Hola familia! 

So sorry last week's email was so short. But I'll do my best to make up for it this week!

 

On Monday we played sports with our ward and got all the kids to come and even a lot of leaders too since it was a holiday and they didn't have school. They also brought friends who aren't members so it was a good opportunity to meet new people and get them to a non-threatening activity. We played soccer and volleyball and had a blast! Tuesday was pretty much a normal day. We got to go to the temple on Wednesday. The Redlands temple is tiny but so SO pretty! 

We finally got pictures of the six of us that are serving in the ward together so I'll attach that. From left to right is Elder Morris, Elder Robles, me, Hermana Lauaki-Sablan, Elder Bird and Elder Allen. We have gotten to be pretty good friends the past six weeks! Hermana Lauaki-Sablan and I have been busy taking lots of pictures and making memories! 

Transfers are coming up, we find out on Monday who is going and who is staying. We're pretty sure at least one elder in the ward is leaving because he's been here for awhile. But Hermana Lauaki-Sablan and I are both hoping that we stay together, at least for one more transfer! We think we will because we're both new to the area and everything but we all remember what happened that last time I made a prediction! Either way, I'll let you know next week. But just remember the address in Highland will stay the same so feel free to send letters :)

 

The Spanish is coming along. I understand a lot more than I used to and am getting more confident in speaking. The members compliment us a lot and help us realize that we are still learning and we're learning faster than we realize. I mean 4 months ago I couldn't say five sentences without resorting to memorization. Now I have 1-hour lessons and don't think twice about it.

Also, I am learning to speak Tongan from Hermana Lauaki-Sablan! I only know how to say "Hi, how are you, very good, yes and no" but it's a start! The other day she asked me a question in Spanish and I answered in Togan and we just felt so cultured!

I met my new best friend at a member's house. This little puppy was so stinking cute I wanted to put her in my bag and take her home. But I didn't… 

While we were at this home, though, we had prepared to share a message but my companion told me she wanted to change it and share something else. I didn't know why but I just went with the flow. While we were sharing our scripture and talking about it, the woman started crying and said that she was going through a really tough time. She said she knows Heavenly Father is with her but that she really needed to hear what we said. I'm so glad Hermana Lauaki-Sablan was in tune to the Spirit so she could know what this lady needed.

 

On a funny note, today we went shopping and I am probably the most awkward person I've ever met. I wouldn't even tell this story but Hermana Lauaki-Sablan is crying just thinking about it so I figured I'd give you all a good laugh too. Today while we were at the store we were walking to the cash register and I was following Hermana Lauaki-Sablan. I tried to squeeze past this lady who was standing there counting all the pens in her basket. As I'm walking past her, my bad got stuck on a hook. I told her I was stuck but she wouldn't move for me. I tried to unhook it but I had a package of toilet paper in my hand. So I figured the only way to get out of this without making a scene or knocking something down was to switch the toilet paper to my other hand and reach back and unhook myself. But as I brought the toilet paper over to the other hand, the package hit this lady in the head. I put my hand on her back and apologized but she didn't even look at me, she just kept counting her pens. Meanwhile my companion and the cashier are dying of quiet laughter. I felt awful but if she didn't even take the time to look up at me I guess it didn't bother her too much. I did make the effort to apologize though!

 

On Saturday we volunteered at the Bishop's storehouse which fills food orders for people who are going through a really hard time. They can go to their bishop and order what their family needs then they come to the bishop's storehouse and get their order filled. It's like a warehouse/grocery store. And this one is the 2nd largest one in the western United States so that was cool to work there. I helped bag apples and bananas and helped fill some food orders for people. They were so sweet and so grateful for the charity of others that made it possible for them to have this food. And it was good for me to see where some of my contributions go and how it all works. The Lord's house is a house of order and I love that!

After the storehouse we came home, had lunch and studied for a bit. Then we got a call to help some members move out of their house. So we were on the road again, packing up boxes for them and cleaning and loading up the trucks. Luckily the other four elders were there too so we didn't have to do too much heavy lifting, just sorting and packing and cleaning.

