Oh, halfway there....truly living on a prayer :)

HELLO :)

Wow,  today I am halfway done with my mission.

I have been out 9 months.. haha and it sure doesn't feel like it!
But before I share with you a little of what I have learned in these short 9 months, let me share the moments from this week :)

THIS PAST WEEK :) 

-Well, first off I thought I was going to be able to go my whole mission without having to talk in sacrament meeting.. bummer, I had to give a talk on Sunday! but hey it was good! I almost made it ;)

-We have some awesome, like awesome investigators who I would love for y'all to pray about!! their names are R and C !! oh my goodness, they both have been researching this church for years.. well like 2 years, and R randomly texted us and was like, hey when would a good time to be baptized? You know I freaked out! haha it was cool! It is amazing how the lord prepares people, when they are ready, and they are ready!  We have been teaching them, and they both came out of nowhere, so pray for them, because they both know that the church is true, they just need to feel ready to make that covenant with Heavenly Father :)

- Monday.. we biked 18 miles.. haha to go do 8 hours of yard work  for our branch president! When we saw how little his lawn was, we were like well this is only gonna take an hour, boom sike! it was 8 hours later.. haha it was fun though! Doing service and being able to get to know him and his wife and talk about the needs of the branch :) 

- I LOVE THIS BRANCH.. that is a side note ;)

- We were able to go to the temple on Saturday to do baptisms with Josh, a recent convert.. who seriously is the coolest kid. He has such an eternal perspective on everything, he has such a strong testimony. I think he is the coolest person I have met on my mission so far.. and this is cool! So we were doing family history for Josh, so he could take a family name to the temple, and seriously we were doing it for two hours and we couldn't find a single name.  Its like 8:40 at night and we all decide to kneel and pray to just find one name.. and so then.. of course it is 9:10, and we find one name.. IT WAS A MIRACLE! and a huge answer to our prayers! It was really powerful to know Heavenly Father knew we needed to find that name! so cool :) and plus I got to go do baptisms.. which is the closest thing I get to swimming on the mission ;) hehe

- We went to the temple as all the sisters in the mission yesterday :) WHICH WAS AMAZING!! we had a big study with our mission president and temple president, and we are so blessed to be able to have opportunities like that.. wow so cool! I got my mind blown of course! Its amazing how much we can learn the more and more we go to the temple! So that was fun. It was cool, our mission president was the only man in the session.. WHAT! cool. 

- OH can y'all pray for NATE AND ZACH. They are members in our branch.. well basically my favorite people in this branch.. They were in a serious car accident on Friday night, and they need prayers. Thank you :)

Oh I am sure y'all have been hearing of the flooding going down here in Texas.. well, yeah its flooding for sure! want to hear a story.. okay haha 

sooo, not to make you worried mom.. but hey its crazy!! 

Since we had a big temple trip scheduled for Tuesday, me and Sister Rhoton had to go over night to  Houston (since we are far away)  We had to carpool with two other sisters, so we left our apt and went to Houston around 7:30. Around 8:40 we were within two minutes of where we were supposed to be going, and while we were driving, it was pouring rain, and lightening and thunder, basically a strobe light! haha cool.. but it was 8:40 and we were lost!! We couldn't see, and the rain was getting to the point where we couldn't even see the curb, so when it gets to that point we have to drive up to high ground!  Therefore we found a parking lot and just waited.. haha it was about 9:00 pm at this time and we had to be at the other sisters apartment where we were going to be staying that night. Oh and little side note, we had to be at our mission office at 4:45 am to drive to the temple because it is an hour away.. haha sooo.. anyways, its 9:00 pm and we are just sitting watching the water go up and up and up.. its about 9:40 and the water had risen about 2 inches, so we were just waiting, basically trying to sleep or do something. Let me remind you this happened Monday, the same day me and Sister Rhoton decided to do 18 miles of biking and 8 hrs of yard work. We were tired!  It was 10:30 when we decided to call the AP's and tell them we were stuck, and just waiting out the rain. They told us to just keep waiting, so we did, we were just sitting watching cars try and drive through 2+ feet of water.. haha watching cars get stuck, then people climbing out of their sunroofs. It was entertaining for us because we were on high ground :) we were being smart.  11:00 pm rolls around and we are exhausted so we call our housing coordinator and ask him what to do, and he says wait it out and that it would roll over.  WELL... its now 12:30 and hasn't rolled over, so we call him again and  then he finally comes in his big ol truck and tells us to follow him. Now, its around 1:00 am and  we finally made it out of the parking lot and made it to the other sisters apartment. It was around 2:30 am when we finally got inside an apartment hahaha WHAT A BLESSING!!  Then we got a good solid hour of sleep and had to wake up around 4:00 am to get to the mission office to be to the temple on time. When we were driving  to the mission office the roads were still flooded and there were cars stuck everywhere, it looked like a movie, like a natural disaster had happened! It was cool but hey we were safe and were able to go to the temple :) So it is raining a lot here in in Texas and flooding. We get flash flood warnings on our phone all the time :) but don't worry mom I'm safe and taking lots of videos to show you when I get home! but its cool because its great service opportunities, with all the trees and branches that are everywhere, we get to help clean up :) WOO! 

