Mesa Temple

Hello!!

Not much to really report on this week, but there were a few
highlights that I would like to share!
Every Wednesday we visit a less active lady in my ward, and I just
have a blast going over to visit her. She is such a light, and such a
fun person to be around. Every time we go over she has a new story for
us about her childhood, or about someone that influenced her life. I
love being able to hear stories about how people grew up! After we
talk for a bit we always share a short message with her and say a
prayer. She then tells us that she loves us and asks if we will be
back next Wednesday. I always reply, "of course!! You're our 2 o'clock
date every Wednesday!" She seems to get a kick out of that haha!! She
always makes my Wednesday's.
Then, we were able to do some fun crafts with a cute friend of ours.
We made these bath salt things and they smell so gooooood! Rose petals
and coconut milk stuff. Haha I'm not exactly sure what it's called but
all I know is it smells dang good. That was really fun, and we got to
spend time with an awesome person!!
Then, we have started this personal progress kick in our Ward. I'm
really hoping that it takes off because I think it's an awesome idea!!
This week was pretty fun, transfers are in a week and a half which is
crazy!!! This transfer went by pretty quickly.
Sister Urbina and I are having a really great time as companions. I
love her a lot :)
OHHHHH!!! Also, we got to go to the Mesa visitors center/ temple!! It
was awesome!!!

September

This week has been hard, tiring, and fun all at the same time. I
reflected on my week last night and it made me realize how blessed I
am!

I finished reading the Book of Mormon this week, which was a great
accomplishment for me. It seemed easier to understand this time and I
really enjoyed reading it. I think I've grown a lot these past 7
months, and it's great to see the change. It's a good change though,
spiritually.... I'm still crazy as ever, my personality hasn't changed
one bit ;)  I think this is only the 2nd time I have read the Book of
Mormon all the way through. Which is kinda sad, because I've grown up
in the church. I have really gained a testimony of the truth that it
contains though. I have already started rereading it!!
I feel like this week was a lot of reading the Book of Mormon. We met
with a few people this week and just read and talked about what we
read. It's cool to see how the Book of Mormon speaks to people. We
read the same thing, but it could mean something totally different to
my investigators then to me.

We had the chance to visit a lot of new investigators this week, which
is always good because that's what we do all day! Trying to find new
people to teach. WE actually got stopped a lot this week. It's
different because we are usually the ones stopping people and asking
questions. It was nice to see that people are aware of us and have
questions. I think sometimes people think they can't ask questions to
missionaries because they are "too personal" or "too in depth", but in
all reality we really want you to ask questions!! That's what we love!

Yesterday was fast Sunday (my favorite) and the Bethany Home Ward had
a great sacrament meeting. I always feel the spirit so strongly while
I listen to others bear their testimonies. It's such a great thing and
I feel like people don't do it enough! We should have 2 Sunday's out
of the month to bear testimonies haha! But if there is one thing that
I feel like I should write today, it's to bear testimony at all times.
If you have nothing else to say, testify of the savior. He loves all
of us, we love him. Why wouldn't that be something you would want to
do? It's like when you are super proud of the meal that you've cooked
so you plaster it all over social media. Be proud of the savior!! Be
proud of his example and his atoning sacrifice. Yeah, I know I just
used a totally cheesy example for testifying of the savior haha, but
what do y'all expect. I'm a missionary. :)

I love this gospel, I love my savior, and I love love LOVE being a missionary

I love them

Pic credit to Emma. Because I love her and I love this temple 

My fav came to visit!

Made a 

Sedona

I don't have much time today because my companion and I went to Sedona
with some sisters in our mission!!!!
I had a pretty good week, lots of finding and lessons which is great.
We also got to do a lot of service so it was a pretty great week.
Here's some pictures for the week. Hopefully they make up for this sad
email haha!

