Hermana Greenhalgh

Hermana Greenhalgh

Monday, September 29, 2014

Transfers, Blessings, and Much More! Letter 09/29/14

Buenos Dias,

How was everyone's week? My week has been good, it has been a pretty quick week again and time seems to be molding together. My companion and I are staying together for another 6 weeks! I'm super excited because we work so well together, and are seeing some miracles! How are things back in Idaho? I would love some letters, so let me know how things are back home! The weather here has been pretty overcast, and HOT as always. We have had a couple of monsoons, but its been pretty decent. 
 
So a look back on this last week:
 
Monday: We said Farewell to Sister Westfall, and did our normal P-day activities. Later that night we had FHE with Sister Schroeder's members because we had to split areas until she got a new companion. We had FHE with a Patriarch, and an old Bishop it was fun! After we had pie and brownies :)
 
Tuesday: Today we had District Meeting, and then headed to a lesson with some new investigators named Maria y Lupe. We taught the Restoration and talked about the importance of having modern-day prophets. Later that night we had dinner with the Garcia Family, and then a lesson with Sister Schroeder's new convert Norma. 
 
Wednesday: Today we headed out to Stanfield #mosquitocity and had a lesson with some of Sister Schroeder's investigators, later we did our normal Spanish study, and Facebook proselyting hour. When we finished we had a lesson with a guy named James with some members from the English ward. We talked about the Word of Wisdom, and the Stop Smoking Packet. I kind of struggled through this lesson because it reminded me a ton of Grandma Pat, but I got through it and after the members bought us Chick Fil A for dinner. We actually didn't have dinner so we headed over to Chick Fil A and they walked in and bought us dinner. I think it's so awesome that members are willing to always help out the missionaries. I'm going to be that way when I return from my mission!
 
Thursday: Today we had transfer meeting and Sister Schroeder got a new companion named Sister Rawlings she is actually a Spanish missionary but she is coming to English work for a transfer. Elder Collins who just finished training became our new District Leader, and a TRAINER!! He is training a new elder named Elder Hoyt from Chicago. Also I saw Elder Reese from high school, he is Melissa's age, He just got into the mission are Wednesday. Later that night we had dinner with Hermana Bautista and drove all they way to Eloy #tootoughtodie After we found Walter my recent convert and talked with him. After Eloy we headed back to Casa Grande, and had a lesson with Noe, who was my first baptism here. He is amazing! We are working with him right now to prepare to serve a mission. I have never seen someone so determined to serve. His testimony has sky rocketed since I met him! We read in Preach my Gospel with him, and at the end of the lesson he was praying and said "thank you for the sisters for helping me so I can be a good missionary" AHH! Yes lets get the papers ready!! 
 
Friday: Today we had weekly planning then had zone lunch at Big Wa. Later we found this little old Mexican guy named Roberto.  He is so sweet and is super interested in the Gospel. He is also afraid of the Second Coming and loves to talk about it! After our lesson with him we had dinner with Hermana Zarate and her family. Something that amazed me was I could fully understand what she was saying in Spanish! It's such an improvement because I used to not be able to understand a word she was saying let alone speak back, but I had a full on conversation with her! YES the Gift of Tongues is real!
 
Saturday: Today we had the Women's Conference! It was the best ever! I loved the talk from Sister Marriott and President Uchtdorf. It's amazing how inspired they are to speak to us on topics our world needs right now.
 
Sunday: Today was the Primary Program for our Branch and the 5th Ward. It was so cute this little girl named Nubia who has Autism came up and kissed me on the cheek. Her mom freaked because she has never liked any of the Sister Missionaries, ever! She also won't interact with anyone, but she will talk with me! It melts my heart! :) Her mom said "you must have a special heart that she understands" :')
All in all it was a great week. I hope everyone is staying safe, and enjoying Fall in Idaho! 