okay.. now onto the good stuff :)

Its officially been nine months since I have been on my mission! I cant believe how fast its gone by. I feel like I just got here. I always thought I would be fluent in Spanish by nine months.. haha Nope!

I would love to share with you some of the things I have learned thus far in these short nine months.  I have learned so many things, but the amazing thing is, I am still learning, constantly everyday, learning learning learning :)  Its AWESOME

I have learned of Heavenly Fathers plan for us. How he truly has such a divine and thought out plan for each and every single one of us. He has specifically made it for us, because he knows us, we lived with him before this life. He studied us and he knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He is there waiting for us, when we slip and fall, he is waiting with arms stretched out wide waiting to help guide us back to him.

I have learned how to pray. I never knew how to pray before my mission. To truly just pour out my heart and  talk with my Heavenly Father.  To know that he is there listening to all I have to say, knowing exactly what is going on and that  he is always waiting for me to come to him, to ask him for help. I never knew what it felt like to pray until I had nothing else to say, to just plead with him.. because he is there. 

I have learned that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor.. haha he truly does. things happen.

I have learned how to recognize when the spirit is speaking to me. Being able to be in the right place at the right time, to hear the spirit, to feel it, to have it with me constantly and to receive answers to my prayers, to just be still and listen.

I have learned the grace of God is real... how when we do all we can, then a little bit more, it's not going to get us there, but we need his grace in order to make it there. His grace is what makes up which we lack.  I am so grateful for grace, because I need a lot. There are so many days where I know it's grace that has brought me through that long day.

I have learned how to ride a bike in a skirt.... haha and how to rip a skirt riding a bike and how to sew up a hole. hahaha

I have learned the importance of the message that I bring as a tool for Heavenly Father. The message of Christs church here on the earth again,  it's truly amazing and so powerful. I've learned how we need it so much in these times.

I have learned how to listen to people, to truly listen. 

I have learned to not judge at first glance, that people have stories and hard lives, and they are that way and who they are for a specific reason.

I have learned how blessed we are to have bodies of flesh and bone and how jealous Satan is that he doesn't have one and how Satan will do anything he can to destroy our bodies. 

I have learned how real Satan is.

I have learned being with someone for 24/7 is something I will never do ever again, but I do know how important it is that we teach the gospel 2 by 2, and how being with someone for 24/7 is hard. I have learned a lot of patience, sacrifice, love, charity, service and how to comfort someone, and how to listen, how to trust, how to bite my tongue.. haha and how we have to be with specific companions for specific reasons, and how some companions need saving, and how sometimes you need saving, and how we have to teach with the spirit as a companionship!! 

I have learned how to see Gods children as he has created them, I have prayed and prayed and prayed to be able to see just a sliver of Gods love for his children, and it has been so overwhelming to feel that power and love, to look in these peoples eyes and to know that their Father in Heaven loves them more than they will ever comprehend.

I have learned to love complete strangers with all my heart, and to put others first, to just constantly be thinking of others, to just forget about myself and focus on the needs of others 

I have learned how the atonement of Jesus Christ changes people. Not just their lives, but them as a person, their spirit, their being. To know how they can be changed through his sacrifice. 

