Out With the Old, In With the New! Letter 8/31/15

Buenos Dias Familia,

Wow have I got news to tell you... So this week has been crazy! We were supposed to receive transfer calls Tuesday night, and so Sister Finau and I are waiting to receive them, and the APs call us and ask us to house two missionaries from Temple Square for the night. Well we didn't have anything for them to use for bedding. So we start making calls at 9:45 to find bedding, and had to leave our apartment in our PJs to go find it. When we found some bedding we rushed back to our apartment and quickly made the beds up, and waited. Then Sister Finau realized we didn't have any water to give them.. So here comes my ingenious companion she takes a hunk of ice out of the freezer and melts it in a pan. I was laughing so hard watching her try to melt this thing, but hey we got water right?

 

The Sisters finally showed up, and they were awesome! One was from France, and the other the Philippines. It was an interesting night!

 

So transfer calls didn't happen Tuesday night which was nerve racking.. But Wednesday morning around 10 they finally called. And guess who I got a call from? President Toone! Our mission phones all have a special ring tone for him so I immediately begin to panic when I heard it. I answered and he said "Hey Sister Greenhalgh we want to extend a call to you to be a trainer of a new missionary, and you'll be white washing, will you accept this call?" Sister Finau screamed and was so excited, I just kind of sat there like.. Uh you want me to be a trainer?? I accepted the call! A couple months back while having an interview with President I told him my biggest fears for my mission were to train and to white wash, guess what I'm doing both! Ahh! Anyways, I begin packing and after being in the same area, apartment, and city for 10 1/2 months it was hard to be leaving. Who knew I could learn to love Phoenix so much! 

 

As we went about the rest of our day, we went to the St. Mary's food bank and a guy who works there gave me a group shout out because I was leaving.. I felt awkward but it's all good. Next we went about proselyting and also said adios to a few people. After dinner the APs call again and ask us to come to Tempe for a devotional, so we run home, get ready, and head to Tempe.  When we got there we entered the mission home and got to see 20 new missionaries. As we started President Toone announced that I would be speaking, SURPRISE. So that happened, but it turned out ok!

 

Thursday morning was transfers! I had to attend a trainers meeting early, and got to meet the trainees. When's the actual meeting started I was super nervous.. One because I was training, and two because I was whitewashing. Ahh! Well they announced my name and said I would be training Sister Sarabeth Allred! She's from Colorado and I'm so lucky to call her my daughter! We've had so much fun, and I feel like I'm not training her she came pre-trained! She's awesome! She's super dedicated to the work, and has a great desire to share the Gospel with everyone! We've had a lot of success the last couple of days! 

 

Honestly, it's pretty weird to return back to an old area.. And only have 2 areas my whole mission. I returned back to the same house, same area, and same people. It's interesting, I can definitely see changes in the people some for the good, some for the bad. I would ask for all of your prayers to help me and my trainee find new and prepared people! I know this is going to be the best transfer of my mission, because I'm going to work even harder here than before! 

Here's to my last transfer of my mission! May the odds ever be in my favor!

Love you all,

Hermano Greenhalgh

Packing and Saying Goodbye

Building  Apartment Unity

With Hermana Allred

Just Do It! Letter 8/24/15

How was everyone's week? Hopefully good! Mine was pretty crazy! Something that I've learned this week is the importance of being obedient no matter what! I'm not someone who likes to intentionally break the rules, nor do I like seeing people do it either. It's so vitally important to Keep the Commandments, follow this Spirit, and do good things! Heavenly Father gives us these commandments and the influence of the Holy Ghost to bless us, not prohibit us... Sorry I'm done with my rant about obedience, but just be ready for the story about all this when I get home!

Anyways, so a little about my week is Monday after emailing and preparing for the week my district and a member named Yoani went to the church, played basketball, and ate pizza. While eating pizza Sister Finau kicked the ball up in the air and it smacked Elder Southwick in the face, knocked the pizza out of his hand and the sauce flew across his face and shirt... It was hilarious. We all laughed for a good twenty minutes! After we just played the guitar, and had a drawing contest. It was actually pretty nice to just relax for an hour, but after that we all wanted to get back to work. That night we found this awesome new guy named Francisco! He's 29 and has so much potential! He goes "it's weird you came to my house tonight, I'm having a really hard time, and I prayed for God to help me and then you two show up!" Whaaaaat! Super cool right! He's awesome, and has a lot of questions. We are super excited to see where he goes!

Tuesday we had Zone meeting, if you've liked the page for my mission on Facebook you'll find a picture of me with an egg in my mouth! We did a neat object lesson with eggs "investigators" and how we need to protect them, help them, and get them to the final goal of baptism. It was EGGciting! It was EGGSactly what our zone needed. Later that night we took a member named Cynthia out with us, she's getting ready to go on a mission. She shared her testimony with so many people that night and it was awesome! She's going to be a great missionary. My companion and I noticed her deep love the gospel, and it helped us realize ours as well and to want to share it with more people.