Sister Arnold

Sleep Talking

Well I have officially reached the point of my mission where I am

teaching in my sleep. It's not a surprise that I've been sleep
talking, because I've done that my whole life pretty much, but sister
Urbina told me the other night I was actually teaching in my sleep. I
also was wanting to say a prayer! That's when you know that you're a
missionary ;) haha
I'm going to be real and say that not every week as a missionary is
good, because sometimes it's not. There are trials, tests and things
you must overcome. But, that's life right? And despite the hard days,
the spiritual moments make up for it. We had a great week of teaching
and talking with people. We were able to help some people clean their
house because they were moving! It always feels good to do service. On
Friday we had a district meeting, the district didn't change too much
which is good because we have a great group of missionaries! We have
so much fun at these meetings, and I always learn something important
from them.
Family history had been on my mind quite a bit lately.. I can't wait
to put more time and effort into that. As of right now, we are trying
to spread the word about it. We have an awesome family history room in
our building, and we have great members who are family history
consultants. So, we have been going around and asking people if they
are interested in family history. Hopefully we can get some people to
come to the church this week and find out how to find names!
Sunday was great, it always is.
Maggie (YSA member) came out with us on Sunday night. We were able to
get a lot of visits in, and we also had another lessons with patty and
Rachel!!
I always feel the spirit when having lessons with patty and Rachel. I
love the environment (thanks wood family), the people and the good
feelings we get each time. The spirit was so powerful, so extremely
powerful. I really felt the spirit especially when I was testifying of
The Book Of Mormon. I honestly think it's amazing that I'm at a point
where I can testify that this book is true. I couldn't even do that a
year ago. And I'm being 100% serious. I wanted it to be true, I wanted
to believe that it was true, I loved the stories and the messages.
But, I just didn't know. I really didn't. So for me to do something
like that, and what I've been doing for the past 6 months is
incredible to me. If anyone told me I would feel this way, and be able
to teach like this, flat out I would tell them that they were lying.
This church is true!!! I've seen it, I've felt it, I've experienced
it!!! The spirit has helped me countless of times. Tonight, it helped
me testify that each person who reads the Book of Mormon will receive
their own answer. I'm not perfect with words and I'm not a perfect
teacher, but the spirit is. I love this gospel, I love the life
lessons that I learn each day, and I love my Heavenly Father.


Love Sister
Arnold

                                                       District

                                                See the dust storm coming its a Haboob

Bethany Home

Hello!

Is it seriously the middle of August? I can't believe it!

This week was great. Well, it taught me a lot which made it a great
week. We had a few cancellations, but overall it was successful.
Sister Urbina and I have just decided to heart attack everyone. We
love writing little messages and sticking hearts on people's doors.
Hopefully they don't think it's creepy or anything haha. But it makes
us feel good.
This week is transfers...... Aka the most stressful week. The only
reason why it's stressful is because of moving everything and getting
new companions and finding out where you're going. Stuff like that....
Sister Urbina and I are sad because our district is changing... We
love all of the missionaries in our district. Seriously, best district
ever. We all had so much fun together. But sister Urbina and I are
safe, and we get to serve at least another transfer in the wonderfully
amazing Bethany home ward!!!!

This week we met and talked to a lot of people who were thinking about
going on missions.... It reminds me of when I was thinking about
putting my papers in... Deciding whether or not I wanted to serve a
mission. Before you're mission you hear so many stories about how hard
it is, how rewarding it is, and how it will change your life. All of
these being true!! But nobody really told me about how much love I
could feel for so many people. Literally I feel like I reek with love
sometimes. (It's a good thing) Last night, one of our awesome ward
members invited over one of their friends to learn more about the
gospel. The whole day before that I was excited and anxious to hear
this persons story and why she wanted to meet with us. (I'm nosey and
I like to ask people about their life and past) I felt so much love
for her even before I met her!!! And when I did, it was just icing on
the cake. Literally one of the best lessons, it wasn't even like a
lesson it was more of just a spiritual conversation. When leaving the
house I thought of our day, how that lesson went and how good I felt
afterwards. I literally felt so amazing. Those are the kinds of
moments that I live for on my mission. That is why I'm still here,
because of the spirit that I felt and the love that I felt for
everyone in that room. It was an amazing experience.
Even though this week was tough, it was great. I've come to realize
that charity really is the pure love of Christ.

I absolutely love being a missionary. And I love my Bethany Home Family!!!!

Moroni 7: 45-47
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is
not puffed up, seekweth not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth,
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are
nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity,
which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail--

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever;
and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well
with him.

Love, Sister Arnold

                       

This is how I eat apple sauce!