I have learned Gods way is a whole lot easier than my way, how when I just trust in God he is going to make me be the person I need to become. That's why we are here on earth to become as he is and to know he has something better than what I ever could imagine. I want to trust him. He wants to make me into something, and its so easy but yet so hard to trust in him, to know his way is the best. 

I have learned the mission is the hardest but most amazing experience I could ever have in my life up till this point. I know there is no better place I could be. 

I have learned the mission is a silent battle within my heart and mind, between Gods will and my own will.. to trust God or Satan.. and its hard. 

I have learned a lot,  yet I am still learning. I am learning a lot more than what I could ever imagine.

I am grateful to be a missionary.

I love this work.

Have a kick butt week everyone :)

go spread the gospel ;)

Love,

Hermana Widdison

I should buy an English name tag because I am really Sister Widdison.

but I am still too prideful, I love having a Spanish tag. hehe

Texas rain

Sister Selfie at the Temple

Sisters from the Houston Texas So. Mission

Missionaries and members from the YSA

Hermana Widdison and Sister Rhoton

BEACH GOERS

HOLA :)

Well, I shouldn't say hola anymore.. because now I am officially
SISTER WIDDISON!

Let me tell you a few things about my new area.

I AM IN A YSA!!!
YOUNG SINGLE ADULTS hahahahahaha

I am in love with this branch! 

It's full of return missionaries and recent converts and the most amazing people! 

I have been here for 5 days, and I already love this branch :)

It was so sad saying goodbye to Bay City, but its amazing how quickly I fall in love with my areas! This is my 4th area on the mission; and I swear I love each area more and more than the last one! Here are some pictures of my Bay City friends.

Sister Williams

My little friends and Hermana V

The Barbour Family

Sister Sharp

Me and Audrey

MY NEW AREA: ARMAND BAYOU YSA

NEW COMPANION: SISTER RHOTON!!She goes home in July, crazy sad :(

NEW ADDRESS ;)

Call my mom for it or you can always send me mail to:
Texas Houston So. Mission
602 Eldridge Road
Sugar Land, Texas 77478

 I have one of the biggest areas on the mission. I cover Houston, Galveston, League City, Alvin, Manvel.

The WHOLE mission basically! I have two stakes in my area as well! like whooh lots of souls to save ;) hehe 

Okay so amazing miracles happened this week! On Monday and Tuesday I got to go say goodbye to all my people in Bay City; it was good to see them and say goodbye. It is seriously the hardest thing to do.. my heart gets left in all my areas. I love, love, love the people of Bay City! 

Wednesday transfer meeting!!

Thursday was amazing; we had a member of the branch whose mom called us up and asked us to help her out with a service activity called meals on wheels! We got to go help deliver meals on wheels and it was AMAZING!! The people were so appreciative and it is so fun giving service to people :)

 Friday.. hmm I don't remember..

SATURDAY!!  This is the good stuff!

Since we are the YSA missionaries, we get to go to all the YSA activities! On Saturday there was a HUGE craw-fish boil at the.. BEACH. First off, it is against mission rules to go to the beach, but we got permission from president to go! LIKE WHAT! So we helped all day Saturday with food prep.. help cooking 150 pounds of craw-fish for this huge YSA activity! It was for all the YSA people in the Houston area. Two-hundred  people showed up! It was a huge party, and people brought their nonmember friends, so we got to teach people and share the gospel! It was so much fun! I did eat 1 craw-fish... ew yeah not a big fan of craw-fish... haha for you folk up in the northwest, its crawdads.. haha

Then of course, Sunday! MOTHERS DAY :)

I was so grateful to be able to talk to my family! I love them!!! It was awesome!!

I cant describe how exciting it is to be a missionary. I love my mission! and it is going by way to fast!

I have lots of pictures for you this week; so enjoy them! :)

LOVE YOU!!!

First trip to a Texas Beach

Mission BFF-- Elder Moto

That's a lot of craw-fish

We went to Narnia

This week our mission president's wife asked us to share a miracle with her, and so here is the miracle I shared.

              

                         The miracle of the Purple Haired Punk Girl

Besides the everyday miracles, of when someone calls us back, we receive an answer to our prayers, or even when someone happens to open the door for us. Those are miracles we witness every single day, and it is such a blessing to be able to see and be a part of them. It is amazing to be worthy of Heavenly Fathers grace and to witness so many miracles every single day.