Wednesday was service day! In the morning we went and knocked a couple doors but weren't really getting anyone answering, but we both had a prompting to pass by Hermana Zayas house. When we passed by her mom Victoria or as I call her "abuelita" which means little grandma, was home by herself. She's in her 90s doesn't speak a lick of English, and she's the cutest old lady ever. She was so happy to see us. Everyone had left to Mexico and she was taking care of the house and needed some help, but the phones were disconnected and she was stuck by herself. So we passed by and helped her water the plants, get food and water for the dogs and just give her some company! Ok funny story, we walked outside and she asked us to put water in the bucket for the dogs, well the problem was the hose was behind this wall and couldn't be reached. Sister Finau goes "well my arms are long enough I can get it!" She tries and can't reach it, so I go ok... "Let me try" she starts laughing because I'm a lot shorter than her and there's no way I will be able to reach it. But I walk over go half way over the wall, and I'm hanging there in a hand stand position trying to grab this hose. My feet are slipping and I yell for sister Finau! She comes over grabs my feet and just hangs me there until I grabbed it! It reminded me of when I was little and my dad would hang us by our feet to tease us, didn't think I could experience that again especially as a 20 year old! But it happened! Later for lunch we  went and had lunch with Yoani and the elders. We were eating and Yoani tried to rap about his former girlfriends... It was so funny because he really can't rap. After we went and helped a lady move, and later that day we passed by Abuelita again. When we got there Eduardo was there! He was just cleaning the yard for them. We asked him what he was doing and he said "oh I just had a prompting to come clean their yard!" Ahhh he's so neat! So we helped him, and then found a scorpion! 

Thursday I woke up that morning and was super frustrated because our house was a disaster. I started picking things up as the other sisters watched me. I let this frustration sink in, and started my personal studies. When it was over I talked with my companion about it and she didn't really know what we should do, so I just let Sister Toone know. Later we left to the food bank to do service and the other sisters were being super rude. I just kept to myself and went along doing my own thing. Thankfully Sister Mello and Sister Johnson said we were going on exchanges! I got to go on exchanges with Sister Johnson, we were companions exactly a year ago! It was so nice to catch up, and serve side by side again. We had some awesome lessons, and felt the Spirit! Later that night we made chocolate chip cookies, and talked about life.

 

Friday we headed to weekly planning and when it came time for companionship inventory Sister Finau and I left and started talking about all the things going on at our house. We both cried because the disobedience of others was getting to us. Sister Mello and Johnson came in and started talking with us about everything, and then surprise Sister Toone showed up. She had the prompting to come talk with us, it was really nice to let her know what was going on. When all was finished we left, and felt so much better. Later that night we went to a members house for dinner, and she fed us so much. We had a eating contest with the elders.. I lost but it's ok, I didn't want to die...

Saturday morning Sister Finau and I were studying and all the sudden I saw Sister Toone walking up to our apartment. I waved her to come on in and she gave the signal to be quiet. She walked in to the other sisters room and told them they had 30 minutes to pack, they were being emergency transferred. It was quite the morning... Sister Finau and I had to go get their car, and we parked in front of our apartment turned the hazard lights on and walked back inside. We were inside for about 8 minutes and I had a feeling we needed to walk outside... Good thing too because a man was towing the car!! We asked and pleaded for him to stop because we were moving stuff into the car. He said nope sorry you can't park here. We then said we had our hazards on, and he just made some other excuse and said if we gave him $40 he wouldn't take our car. I ran inside grabbed all that I had in my wallet and said wait here we will run to the gas station just please don't take our car. We blasted out the parking lot and got some money and Sister Finau parked and I booked it out of the car and started running. I handed him the remaining amount and he looked all confused. "You didn't have to run he said.." I said back "um sir I can't just trust that you're not going to take the car.." He then unhooked the tow and phew we got the car back! After this mayhem we loaded everything into the car, and drove to two other zones to drop off the sisters. After Sister Finau and I now have the house to ourselves, and have to clean up and move it around before transfers. Later that night we went to the Visitors Center in Mesa with Ingrid and her mom!

All in all if there's one thing I want you to understand from this letter it would be the importance of being obedient. It doesn't matter how much you may not like the rules, or don't think they apply to you. Rules or commandments or whatever you like to call them help you, not hurt you! I hope everyone has a good week! 

Hermana Greenhalgh 

Food Bank 

Food Bank

I obviously talk about my nieces and nephews a lot!  #sorrynotsorry

Elder Southwick got kicked in the face

Zone Activity

With Elder Corbridge and President Toone

Temple with Ingrid

So the question is...Where am I going to spend my last transfer?

