November 18, 2014

Welcome to Redlands!

 

Well I'm back with Hermana Lauaki-Sablan and I'm SO HAPPY!!! She's really one of my very best friends. And even if I have a companion for the rest of my mission, I won't be with them as long as I've been with Hermana Lauaki-Sablan. I've spent 1/3 of my mission with this girl! Her birthday is coming up too if anyone would like to send her a little card or something! It's on the 25th.

My first few days here in Redlands I've gotten to meet some of the members and investigators we'll be teaching and I love them already! I'm serving in a branch, which is smaller than a ward, so this area has less members than anywhere I've served before. The branch's name is Lugonia and I've met the branch president (like the Bishop) and he is so great! I'm really excited to see what great things we can do here!

 

We had a Thanksgiving dinner with the branch on Friday and that was really fun! Then Saturday we volunteered with a community center here in Redlands, collecting and weighing and sorting food for the needy. Such a cool experience. Later Saturday night we had a session of Stake Conference and got to meet with other wards in the Redlands area to hear from different local Church leaders. Sunday morning we had another session of Stake Conference where my mission president and his wife spoke. They live in our branch boundaries but go to the english ward since his wife and kids don't speak Spanish. But he lives pretty close to us! And their messages Sunday were really great. It was cool to hear him speak to other members of the church instead of us missionaries.

We also did this activity called Women of Faith where different sisters from different wards get together and we were knitting and doing Christmas ornaments and all kinds of little projects for Christmas. I love doing service and it seems to be really big in Redlands, especially this time of year.

 

I was planning on sending pictures of my saying bye to everyone in Indio but forgot my cord, so expect some good pictures next time! Love you! Have a great week!

 

Love,

Hermana Granado

November 10, 2014

So this week has been a bit crazy but let's start with transfer news, shall we?

I thought I'd be staying in the area, especially because Hermana Southwick leaves in less than 3 weeks but it turns out I'm being transferred! So Wednesday morning I'm heading to Redlands, way back to the other side of the mission. And my new companion is Hermana Lauaki-Sablan! She's the one you guys talked to on Mother's Day. We were together for 5 months in Rialto and became best friends and now almost a year later we got put back together for her last 5 weeks! I'm so excited!

I'm a little bummed about leaving at this time though because we have some amazing investigators that we're working with and they're all doing so well! Two of them are getting baptized in the next two weeks so it makes me sad to know I won't get to be here for that. But I know the Lord needs me in Redlands and I'm excited to go and see what I can do for the people there! I'm also sad to leave Hermana Southwick after such a short time but she promised to write me when she's home so that's good!

I caught a bit of a flu bug yesterday but it was just a 24 hour thing, I had a fever and needed to stay in and rest for a little bit but I'm pretty much back to normal and ready to go out and work today!

Other than that nothing else new has been going on. I love this ward and the members here and I love the people we're teaching, I'm going to miss them a lot. Sorry this was a short one, I'll tell you all about Redlands next week!

Love,

Hermana Granado

November 3, 2014

 Happy November!

Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween, our mission president wanted us all to be in by 6pm for safety but we got special permission to go to our ward Halloween party! Two of our investigators came and it was so fun! Hermana Southwick and I dressed like twins because everyone ALWAYS asks us if we're sisters.

On Sunday the time changed and we fell back an hour, so that was super nice to get an extra hour of sleep. But now I keep waking up at 5 or 5:30 because my body is just used to it. So hopefully I adjust soon!

Speaking of adjusting, it got down to 69 degrees last night and I was in a long dress with a sweater and I was shivering! I am grateful the summer is over here but I'm not prepared for winter...

On Wednesday we went to the park to write some birthday cards for people in our ward and while we were there, a man walked up with his lunch for a little break before he went back to work. So we started talking a little bit and it turns out he is an investigator of crime scenes and used to work for the secret service and all that crazy stuff! But he was really interested in what we do as missionaries and his first question was "Why do you believe there is a God?" and the conversation just went from there! He had a lot of really great questions and we could tell that he was really interested in why we were on missions and why we believed what we do. He had to get back to work but it was really cool to hear a little bit about his life and answer some of his questions. These are only things that happen to missionaries! It was such a cool experience.

