October 27, 2014

this week we went on surprise exchanges! hermana holman came here and hermana orellana went to buena vista with hermana smith! 

it was really fun-hermana holman sure taught me alot.

 i can tell i am improving, and honestly my testimony is growing so much, i love being out here i am so grateful i have this opportunity, and i am so grateful for my calling.

this branch is amazing, i am so thankful for their examples to me. they just put God first, and have faith that if they do as they should, everything will work out. 

we met this guy named david a few weeks ago, and we went back to teach him and met pedro, then went back to teach him and met jorge, then went back to teach him and met erica! 

so basically, we're gonna teach that whole household its no biggy:)

but its really cool, cause erica is 11, and the men are older (her dad and cousins/uncles), & theyre really strong in their own religion, but every time we talk to them they are very interested, and i think that we've crossed paths for a reason. i am excited to be able to teach them and im going to work very hard to help them in everything they need.

last night was really cool, the Boro (Murfreesboro...im cool. its fine haha) had a fireside for the youth! and the Nashville Tribute Band came! (i had never heard of them before my mission, but they sing songs to bear their testimony and the missionaries can have their music for free. and everyone in TN is obsessed with them.. theyre actually really cool!)

so we got to go! and we brought our investigator Ariel, (parker would be best friends with him. hes this 25 yr old from guatemala! haha but yeah i can just see them being so tight.(PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY S/O) )

anyways. so we went to the fireside and watched them play. and for like half the concert they had allll the missionaries go up and sing with them!! it was so cool!!! all the parents and some of the future missionaries and youth were crying! it was so cool. the spirit was so strong. i hadnt realized how much of an impact i have as a  missionary. it was a really cool moment.

this gospel is so good, and its amazing how much everyones lives are touched by the spirit. i am so glad to be a missionary, and to have the opportunity to see the gospel work in the lives of others, to see the impact and how much it means to others, and to see my gratitude grow. i am so grateful to be here, i am learning so much.i am testifying as best as i can, and i know no effort is wasted-i am trying to help people in any way they need, cause i know thats what Christ would do. 

i am grateful to be able to grow so much closer to him and learn about him and strive to follow his example. its amazing to me that he trusts me, with all my faults and weaknesses, to be his representative and to preach his gospel to his children. 

i know everything happens for a reason. and we need not question God. i know we can pray to him for the strength we need, and i know he is watching out for us. i know we can do all we are asked, when we turn to him and put our trust in him. i know he loves us all.

TENNESSEE IS SO BEAUTIFUL. the leaves are amazing and it is so fun to ride our bikes down the road and see how pretty it is(: 

happy fall and happy halloween!(:

con amor(:

October 20, 2014

hi everyone!!

this week was awesome!

monday night we had a tornado warning!! what?! so we couldnt go out and work, it was a bummer cause i was excited haha but just an extended Pday its fine?!

tuesday we had interviews with president, and had some awesome trainings by the asistants!!

we had  a pretty good week, lots of lessons, we've met a lot of cool people too, i have faith in them and i believe we will make miracles!!(:

SO SUPER AWESOME THING HAPPENED!!

david archuleta came and talk/SANG to us!

we had a surprise mission wide meeting last night in nashville, and he was in nashville to do his music!

what?! so he came to our meeting, and sang us a couple songs! his voice is an angel first of all its fine. haha but he told us stories of his mission and how he got there and all he learned, and his testimony. it was amazing. he is so humble! it was so great to hear about his mission, and how much it meant to him. 

we talked about music, surprise? but it was so cool to sing with all the missionaries, we sang probably 4 songs to try to bring the spirit, and holy cow! the spirit was so strong! i felt so happy to be a missionary! i couldnt stop smiling and i was singing so loud, everyone around me, their ears probably hurt cause i sound bad haha but i was just so happy to be here, and to feel the spirit(: its amazing how much music can affect us, and has the power to bring the spirit.

