The Promised Land

Y'ALL I'M GOIN TO TOGA!!! Soooo we've been waiting for foreeeeeveerrrrr to find out transfer news and we finally got them! Sister Hall will be staying and training a new missionary in Manchester! She is going to be awesome and her greenie is so lucky to be trained in such an amazing place. And transfer news for me is that I will be a Sister Training Leader in Saratoga Springs.. New York, not Utah ;) haha my new companion will be Sister Park who I just love! We were in the MTC together and last time we went on exchange we got a parking ticket cause of our stupidity... so we'll see how this transfer goes... It's awesome though cause I've been saying that if I were to move back to New York the place I would want to move to is Saratoga and now I really will be moving there! I'm sad to leave Sister Hall and it's going to be super weird leaving Vermont after the last 6 months. Saying goodbye to the people in the branch was really hard and sad. I've made so many friendships here and it's always hard to leave. But I will be going to a WARD which will be weird instead of a tiny branch, but I've heard awesome things about the ward and the members that i've already met there are awesome! 

Super funny story... on Sunday everyone was asking me where I was going and when I would tell them Saratoga THREE different people at three different times responded with "Hey there's a Target there! You're gonna love it!" So apparently I'm known for complaining that Vermont doesn't have a Target and everyone knows I love it but for reals I'm excited to be in a city!! Going from small rural towns to a city is gonna be different but I'm super stoked.

Not too much happened this week. The LoPianos took us out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and all I can say is I love the East but they do not know how to do Mexican food... at all. Good Mexican food is like the main thing I miss about the West! 

Oh we picked up two new investigators this week! They're both formers that we've been trying to see for a while but it's just never been a good time for them. But on Tuesday they both let us in! The first one sat outside and talked with us and really just opened up about how life has hit her hard and how God has really been there supporting her all the way. It's incredible to see how when we're faced with challenges and trials in this life, some people turn away from God and blame Him, and others are truly reliant on God and are able to make it through with faith and come out with a stronger testimony. It's incredible because that's really the purpose of trials. She first came in contact with missionaries in 2005 so we're hoping that this time is the right time that she'll be ready to accept the gospel in it's fulness. Another thing I noticed in that lesson is the gospel really applies to our lives. As I've tried to focus on teaching people, not lessons, it's cool to see how when we listen to what they're saying, the message we want to share relates and something they say really does open an opportunity for us to testify of the Savior and relate it back to the gospel. ..I don't know if that makes sense but that's what stuck out to me!  

And one last thing, we went and visited a Less Active this week and she came to church on Sunday! In Gospel Principles we talked about Baptism and we had a lot of converts in that class, including the LA, who were able to bear their testimonies on how this is the true and complete gospel. I really felt the Spirit and so did she. It was a great Sunday! 

Oh! And one more super cool highlight. We were tracting this week and this guy told us he knows he's going to Heaven because he watched his wife die and basically cross the veil and he was describing all this stuff to us and it was so cool to hear his testimony. We gave him a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and he said we could come back. So we finish tracting and walk back to our car up this super long hill. I'm driving down and as we pass his house we see him flag us down so I slam on the breaks and he runs out towards us with two ice cold water bottles in his hands! He was like "I wanna thank you girls for knocking on my door tonight. When I share that story, most people don't believe me. But I can tell you believe. I looked out my window and saw you two walking up the hill and I knew you'd either need water  or air or both, so here!" it was seriously the sweetest thing!! 

This was a really funny week, but then again Sister Hall and I just laugh at everything. But hopefully I can remember some funny quotes:

Elder: "Comp inventory is like a fart. If you have a problem and just hold it in it gets worse and stinkier. You just gotta let it out. It's best for everyone."

