Chick-Fil A day

Well we finally made it inside the Da la Cruz's home. Talk about a miracle. Only took basically 6 months of knocking on the door almost weekly to get inside. It was hard to get a lesson in but I've learned that as you let the spirit guide, things will always tie back to the gospel, and the spirit will testify to you what to say. So things will be brought to your remembrance and typically for me it's scriptures...which is great leeway into a lesson. It worked. The joy of applying principles from chapter 2 of preach my gospel.

This week we taught two lessons in Spanish...and by we I mean my companion...because well guess who dropped out of Spanish class...oh yup me! But it's amazing how much I understood..oh and he wasn't just a Hispanic man, but a drunk Hispanic man...which is harder to understand. We did set up a return appointment so we could introduce him to the Spanish elders...he ended up dropping us but it was interesting because even they (Spanish elders) said they had a hard time understanding him...and those elders go home pretty soon. I was grateful the spirit helped me know what was going on even if I can't speak it hardly at all. I do however have a desire to speak it. We have a app we are allowed to use and I've been practicing Spanish on it. I use to have a terrible job at remembering things but I believe working in a food place where order is so important that it helped me but coming on mission helped way more. It crazy how we are prepared to serve a mission each of us, all so different and each prepared so differently. Being a manager at work has helped me so much while training. I have been worried every day the last 10weeks about every Little thing, hoping I don't mess up to bad. And living up to the trust Heavenly Father has in me. I haven't figured out why he wanted me to train but I do know he has loved me enough to help me progress. And I think that's a huge part of it. It's amazing as we study the nature of Heavenly Father we truly see ourselves as he sees us. I know he loves us. He wants what's best for us. And he wants us to have joy in this life. And we can only have true joy that is eternal within the gospel. I know Christ paid the price so that we can come unto him and continually change to become better. I love the Savior, and I'd give up anything for him, every weakness and shortcoming to stay by his side. "If life doesn't suit you, try and have a change of sene. " -Newsies. Christ doesn't just change us he changes how we see things, how we see ourselves and others. We can be free from it all as we turn to the Savior. I know this to be true. Don't believe kneel down and ask him yourself. we went to dinner and she told us about how you get a free meal when you dress up like a cow...so after dinner we dressed up like a cow, and got two free meals. Yum! Made great lunches for later in the week. And our appointment fell through so it was good. We even gave out some pass along cards. Never let a opportunity pass you by!! (Photo credit to Sister Danz...she's a creepy stalker)

Companions and Friends

I wish I had time to say all the things I needed to, or even that the Internet worked...ugh!! This week has been exciting though. Monday night we found a new investor. Woohoo!! We were tracking and we found Lilie. She is a super sweet lady in her early 50's. Last night we found a man named Zach. He asked if we were Christians we said yes, then he was like good, because those Mormons are weird....we then had to wait for him to stop talking so we could tell him we are Mormons but how it's a nick name the world has given to us. Awkward. 😉 but he told us he'd love to have us come back and met with his family.

District meeting was really good this week. This picture was taken at district meeting. Saturday we didn't have a dinner, so we ate at home and then quickly went to the lake in hopes of skipping some rocks....no rocks on the shore where we were but it was beautiful...

My hazel eyes were having a great day. My companion and I. I haven't figured out why we are companions but I know it was inspired. We have just picked up on being friends as if we've known each other our whole lives...well that's how I feel. I know we must have been friends in the pre earth life. She is just so great! I have so much fun with her. She is a great example to me. And a great leader, to it just me but everyone around us. I'm blessed to be companions with her.

21st Birthday!

This week where to start. Sorry about just sending pictures last week, we had to pack and clean....and get rid of stuff we had acquired. (6 months somewhere can give you so many things you don't need) bad excuses...sorry.

Wednesday I went to my first DLC (District Leadership Counsel) where the district leaders and zone leaders, STL's get together and counsel on the needs and goal setting of the districts. It goes about a hour unless its like the one we just had and it goes to be almost two hours....We had dinner with the Matlock's I don't have a photo but Sister Clark might...anyway Sister Clark (my trainer) told the people here in Wellington my birthday was Wednesday...so I had cake at dinner and then we went to the Eldrige and they had cake....oh no, I fear I'll get fat in this ward everyone is such a great cook. And cake is so soo good! And Earl (baptized in Nov/I went to his baptism with Sister Clark) he got me a card for my birthday it was so sweet. I love how in the church you always have a family wherever you go!