                One miracle seems to be in the making right now, but the little miracles that have happened to get there are truly a testimony builder, a manifestation of God’s love for each of his children, and the divinity of his plan that he has for us.

                While serving in Bay City we one night received a call from a member who used to live there. She wanted us to go and visit her little sister. She told us her sisters’ name, where she lived and told us good luck.  So of course we went to go and try and meet her. We knocked on the door and it was opened. A young twenty year old girl, tattoos, piercings, purple hair came out. She was the one we were looking for. We sat and talked, and she asked us to share a scripture with her.  She needed help and she knew she could get it from the scriptures.  She was a twenty year old going through some hard times. She hasn’t been to church in four years, and in that span of time Satan hit her hard. Trial and temptation over and over again, basically drowning, and didn’t know what she was exactly missing, but we knew what she was missing. So we shared a scripture and bore witness of the love Heavenly Father has for her. We said a prayer and went on our way. The second she went inside, I turned to my companion and said “She’s going on a mission.” The spirit was so strong when I met that young lady, and I couldn’t even say her name right. But the spirit bore witness to me of how divine Heavenly Fathers plan is.

                As time went on, we would visit her and teach her. She would talk of the things she learned in seminary a few years ago, she remembered small things. She was changing, we would invite her to church, but she would never come. Then finally it was the weekend of General Conference, we invited her to come watch it with us in the church. The church she said she would never step foot in ever again. She came. She came to general conference. She took notes. She sat and listened to the leaders of this church, and loved it.  The entire time I knew she felt the spirit. She knew that this church was the answer to all her confusion and drowning. She just needed help back, and general conference was the first step. After conference we started to see a huge change in her. Changes by herself, obeying the word of wisdom, wanting scriptures to read, praying in lessons. She was changing right before our eyes. She would ask to come out teaching with us. She wanted to be around the spirit, she wanted to listen to us teach others. She was coming teaching with us every day. Even when we had 0 miles, she would walk to appointments with us.  She was dusting off her old testimony, and  reaching her hand out to Him for help.

Then it happened, she finally said it. “I know I am supposed to go on a mission.” All this change in a month or so. Changing, finding her way back, seeing the love, feeling the spirit. Witnessing miracles every single day. She was praying and reading. She was finding that testimony once again.

But it was going to take a lot more than that. But then another miracle happened. She came to church. She came, enjoyed every second of it.  She felt what it was like to be in the church again. The members embraced her with welcoming arms, remembering who she was. She proudly told everyone she was preparing to go on a mission.  As days goes on, she is teaching with us, bearing testimony, using the atonement, constantly changing. Growing a new found love for this gospel. This punk purple haired girl, is now asking us to help her shop for mission clothes, asking for  help to her do her family history, and wanting to be worthy to receive her patriarchal blessing.  She was giving talks at baptisms, she was being who her Heavenly Father wanted her to be. She started introducing her brother to the gospel. Teaching him the doctrine, reading the Book of Mormon with him. Being her own missionary to her family.

But this miracle of a punk purple haired girl is not over yet, it’s still  happening. She is preparing to enter into the temple, as well as preparing to receive her patriarchal blessing, and  preparing to serve a full time mission soon. The miracle of her is still happening every single day. It is not over.

The change I have seen in this one young ladies life is truly a testimony builder of how Heavenly Father has a divine plan for all of us. She has grown such a strong testimony, and her testimony is going to change the lives of so many. I know she has impacted my life, more than she will ever know. The miracles I saw daily with her is one thing I will never forget. The miracles of seeing her in church, sharing her testimony that was so dormant for so many years, and bringing her family unto Christ.  It’s a miracle she opened the door that first night.

 Its miracles like these that I just can’t help but thank my Father in Heaven for being able to be a missionary to witness miracles from one single person every single day.