Con Amor,
Hermana Greenhalgh
 
Pedro reminds me of Stavie off of The Ringer
 
 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Letter - 09/22/14

Buenos Tardes Familia y Amigos,

How is everyone doing? I can't believe another week has come and gone! Time really has been flying the last couple of weeks, and I can't believe I hit my 6 month mark next Thursday. So this week has been a blast here's a little update on my mission life

Monday: We had a Zone barbecue at the church with all the missionaries and played volleyball. Sister Johnson and I brought cupcakes to share with everyone! Later that night we had our regular proselyting and were biking past this guy named Jim's house. When we passed he was sitting in his wheelchair slumped over the side. HE LOOKED DEAD. Five minutes later the ambulance pulled up, along with a fire truck and police cars. They hurry and put him in the ambulance and drove away. We called Elder Hardy and Baker and left them a message saying Jim had died... Two hours later we passed and Jim was sitting in his wheel chair again just hanging out. WHAT THE??? HE'S ALIVE! We then proceeded to call the Elders back, they hadn't listened to the message yet, but were super confused. Now my message about Jim being dead was sent to the whole Zone as a playback.. Strike #2 for Hermana Greenhalgh!

Tuesday: Today we had District Meeting with our nonexistent District since everyone got emergency transferred out! Elder Last from the other District had us come into his meeting so it wasn't too bad. Something that I learned in personal study today that I really liked was from a conference talk by President Monson it reminds me a lot of what Grandma Pat taught us as kids. Here's a little bit of it:

"A woman by the name of Mary Bartels had a home directly across the street from the entrance to a hospital clinic. Her family lived on the main floor and rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic.
One evening a truly awful-looking old man came to the door asking if there was room for him to stay the night. He was stooped and shriveled, and his face was lopsided from swelling—red and raw. He said he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. “I guess it’s my face,” he said. “I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says it could possibly improve after more treatments.” He indicated he’d be happy to sleep in the rocking chair on the porch. As she talked with him, Mary realized this little old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. Although her rooms were filled, she told him to wait in the chair and she’d find him a place to sleep.

At bedtime Mary’s husband set up a camp cot for the man. When she checked in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and he was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, he asked if he could return the next time he had a treatment. “I won’t put you out a bit,” he promised. “I can sleep fine in a chair.” Mary assured him he was welcome to come again.

In the several years he went for treatments and stayed in Mary’s home, the old man, who was a fisherman by trade, always had gifts of seafood or vegetables from his garden. Other times he sent packages in the mail.
When Mary received these thoughtful gifts, she often thought of a comment her next-door neighbor made after the disfigured, stooped old man had left Mary’s home that first morning. “Did you keep that awful-looking man last night? I turned him away. You can lose customers by putting up such people.” Mary knew that maybe they had lost customers once or twice, but she thought, “Oh, if only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.”

After the man passed away, Mary was visiting with a friend who had a greenhouse. As she looked at her friend’s flowers, she noticed a beautiful golden chrysanthemum but was puzzled that it was growing in a dented, old, rusty bucket. Her friend explained, “I ran short of pots, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t mind starting in this old pail. It’s just for a little while, until I can put it out in the garden.”

Mary smiled as she imagined just such a scene in heaven. “Here’s an especially beautiful one,” God might have said when He came to the soul of the little old man. “He won’t mind starting in this small, misshapen body.” But that was long ago, and in God’s garden how tall this lovely soul must stand!"

I really liked that part, because it's so vitally important to not judge and to be kind to everyone!

Wednesday and Thursday: Both of these days were pretty normal we did service for one of our members today helping them move into another house, we had lots of lessons and had English class.
 
Friday: Today we had weekly planning and then drove to Tempe for the first time.. I drove, it was crazy, I REALLY don't like the traffic! When we got to Tempe we had a Mission meeting and President Toone talked about some problems our Mission needs to fix, and what we are doing good on. Later we had dinner with La Familia Habana and then had a regular night of proselyting.
 
Saturday: JUST PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR THIS ONE!!! We drove down to Tempe again but this time we had a Mission tour. Elder D. Todd Christoffersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was there, Elder Lawrence Corbridge of the Seventy, and Dean M. Davies of the Presiding Bishopric were all there. We got to have a question and answer session with them and got to each individually meet them! It was soo neat! He gave our Mission and apostolic promise that we would have the gift of discernment! Oh and I got to shake all of their hands!!! 
 