 

Okay all the other funny things take way too long to explain, so this'll suffice for now

Pics:

1. Comp face masks

2. If this isn't the funniest picture you've ever seen, you're lyin

3/4. We found the cutest little guys ever 

5.  If anyone needs a great photographer, pls hit me up. I took this amazing pic of Sis Hall and her cute lil lizard peter

6.  We learned the hard way that this is a snapping turtle....

7. Mtc Sister Hall

3 states, 1 day

Hello everyone! One of the reasons why I love the East is because everything is so close! We were able to go from Vermont, through Mass, down to Connecticut on Saturday to go to the temple! Every 6 months we can go do personal worship and Sister Hall and I have been wanting to go, so we grabbed one of our favorite members from the branch and drove almost 3 hours to the new Hartford temple and it was beautiful! Also we got to stop at Chick-Fil-A and it's been almost a year since ya girls eaten there so I was pumped. 

Another highlight this week was that the Brobergs took us up to Pawlet to go help a less active member stack wood. ...oh man memories from Hamilton came flooding back! Haha it was awesome. And the drive was beautiful! It was a beautiful sunny day which we haven't had too many of those lately so that was a plus. 

Sunday was also great because of Fathers Day! I feel so lucky to have an amazing dad at home who loves and supports me in everything. I couldn't imagine my life without him or his incredible example. He is always putting the Lord first and is the most faithful person I've ever met. I strive to be like him.

After church the Clovers took us home and invited us to dinner at the Vaughns, so we were able to spend Mothers and Fathers day with them! I just adore the Bennington Branch so I was grateful to be surrounded by so many incredible people that I love. 

My mission President told me that I'll be leaving Manchester so this is my last week here. I'm excited to work hard this last week here but I'm super sad to leave Sister Hall. MY BFF. But as I've learned, 4 transfers in one area is a long time. It's good but bad because you get so used to these people and you love them so much and then have to leave after creating these relationships. Lucky for us, I know mission friends are eternal friends! I'm excited to have a change though because I for real have the entire area book memorized and have talked to 99% of the people in there. So a change will be good :) 

Oh and this week I finished the conference Ensign! One thing that really strengthens my testimony is that we have living prophets and apostles. I love love love Conference and hearing what they have to say to us today. It's something that I could never walk away from. 

Saturday night we talked to this guy who really knows his bible. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and pretty much blew his mind. He was freaking out and rocking back and forth like grabbing his head and asking where that was in the Bible. He told us he's really upset about the Book of Mormon because of what Revelations says. There are so many things we could say to him, but the best thing I've learned is to testify. I've read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover and the same Spirit that tells me the Bible is true, tells me that the Book of Mormon is true. You can't argue with a testimony. Hopefully he'll soften his heart and come to know that the BoM is true. Sister Hall said all she could think of is 2 Nephi 29 where it basically asks why are we complaining about receiving more of God's word. And it's true! Why would we not want to hear as much as God will tell us? I want to hear everything God has to say! So of course I want to listen to a living Prophet and read the standard works. I love God. and I love His word. 

Funny quotes this week:

Elder Lee (an older office missionary): I liked your "i'm trying to be like Jesus" sticker. I used that quote on my mom once but she still made me cut my hair.

Donna: "If a boy is ever too bold, you hold up your fingers and give him that cross!!"

Emily (4): Surprise!

us: what?

Emily: Our house is clean!

Pictures: 

1. Some of my fav fav fav people, the Brobergs 

2. CHICK-FIL-A

3.The temple!!

4. tractin'

Simmer with ya boy Jimmer

Hello everyone!! Another wonderful week of being a servant of the Lord!! I truly love this work and this beautiful land I've been called to. This week I read a talk from the Priesthood session of Conference and Elder Bednar said something that really stuck out to me: "A missionary is not called to a place; rather he or she is called to serve." It really doesn't matter where we serve, but how we serve. I love that I have been called to serve my Heavenly Father and His children. 

The beginning of the week was suuuuper cold. We were out tracting in the rain and could literally SEE OUR BREATH, in JUNE!!! But luckily, it's warmed up a lot and is now super hot, but hey I'll take the heat any day!

