March 30, 2105

HIS EYES

WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK :)

I have seen so many miracles this week I don't even know where to start!!!

First, this was a week full of service!! haha

We .. as in I offered to mow someones lawn this week which ended up being a jungle. It took us about 3 days to finish! haha it was about a 7 hour project... man Texas folk just let their lawns grow out like CRAZY!!! I got a sunburn from that, I am looking like a lobster right now.

An amazing miracle happened on Wednesday night.. so since we helped the members mow their lawn, they offered to take us out to eat. They took us to K2 (the only steak house in lil Bay City.) So of course we go and while I was at the salad bar, this man came up to me and was trying to read my tag. I said its in Spanish and I'm a missionary.. anyways this guy.. CHARLES... well he's like I have been looking for missionaries here in Bay City. I'm from Ohio and I had the sisters teaching me over there and they told me to find the missionaries here. LIKE WHAT!! CRAZY! So he is here in bay city for about 2 months. (oh one thing about Bay City, It is where a lot of huge power plant things are. So people are constantly moving in and out when the big projects come here and such..) So we talked and I said we will have to exchange information later! I went to go sit down with the members then I  asked if we could invite this guy to sit with us.. hahah (missionaries have no such thing of stranger danger, sorry mom haha) So we invited Charles to come sit down and eat with us, and he did.. haha and oh my heck! he is  the coolest man in the world!  It was an amazing dinner! he was just so cool. such a miracle.. Then Charles was like boom ill pay the check. LIKE WHAT! Charles, he is cool and a miracle. He'll be baptized and become a bishop someday. #FAITH 

Then on Thursday I finally experienced Texas rain. It is like a shower.. ITS SOO COOL! and the lightening and thunder.. so cool.

We helped Hermana Lozano set up for her garage sale. I am always so surprised by how much stuff people have. We helped her for 6 hours... LONG DAY haha but she had  cool stuff. I wanted to buy this samurai sword but my comp wouldn't let me. #bummer 

THEN ON SATURDAY

I got to go back to KEMAH!! for a baptism :)

For a man name Javier Rocha! I taught him the whole time I was in Kemah, and he was just struggling so much with the word of wisdom. So when I found out he was getting baptized I flipped out. LIKE WHAT, how in the world did he quit all his word of wisdom problems.. amazing! I have no idea how.

but we got to go to Kemah. It is two hours away! Hermana Lozano took us. #angel   So we went and the second I saw Javier, the first thing I noticed was his eyes. He had this glow and his eyes were just beaming.  Seriously Heavenly Father is amazing. The atonement is real.. it was so emotional to see the change that Javier went through too take this big step in his life! I was just in shock, it was seriously amazing!

That's all folks :)

Enjoy your Easter week :)

Enjoy conference :)

I LOVE YOU

ALLLLLLLL so much 

:)

Remember me in your prayers.. I need em ;)

love 

Hermana Widdison :) 

 

 March 23, 2015

 PAPUSAS

Hello family :) 

 

Weeks in the mission tend to go by in a blink of an eye. Its kind of scary and sad! 

Transfers happened... but hey good news, I am staying in Bay City! So me and Hermana Villarreal are still together preaching the gospel for another transfer :) 

 

We made Papusas twice this week. Which of course  made me sick.. (funny how I get called to be a Spanish speaking missionary but all Hispanic food makes me sick..)  Papusas are El Salvadorian food! They are super easy to make! I will make them for you when I get home! They are fun to make and we had Hermana Sharp show us how to make them. We made them on Tuesday night with Hermana Sharp and Hermana Lozano. Then again on Saturday we were invited over to make more of them with Hermana Sharp and the Gonzales family.  It was a week of Papusas!!

As for gators... my goodness it was one of those weeks... not much to talk about with gators... :( but hey the work must go on!! We had to "Drop" a gator. What this means is since he basically isn't reading or praying or doing anything to progress, we had to drop him and cant  teach him anymore. We had a drop lesson, which means we tell him we cant teach him because he isn't making any progress. He has been taught for years and years and every time he is dropped he takes it really hard. He took it really hard this time as well. However, he calls us every single day ... asking us random questions.. like about Idaho, and the weather. haha funny old guy! 

anyways..

seriously not much has happened..