 

A good spiritual experience we had this week was with a lady that we haven't taught yet but they day we met her went like this: We had her name and address given to us by the elders in the ward so we went to visit her. We went to her apartment and she came to the door, we told her who we are and why we were there. She said she didn't have time for us at that moment so we exchanged phone numbers and planned to come back at another time. Then before we left we did our usual "Is there anything we can do to help you?" She shook her head no but then looked down and started crying. She kept shaking her head and saying there was nothing we could do but she told us that she was sad. Very very sad. And she just kept crying. So my companion offered to give her a hug and she started crying harder and said "I just needed to know everything would be okay, then you guys came. Thank you, thank you." It was a really tender experience.

Another day we were driving and we had tried to see everyone that we had planned but they either weren't home or didn't let us in. So we sat there for a second and decided to try someone else. As we pull us to her house we're parking an at the exact same second we both said "OH!! Wait..." Then we just looked at each other startled and I said "What were you thinking?" Hermana Lauaki-Sablan said she just had an idea of who we could go see. And I said "Me too! Who did you think of?" So Hermana Lauaki-Sablan said "You first..." Right when I said the name she said that was the person she was thinking of! And it was someone who we haven't been teaching or even talked about for a while. So it was really cool to see that the Holy Ghost would put into both of our minds who we needed to see at that time.

 

I love being a missionary and I am loving California. We go running every morning and all I have to do is throw a sweatshirt on with my capris and it is perfect weather. Sometimes it gets a little warm but I remember the Arizona summers and I'm grateful to be here! We're working hard and having fun at the same time. I can't believe this week will be my four month mark. Time is just flying by! I am making memories that will last a lifetime! I am one lucky, lucky girl. Love and miss you all! Enjoy your week :)

 

 

Mucho amor,

Hermana Granado

Reading more about Stephanie's Mission on the Mission Blog - http://californiaredlandsmission.blogspot.com

Hey guys, 

Sorry this is so late, and it's going to be very short as well. Everything is great here in Rialto, me and Hermana Lauaki-Sablan are getting along great and working harder than ever. We got to go to the temple in Redlands today with our whole zone which is about 16 missionaries. The Redlands temple is very small but so beautiful. I got to reply to a few of your emails earlier before we went. I hope you are all doing great. I don't have much time to write, we're having dinner in about 20 minutes so I have to make this short.

This week I have gotten a lot of opportunites to develop patience. Both with myself and with others. I am grateful for the opportunity but it is hard sometimes. Its not always easy to learn the lessons that Heavenly Father has for us. But it's worth it!

Thank you all for all the mail and prizes I've been getting, I feel very loved and have gotten the opportunity to share that with my companion and the girls we live with, so thank you! And I just love the pictures.

 

I am so so happy here, most days I don't even have time to think about myself or my needs I'm so busy trying to get other things done. Even on our preparation days we're making phone calls and planning for our lessons with our investigators (the people we're teaching.)

 

Love you all, talk to you next week.

Be expecting some good pics and stories :)

 

Con amor,

Hermana Granado

This has been the hardest and BEST week of my entire mission.

 

The beginning of this week was rough. Sunday night I was feeling a lot of unnessesary pressure from our district leader for the amount of lessons we had taught. He made us feel like we weren't working because our numbers were low. But we have been working harder than ever! Skipping dinners to see people. Running to and from appointments to get there on time. Getting up early, staying up and planning. It was hard work. And since our numbers didn't reflect it, our leaders were on our backs trying to get us to have more lessons. But we were frustrated because we're still new and we're starting from scratch in this area. And some of the elders in our ward were making us feel like they didn't trust us as missionaries. 

So by the time Tuesday came around, we both had had enough. We were discouraged, we were stressed, we were literally worrying ourselves sick. So that night we asked two elders in our ward to give us priesthood blessings of comfort. We met up with them and told them a little of how we were feeling, even though they could see it in our faces, they gave us beautiful priesthood blessings and  afterward we just felt peace. We felt okay with where we are and what we're doing. And we decided to re-evaluate why we're here and what we want to see happen and then we got to work! And let me tell you, we've seen miracles!