This week has been pretty rough. It's interesting to see cause on the days where we come home just exhausted, are the days that we didn't have any numbers. All zeros. It's so frustrating because we are working so hard and have come home with aching feet and nothing to show for it. Something that has been in the back of my mind this week is another thought from Elder Bednar from the missionary broadcast in January. He said that success is GIVEN. It's my job as His servant to do everything I can. To be His hands and do His will. It's my job to be obedient and faithful and follow the Spirit. Then, if it's His will, success will be given. It's not something that we can demand or earn, but it is simply given if it is our Heavenly Fathers will. I'm grateful for that reminder this week and for a companion who has such a positive attitude. There hasn't been a single day the past two transfers that we haven't been constantly smiling and laughing, even on the hardest of days! So blessed to be with Sister Hall. She has seriously become one of my best friends. 

Anyways, I love Manchester, it is seriously beautiful. I love this work and this gospel! I seriously am just loving life and feel so blessed. God is SO good!! 

Have a great week!!

xoxo

Sister Rodriguez

Funny quotes:
"If we had Montague, we could do a fiesta"
"hey, we have Reintjes and Rodriguez, let's do it!"

old lady at the thrift shop: "If you don't have a sense of humor.. *whispers* you're just stupid" 

Pictures: 

1. Sister Hall and I ate dinner at the oldest marble quarry in the US right here in Dorset! It was so beautiful and tempting cause we just wanted to jump in

2. My trainer and I started this game, we would color in a state every time we saw the license plate and I finally finished! I've officially seen every states license plate.

 

3. We got free passes to go see The Lincoln home in Manchester and it was seriously so cool. Abe Lincolns son's summer home and it was awesome.

 

4. Lastly, Jimmer Ferdette is from Glens Falls (in our stake boundries) and his dad is the stake mission leader or something like that, we've met him and he's super cool. So we're planning this bbq for members to bring their nonmember friends to, and in District Meeting someone suggested that we have Jimmer skype in and bear his testimony on the Book of Mormon hahaha so this is the flier that the elders made 

Umm this is a State Park

Hello everyone!!

So I don't have too much time to write but this week was awesome! I'll include some funny stories and pictures from the week. 

We had Zone Conference which is always a highlight especially when what we learn carries over into our lessons for the week. After ZC we had exchange with Sister Holmberg and Sister Park which is always so much fun. We had lots of good laughs! 

We also got to meet Kathy and Wendy!! Kathy used to live here in Vermont and was meeting with the sisters but then ended up moving down to Florida with her mom. We've been doing phone lessons with them occasionally as they meet with the Elders down there too. We even got her mom Wendy to start taking the lessons! Anyways, this week they came up to VT to visit family and they took us out to lunch and it was awesome to meet them!! They even told us they're thinking of moving up here!! Which would be so awesome! They're so close to baptism. Kathy has been cigarette-free for almost 3 weeks!! They've been to church like 3 times and want to come a few more times and then they're ready to make that commitment! We are so excited for them and it's been amazing to see them progress.

 

Also last thing, Ed came to church yesterday and we saw him last night and he asked us what fasting is, so we explained it simply and he said he wanted to try it next month! He just had the biggest smile on his face and said "What are you two doing to me?!" Hahah it's been so cool to see conversion take place in him. It's amazing the change that the gospel brings to people's lives! I love it!!

xoxo

Sister Rodriguez

Funnies of the week:
Sister Hall: "I bet the write of ELF was from Vermont. They put syrup on everything."

Sister Hall: "I love it when you get pissed. It's so cute" 

Elder Baker: "You guys are like the siamese cats from Lady and the Tramp. You're so in synch" 

*later*
Elder Baker: "Those cats are just so creepy!...I just said you're like them... I take that back.."

Elder Baker: "you can't marry someone from the mission! That's incest! YOU ARE MY SISTER"

Sister Holmberg: "I'm looking for the Pizzas.."
Lady at the kiosk: "Umm this is a state park.."
H: "Oh. I thought this was a residential area..." 

as we turn around and see a HUGE state park sign

Pics: 

1/2. Always gotta pose with the BOM

3. We finally met Kathy and Wendy!!

4. Rain rain rain

5/6. The clouds have been sooo low lately. 

7. Sister Hall got dressed this morning before I did, so I thought it'd be funny to match  .. she made me change... hahaha jk we laughed and took a picture and then I changed!