Emergency Transfers, The Catholic Nun, And Baptisms!!!!

Week 70, Transfer 11
Area: Chico Bidwell Spanish Branch
Compañeras: Hermana Smith and Hermana Hinton

I honestly forgot to send an email last week, so now you're getting 2 weeks worth of an update haha.

Last week's updates:

After an AWESOME week and a half together, Hermana Morgan finished her mission on Friday and is now home. So I was part of an Emergency Transfer for the first time and I'm now in a trio with the hermanas that were in Corning (where I started my mission!!). They closed the Corning area and joined me down in Chico!! We've been grinding and figuring everything out!

Got a referral from the Elders and ended up finding 3 new people in the same apartment complex when we went to go visit her!!

Also got a return appointment with said referral where she will be teaching us how to make mole and we will be sharing a message about Jesus Christ! I can't say that's exactly a "fair" trade because a message about Jesus is far better than even the best mole (and that's saying something), but it's a pretty darn good trade.

AMAZING lessons with our friends Mario, Miguel, and Gianfranco. Please pray for them and our friends Karina & Victor.

This week's updates:

Found 20 new friends to teach THIS WEEK ALONE!!!

Technically started teaching a Catholic nun...

Gianfranco's getting baptized! We literally met him like 2 weeks ago and he came to church for the first time yesterday!!!! We passed him off to the Elders, but nonetheless, HE'S GETTING BAPTIZED!!!

So much sleep talking. Sister Black apparently sleep talked in fluent Spanish and Hermana Smith just yaps and says "wow" a lot.

Had a 4th of July party with the sisters we live with because we had an earlier curfew, so we made hot dogs and mac and cheese! Also went to a parade and handed out church invites. Also got to hold puppies at the parade and encouraged a nonmember from a part-member family to go to BYU lol.

Went to the American Heritage Youth concert. It was BEAUTIFUL! They're a youth group from Utah Valley doing a tour throughout California performing a program centered entirely on Jesus Christ with hymns and church songs. All of the members of the group we talked to are planning on serving missions!!

The Spirit was SO strong the entire performance and our friend Miguel came. After we literally called the ENTIRE branch for a ride for him and no one could give one, we found an English ward member who could take him, and a different English ward member who speaks Spanish took him home. They had an hour-and-a-half-long conversation in his driveway that night in which said member HARDCORE testified about baptism and temples and THE PRIESTHOOD especially, and it resonated so deeply with Miguel.

Miguel went to the Feather River temple open house a few years ago and has wanted to go back ever since, and that conversation hit something home for him. So now, his goal is to be worthy to enter the temple again! Every conversation we have with Miguel, he tells us he wants to be baptized so he can have the priesthood and the Holy Ghost, so he can enter the temple. Miguel is praying and fasting about a date for his baptism and is SO CLOSE to accepting a date!!

Please keep praying for him that he will be able to receive, recognize, and have the faith to act on his answers!

Miracles are happening everyone! Here in Chico, CA, all over the world, and in your own home. Watch out for them, take note of them, and give thanks to God for them.

There is also such incredible power in the story of the First Vision and learning about the restoration of the true and full gospel of Jesus Christ! This video of Joseph Smith's First Vision is something we've shown quite a few times this past week. I love it because of how directly and clearly it testifies that the heavens are opened once again. And because they're open, the priesthood power that Miguel wants so badly has been RESTORED!!! So, go watch the video and see if it doesn't bring the Spirit or an idea of what you can do to let God in more this week.

Ask of God: Joseph Smith’s First Vision
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/first-vision-accounts/ask-of-god-joseph-smiths-first-vision-video?lang=eng

Keep going, keep trying your best every day and accepting the Savior's hand when you need it, and don't forget to KEEP BEING AWESOME!
/Hermana Ellis

Mission photos!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UtFZf4erpztBvg7x5

Notable Quotes:
Hna Morgan (after getting food at a taco truck): we're gonna have to go back to the restaurant so I can kiss the Mexicans on the MOUTH. This burrito is SO GOOD.

Hna Ellis while trying to visit an inactive member: does she have a phone number?
Hna Morgan: uhh... sorry I was looking at food trucks.

Sis Salaiau: we got $20 today
Hna Morgan: I got $100 today
Sis Black: I got a rock.

Hna Morgan while praying but she started in English and didn't know what to think abt it: dear Heavenly Father.... wHaT? Querido Padre Celestial...

Hna Hinton after dinner: do you have more energy
Hna Smith very tiredly: yeah I do.... let's go get those Mexicans.

Mario (during English class after he learned how to pronounce "choke"): entonces, esta "choke." Qué genial!

H Smith: where do you get your red hair from?
H Ellis: It's a recessive gene or something
H Smith: oh, so like baby?
































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