My birthday: big old 21 

What did we do:

Studies, driving and we went to zone meeting...gave a training...on my birthday! It was pretty nerve racking because 6 Elders in our zone have been in leadership positions and so forth since I've been out, or 2 of them came out in my group of missionaries. I get nervous speaking in forth of people but I am working more on putting aside fear. After we tried some unknowns in the ward we don't know, we met Galen he polishes rocks, and he gave us some...even a polished rock necklace since it was my birthday. After we had dinner with the Thompsons gave us a apple pie for my birthday and we had dairy free ice cream! woohoo! Also for lunch Sister Helsing took me to Olive Garden, it was so good. I love her! not just because she took me there but because shes so kind!

 Friday we had MLC's which are the first Friday of every month...they start at 9 am and end around 4 pm...so long. But there are 31 sisters in the mission, Sister Helsing and I are over 10 (5 companionship's) none of them are in our zone. We are over Longmont, Laramie, Loveland, and Cheyenne so needless to say exchanges will be fun, lots more traveling then I think I expected. But I'm excited. Our Bishop always says "Stuff like that there...." you'd think he was the one from the south not me...Oh well...people get disappointed when I don't sound like I'm from Kentucky...sad days of my life..

Yesterday we were about to drive to our dinner and we were leaving this neighborhood and we say a small, fat dog walking down the street I felt we should pull over to help, so we crossed the street so we could turn around, during that time a truck hit the dog...we parked the car and walked over to help...during this time the owner and her older son came running outside and some elderly ladies riding bikes stopped.At first we stood at a distance..I'm not sure either of us knew what to do. I kept saying a prayer I'd know what to do...I felt prompted to go stand beside this lady scratch her back while she knell above her now dead dog...the dog was so gross, blood was everywhere....but as I looked past that and stood silently beside her I was able to feel a sense of the Saviors love for her. I'm so grateful for the spirit and for the opportunity we have to help one another.

I love being a missionary. Thank you everyone for all you've done to help me learn and grow.

Thank you for having faith in me.

Jenny is an STL in Her New Area! (Sister Training Leader)

This is Lauren: Jenny sends her blog updates to me and I post them but for some reason this weeks was chopped off. What I did get was her pictures and a few descriptions. The gist is that Jenny has been transferred to her third area.

Jenny has been a missionary for ten months, spent the first 4 in Loveland, the next 6 in Greeley and now Greely is being closed to sisters and Elders are moving in. Jenny is getting sent to Wellington where she will be a Sister Training Leader. An SLT is something like a Zone Leader or a District Leader. She and her companion will have leadership over the sisters in her zone and will frequently go on exchanges with them for training purposes. She will also be attending leadership meetings with the other leaders in her mission.

I, like all of you, have been impressed to watch jenny blossom on her mission! She is diligent, and obedient, and knows the power of the Atonement.

Keep her in your prayers!

Love, Lauren

Notes about the pics: 

This guy is way funny. And has been such a strength to me this
transfer. I'm grateful for him and his desire to serve those around
him.

Last district meeting photo. #curlyhairdontcare


This family is from my last area...they just moved near Greeley back
in May. When I found this out I couldn't help but visit. Love them so
much. #permissiongranted2visit


Last Photo from Habitat. "We built this 'house' on rock n roll"
(redo...we ain't building a city...not yet)
Birthday celebration with some Elders in the area. Super nice. And
it's Olive Garden 😀

Martins
Saying 'see ya laters'
Mortensen's

New Investigators Who Are Listening to the Spirit!

This week, boy where to start! This week was full of miracles!

Last Sunday we met a man named Chops, I felt I should give him a Restoration pamphlet but because of my lack of preparation, I only had one in my bag . . . my one from the MTC that had notes and scripture references in it along the side of the page. But I felt it was best to give it to him. So I wrote our number on the back and we said our goodbyes and walked away. Tuesday, we had a missed call so we listen to the voicemail and was Chops. He told us he wanted to meet. So we met. We shared the Restoration. It was a great lesson. We set up a return appointment, which ended up falling through but Chops called us Saturday and told us he had had a long day and wanted to meet so we met up and shared the next lesson. He told us he'd love to come to church. Sunday he came!!