Not much else to report on but I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Granado

Twin pic!

Seb, he reminds me so much of Cordell!

October 27, 2014

 Hey family!

So this week was EXHAUSTING!!! I have never ever been so tired in my entire life. But that's how we know we're doing something right! 

There was so much going on this week- we had a big service project that lasted a big part of the day on Friday, helping with a bike race in La Quinta. 

Then on Saturday we had a big Mexican Fiesta in Palm Desert! Everyone and their dog was invited! They were expecting 600 people! I don't know if that many came but there was a big turnout. There was authentic Mexican food, I know that because our ward made a lot of it and they also had a live Mariachi band which our investigators loved. Other than that it was the most normal week we've had... but we worked hard!

We also met 2 awesome new investigators who are going through a lot right now and they seem so ready to change and learn. They're so sweet. 

Also, who can believe that I've been out for a year on Thursday? Not me! The time just seems to be going faster and faster and I can't seem to get a grip on it. Sometimes people will mention something that happened in April and I think, "Oh that wasn't too long ago." But it was 6 months ago! And in 6 more months I'll be finishing my mission. It just blows my mind!

It's cooling down a bit. It gets down to the 80s at night and in the mornings. I was looking for a sweater last time it got down to the mid 80s. I'm going to be in big trouble the next time I see that snow stuff.

Love,

Hermana Granado

Me and Hermana Southwick with our roommates at the fiesta!

October 20, 2014

This week was so great! 

On Thursday we were able to have a mission conference with Elder Evans who is basically in charge of missionary work - which means he has to coordinate for 88,000 of us missionaries all over the world! We got a lot of advice and instruction from him about how we can teach better and really just help more people with the resources that we have. We also learned that our mission will be receiving iPads! Yep, Redlands is going digital. He didn't give us a ton of details but he told us we'd be using the mini-iPads and how we'd be able to use them to share the gospel with more people in more places! Like showing videos, helping them do family history, things like that. They are asking all those who have more than 6 months left to buy their iPad but since I will have less than 6 months left it will be an option for me. It's something that I'll have to think about though since iPads are pretty widely used from what I understand and it will probably be nice to have for school and what-not after the mission. Anyway, that's the news we got! Hello technology! 

Hermana Southwick and I are still working hard! We were able to put a baptismal date with two more investigators this week and these girls are so great! One of them is the only one who's not a member in her family and she's decided after meeting with us for a while that this is something that she'd like to do. 

The other is someone who was learning from other missionaries in the past but never really wanted to change. Hermana Southwick and I thought we should go meet her and see how she's doing and she welcomed us with open arms and while we were talking to her she shared with us a lot about her life. She told us about a lot of bad decisions she's made and how she's still suffering the consequences even though it was years ago. She told us last night that she needs to change because she wants her life to be better. So she set a goal to be baptized as well! This area and these people are just so ready to accept the gospel and I absolutely love it!

We also did exchanges this week and I went with a sister who has only been on her mission for 3 weeks. It was really cool and really humbling to remember where I was at and what I was like at that point of my mission. She's way ahead of where I was! And I feel like I've come so far and learned so much since then! 

My mission really has made me better than I was and I've learned so much about myself, about others and most importantly about the Savior.I was reading today and I came across the parable of the unprofitable servant. Jesus Christ was instructing His disciples and He said that when they go out to preach and teach and serve they should do just that - serve. They shouldn't expect to rest or to receive any type of reward. That they are to do what they are sent to do. Be a servant. In a way that's what we're doing as missionaries. We are here to serve and to help in any way possible. And along with painting and cleaning and yard work and picking up trash, we know that the best way to help is to teach the gospel, so that's what we do! But the difference is that even though we are to consider ourselves unprofitable servants, we're not unprofitable. Members feed us dinner, we have a place to live, I have AMAZING family and friends behind me supporting me and most of all I have endless blessings from the Lord as I'm here doing His work. And I've come to realize that the more I serve Him and the more I sacrifice, the more I'm blessed. So really I'll never make it up to Him, I will always be in debt to our Heavenly Father for the countless blessings I receive day in and day out.