This week we set a baptismal date, picked up a new investigator and almost doubled the amount of lessons we taught! We took to skipping dinners again and it never failed - every time we skipped a dinner for a lesson, we got in. They were always home and happy to talk to us. We were blessed for our sacrifices.

We just kept working, I don't know how else to describe it. We threw ourselves into the work and didn't let ourselves think of anything else. Then before we knew it, it was Friday and we were going on exchanges...

I went with Sister Folsom to San Bernardino and Hermana Lauaki-Sablan stayed in our area with sister McCoy. Our new companions didn't speak Spanish so Sister Folsom said she was going to make the most of it and use my skills to get into houses they could never get into before since the family only speaks Spanish. It was fun and was a little more comfortable going into Spanish homes than trying to teach white people. It was a lot different than I imagined. I learned a lot and so did Hermana Lauaki-Sablan and we were able to put our new skills in play in our own area :) We did miss each other though!

 

A couple of you asked about the lady who we got the info to for the apartment. She is our new investigator! She came to church yesterday and when she saw me she got really excited and came and gave me a hug! Her daughter is getting baptized March 1st and I'm hoping she will too :)

The three boys I taught in Fontana were baptized the other day. Their mom emailed me pictures and said "thank you for all your teaching" It was so good to see the pictures!

 

One of the elders serving in my ward is from my district in Fontana. I actually met him my very first day in California. The other day he looked at me at dinner and just said "Hermana Granado, you're a completely different person here than you were in Fontana" and I asked if that was good or bad and he said good, I guess I didn't talk much when I was in Fontana. But the main point is that I feel different here too. I feel more sure of myself and more sure of my decision to serve a mission. Most of all I'm more sure of my trust in the Lord. And I am seeing more and more that He knows exactly what I need at every step in my life. And when I fall short or I second guess myself, I don't worry because Heavenly Father is in control and I have all my trust in Him.

I don't know if I can explain to you all how happy I am at this point of my mission and my life. I am enjoying every minute of this crazy experience. I can't even begin to tell you all the things I experience from day to day. From slammed doors to heart breaks to spiritual lessons and answers to prayers. I need to be better at writing in my journal so I don't forget these things but if there's one thing I've learned in the past 3 months is to be happy! Because there is always going to be challenges, there are always going to be disappointments. It's part of life! But we have the ability to look past those things and focus on our blessings. They are many! If we just trust Him and follow Him, we don't need to worry about the rest. It's a liberating and relieving feeling and I never want to lose it.

 

Love you all so much! Talk to you next week :)

 

Con amor,

Hermana Granado

Hello again! 

Another week has passed and it was so good to get all your emails and hear how all of you are doing! This week was tough, we're still trying to figure out our area and find people to teach. But I do love serving a mission! I am learning so much. Also, since we don't know the area we got a map and I have developed some pretty great map skills! I surprise myself when we actually pull up to the right house once in a while!

One of the families we've started teaching has two dogs- a pit bull and a pit bull/mastif mix. They're both big and one is mean. One day when we went by we walked up to her door and we were so worried about keeping our eye on her two dogs that we didn't notice the neighbor's dog got out and was not happy about us being there! Needless to say the note I was writing was a bit shaky at the end but all is well! Reminded me of Puerto Rico and getting chased by those dogs.But we're both in one piece, happy and healthy. Well, except for one sick spell after some mole... I really don't like that stuff.

Hermana Lauaki-Sablan is great, so helpful and I'm learning a lot from her. She's really fun and loves to laugh. It's easy to enjoy our day when we're constantly laughing. The other day at church I held the door open for an older man and he walks up and asks where I'm from and told him Arizona. He looks around and says "Beautiful women come from Arizona" it was not what anyone expected to hear from this sweet old man but it made us all laugh.