Even Though This is Short...I Still Love You All!! - Letter 08/17/15

Buenos Dias a todos!

Well this week has been yet another adventure! There's been a wedding, piñata, Mission Conference with Elder Corbridge, exchanges, losing car keys, breaking in through windows, and lots more! Don't worry...no one was robbed!  Just a sister I live with forgetting her keys. But, anyways this week was great.

I've been studying lately the principle of enduring and being chastened. I want to invite all of you to read the conference talk of April 2011 "As Many as I love, I Rebuke and Chasten" by Elder Christofferson! It's super good! I really like how God chastens us because He loves us. Sometimes when we pass through trials we feel like we aren't loved, but actually it's quite the opposite! "Thank you God for loving me enough to cut me down!"

On Tuesday we had a Mission Conference and Elder Corbridge and his wife spoke to us about the importance of accountability and enduring, it was awesome! "What we need are finishers, not complainers", that's something my Mission President always uses at transfer meeting!  Anyways I really liked the testimonies shared, and the Spirit felt. The Church is truly inspired and knows exactly what we need right now!

Sorry this is really short! Haha!  Enjoy the pictures!

Love you all!
Hermana Greenhalgh

P.S. The best is yet to be!

 Celia's Wedding

Natalie, my adopted Grandma

Mission Pinata

Zone with Pinata

Seminary at 6:00 AM

Opposition In All Things! It's Just Life!! - Letter 08/10/15

So this week flew by so fast! I've been doing so much better this week than last week. Thank you for all the prayers and support! So in the recent months, I've been teaching myself how to play the piano, and I'm learning how to play the Hymns. I was asked to play at a baptism so I practiced and practiced and practiced some more, but I chickened out.. I was way too scared! But I did end up playing in Relief Society! I want to develop a new talent, or renew an old one;) sorry mom I never practiced when I was little! 

In other news, last night we had the opportunity to have a Mission President's Devotional and three General Authorities came and spoke to us and all of our investigators and recent converts. It was awesome! Elder Corbridge of the Seventy spoke about the power of Christ's Atonement and the first vision of Joseph Smith. It was a powerhouse of testimonies! As the church continues to grow so will the opposition.. Even when we are trying our hardest, opposition still comes, but that is life. 

 

A sister missionary and her companion in my mission Saturday went to the rescue of a mom and her 3 small children, as they went to talk with them the woman tried to tell them to get away and run because a man was after them. The sisters quickly went to the car and the man threw a huge rock through their window and Sister Marrott's face and hand got severely severed.  She ended up having emergency surgery Sunday morning, and bore her testimony at the devotional! It was powerful. I know Heavenly Father is mindful of us, and even though bad things often happen we need never feel alone, because we never are. The only person who knows what it was like to be alone was the Savior. So even when we feel utterly alone, or sad, or whatever the circumstances may be, Heavenly Father is there with us, REMEMBER that. 

This week is going to be great! We have our Mission Tour Tuesday, and several activities planned out for this week! My mission is passing way too quickly!  Transfers are the 27 of August and I will start my final transfer. I look back and can't believe how fast it has all gone. I'm so grateful for the things I'm learning and doing everyday. I love being a missionary, I love serving others, and I love my Heavenly Father! The Church is true, and has changed my life! 

Have a great week everyone!

 

Con muchísimas amor,

Hermana Greenhalgh

 Busted!

Driving

Elders

Yummy Food!

Phoenix Food

More Beauty Shop

They love my hair!

 

Prayers Needed! - Letter 08/03/15

Good Morning Everyone,

How did your week go? Everyone ready to go back to school? Here in Phoenix everyone's back in school this week! It will be different not teaching so many kids during the day anymore. To be quite honest, this week was rough. My companion and I have been working super hard, and we kind of hit a plateau. But the work will go on! We are trying to get the missionary fire going again in Cielito.

I've been here for so long that the members think I'm a regular member. My companion has been mourning over the loss of her brother a year ago, and we've just been trying to keep our heads up. If anyone has words of encouragement they would be greatly appreciated!

Saturday the Elders and Sister Finau and I worked super hard to set up an open house for people on the street, but we didn't have much success.  We did have a couple people show up and want to meet with
the Elders so that's good! In other news Ingrid Montes, a little 9 year old I taught 9 months ago, is meeting with us again and is getting baptized on the 22 of August!

Well that's about all I've got for this week! Please pray for Cielito!

Hermana Greenhalgh

Adorable!

Playing Beauty Shop

So...This One Time, We Got Donuts!!

Yum!

We've both gained a lot spiritually, and lost a lot in other ways:)