David Archuleta said that one of the attributes of christ we should strive to have, is virtue. i didnt think about that. i always think about patience, obedience, faith, love and charity.

but virtue! that got me thinking. 

our lives on earth is to strive to become like christ, we can't do that if we dont have the spirit with us. we cant have the spirit if we dont have clean thoughts.

like D&C 121:45

we need to strive to have virtuous thoughts always, and then we will be able to be more christ like, AND have the power to over come anything, cause we'll have his strength to help us though.

i am so grateful to be a missionary!! i know i am in the work of the Lord, and he is guiding it.

i love you all! have a great week!!(:

October 12, 2014

hey yall! hows it goooiiinnn

transfers were this week! mynew sweet companion is hermana Orellana, shes from Mexico and is the biggest sweetheart! she is so kind and loving, and we are getting along very well. i love her so much! we are going to have an awesome transfer together!

one funny thing that happened this week, i went to a Guatemalan party! haha we were going to our friend Ariel's house to invite him to church, and what HUGE FIESTA! so we got to eat tacos and chat with some of our friends, besides the fact that they were a little borracho, they said they'd come to church!! buttt,,,, sad day when they did not. but still it was just a hit.

we've been super diligent in our tracting this week,and we met some really awesome people!

it amazes me how hard people work, and i love the members in my branch here because they work so hard, and they rely on the lord for everything. they know if they put god first, they will be okay. i think this is an attitude we all need to have, to trust in the lord with everything, and believe it will all work out the way its supposed to.

yesterday was fast sunday, and i love it here in this branch because the testimonies of my friends here are so strong! one lady was saying how she was so grateful for one more day, one more month to bear her testimony. that got me thinking. how grateful i am to have that opportunity EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE. as a missionary, i have the opportunity to bear my testimony all day everyday. i get to share the reason for my happiness, the reason for my comfort, and my confidence. the reason i know we can all get through this life, because we have a loving Savior who knows and loves us perfectly, and through him we can become perfect, and live with our families forever. 

we as members of the church have the blessing of knowing the restored gospel of Jesus christ, and by having this knowledge, we also have the blessing to share it. i encourage you all to share your testimony in as many aspects as possible. we are members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. at baptism we covenanted to take his name upon ourselves. we should show christ like love to all we come in contact with. 

hah i know this is cheesy, but the question, "what would jesus do?" is always in my head. its really cool too! i think, jesus would help that woman put groceries in her car, jesus would help that man clean up his yard, jesus would talk to that person.

i love you all very very much, and i hope all is going well in all your lives:)

seguir adelante con la fe

con amor,

hermana eastwood

October 6, 2014

Hey guys!! It's been raining all day it's so so fun:) cute fall day.

We had Weird week this week, as usual! Hahah the work is going so great, I love the Hispanic people they are so fun! And crazy, and loving. Feels right at home;) 

One random thing that happened, We went over to teach our friend Minerva, who has a baptismal date and she's such a cutie :), but we found out she moved! :( so we're gonna find her new address and send it as a referral to the missionaries in Nashville, so we were sad, but it's okay cause now like 4 men live in that house! We can teach them, miracle in the making?

We met some good potentials, I have faith that God is leading us to those who are ready, and he's preparing them, and me to be able to teach them :) 

TRAINING IS OVER! I made it! HOLLA!!!!! Hermana smith is leaving, she's going to be a sister training leader SO COOL, and I am staying in Murfreesboro! My new companion is Hermana orellana, I am so pumped!! I know God is working in this, and it will all work out if I keep trying, I am excited to work with hma orellana, we will do miracles :) 

Conference was SO good no?!

The last session, we had 4 investigators come! WOO!! And, MIRACLE, we set a date with one of them! Our friend Josue and his uncle Lionel, from Honduras. I am excited to teach them all the lessons and get them one step closer to Heavenly Father and eternal life.

Conference this weekend really made me take a step back. I am so grateful for this gospel. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that Jesus Christ, our savior, is leading us in this day, he loves us so much, he speaks to us through his prophet Thomas s Monson. It's so happy to tell people that and teach them! No matter how scary missionary work is, when I take a step back and think about it, OF COURSE ITS WORTH IT. As Missionaries we are bringing the happiest message to these people, that they are not alone, the have their savior with them always, and by acting on their faith, with our help, they can make the choices and changes so they can have salvation and eternal happiness with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and their families.

One thing I loved about conference this time, is this thought that came into my mind a million times:

I want to be just like Jesus. 

I want to be as humble as he is, as helping, as loving, as everything as he is!

How blessed we are to have him as our perfect example to follow, and how blessed we are to have the scriptures in our hands, to learn of him and to grow closer to him. As I learn more of him, I love him more and my gratitude grows. I know he knows us individually and I believe he loves us more than we can imagine, he wants us to do our best, and he is with us every step of the way helping us, he will never leave us alone. It's so comforting and happy, I am very grateful I have this time to dedicate my life to him and his gospel, and to share this happy message with those who need it.

We all should strive everyday to Become more like Christ :)

I love you all! Peace out from Tennessee :)

Hermana Eastwood