I'm sorry I don't have much to share with you, we're still new in our area. We're serving with four other elders in our ward which is fun but also stressful sometimes trying to work with all of them. We are so determined though! We want to build this area up so much and just blow everyone out of the water. We're both young missionaries, I'm 3 months and she's 7 months but we are hard workers! We even skipped our dinner appointment the other night so that we could teach more people.

This Friday I am going on exchanges with a sister training leader. So me and Hermana Lauaki-Sablan will spilt up, she'll stay in our area and another girl will take my place for 24 hrs and I will go with another sister in her area. They told me where but I forgot... So that will surely be intersting!

One cool experience was the other day we went out to the only lesson we had set up and I felt very very strongly that I should ask the woman a certain question about her prayers. Even though I wasn't too sure how she'd react, I asked her and she just started crying and for the first time we really got an idea of where she's at in her life right now. We finally got her to open up! Then we got in the car and I realized I forgot my planner that had all the addresses and everything in it so we decided to go to the only house we knew how to find without an address. When we parked I turned and saw a "for rent" sign on the apartment next door. This normally wouldn't mean anything to me but a couple days before a lady we were trying to teach wasn't interested in anything we had to say. So finally we asked if we could help her with anything and she just asked us to find a place for them to rent. I wrote down the info and we went back to that lady. She was less than excited to see us standing at her door but when we said we didn't need to come in, just that we had some info she asked for, her face lit up and she was so so grateful. We told her to have a good night and she asked us if we could come back. She asked us! So we set up a time to go back and talk with her some more. I was a really cool experience of being completely led by the spirit and doing what the Lord needed us to do.

On to another week! Enjoy work and school and count your blessings! Try to find one thing everyday where you saw the Lord's hand because I PROMISE it was there.

Love,

Hermana Granado

PS. Can someone send or email me pictures of my mom and dad? No one here believes I'm Mexican...

So. This week has been CRAZY!!!

As you all know, I was transferred. So On Wednesday I packed up all my stuff and headed to the mission office in Highland with Hermana Rosales. There we got our new companions and said our tearful goodbye. I miss her lots!

My new companion is Hermana Lauaki-Sablan. She's from Seattle but her roots are Tongan. She's super fun and really easy to get along with. Last night we were talking about how much fun we have had and how much we have learned and experienced together in just four days. She's great! We laugh all the time.

Also, we're opening a new area. Which means we are both new to this area and know nothing about any of the people so we're starting from scratch. We had our zone leaders go to the office to pick up supplies for us because we had nothing. Not even a phone! My desk is still in pieces in our apartment. We have two roommates, sister missionaries who are serving in the Samoan ward. They're nice but I do miss having an apartment for just two of us. We are in the Rialto 4th ward, spanish speaking of course, and serving with 4 elders. One of them was in my district in Fontana so I feel like I brought a little piece of home with me.

Yesterday was our first day at church and everyone was so happy to be meeting us! They said that it has been years and years since sisters were serving in their ward. So even though we're both new and trying to get our heads on straight, we have some great members backing us up. They had us go up and introduce ourselves in sacrament meeting and we tried to make our rounds and meet as many people as we could. For some reason it feels like my Spanish is better here. Maybe it's because I'm not comparing it to a native. But I feel like I understand a lot more and can speak a lot more. Which is really good! My companion is helping me learn the ways of the mission and I'm helping her with Spanish. So we're a good match. So even though this transfer is going to be hard, we've got great support and Hermana Lauaki-Sablan is super hard working and I think we're going to make a great team.

We haven't been here for very long so I don't have cool stories to tell. However, we are teaching one family who has a haunted house. Like I thought they were just paranoid but they have had some serious ghost hunter experiences and we even heard some scary stuff while we were there. So let's just say I'm not crazy excited for our lesson tonight. 

Hope everyone at home is good, I miss you all but I am loving my mission life. I am learning so much all the time and I just know it is making me a better person. Sorry this email is so short, I am still trying to figure out my new little world here in Rialto.