I know that Heavenly Father has a divine plan. I know miracles happen in our lives every single day; we just have to stop and realize that they are there. Because they are!  It is the little things which can mean the most it seems like. I know miracles are real.  I have witnessed them over and over again.  And I know when we are worthy and do our part we will see so many more. When people say miracles don’t happen, they are looking too hard. Take a step back; you will realize miracles happen daily, hourly, they are constantly happening. The small things seem to matter most. We have miracles happen every day. I know this is true. Miracles are never ending. This miracle is still in the making. I know that Heavenly Father loves his children. He will never leave us no matter how far we stray.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Love Hermana Widdison

April 27, 2015                                                                                                                                                 

 CRAW FISH COOK-OUT

Cant you tell by my pictures :)

I will explain all of those for you :)

sorry they aren't in order...

so let me tell you about me wonderful week :)

On Monday night we had an awesome FHE with the Bischoff family, (the bishops family) whom I LOVE!  We played newspaper hockey! It was so much fun.  We were all sore the next day!  You use newspaper and duck tape.. its crazy!!

Tuesday..

We had such sore bodies hahahahah 

Oh my goodness so the picture of me running against the little boys! that's Taylor and Logan Nielson. Every time I see them they try and prove their strength or something, like arm wrestling or racing.. but somehow I always win :)  So we were able to eat dinner with them and have a good ol race! I totally cheated.. haha 

 Oh my goodness, so my new favorite person is AUREA!! she is a less active we are working with her and she is amazing! She is twenty and hasn't been to church for 4 years. She comes out teaching with us all the time :) AMAZING!  So she was like, "hey I have someone we could teach".  HER BROTHER!! LUIS.. what! missionary work within your own family :) AMAZING! and LUIS is amazing! he is 17, and brilliant. like building his own computers brilliant.. cool!! but we teach him, and he has all these amazing deep doctrine questions, and hes always like this stuff is so familiar, and hes reading the BOOK OF MORMON!  He wants to get.. BAPTIZED MAY 17th :) so keep him in your prayers. Oh yeah, we went mission clothing shopping for Aurea too!  I FELT LIKE A PROUD MOTHER :) seriously it was so cool!!!

Wednesday.. 

LUIS CAME TO MUTUAL! and loved it! It was scouts and he loved it! Then we worked with Aurea doing family history, because all she wants to do is go to the TEMPLE :) Heavenly Father is just pouring miracles out on us! 

Thursday..

what happened Thursday??

JUST ANOTHER HOT AND HUMID DAY IN TEXAS! LIKE Seriously. Texas is so hot and humid. Iwill never live here. Its so humid and its not even summer yet. its like 10000 percent humidity!

Friday..

BAHAHA FRIDAY! So we are biking everyday, and we were biking past an old investigators house, and of course hes sitting outside, and he starts yelling and waving us down , so we go over and talk to him.. 2 hours later.. hahaha we were on our bikes again! It was funny because we had a feeling we were gonna see him..  FUNNY but hey he came to church, so boo ya!

Saturday!

Wow everyday in the mission is Saturday! 

 We were getting ready for the day, and THIS HUGE TEXAS LIGHTENING THUNDER STORM ROLLS THROUGH.. me and Hermana V. sat and watch the lightening and the rain for 20 minutes. freaking out, and watching everything flood.  Then an hour later it was sunny and a beautiful day. (bi polar much texas? yes. ) 
Anyways, we went over to visit the Lozano family on Saturday, and their daughter Yaire was having her 8th grade formal that night, and she was like "do you guys do hair? my mom doesn't do a good job..." BAHAHAHA so I was like heck yeah, and so I did her hair and make up for her 8th grade formal! so cute :) it was so much fun! I even burnt my thumb with the curling iron! whooh ill always remember it ;) hehe

SUNDAY!

Oh man, this is where the good stuff happens! So the awesome Cook family invited us over for their big craw fish party! 60 lbs of craw fish.. OH MAN!! crazy! It was seriously so cool!! I dont even know how to describe it! You put them in big  boilers of hot water and spices, then add corn, potatoes, shrimp, zucchini, squash, sausage, chicken.. LIKE SO MANY GOOD THINGS!!! and  the craw fish are alive, so yeah.. basically murdered so many crafish yesterday hahaha but I can say this.. I probably will never eat craw fish ever again. Its kind of like a one time deal because I got real sick.. haha still feeling it!! but it was so much fun :)  One Elder ate 101 CRAW FISH! Hes probably so sick today.. It was so much fun! I felt like a real southern hick hahahah and oh man, I EVEN SLURPED THE BRAINS!!! haha me and Sisters Cook did it together! It was her first time doing it, and we got it on video.. (Sorry the video is too big to send .. bummer)  but they video is seriously the funniest thing, we are both  gagging! haha yeah never again! but hey I have officially eaten the good ol southern mud bugs :)