Its rabbit breeding season here.. random fact for you all!

The members down here are amazing! we are so loved! So make sure you love your missionaries :)

love,

Hermana Widdison

Making Papusas

She ate FOUR

He ate FIVE

Still making Papusas

I finally got a Chocolate muffin from Costco. I've been craving one for months!

Look Mom, I made special popcorn!

   March 16, 2015  (yes, I know I'm behind)

                             

                        Sorry folks no long email this week.. so you get some pictures..

Sargent Texas

Thanks Mom! Getting ready for Easter.

The Primary kids earned enough money reading scriptures to buy us a gift card!

                   

#BunsForLife

Dress for Success

THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING!  

besides how fast it went by!

MOMENTS THIS WEEK:)

 We had zone conference which was amazing and sad since we are getting  a new mission president in June. President Ashton had to talk to us about the transition. Oh my gosh it was so sad. Then when sister Ashton went up to talk everyone was crying. It will be weird to have them go. I know I was blessed with the most amazing mission president and his wife. I know President Hall will be amazing! Start praying for my new mission president. He is in his 40's and has 4 kids!  He looks amazing! He is from Utah. Also pray for President and Sister Ashton. They are so sad  to leave and are still working so hard! We set some amazing goals for this last little bit of the mission. All of the missionaries are working so hard.

If anyone has some good advice on a change of mission president, let me know :) help me out! because I know it will be hard!

At zone conference we had some awesome studies! I cant even begin to describe how smart President Ashton is. He taught us about the atonement of Jesus Christ. It blows my mind, It is amazing how much we learned. but then how much the spirit taught me that day was something I wont forget. I know Jesus Christ truly loves me. To just think of all he went through I feel so bad, but that's why we have the power of repentance! That is a gift to all of us, so people repent daily :) Jesus Christ suffered, so that we wouldn't have too.

Also we were taught all about Family history! and boy was my mind blown.... the power we have to do temple work is the BOMB! hahah We would be going to the temple all day long if we knew of how many people are just waiting for the gospel! Think of the amazing blessing we have to be able to do work for the dead. It is a blessing to have temples close to us. SO PEOPLE GO DO WORK!!! Please, I know your ancestors are waiting. Go do family history! do something!! It is cool. We are allowed to do family history each week for an hour. I was doing it and found that I have a relative named HANNAH WIDDISON who lived from 1838-1871! how cool :) Just like my sister! whooh you find out cool things when you do family history!

Okay time for gator talk :)

LETTY and LOUIS :)

Louis is the member, and Letty is his girlfriend! but they aren't married and they live together! They know they are breaking the law of chastity!  Letty has never wanted to get baptized, but she loves church! (typical) hahah  well on Monday we go to have a FHE with them and it was amazing!! but let me start from the beginning! So we go and they are all excited. (Oh Letty and Louis are in their 30's and they have 6 kids.) but only 2 together! So they are a cute family! ahw I just love them. anyways, We had an amazing FHE about the restoration and Louis has an amazing testimony. Then they asked us to come back on Friday, so we did.. haha and we were super prompted to teach them about The Family Proclamation to the World! So we go in and Letty and Louis are like super excited and they say "we have news"! hahah and we are like... what? Then Louis says "we want to be sealed in the temple in a year. So we need to get married and Letty wants to get baptized." WHATTTT OUR JAWS DROPPPED! We were freaking out ahahahahaha YAY!! so excited!

 The spirit was like blowing a 10000 mph in our faces hahah but really it was strong! So we talked to them about it and Letty wants to finally get married and she wants to get baptized.  They really want to go to the temple and be sealed as a family. OH MY GOODNESS.  We were so pumped. So we get to plan a wedding here soon :) They are praying for a date right now :) So all you at home can pray they figure out a date!!! but how cool, we walk in, they tell us that crazy news. after we were prompted to teach them about the Family Proclmation!! THE HOLY GHOST IS SO COOL! Stay worthy of promptings from the holy ghost people, its cool :)

anyways that was amazing! POWERFUL LESSON!