Love,

Hermana Granado

your California Girl

Pics:

The first two are with Hermana Rosales, our last day together and with our ward missionaries. Then one with Hermana Lauaki-Sablan and our roommates and two of the elders in our ward, we played sports today

First, I want to say sorry that I didn't email yesterday. It was MLK day and the library where we email was closed.  Now on to the news!

There were two earthquakes here in Cali this week. One was centered here in Fontana where I live and the other in Sierra Lakes which is in my ward boundaries so very close. I don't know the exact stats, you'll have to use all your fancy technology and look it up, but from the stories we heard one was a 4.7 or so and the other a 4.1, more or less. I however did not feel either one. They both occurred during the night and Hermana Rosales and I found out about them the next day when an investigator mentioned it. We were zonked out. But when they said what time it happened I vaguely remembered waking up, looking at the clock at that time, rolling over and going back to sleep. So maybe I felt a little something but let's just say we take advantage of the time we get to sleep!

Another surprise, I am getting transferred. Remember when I said we're 99% sure we were both staying? Well the 1% happened and here's why. Remember when I said I had an interview with the mission president? Well I don't know if I told you but at the beginning he asked me to say a prayer, and since I never pray in English anymore, out of habit I prayed in Spanish. After the prayer his words were, "Wow hermana, you have been blessed with the gift of tongues" I said thank you and shrugged it off and told him I'm still struggling with Spanish and whatnot. Well after that he figured I am good enough at Spanish that I don't need a native speaker as a companion so I am being sent to be companions with an hermana who has only been here 3 months more than me and needs help with Spanish. I am being sent to help HER. So this will be interesting. It's also hard to be getting transferred because I am only halfway through my training and have just started to learn the area and talk to the members more. Half of them have just started to remember my name and now everything is changing. Plus I have to leave the people we're teaching. I am so sad to think that I will not be here to see Veronica's sons get baptized in a couple weeks. But it is all for a reason, and I will learn a lot from this move. (I'm just kicking myself for saying that prayer in Spanish)

Speaking of which...

Last night we taught Veronica's sons and they speak English so all our lessons with them are in English. Veronica asked me to say the prayer and I was really struggling because I has to translate the words from Spanish to English in my head. It was really hard til about half way through the prayer, then I thought this isn't so bad, that was when I realized I had slipped back into Spanish.

Anyway, I am being transferred to Rialto which is right next to Fontana where I am right now. But as a missionary everything is different, I will have different missionaries in my district and zone and different boundaries to teach people and the ward will be different. Might as well be on the other side of California! My new companion's name is really long and I don't remember how to spell it. She is Polynesian I heard and I also heard she is the nicest girl ever and very outgoing and fun. I'll tell you more next week after I actually meet her. But to say I'm sad to leave Hermana Rosales is an understatement. I feel like we've just gotten into a good groove and started working really well together and now I'm leaving. But like I said, it's a learning experience. Everything for the next 18 months is going to be a learning experience! And I will learn to love no matter where I serve. But the address you have in Highland is still good, that is the address for the mission office and they forward everything to me wherever I am.

Other than that this week has been normal, good but normal. We're working hard and teaching lots. We're working with the members more and they have been coming to our lessons to help teach the investigators. That's always good because the people we teach see us in skirts with name tags and think we're not real people so it's good to have a "real" person there to help share experiences and stories.  I have grown to love so many of the people in my area and I know I won't forget them. 

We had stake conference this week, it was really good and inspirational. Even though the conference is for all the families that live in this area it was all about missionary work. How they can get involved and be missionaries in their own lives with their families and stuff. Very good messages. Plus we sang in one session of it so of course the spirit was strong :)

One thing I learned this week is that you can control your choices but you cannot control the consequences. When I heard that I just loved it. It applies to all parts of our lives. We can always choose how we act or what we do or say. But once we make our decision, we can't control what that decision will cause. It is just a reminder for me to be more conscious of what I say and do. Our decisions determine our destiny.

No fun sports stories for you this week, some of the elders played basketball yesterday while we all passed around journals for people to write in. Kind of like a makeshift yearbook of missionaries. We don't want to forget a thing!