Sunday: Today we had Church, and four investigators came!! After church we rushed over to the Crocketts' house and had dinner, then drove back to Tempe for the 3rd time in a week!! We had the Mission President's Devotional last night. It was super powerful we got to take some investigators with us! 
 
GOOD NEWS!! I'm staying in Casa Grande for the 4th Transfer! YAY! I think I might die here.. Missionary die, not for reals die...

Well hope you all have a lovely week!

Con Amor,
 
Hermana Greenhalgh

Monday, September 15, 2014

Illness Will NOT Bring Me Down! Letter - 09/15/14

Buenos Dias Familia y Mi Amigos!

How is everyone doing? Thank you for all the emails, and letters! I love receiving letters, as a missionary it's like Christmas! Anyways, this week has been really good, except for the fact that I have had Strep! My companion and I have been so sick, but it DOES NOT stop us!
Here's a run down of the week...
Monday: Record rainfall hit Arizona, there has been lots of flooding and lots of wind! Sister Johnson and I had tons of fun playing in the rain! Later that night we went and had Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) with the Habana Family! It was so much fun, we watched two movies about the sacrifice of the pioneers. It makes me so grateful for all the things they did for us, and the opportunities we have today to know of their history. After the movies, we had to drive home in two feet of mud, let's just say our car is supposed to be white but just looks like a big brown blob right now! 
Tuesday: Today we had District Meeting, did our regular daily proselyting, and had dinner with the Carr Family. It was a pretty regular day, but still always fun! Some sad news is two of our investigators who were on date fell off because they dropped us. BUT, we have found many more solid people to teach!
Wednesday: Today we went on exchanges with the English Sisters, I went to my area with Sister Westfall. That morning I was really sick and ended up having to go to Urgent Care, which was a nightmare... We started our proselyting around 2:00 because I slept for a couple of hours with permission from Sister Toone. Later that night we had Correlation with our Branch Presidency.
Thursday: Today Sister Johnson and I went to Eloy #tootoughtodie and also to Arizona city. That place gets scarier and scarier each time we go! People ask us all the time why they would let two blonde girls be in the scariest city in Casa Grande? Little do they know we have Heavenly Father on our side! We are safe! Later that night we had English class, and Pedro, our investigator, bless his heart, said the closing prayer in ENGLISH!! It was so good! Our students are really coming along good! After English we set up for Mexico Independence Day! When we finished we found out that two Elders from our zone were sent home for medical reasons, and our District leader had an emergency transfer to Yuma. So that throws everything out of whack for District Meetings. Transfers will be September 24, I find out this Sunday whether or not I will be transferred. There is a possibility because I have been in Casa Grande for so long, but it isn't uncommon to stay another transfer. 
Friday: Today we had weekly planning, and after went and got lunch with the whole zone. Zone lunches are the best thing ever! After lunch Sister Johnson and I went out inviting people to the Fiesta later that night. After a couple of hours proselyting we headed to the Fiesta. We got to serve, and help everyone, They had a DJ, Music, and lots of food. We had a pretty good turn out!
Saturday: We had an amazing lesson with a lady named Gloria and then later we hit up STANFIELD, or as I like to call it Mosquito town! I got eaten alive! 72 bites total! Yay for West Nile! Just kidding! But we found four new investigators out there. Later that night we had dinner with the Montelongos. During dinner I was talking to Elder Butler about Seminary, and he was saying how he didn't pass, I looked at him and said all you had to do to pass was SIT, well because I'm sick and I sound nasally, it came out as another word... feel free to interpret as you will. It was so bad! Everyone laughed for a good 10 minutes. Elder Collins said it was "journal worthy". He told all the Elders in his house and now it's a big joke they all tease me about! Illness will not bring me down! 
  
Sunday: Today we had Church, and had two investigators come! :) Later we had dinner with President Sellars, and then had two lessons after. 