         Mustaches are the best

          ha ha

      The best Zone Ever

Texas is Gods Country

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• Helloooooooo!
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• Well this week I had to have a little procedure thing done (I'm all
• good) but I had some anesthesia and I guess I told all the nurses that
• Texas is God's country. So there you have that haha! It must be
• true....
• This week was busy, successful and a ton of fun!! Sister Urbina's
• birthday was this week!! We were able to celebrate and do a few fun
• things :)
• I feel like I'm super bad about writing out what happened throughout
• my week, it's just kinda hard to remember haha. Well, we have 2 people
• on date for baptism, they are both really great people and I've
• enjoyed being able to teach them. We were also blessed with the
• ability of talking to so many people this week. Sometimes it's hard
• just walking up to a random person on the street, but after you do it
• (whether they reject you or not) you feel like you've accomplished
• something! Faced your fear, whatever you feel. But, I personally feel
• like I tried my best and that's all that Heavenly Father asks of us.
• We did some street contacting this week, visited a few less active
• members, and taught a lot of new investigators!!
• We had a zone meeting on Friday, I love my zone we all get along so
• well and we have a great time at these meetings. I really enjoy being
• able to go to big meetings like this because I learn so much. We
• talked about what we need to do, as missionaries, to increase our own
• spiritual- ness. What motivates us!!! I feel like that's been an on
• going subject, but it's helped me a lot because I always have to find
• something that motivates me. On Saturday our stake president had the
• zone over for breakfast, we were able to say goodbye to the
• missionaries going home and to get to know the new stake president
• more! It was really fun, and really nice of them to have us over :)
• Sunday was fast Sunday. I love fast Sunday, because I get to hear
• everyone's testimonies!! We were able to have a lesson with Chris,
• (our recent convert) and he is on fire!! He taught US this time. It
• was awesome :)
• I feel like on my mission I've had a lot of epiphanies, or a lot of
• insight to certain subjects. It's actually really awesome because I've
• started to understand and realize more and more things. I was talking
• to sister Urbina about this a couple of nights ago, and I realized
• that my mission is the best year and a half for my life. I've grown to
• really love teaching, something that I wasn't extremely good at
• before. I've grown a lot in the gospel, something I wasn't super
• educated on before but I knew it was true. And I've just grown a lot
• as a person. I've only been out 6 months, but I think I've been taught
• so much in such a short period of time. I have a year left folks!!
• It's going to go by so fast, I need to make the most of my time out
• here. I love where I'm at now, and I hope that it will just keep
• getting better from here.
• In the morning we study for 3 hours, which I love because it allows me
• to read the Book of Mormon, plan for my discussions, and grow closer
• to our savior. I've been able to read a lot about hope and faith this
• week. On Sunday we had a lesson on hope and our teacher gave us a
• really neat quote!
•   "Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the
• shadow of our burden behind us"
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• What do you think of that?? Let me know!!
• 
  
• I miss and love you all! :)
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Happy Birthday Sister Urbina!!!

Till next week

"Hey...are you married?"

Hello everyone!

This week was actually pretty crazy. We did some service, taught
lessons, and had a baptism!! It was SUCH a busy week.

So to explain the title..... Haha...... Sister Urbina and I were
helping a family move out of their apartment. And there was this guy
kinda following us and talking to us, and he asked if we were moving
out and I replied "nope helping someone move out!" And he came by a
couple more times. Then, he came by in his car and asked if I was
married... I replied no. And then he proceeded to say "well, you're
cute! Call me sometime!" To that I said (politely) no thanks... I'm a
missionary and I'm 19. Hahaha
So that was kinda a funny thing that happened. But we were doing some
good service!!
Chris' baptism was AWESOME. The spirit was so strong there!! It's
really great to see someone when you first start to teach them, and
then watch them grow into this spiritual giant. Chris was so prepared
to hear the gospel, and I know Heavenly Father is extremely proud of
his decision.

I love being a missionary!!!!

I've been reading a lot about the atonement lately, well I've actually
been watching a video on the atonement. It's so powerful, it's called
"missionary work and the atonement" and it's by elder holland. I think
I mentioned it in my email last week, but y'all really really should
go watch it. It's amazing.

Well... I hope you all have a great week. Missionary work is the best.