Oh my heavens... EDMUND.. He is just so funny. He comes to church but  always leaves early because he has to go to his other Baptist church called "Bethel" hahaha (ugh that darn Bethel church)..  Edmund came to church and SNORED the ENTIRE sacrament meeting... hahah the only time he woke up was when his phone rang on full volume... bahahahhahaha I tried so hard not to laugh but you know me, I was practically rolling on the ground! hahaha :) anyways, pray Edmund just gets baptized or something.. hes been coming to church for years... seriously he is the ideal ETERNAGATOR!!!

As for Audrey... shes so sweet! She thought we were 35 years old though.. haha but we love visiting her! and she loves us!! 

So we love sister Barbour :) 

She is a lady about 80 years old. She can't come to church because she physically can't. So we visit her weekly.  I love her!!!  My heart is so full of love for her, and oh my heavens, so we were visiting her and she was like "girls I think I have something you would just love". So she asks us our dress sizes.. and gets her walker and goes into her room.. hahah she brings out two pretty decently cute dresses for Hermana V and then she gives me her dress she wore on her 50th anniversary... ahhaha

I love sister barbour :) pray for her :)

okay I love you all :

)Have a good week!

I will talk to you all in what seems like a blink of an eye :)

take care!

LOVE
HERMANA WIDDISON

                                                                                                                MARCH  2  2015

Amazing!

Oh my heavens.. this week, wow!

Okay funny story! Well more like an amazing testimony builder story :)

On Wednesday the Lozano family signed up to feed both the elders and sisters for dinner, but its mission rules elders and sisters can't eat together. So one of us picks up the food and the other one stays and eats.  On Wednesday we went and picked up the food while the elders stayed!  While we were there, Sister Lozanos grandpa "Abueltio" was there and he is straight out of Mexico! He doesn't know any English, and has been visiting Bay City for a month or so, but all he does is chill in their house so he doesn't know Bay City very well.  While the elders were sitting eating dinner with the family, Abueltio just peaces out and decides to go for a walk (this is around 5:30.)

 Then always on Wednesday nights we teach English class, and Sister Lozano always comes! but that night she didn't but her husband was at the church and came up to us and said we are having a little bit of a crisis. ABUELTIO IS GONE! So since 5:30 Abueltio was just walking around Bay City completely lost! so me and Hermana V were like, lets go find him.  It's 7:30 now and its cold outside  so we get in the car and pray and then we are driving up and down all these streets close to their house trying to think of where an 80 year old man would go. So we went to all the taco trucks in town and we went and checked the Mexican stores too.  By this time its around 8ish, and the elders call us and tell us they are gonna start looking for him. So there is a whole bunch of us looking around for this grandpa. We are just praying and we can find him! Then around 8:20 we get a call from the elders and we answer it and Elder Carter goes "no freaking way" hahahahah then we freak out because we know that they found him! Abueltio walked about 4 miles away from his house! The elders were parked somewhere and they decided to pray, and then after the prayer they looked up and they saw Abueltio walking down the side of the road!! IT WAS SOOOOO COOL! It was an immediate answer to their prayers! Well to all of ours. So the elders went and helped him out, but the elders don't know Spanish! So we drove to where they were and we went and talked to Abueltio and all he said was "I got lost" hahahah he was so cute! I was so happy he got found! Its cool to look at it, because we all knew exactly what he was wearing that day and we all knew who we were looking for! Heavenly Father answers prayers :) AMAZING!!! 
 

Then oh my goodness, we were eating with the Nielson family and the little boys were so hyped up.  I told them I could beat them at a race. So of course we had to all race and they won of course:)
hehe  hence the picture, they are cute! future missionaries too :)

Racing the Nielson boys

 I love the families in this ward! they are seriously amazing! I can't even begin to tell you about how much I love Hermana Sharp! She knows about 5% English but she has such a testimony of this church. She is from El Salvador, and she is amazing. She doesn't know what is always being said in church, but she radiates the spirit! She is my favorite and she is honestly one of the most amazing examples that I have seen of someone who just loves everyone she meets! She instantly will just love you. She is wonderful and we even have the same favorite hymn :) #50 Mas Cerca Dios :) amazing!