Well that was a little bit about my week! I have new adventures everyday! :) I love being out here, and serving the people of Arizona! Hope everyone has a good week! 

Te quiero,
Hermana Greenhalgh
Sister Schroeder's Birthday Party
Dancing in the rain!
Fiesta at the church




Monday, September 8, 2014

September 3 - 8, 2014

Hola Familia y Amigos,

This week's email is going to be pretty short! But these last couple of days have been really good! We have had a ton of flash floods, monsoons, and dust storms. Sister Johnson and I got caught in a really bad storm on Thursday, and the Elders saw a car get flipped because of a power pole! SCARY! Power has been out a few times because lots of power lines are knocked down, but otherwise weather has been great!
 
Sister Johnson and I have been finding more people to teach, but everyone in the house right now is sick I'm getting sick as well, We all have coughs and running noses. My companion is just catching it so hopefully we get rid of it soon!
 
Two of our investigators fell off date yesterday because they didn't come to church, but they will have a new date by tomorrow so they can still be baptized! We have found two new families! WAHOO! 

I hope everyone has a safe week! Talk to you on Monday!

Hermana Greenhalgh

p.s. I hit 5 months tomorrow!
 
This is what we do after a long day in the Arizona heat! #massagetrain
Holding Rats at the Crocketts
Me and Lincoln Carr! He loves me, and always draws and colors me pictures :)
Sunset
Burger King

 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 4, 2014

August 25 - September 3: DIVERTIDO!

Buenos Tardes Mi Familia y Mi Amigos,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week, and is enjoying SEPTEMBER! First of all I can't believe it's September already, 5 months ago I left home! I've been thinking a lot this week about how amazing my mission has been. I know that I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here right now. I have learned so much here, and I have so much more to learn. There is nothing that is holding me back from reaching my full potential! 

So I have a little paragraph about each day, this week has been amazing! 
 
*Monday August 25: After I got done emailing the others sisters, Sister Johnson and I went to Fry's Grocery stores for shopping, while there Sister Schroeder lost her name tag. We were all looking frantically for it. I decided to stop and pray, within 5 minutes we found it!! Later that day we went bowling with my Zone, and guess who won... ME! Yes I got the highest score out of my league! Later that day we had another dust storm while we were out tracting. We found a new lady named Daniella. She is solid, and is really interested.

*Tuesday August 26: Today we had District Meeting, and then did our normal online proselyting. That night we had dinner with a member named Estella. She is super funny, she is trying to learn English right now so we love to practice with her! After dinner we were out tracting again and met these two teenagers Chris and Jacob. We showed them a video and were talking with them, then Jacob goes "Do you mind if we smoke some weed?" We both looked at him and said we didn't appreciate it. Both Chris and Jacob laughed, then Chris who actually seemed interested told us to come back another time. So we left and continued knocking doors at 8pm which is really not safe, but hey no fear! God's on our side! We knocked this door of this lady named Janet. She let us in, and started telling us how she was Buddhist... She is also a hippy, and an artist. She said "Farout, and Righteous" at least 12 times while we were there. She had some incense burning and it made Sister Johnson and I both really sick.

*Wednesday August 27: Today all of the Sisters and I woke up at 5 am, got ready, and headed to Gilbert for the MISSION TOUR. On our way we stopped at McDonald's and got breakfast and then hurried to the church. We had a General Authority speak to us!! Elder Sweitzer of the Quorum of the Seventy.  His talk was amazing! We found out that Todd D. Christofferson is coming to our mission in a couple of weeks!! After the conference the mission all got to together and had lunch. After we left with the Elders and headed back to CG! Back in cooltown we taught Marianne, who, by the way, is on date for the 13 de Septiembre!! WHOHOO! We had an amazing lesson with her about tithing! After we taught Pedro, and headed to dinner with the Seabrings. When dinner was over we headed to the church and went on splits with the Branch Presidency. Presidente Sellars took Sister Johnson, me, Hermano Carr, y Hermano Gregorio to Stanfield. Stanfield is all farm town and 30 miles away... When we got to Stanfield my legs started itching super bad, I looked down and I had about 15 mosquitoes biting me at one time. Sister Johnson got bit a ton too. I ended up with 62 bites that night...