Love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Don't forget to recognize all the blessings you're receiving too!

Love,

Hermana Granado

October 13, 2014

Hello family! 

Well this one will be short because we don't have much time. It's a Tuesdayand we gotta get out and work. But this past week was such a good one! It was crazy busy and stressful but those are always the best as a missionary.

We had three baptisms of three lovely little ladies. It was so great. We're seeing a lot of success here and we're hoping we can work hard and that it won't stop here.

I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that some of you went to see Meet the Mormons. Such a fun and uplifting little flick. It wasn't meant to be very educational, just a little sneak peek into the life of some Mormons and to get a better idea of what our priorities and lives are like. Hope you liked it because I know I did!

This week is another busy one! We get the opportunity to hear from one of the leaders of the church named Elder Evans on Thursday. He's coming to do a little conference with us that day and I'm so excited to hear from him and the counsel he has for us as missionaries about how we can be better teachers and better people!

Then on Friday we'll have exchanges. I can't remember who I'm going with this week but I will be sure to tell you all about it on Monday. 

This week I've learned so much about the importance of always improving. We're here on this earth to learn and to become better so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father. but He is never going to force us to do that. We need to be ready and willing to do what is necessary to improve. Sometimes it's hard but it's necessary. I know that for myself I need to be constantly evaluating myself and what I'm doing so I don't let myself get complacent. We might get comfortable but there is always more happiness ahead if we're willing to put in the work.

Love you!

Hermana Granado

1. Alazay and Marina. I've been teaching them since I got here in May and absolutely love their family. I feel really close with their mom since she's only about 4 years older than me and we've been there with her through a lot. They're so great!

2. Margarita. She is the first one throughout my whole mission who I've been there to teach her every single lesson from the very beginning and I was there to plan and have her baptism. She's great and I feel so lucky to have been there to see her progress this whole time.

October 6, 2014

Hello family! 

Can you believe it's October already?! Time is just flying! I hope everyone is doing well, you're all a little quiet...

This weekend we had General Conference. It is every April and October that we have the opportunity to listen to messages from the Prophet and the Twelve apostles and other leaders of the Church. It was so great! I always love General Conference but what I love most about it is that I can think of questions I have about my life or my mission or my plans after the mission and no matter what, my questions are ALWAYS answered. Always! Such a blessing.

There was one talk that when I heard it, my thoughts automatically went to you guys. Here's the link if you'd like to watch it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2014/10?lang=eng&vid=3822608486001&cid=10

Other than that we've had a really great week! Hermana Southwick got here on Wednesday and we have just had the best week! Since I'm the only one here that knows the people and the area I started the week really stressed out but the elders that came in are really hardworking and I know we're going to see great things here.

Last night was had such a big miracle! We were walking around a trailer park and saw a man who was working in his yard, naturally we asked if he needed help and without hesitating he said yes! No one ever says yes. He let us in the gate and handed us a tool and gave us a pizza box to kneel on and we went right to work! He asked who we were and we got the opportunity to tell him about what we do and also to ask him about his background, family, religion, all of that. The service only took about 10-15 minutes and he let us wash our hands and invited us to come back and teach him, his wife and his kids this week! Such an unexpected miracle. I love times like that!

This coming week we're planning to have two baptisms! Two little girls we've been teaching forever and a lady named Margarita that we just found last month. All three of them are so ready to be baptized and so great, I feel so lucky to have been a part of this time in their lives!

Don't forget to go see Meet the Mormons! I want to hear all about what you guys think!

Love,

Hermana Granado

Picture: Saying goodbye to Hermana Martinez!