#TheRISE

Ok guys, so apparently whatever I say on here comes true because guess what? It was cold this week. Like so windy and freezing and Sister Schmidt and I were dying. Please stop Florida. I prefer the heat honestly. BYU is going to kill me, but other than the freezing wind we had a great week! (shoutout to Jack who apparently prays for us to have fun because it works dude.)

This week was full of meetings. I was so done by Friday. We drove to Fort Lauderdale again this week for a zone conference and let me tell you... this really is the best mission in all the land. President and Sister Richardson are` amazing and all of the missionaries are fabulous. Sister Schmidt had to give her "dying" testimony with 6 other sisters and an elder and it was great. President quoted it all conference haha #shoutout This zone conference was titled #THERISE of the FFLM and how we are bringing it back to its former glory and all that good stuff. It was really pumped. So cool. We have the best leaders guys. (I have like 0 other vocab words apparently). We had a conference call with all the leadership in the mission and it was just so pumped. We are 100% hitting 100 baptisms in April. We all signed this cute flag too.

Then, the next day we had DT and also interviews so we got to see Pres a lot this week. Interviews were great and I just love President. He's literally the best. When I walked in and prayed, the very first thing he asked me was, "How is Sister Soza?" I was like... uhhh she's great? He was like "oh right sorry. I miss her" SAME. I do too but it was a fantastic interview after.

We are seeing miracle after miracle here in Estero. Literally just so many miracles. We met a woman named Sade (pronounced Shaw-day) and literally as we are teaching her the resto she stops us and goes, "So, how can I get baptized?" *cue the Hallelujah chorus from Messiah* music to every missionary's ears. We said, "well, we can help with that." She is set to be baptized on April 9th!

We also saw so many miracles with our YSA Round Up. This week was branch conference so we went hard rounding everyone up to come, enlisting help from the active members too. We got a TON of people there and we got some Less Active RM's to be there and that was really all that mattered. It was a great conference and the stake president talked about how the Book of Mormon can apply to each of us. It blesses every single one of us!

Lots of miracles this week guys. We met with our Brazilian investigator who is coming along super well. He lives with a recent convert who is just always talking about the church because he loves it so much and our gator said "yeah, I have a missionary in my house that answers all my questions." NICE. Love that.

Schmidt just reminded me that it happened this week because I thought it was last week because mission time is ridiculous. We were OYMing on FGCU campus and there was this group of people gathered around this man who was like yelling but we couldn't understand him. So we asked a student who he was and she was like "oh he's preaching, but not well." So we had to see who else was preaching right? Well. This guy was doing it all wrong guys! He was literally standing there screaming at these kids that they were going to hell. Wrong move. They were screaming back and we were just standing there and we knew he saw our tags so we just listened for like 2 minutes and then walked away just laughing. The spirit wasn't there. It was totally wrong. It was really cool to see, as we continued to talk to people that as soon as we opened our mouths, even if you could hear him yelling in the background, the Spirit was right there testifying to those YSA about our message. It was really a testimony builder for both of us. As we were standing there listening to him he said, "The Lord tells us in the bible to go out and preach the gospel to all nations.." I just looked at Sister Schmidt and said, "Yeah He did. We're right here!" It was interesting to see the 2 sides of preaching. One with love and the Spirit and one with contention. It was a sight to see y'all.

It is amazing to be a missionary. Even on the hard days when literally nothing goes your way there are seriously ALWAYS tender mercies waiting for us. Read the Book of Mormon every day. Pray. Go to church and remember that I love you.

1: Freezing

2: Guys I got to see Sister Adams all is well

3: Janelle (a YSA who drove us!), Sister Tueller (Adams' baby), Schmidt, Adams, yours truly

4: Best comp

5: The fab 3

6: Shoutout to the fam

7: I needed this in my life #gocougs

8: Aw so nice #bestZLs

9: Have I mentioned our duplex is straight infested with cockroaches? Look at this nasty thing. (I am so done with cockroaches for my life guys)

10: Our Spanish sisters were killing it with the protective eye gear at the zone activity

florida is getting hot

Update on the week. We had FHE with the YSA at an arcade and I learned how to play pool correctly. So watch out. I actually suck still but we made progress.

I went on an exchange with the sisters in Vanderbilt Beach again. It was really funny because after we prayed about which sister we needed to go with and where I looked at Sister Schmidt and said, "Heavenly Father just needs me to go back to Vandy again because apparently I didn't find all the people I needed to." Apparently I just needed 2 extra days there and not a whole other transfer. Good to know I did what I needed to now though! It was way fun and it was a party and we got 7's tacos because that is what you do where you're in Naples.