*Thursday August 28: Sister Johnson and I spent the day in Eloy #tootoughtodie, Toltec, and AZ City finding people to teach. We found 6 people and had lessons with them. Later we had dinner with Hermana Bautista, and then headed to English class. When we got to the English class the Elders, Sister Johnson and I forgot the papers for the English class so we all decided to teach how to order food, and and parts of the body. It turned out really good, and super hilarious. Elder Collins drew a stick figure on the board and then we all sang "Head, shoulders, knees and toes!"

*Friday August 29: Today we had our regular weekly planning, and then we did Zone lunch at BIG WA! The people at Big Wa know who we are now and have a table waiting for us! :) After lunch we did District Spanish study which was awesome so it turns out that I have been saying "Hasta la fuego" which means "until the fire" instead of "hasta lluego" which means "until later." so for the last 3 months I've been telling people UNTIL THE FIRE... that's got to be awkward. Later that night we took Noe, my recent convert, out with us to go finding. We found some interesting ones tonight...Boy, they were interesting. One in particular is a Southern Baptist lady who doesn't like us at all.

*Saturday August 30: Today the Elders, Sister Johnson and I went and helped the Branch clean the church, later we taught Reeana, Marianne, and some other investigators. After we found this guy name Jose, while talking with him, his neighbor who is a JDubb -Jehovah Witness- came and tried to bible bash us.. it was great. People are so funny. Later we had dinner with the Sanchez family, and then left for the Habana's house. After the Habana's, Sister Johnson and I were walking and made a video of us singing in Batman voices and Peewee Herman voices. It was grand! Next we had a lesson with PEDRO! He loves to talk, and talk and talk and talk some more. Finally I stopped and asked him to be baptized.. HE SAID YES!! He is on date for the 20 de Septiembre!

*Sunday August 31: Today was a pretty normal day we had our studies, then went to church. We had four investigators come to church! YAY! After church we had dinner with the Muniz Family, and then headed toward a town called FRANCISCO GRANDE, it's where the NFL team used to practice btw! While driving we encountered a snake, you bet it was a big one! We took pictures with it of course! Later we found a really nice girl named Vanessa, and had a lesson with her.

*Monday September 1: Today we started out with our normal studies, and then got to work. It was really weird not having P-day! Sister Schroeder was really sick so I stayed home with her, while my companion and Sister Westfall went on exchanges. When they got back Sister Johnson and I went to Hermano Mejias Barber Shop and cleaned it for him! After we headed to the church for Facebook time, when we got to the church President Toone was there, he had to talk to some elders so he stopped and talked with us. Sister Johnson has been praying for the last few days that she would have the chance to talk with him. Well her prayers were answered! She had an interview with him, and now we get to teach some of her family! :) Later that night we were tracting and found another Buddhist lady, a lady named Gracie who didn't have pants on.., and then had an amazing lesson with Vanessa! During the lesson with Vanessa, I invited her to be baptized she ACCEPTED!!! She told us that she has been praying for a really long time that people would come into her life and show her the way. She told us "you girls are the sign!" She is on date for the 19 de Septiembre. Not only do we have 2 on date but now 3! BLESSINGS! :D

*Tuesday September 2: Today we had an amazing Zone meeting, and I learned a ton about how to be a more consecrated missionary! Later we had dinner with the Carr family, and had some lessons with some less actives. We also found a new family! We shared a video with them, and then they gave us Mexican bread! YUMMY!

***TODAY: We had an amazing session in the Mesa Temple! :)
 
Well that is all I have, I hope everyone has a good week! Talk to everyone on Monday!

Hermana Greenhalgh

Bowling with the Zone
We LOVE car rides
I'm obsessed with these flowers!
McDonald's for breakfast.. Sister Johnson and I get called the Barbies wherever we go!
Mission Tour lunch
At the temple
I love to see the temple!