Well, I have to get going, I love you all so much and I really do feel your support. Thank you so much for keeping in touch with me, I hope all is going well and that everyone is happy and healthy and doing well at work and in school. I love you all VERY much and I think of you daily. Talk to you all next week from Rialto :)

Love,

Hermana Granado

January 13, 2014

Hey everyone! 

How was getting back to the grind? I hope everyone survived the holidays and that school and work are going well for everyone. Hope you are all in good health! Everyone here is sick! Flu, cold, everyone has it. But we're trying very hard to steer clear of it.

This week was good. I am having to step up a lot more and take the initiative in our work as part of my training which is good but also scary. It's not easy to decide where to go, who to see, what to teach... But I'm learning and we learn the quickest by doing right? Sometimes I try to speak up and the members just stare at me then talk to Hermana Rosales. But I'm going to get them to warm up to me if it's the last thing I do!

We led our zone this week in the amount of lessons taught! So we are definitely working hard. And we are the only sisters in a group of 16 missionaries in our zone. So we had to show the elders how it's done! Now that I said that we're going to have a whopping 10 lesson this week.

I had an interview with my mission president this week, President Van Cott. We have them about every 3 months I think. It went well, it was good to get some words of wisdom. When he asked how Spanish was and how I felt I told him all about how hard it was and how I felt like I was really struggling sometimes. He heard me out and he just said "Good! I'm glad you have to work for something." So that was that and I'm still working on it! But he said he was really impressed with my Spanish, he said that I have been blessed with a great talent and ability so that was encouraging. The members say I speak well but I just have to work up my confidence to open my mouth and speak!

Today we went and played volleyball with our zone and that was really fun! I reminded me a lot of playing with the family in the park because we didn't keep score and we are definitely not pros. But it was definitely fun!

Oh! Thought of a story. So we have this couple that we're teaching. She is a less active member that has just started coming back to church and he is investigating the church. But he can't get baptized yet because they are living together and not married. He is 62 and she is 58 and even though they've been together for 20 years they don't want to get married because they think they'll change after marriage. After 20 years I don't know what would change but that's what they said. Well the other day we went over and taught them a lesson and the man said they were thinking about getting married and wanted to know what they had to do to get married, like how to plan it and what they needed. This whole time the woman had the most confused look on her face and he goes "What? Ya don't wanna get married?" (romantic right?) and she shook her head and goes "You can get married if you want, go for it!" and he says but I want to get married with you! And she just shakes her head and says maybe a little later. It was definitely the most awkward experience of the week. The man actually reminds me a lot of Papa. He is so funny and just tells it like it is! Needless to say he is my favorite to visit. 

This week is transfers. Every six weeks we have transfers- some missionaries go home, some come from the MTC, some move to a different area in the mission and some stay where they are. Hermana Rosales and I will 99% surely stay here because she is still training me. But we're also 99% sure that she's leaving next transfer because she's been in this ward for over 6 months. So we're going to crack down these next six weeks and work hard and I'm going to learn everything I can from her because who know's what will happen in six weeks! And next week we are going to the temple! I'm really excited :) Word on the street is that we get to go every 3 months but that is if all the missionaries follow the rules. I will try to take pictures to send.

We are singing in Stake conference next week so that's fun, I found out I am soprano. I'm going to learn to sing while I'm here too!

Not much else happening here in good ole Fontana, CA. Have I mentioned it's windy? I haven't been to Chicago but it's hard to imagine a place windier than this. I don't know why I bother getting ready in the morning. My hair is everywhere and my makeup literally blows off my face. There's lots of wind, guys.

Hermana Rosales is teaching me how to cook like a true Mexican! Last week I learned how to make tortillas. This week we're going to tackle huevos con chorizo. So that's part of my training too :)

Love you all so much, thank you for all the amazing support and encouragement you're all giving me. Your kind words and support are what keeps me going some days! I am a very very lucky girl to have you all. Until next week!

Love you,

Hermana Granado