ANYWAYS,

Enjoy the thousands of pictures :)

transfers are next week.. drum roll.... I will find out next week and let you all know :)

Hey missionaries love mail ;)

my mission home address is 

602 Eldridge rd. 

Sugar land, TX 77478 

I LOVE YOU ALL :)

love me,

Hermana "Craw-fish Eatin" Widdison :)

                                        

                                         Craw fish cook out with the Cook Family

So STUFFED

My new friend

Waiting for the train to pass

Second flat tire. Another comp who knows how to fix it.

Newspaper hockey.  Such a great time.

Getting ready for a dance

Fixing hair does fall under the category of missionary work!

TEXAS RAIN

Racing the Nielson boys again. (and cheating) hahaha

April 20, 2015

It's Raining Men

Just kidding it's not raining men. I just wanted a creative subject, haha

This week all it did was rain.. LIKE RAIN! tornado warnings,  flash flood warnings, What a week of craziness!! 

some moments from this week..

On Tuesday, I made cookies for a lady named Felipa who we were visiting because it was her birthday. So we were biking to her house and there was this older man sitting in a park. He waved us over so we went over to him. He asked us for a bible and just told us how he was homeless and said he was hungry. I told him we didn't have food but I had COOKIES!!!!!  He started crying.. and then we started crying.. it was seriously amazing. Just how Gods plan is so divine. like hey, make cookies, bike past this way, oh yeah give him some cookies. I just was in awe. SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE! 

then what else...

Oh yeah, this is kind of funny. A member took us out to eat at Chilis on Friday night. There was this huge storm, lightening, rain, thunder,floods, tornado warning. Me and Hermana V. are freaking out when we are eating with these members, and everyone in Chilis is perfectly normal. Then the power goes out! twice! and no one freaks out. I guess its really common for these huge storms to happen here in Texas. However, I was freakin out. All of the roads were flooded as we drove home. CRAZY!

oh my goodness.. something so funny! So we found a new investigator named Esteban, well, we went to go teach him about the restoration of the church (oh yeah this is all in Spanish)  We were teaching him, and he stops us and says, I don't believe in your church I am my own church. He kept calling himself "santo esteban" and we tried to explain to him that he wasn't.. but yeah, I was busting up. We havent seen him since.. but it was a funny moment this week :)

something crazy.. On April 17th it was my one year mark for having my mission call. That was a cool day for me to think about how I felt a year ago and how amazing it is to be a missionary :) I am so grateful to be here! even though its so hard. I love it!

ooh what else.. oh nothing besides biking in thunder storms, and getting poured on. Some days I go through 3 outfits because we get so soaking wet from biking in the rain! but hey, that's Texas :)

well,

love you all :)

enjoy the pictures!

biking!
look at that cool rain jacket! so grateful for it!

I learned my lesson the day before when I didn't bring one.. haha 

 

   Boom, selfie with a chick! haha a RC has a pet chick, and he just chills..

 

True MAVERICK forever!

April 13, 2015
 

DEAD

What an amazing week it was! This is gonna be a quick email! 

I went on a very fun exchange with Hermana Wagstaff.

She has been out in the mission for 3 weeks, so young, haha and she is serving in the MANVEl area! That was my first area in the mission. :) We had a fun weekend!!!

We got offered guns and knives, and almost got hit biking on the highway. (Sorry Mom)  We saw a dead armadillo, so of course we had to take a selfie! 

We taught lots of people. Hermana Wagstaff was kind of in culture shock down here in Bay City.

I love biking! Biking is amazing! 

gator talk!! 

LEO is doing awesome! She came to church, and loved it! She is signed up for girls camp this summer! how cool! :) 

I learned two new things this week..

1. You can really scare the hiccups away hahahaha Hermana V. had the hiccups during personal study one morning, so I just yelled  and then the hiccups were gone. sooo funny, we laughed for a long time :)

2. The Grace of God is real and it is amazing. Its been something I have been studying lately!
neat topic :) STUDY IT!
 I love you all!I can't believe it's april!