We also had a great zone training. It was weird this time because we already knew what it was going to be on because we went to MLC but, it was still really good. The Zone Leaders put us in charge of an activity and so we shaving cream pied them in the face as the prize. Don't put us in charge Elders. It was hilarious. But now we are scared for the retaliation.

Also, we have been on the YSA hunt in all the cities and towns and areas that we cover and it has been awesome. We were able to pass 10 referrals this week to the different areas and God blessed us with a miracle. Thaigo is from Brasil and is living with one of our Recent Convert YSA's and he came to church and LOVED IT. We are super excited to meet with him tomorrow, not only to teach him the Resto but also because we are meeting at the Brasilian food truck with the amazing burgers. BOOM.

At sacrament meeting there were 55 YSA! That is a miracle. The branch president said it was the most they had ever had!

This email is really just all capitalization, but when you are doing the Lord's work, you get a little excited. I was reading this week in Isaiah 12:3 that says, "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." WITH JOY. The Gospel is all about joy and I have seen that every.single.day on my mission and I know that the Gospel brings us the most joy possible. Without a doubt. There is no greater, truer, more amazing joy than there is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Also in sacrament meeting yesterday the speaker said, "You never stand taller, than when you're on your knees." That is my new fave quote (for this week at least)

Guys, the Gospel is true and the Book is blue. Have a great week!

1: CAN WE JUST LOOK AT THIS 4 GENERATION PICTURE? We're famous.

2: Elder Celestin got way too into this... poor Elder Adams

3: THE WHOLE FAM. way too confusing to explain so its really just a bunch of missionaries to y'all

4: Weird filter on this pic but...the NEW NAPLES NIKE ZONE

5: Elder Adams giving me the evil eye off to the side and Elder Flores saying his last words apparently....

sarcastic duo in estero

Hello! I am still here in Estero YSA and loving every second of it! It's awesome and the YSA here make it amazing. At transfers, there were so many missionaries going home and so many new ones! Sister Soza and I said goodbye and then I ran before we cried, but so is life. The mission is full of greenies so it's bringing in some fun aspects to it!

My new companion, Sister Schmidt is great. She is from Sandy, UT and is going home this transfer and then to BYU-I in the fall! Also, we are the same person. We're both so sarcastic and last night we realized it was probably good that we were in YSA because you can just be so real with them and joke around and be totally sarcastic. There is a lot of sarcasm and sass coming from this coast. We were talking with one of the AP's on Saturday and he called us the "two sassiest sisters we've got," so that is what we are known as. It's all good though because we can talk and talk for hours and there's still more to talk about!

We had MLC, Mission Leadership Council, this week so we had to get up early and drive all the way back in to Fort Lauderdale for a 4 hour meeting, but we got to see all the leadership all over again! We have those meetings like once a month and it's really cool to see how the mission is progressing in all the other areas. We have great zone leaders here! I'm serving again with Elder Adams, who was my district leader when I first came in, aka my "dad" in the mission, so that is pretty cool. President just doesn't trust me because he stuck me back with my mom last transfer and now with my dad!

Our second counselor in the branch spoke yesterday in fast and testimony meeting and talked about how if we want to achieve goals, we have to just go do it. But he used a funny analogy. He said, "If you want milk in your fridge, just go buy milk and stick it in there. If you want to achieve something just go do it. Make the plan and do it. The gospel is the same. Go study it. Go learn about it." Basically the Gospel is milk guys. JUST GO STUDY IT. I loved that analogy because it's so simple. It doesn't take 5 hours a day to learn things in the gospel, but we do have to take that time to study it and to learn about it and little by little we learn and improve in our knowledge.


1: I do have this terrible picture of me and Sister Schmidt from January that Sister Soza took. IT WAS A PROPHECY.

2: Sister Soza's fortune. I died.

3: We snapped this one real quick before emailing. Don't judge guys, its p-day. we can't always look good.

sister soza is gone

Hello! Wow, Sister Soza has finished her mission and she will be arriving in Chile on Friday morning! We have transfers tomorrow and I will be dropping her off! It's crazy. She was packing last night and it was freaking weird to see her packing! She's my mom and now she's going back to Chile until September! AH. Unless she gets married, then I guess I am going to Chile!