Last Sunday, a man named Si came to church. Si has a friend who is Mormon. The friend lives in Loveland. Si went to church once with her but wasn't very open. Recently, he felt he should come again. So last week, he found the number online for our Bishop and called to see if it was okay that he come, Of course! At church, we met Si and he stayed the first two hours. And had to leave, but told us he wanted to take the lessons. So we got his number. Tuesday we taught the restoration. It was a great lesson. Although he didn't accept the baptismal invitation when setting him with a date, he did say he would be baptized when he knew. Si is a very nice younger man ( mid 30's).

Saturday, there were at lot of baptisms within the zone so we invited Si to the 3pm one. He told us he really enjoyed it. This week, we met with Susan and her boyfriend. It was a great lesson. So far we've just been going straight through the lessons. It has been wonderful. But for some reason Friday night I felt we should talk about temples and not whatever lesson we had planned. So we shared a Mormon message and some scriptures and talked about Temples.

The next day, we saw Susan at the activity and while her boyfriend was playing with the kids she told us of how they are trying to decide what to do in this relationship and of how Susan felt she shouldn't make any choices until they are in the temple together. And how they had just had this conversation after we left last week. She told me the spirit had to of directed that message. Because after they were
able to have such a great conversation. Things will work out for both of them. I just know it.

Why I'm Still Here . . .

This week I had a pretty great experience. I've been praying to know why I'm still here in this area (August makes 6 months), we were at the Deb's (name changed) and sister Deb had been planning on leaving her new husband for another man. She recently had to fly our of state and be a friend for this man but she had to drive back to Colorado. (Kansas is boring if you didn't know) 

Thursday night we met with sister Deb and she told us she no longer plans on leaving her husband and because we haven't seen her since the 4th (stopped to get water) last lesson appointment 3rd. So the 3rd was when this all went down.

By the 9th she was happier and has a desire to come to church. And she told us, "Sister Burden all I could see was the look of disappointment that was on your face last time" (3rd) and how wrong this plan was that she had. While sitting there I received an answer to why I am still here in this area. And I'm so grateful for the spirit and for the answers we can receive through prayer.

Also this week we had 5 less actives at church, and 1 investigator!!!! Marie came to church! And she rode her bike about 5ish miles to get there. In a skirt! Woohoo,

 Photos from exchanges.
Photo 1 Sister Young , sister Helsing me and sister Danz

Photo 2 Brother Wright (wml) sister Helsing and me)

Digging Deep To See The Good

Highlights from this week...

I've learned the longer your in a area sometimes you have to dig deeper to see the good. Here there is plenty of good, even if it's all less actives.

Members are investigators . . . just with the Holy Ghost, our job is also to teach them how to listen to the spirit.

We met Jarome this week, he's homeless and a hitch hiker. But he has such a big heart. When we handed him a bible, and Book of Mormon, his face lite up. I wish everyone's faces lit up like that when they saw scriptures. The whole time talking to him I was picturing him as what he could become with the gospel in his life.

We also met Dennis in the park, right now I'd say a lot of our missionary life is just planting seeds. Not a bad thing that's for sure. It's still our calling. Dennis watched the Because He Lives video with us, and we then went into teach the restoration. It was a beautiful lesson. Only problem he lives in Loveland.

We met with Sister Black, funny story. During weekly planning I had a strong impression we should sing "I love to see the temple" So . . . interestingly, she believes she has the priesthood, and doesn't believe Joseph Smith ever did. So I was nervous about how this would go, but putting aside my fear and focusing on her made the biggest difference.

After the song, and scripture, and testimony we were about to give her the invitation (we had handed her the "my family" pamphlet) and she asked us to give her a closing prayer. Since I had to say the closing prayer, I asked Heavenly Father to help her fill out the pamphlet so she could have a fresh start on her genealogy. After the prayer she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said "you answered my prayers . . .this morning I said a prayer to help me get started on my genealogy and you answered my prayers. Hallelujah!!!

We also went to the stampede. Which was loads of fun. We got in for free. Gave out pass along cards, and decided to get a funnel cake. We also rode a ride, it was so much fun. (We prayed about it, and got permission)

We did some sparklers. Called it good. We had two dinners. That's rough stuff.

Last night our dinner was so great, the husband lit his hands on fire. Oops!

Love, Jenny