 Let me rave to you about how amazing another member is and how she just loves us to death! Sister Barbour!  She is a less active and she is around 80 years old. Every time we go to visit her we get a big  hug and kiss from her. I just feel so much love from the members here in Bay City! Its truly amazing!

Sister Barbour

Oh and don't get me started on fast and testimony meeting! YESTERDAY WAS AMAZING!
 I have never felt the spirit so strong in a testimony meeting before. Yesterday I was sitting in the back row by Hermana Sharp and she is just crying because the spirit was seriously so strong. Every testimony is what I needed to hear. Its amazing  how testimonies can change peoples lives... SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY! you never know who needs to hear it :) I love being a missionary because every day I get to testify of this restored gospel... seriously how cool is that? :)

gosh being a missionary is the best! wow I am lucky!

Oh wanna hear something random?

We were visiting people in this apartment complex when I see a little  lady walking around with her walker. I wave to her and just tell her that we are coming to visit her.. hahah didn't even ask- just told! gotta be bold :) 

I watched where she went (yeah missionary stalking skills) and I see where she goes then I turn to Hermana V and I say we are going to go visit her and shes like ehh.. and I am like HECK YES. So we  go to knock on the door and we just hear yelling  "come in " so we go inside and it's this little  lady named Fanny. We just sit and talk to her.. (well yell, cause shes hard of hearing) haha and we ask her if there is anything we can do for her. and shes like "can you do my laundry?" HECK YES WE CAN! So I got to do a 69 year old ladies laundry.  I can't say I want to do it ever again.. but hey you never know if people need help :) hahahahhahahahahaha that was funny... I enjoyed it though :) not so sure about Hermana V
!

Oh my heavens, amazing GATORS too :)

I love teaching people!  Let me tell you what happened this week with one of our gators named Edmund. He has been investigating the church for about 10+ years...  (eternagator) so basically he knows this church is true. He read the Book of Mormon daily and he loves the missionaries. ( he's about 65) but he wont do anything.. so I told him "call us when you want to be baptized.." bold.. yeah, he hasn't called us since then :(  One day he will call! 
 

and then... we teach a really funny Baptist black lady named Audrey! She is smoking during the lesson and she loves Jesus and she loves the missionaries! She invites all her neighbors over when we go over to teach her... so that's a party.. I have never smelt like 2nd hand smoke so much in my life #missionaryprobs hahahah

okay..

pienso que es todo :)

Keep it up Girl! Best Hermana Ever, Love Nick (and my mom) ;)

OKAY LOVE YOU ALL
HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!

pray Edmund calls.. haha

oh and pray our mission can achieve our goal of 58 baptism for the month of MARCH :)

love

me

Hermana

Widdison

:)

su favorita hermana :)

                                                Monday 2/23/2015

Tastes like..

Hello Hello Hello :)

 

Greetings from the land of hicks :) whom I love hahaha

well another week of fun over here in good ol Bay City :)

The weekly happenings of a missionary..

Waking up around 6 am.. then the day starts.. and a day consists of..

workouts 

studying

driving

praying

walking

biking

preaching

OYMing (open your mouth) aka talking to random strangers :)

teaching

walking up to doors...

knocking on doors..

walking away when people don't open the door.. hahaha #missionaryprobs

smiling at everyone 

(or at least trying to)

waving at everyone

sleeping.. haha or trying to..

planning

working as hard as you can

wearing a skirt.. everyday. :/ not fun haha

trying to find time to eat hahaha

oh yeah showering 

visiting people

(or trying to)

driving

oh cant forget laughing 

singing to songs I don't know

trying to speak Spanish... (TRYING)

I don't really know what else.. seriously so much happens in one day. The mission is amazing! We have some amazing gators here in Bay City :) Gators as in (investigators.. ) but gators yes because that's what people eat here.