Transfer calls were last night and I get to stay in Estero! I love this YSA, the people and this giant freaking area. My new comp will be Sister Schmidt, who is actually in the zone right now. She is dying this transfer, so I will be seeing 2 missionaries leave in a row! It is her first as an STL, so I will be training her on that as well! It's going to be so much fun. I went on a full day exchange with her this transfer and it was a party so I'm pumped. Sister Dimond is also TRAINING! I am going to be a grandma! We get to take a 4 generation picture right before Soza leaves and I think that is really what I am excited for. Also, Sister Adams is training too so I am pumped to meet these 2 lucky greenies.

The poor elders got into a crash and we didn't believe how bad it was... it was bad. Luckily they were not in the car but the car is totaled and they are on bikes. Yay for bikes!

We had Stake Conference this week and it was like a mini General Conference it was so dang good. Elder Bluth of the Seventy was there. President and Sister Richardson were there too! Here are some of the highlights:
-"Motivation matters in the Lord's Kingdom."
- "When life gets too hard to stand, KNEEL." Hinckley
- "He has promised THEM that WE will do their temple work." (Elder Bluth)
- "We need to prioritize the eternal things." (Stake President)
- "We have to REALLY KNOW our Father in Heaven" (YSA)
- "These missionaries have been saved for NOW." (Sister Richardson)

It was so great. The cool thing about our stake is that it covers 2 whole zones. So we have 32 missionaries in the stake, the biggest in the mission. So Elder Bluth called President and Sister Richardson up to stand next to him, then he had all 32 of us stand up. Everyone was smiling and staring at us and then he made all of us come up to the front and stand in front of everyone. THEN, we sang "Called to Serve" and all the members were crying. It was super cool. To be able to stand there with our mission president and 30 other missionaries was super special and amazing. The Spirit was like BAM and all the members cried.

We have a great transfer coming up and I am super excited for this next month! Remember y'all: ITS A PARTY IN THE YSA!

1: NAPLES PIER

2: Pelicans and clear water

3: Typical tag pic

4: SHE'S DEAD

5: I love Florida

6: When you can't touch the sand...

7: Our instagram pic of the day

8: I'm in Florida and still this white?

9: The elders got into a car crash... no more bikes?

10: Poor car

11: I love Sam and Janelle, maybe because they are the only YSA that feed us idk?

12: We both look nasty but... last comp pic!

13: The convo that happened right before this:
soza:"Omg stop. You are blonde. I need a picture of my rubiacita. Smile."
me: "Callate, I hate you."

14: Our chapel was on point the other night!

15: Beautiful Estero

16: This one, one more time because it's our favorite and she is gone

i touched an alligator!

I TOUCHED AN ALLIGATOR Y'ALL. I do not have pictures of proof because they are on an elders phone and I don't have them at the moment, but I did. Last p-day we went to the Rookery, it's a bike trail and the alligators are just chilling on the path. AND I TOUCHED ONE. You only get to do that once so why not? All the missionaries in the zone did it and it was so fun. Even though the 15 mile bike ride on p-day destroyed us and made us not want to proselyte that night, we did.

Also, I hit one year this week!  I only have six months left here in the sunny state of Florida and it's too soon. I have loved it here and I cannot wait to see the many miracles God has left for me these last 6 months.

Some hilarious quotes from this week:
Me: "Dang, I wonder who my next comp is gonna be?!?"
Soza: "Dang, I wonder who my eternal companion is gonna be!"
LOL, she is so dead. 9 more days.

Me: "Haha he was totally flirting!"
Soza: "Really? I don't know how people flirt in english so..."

On a more mission related note, we had interviews this week, but nothing big happened. It was like the most chill interview I have ever had because I was totally fine this last transfer. But Soza had her final interview aka an hour long talk about dating so then that was the topic of discussion all dang day. But, esta bien. She's got 9 days.

Also I got to go back to Vanderbilt Beach on exchanges for the day! It was awesome and so weird! I love it there. We went and taught a recent convert lesson to Guyrlene, the woman that Sister Rosario and I found who ended up getting baptized after we transferred out! I asked her if she remembered the missionaries that found her first and she said, "Well, you look like one of them but.." I was like it's me! It was incredible to see the change that the Gospel has had in her life and she was so glad to be able to see us again to thank us. She said "you guys saved me first, so thank you." THATS WHY I AM A MISSIONARY GUYS. Just for that. Not for the thanks but to see the change that our efforts bring into the lives of others.