Enjoy the dead armadillo pictures!
haha I love Texas even though it is soooo HUMID! Its like a sauna.. or hot towel over your face .. or both.

KAYLEE'S MOM HERE. Against my better judgement I'm adding her armadillo pictures. She said,"Hey mom, its Texas!!! 

LOVE,
HERMANA WIDDISON

April 8, 2015

CHICKENPOX


WHAT??  EMAIL ON WEDNESDAY?!

Don't freak out! We had to change our p day  because we went to the TEMPLE! See picture below to see how cute I am in front of it :)

SO MUCH HAPPENED!!! 

I want to tell you about this lady named Ingrid. She is a character!  Ingrid lives in this senior apartment complex  and we go over and visit her. She is 81.. and is crazy. This week we went to a baptist bible study with her. It was actually pretty cool though..  it was all older people! I was definitely the youngest there :) I love older people. They are funny, they just sit there and talk about medicine and how sick they are and they just laugh and are glad to be alive. Ingrid calls us her "mormes" and has such a strong testimony but she is good with her baptists, but she knows our church is true.. haha one day! She always hugs and kisses us. I  have never been kissed by so many older ladies than on my mission!

Another fun things that has been happening-- So as missionaries we are allowed a certain amount of miles each month for our car but our mission president cut everyone miles and therefore,  WE ARE BIKING!! We bike every single day.. and biking in my area is king of sketchy. We have no sidewalks.. so you bet I am praying every single pedal I am going to stay alive. (don't worry mom) I love biking because we get to talk to everyone! Everyone is always outside because its the south and everyone sits on their porch and drinks their sweet tea.  I love love love biking because I feel like I am in a parade too.  I love waving to people and just saying hi! its awesome, but... THE BUGS HERE ARE AWFUL!!! I look like I have chickenpox on my legs. We are biking and just  slapping ourselves silly because the mosquitos are attacking us.  Texas is so hot and humid, and the sun is so strong. Everyday we count how many bug bites we get and its only April. It isn't even bad yet. Oh goodness PRAY FOR ME. I spent some big bucks at Walmart buying bug spray and sun block the other day.  Another think I finally realized is that I am in the STINKING BIBLE BELT! In my little town of Bay City, population of 18k people there is over 130 churches... crazy right? So everyone has a very strong opinion of church. So being in the bible belt is interesting.

Easter! 

and 

conference!!

What an amazing weekend to have conference! When we were able to really think of Christ! I learned so much. It was so good to be able to hear the words of the living prophet and apostles! We sure are lucky to be able to have the opportunity to listen every 6 months!  GOD LOVES US :)

Dios Nos Ama ;) 

We were also very well taken care of on Easter Sunday. We were fed like 5 times. I was waddling like a duck! 

AS NEWS FOR GATORS!! 

LEO!!! so Leo is a little girl who just turned 13! Her birthday was march 31st. Last Monday night we made her a chocolate cake and had a birthday party for her! Her neighbor, Hermana Lozano gave her a book of Mormon for her birthday too!  Leo has been coming to church with the Lozano family for about a month now, and even too mutual! So we said  "Hey, we should teach Leo".  So we went over on Monday and asked for permission, and her mom was like sure.. which was surprising because her house was decked out in statues of the virgin Mary hahaha #catholic but then yesterday we went and taught Leo for the 2nd time and felt super prompted to invite her to be baptized. We extended her a date, APRIL 26th.. and she was so excited!! We even had two of the Lozano girls there with us to help teach Leo, and they both bore testimony of how they felt when they were baptized! IT WAS AN AMAZING LESSON!!!   Keep Leo in your prayers as she prepares for her baptism at the end of this month! She is so excited :) 

I LOVE THE MISSION! 

I am so grateful I get to see miracles every single week, every day! 

I am glad I have angels helping me as I ride my bike :)

I am grateful for bug spray! 

I am grateful for the members of Bay City who love us and invite us over for dying Easter eggs :)

I LOVE THIS LIFE :) even though the mission doesn't feel like real life. I cant believe how fast time does fly by. I love it!

I love my family and I love this gospel!!

whooh!!

much love from me,

your favorite Hermana :)