Recap Of The Past Few Weeks!

Week 75, Transfer 12

Area: Chico Bidwell Spanish Branch

Compañera: Hermana Hinton

It's been a while and a lot has happened! Sorry for not sending an email in a while, thanks for your patience! I hope all is well! Let's run it.

Highlights!!

We have 4 friends on date, all planning to be baptized this transfer!!! They are so cool and so prepared. We've got Karina (the mom of 2 of our new members), doña Julia (Karina's soon-to-be husband's aunt), and Marlina and Mailani, 2 of the daughters of our new member Miguel!

Julia gave us these EPIC T-shirts with our faces printed on them haha, and we gave her a baptismal progress chart; we met her in the Ross parking lot to exchange them. It was a few days before she came to church for the first time, and she told us she needed to go buy a dress for Sunday, so we met up before she went in. Naturally, Ross came in clutch and she's been slaying every Sunday since. And she's been participating in Relief Society at church!! She leaned over during class and said, "Quiero participar!" and then proceeded to share some epic comments!

Hermana Hinton sang in sacrament meeting and the whole branch loved it so much that she was then asked by our member Hermana Ana if she would sing at her son's baptism this weekend haha.

I also just have the coolest companion ever. Hermana Hinton is seriously so awesome and makes the work so fun. She brings so many good ideas to the table and has such a powerful testimony! Definitely lucky that I get to finish my mission with her as my comp!

Marlina and Mailani went to girls' camp for the first time and loved it!

Taught the Restoration of the Gospel by using fruit pizzas. Twice. It was epic.

Some of our members are a little closed off to missionary work, so we heart attacked some of their doors. Now we're bestie girls with them all.

Had transfers and said goodbye to Hermana Smith! She finished her mission and is now home with her family in Idaho. She will be missed! I stayed in Chico with Hermana Hinton and we are grinding and have a blast! Weird not being in a trio anymore. Hot take: I actually love trios!

Ate some good old mystery chicken tacos.

So many other companionships in the zone are awesome at talking to everyone, including people who only speak Spanish! So naturally, they've started calling us whenever they can't speak the language, and we've had some cool conversations through our many phone call ITLs!

Went to the Spanish endowment session in the Feather River Temple for the last time as a missionary and said goodbye to all the Spanish missionaries (shout-out Hermana Park!). This temple has become so special to me, but I am so grateful that there are so many temples throughout the world as well, so everyone can have access to the blessings of the Lord found within! While being on my mission, the 200th functioning temple was dedicated. And even more have been dedicated since then. That means we officially have hundreds of functioning temples throughout the world as well as dozens of others having been announced, groundbroken, and/or dedicated in just the last 18 months.

One thing I have learned and have an undeniable testimony of is that we work hard here, but the other side of the veil works even harder in this the Lord's work. We could NOT do what we do here in the mission field or in our own homes and families without the help of our ancestors who have passed on. They are anxiously waiting for the opportunity to receive their own baptisms, initiatories, endowments, and to be sealed with their family for time and all eternity, as well as to help their posterity receive the blessings God has in store. Their influence is strong on their posterity here, and I have felt their presence so many countless times!!

So go to the temple. Don't miss out on something eternal because you're preoccupied with things and questions and problems of the world. Receive the blessings you can find in the ordinances and covenants inside the temple for yourself and your family here on earth, but also remember that you're helping to open eternal blessings for someone else as well. And then cherish that experience and go back again, and again, and again.

Siguen adelante siempre!! Dios les ama! Keep being awesome,

/Hermana Ellis

Mission photos!

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

Notable Quotes:

Hna Hinton: Charli bit my fingers.

Sis Salaiau: Nia bit my toes!

Elder Jones: I'm Elder Jones.

Cody, looking at his missionary tag: Oh that's Jesus' name, the name Jesus gave you!

TiWi: Check your speed.

Hna Hinton: I checked it and I liked it where it was.

Elder Eivans: They have really short legs and we have really long legs. We're gonna get her! I'm going all hips, no ankles.

Hna Hinton: Mom walk for Jesus!

Hna Hinton: Hear me out, Sister Sal, we should make a chain.

Sister Salaiau, thinking of chain restaurants: Yeah, "Cheesy Potatoes and Cold Coffee."

Hna Ellis: She meant a paper chain!

Elder Draughon: It lowkey was not a great day.

Hna Hinton: Ok, but you have to find joy in something. Did someone biff it or...

Hna Ellis: Should I fear for my life?

Hna Hinton: No, just close your eyes.

Elder Draughon: They go into the Hmong abyss.

Hna Hinton: You've got big enough calves, I don't think you'll ever have cankles.

Elder Jensen: You don't like eating with members? That's like the methheads saying, "Nah, I'm good, I'll stay over here 'cause I'm comfortable and I like the meth." Do you not understand the Plan of Salvation?

Sis Salaiau: Take his face wash and his retinol away and then maybe he'll tell you.

Elder Jensen: Hear me out... "Life is a Highway" by Beethoven featuring Elon Musk.

Hna Hinton, about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: I was gaslit my entire childhood to think I was the crazy man, but in reality I was the little boy.

Elder Haddock: As long as you're half Black, you're fine.

Hna Ellis: ...I'm full white.

Elder Haddock: I'm a quarter past Mexican.

Junior: I'm brown.

Sister Lugo: You're whitewashed brown.

Elder Jensen: Where is my green Jesus?

Eva: My name's Eva, and Adan's at work.

Hna Ellis: I feel like everyone has been depressed lately.

Elder Baggley: I mean, I was down for a few days, but that's because we met a Lamanite.