The Stake President came to YSA yesterday and spoke and one thing that he said really has stuck with me. He was talking about all the things we have in our lives, all the things that help us, but how there are still some things that we might not take full advantage of, like the scriptures or prayer or church. But we can start now to take advantage of them. He also said one thing, and me and Sister Soza just looked at each other like "OOOH" right after he said it. He said, "What would you give up in exchange for your soul?" It's so deep. So thats what I leave with you all today, what would you give up in exchange for your soul?



1: ALLIGATORS

2: Naples Zone

3: Shoutout to my mom for sending us these chocolates. The elders dropped something off in our house and saw them and left a note that said "what the heck?!??!"

4: I can totally wake up at 6:30 every day if this is how the sky will look

5: 7's tacos back again of course. We didn't have anywhere to eat it and the sisters weren't home so we ate on their porch.

6: This is Domanique. She is amazing.

7: YES.

8: SO PUMPED.

9: LOOK AT IT.

transfer 8, week 4

NOSSA MI NINA!

I know I speak Portuguese even though I am not sure that is even spelled right but whatever. I say it to Soza all the time. It just means basically, in YSA speak, DANG GIRL. It's all good here on the west coast of the mission aka outer darkness but its all chill. We are having fun! And of course seeing miracles for days!

We had a boss zone activity with the Fort Myers and Naples Zones combined and we all got super wet from the water balloons, but it was worth it because Florida is a death zone of heat. Even though its nothing compared to summer, it's still dang hot.

We had a great zone training in Naples this week about being converted to our goals. If we don't have them in our minds 24/7 and we aren't doing everything we can to hit them, we probably won't get there you know? BUT, as we all work together towards our goals, we will hit them and more! So it was a good pump up. Sister Soza painted the new flag for the zone and it looks unreal. I helped about 2% and colored it in. I hate painting though so she almost killed me but its all good and it looks amazing.

We also had a recent convert from Brazil who just moved into the branch and he is amazing! His testimony is so strong. He worked on the temple in Meridian, Idaho and then joined the church because of the wonderful experiences he had there. He is so awesome and so converted and it still amazes me, after A YEAR (!!!), to see how much the Gospel and Christ can change people and their lives forever.

Super cool quotes from this week's studies:
"Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself... charity is expecting the best of each other" -Marvin J Ashton
"It's all a part of the experience." - A senior missionary here. I loved it. Everything that happens to us, not just as missionaries, but throughout our lives, is all part of the experience.
"To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or opposed upon us by someone or something else." -Elder Bednar

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. Not as much as God does, but hey, it's pretty close.

1: Family picture! (Elders Davis, Foster, Adams)

2: No explanation needed

3: NAPLES NIKE ZONE!! Look how excited Elder Durrant looks!

4: Pollo tropical aka my love

5: I speak Creole now too

6: Comp pic of the week

7: back at it

8: Remember how I said our house was infested with cockroaches? Found this in my cereal on Thursday. Bueno.

9: I NEED TO GO TO BRAZIL.

10: One more of the flag because it looks so good

alligator alley

This week we had a zone conference in Miami Lakes and let me tell you driving all the way across the STATE OF FLORIDA is not fun. Alligator Alley is literally the worst. Shout out to Sister Soza for keeping me sane. She also had to give her "dying" aka last testimony in front of everyone and it was bomb. She killed it and cried. No other dying missionary cried (I have no idea how) so she felt awkward but its all good. SHE KILLED IT.

Basically this week can be put into bullet points. Sorry 'bout it:

- At zone conference I saw Sister Rosario. She is killing it with her greenie right now in Doral.
- Soza had a breakdown during weekly planning when she realized we were planning for week 4 of the transfer and she was almost done. It was funny afterwards. I am the least sympathetic comp ever but I know that it will come back to bite me when I am the one going home.
- I corrected Soza on a Spanish song (that SHE taught ME!) and on the pronunciation and spelling of a Spanish word basically I am now full Latina get ready for it.
- I went to the Spanish area of BAHIA on an exchange and ate the amazing tacos I had when I was serving in Vanderbilt Beach #blessings
- We had a TWO FREAKING HOUR long meeting about the zone #leadershipsucks Just kidding though. It was super fun and we came up with a new direction for the zone to be announced on Wednesday.
- Soza got sick yesterday so I updated my journal for 2 hours. oops. RESOLUTION: write every day

We also had break the fast with the branch yesterday and it was amazing. I love YSA and I love being a missionary and I LOVE YOU ALL.



1: Zone conference with the momma

2: I hate driving

3: The Bahia sisters

4: The fam! Sister Woods is my "sister" (Soza trained her too!)