Anyways, we have had some amazing and powerful lessons this week :) Its weird and way cool to think of how the Holy Ghost truly testifies during a lesson :)

I love being a missionary :)

I thought that I loved Kemah, and I do and now I love this area so much :) The people are amazing :) 

We were blessed to have an awesome training on the restoration of the church this past week, and boy was my world rocked! Have you ever taken a step back and looked at how amazing this church is?

To have the same church on the earth again that Jesus Christ established when he was here.. COOL. haha thats all I have to say!!

I love teaching people! Its so fun! A little different in English though, but its fun :) plus church in English is way weird! 

hmm.. what else!

I feel so loved in this ward that I am in right now! The members here are amazing! The ward had a ward camp out on Friday so we got to go (I wore normal clothes.. I was happy happy happy)One of the members cooked RABBIT and its actually way good. It tastes like chicken.. Hannah I know you love Benny.. but he probably tastes way good too. (just kidding)

okay enough.. 

I wish my weekly emails were better.. I just don't know what to say!
but I have pictures :):)
YAY!!!

okay, love you all

:)

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

SISTA WIDDISON 

loving the ward camp-out

eating rabbit.... so sorry Hannah

camp out selfie with my companion Hermana Villarreal

#ZEBRA

HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY :)

What a crazy crazy week it has been. Where do I even begin? 

On Wednesday I was transferred! I was with Hermana Morano and Hermana Turner. I was in an area called Alief West. It was an English area... haha weird right? but English was more like Nigerian. I guess there is a super big population there because all the people we taught were from Nigeria. cool right?! haha anyways.. key word in all that is WAS! Because I was then EMERGENCY TRANSFERRED! cool right? So on Friday I was in the mission office just helping out with stuff, and all day long I just had a feeling I wasn't going to be in a trio for very long! I told Hermana Morano and Hermana Turner I though I was going to get transferred. haha funny.. yeah the holy ghost.. anyways I didn't even unpack my bags. So on Friday the 13th there was a sister who came in for an interview with President Ashton because she was super sick and had to go home. So the second that sister came into the office I just knew I was going to her area. weird right but that's what happened! The sister went home to get better and now I am with her companion! make sense?! well in other words.. I have been in three different areas, and have had four different companions in 1 week :) COOL RIGHT?! 

 Let me tell you about where I am to stay hopefully :)
I am serving in a town called BAY CITY!! hahah and it is in the middle of nowhere! It is your stereotypical Texas idea.. hahah straight up no joke.. fields upon fields.. THE COUNTRY! I love it so much! I am a ZEBRA missionary! Therefore I am both English and Spanish! Its really fun! The town is quite small.. really small.
 (it reminds me of the town my mom grew up in) but there is a Walmart here :)
Oh and bad thing, but good thing. I LOVE THESE PEOPLE! I thought I loved the people over in Kemah (and I do) but I love these cute people so much!  Can I say there are a lot of rednecks.. hahaha a lot of toilets on the side of the road.(interesting)oh yes and road kill everywhere!!
 The members are amazing! Seriously some of the sweetest members!  They are all... Characters :) everyone is so different here! I am glad I have been exposed to all different kinds of people because it really prepared me for this! 

Let me tell you about my COMPANION :) I love her.. I seriously have been blessed.. like holy cow! Her name is HERMANA VILLARREAL :) she is from Othello Washington and she is amazing! We are just having a good ol time! It was funny on Friday when she came into the mission office. I told her I was going to be her companion, then President Ashton called both of us into his office and said "you two are companions, you're awesome, shes awesome! have fun" haha I have the most amazing mission president!

Anyways what else... the area is beautiful, the people are even more amazing! I live in a pool house.. weird, but cool :) and I feel like I am going to eat road kill at some point while serving here!  I have really made a connection with a lot of the members... because my dad raised me right with all that hunting and fishing :)  and visiting East Carbon ;) hahahahhaha
 
I don't know what else to say! 
I love it here in this area and the people are amazing! I hope you all map quest Bay City Texas..  because you'll see a little town of nothing... hahahah but its my little town of nothing and I love it:)  and the members love the missionaries :)

whooh :)
I am so excited!! 
I will try to send pictures but the computers here are super old so I  don't know how well they will work.

okay
:)
much love from Hermana Widdison :)