we were able to share with him what we believed and he asked us several questions that pertained to other religions from around the world. I had no idea how to answer and was very grateful that Sister Bair was able to answer completely and help him get the answers he needed. Also on Sunday Sister Bair ran over a squirrel on our way back from Dinner. We saw it run out and both of us gasped when we hard the bump. It was kind of intense and the most exciting thing besides finding Renee that happened that day.

This week really was all over the place but I was humbled and able to strengthen my faith that this is the Lord's work and that He will lead us to find people who are prepared to hear the gospel but they are usually hiding among a lot of other people who are not yet ripe so it is up to us to go and find them. To seek them out and to give them a chance to hear the message before they say yes or no. 

I love you all,

Hermana Quintana