Hola família

Basically Hispanics are my favorite and I never wanna stop being a missionary.

We went out to lunch a couple times with this cute hermana, trying to help her do her visiting teaching, and when hey weren't home, we feasted :) I made hermana hoferitza try cow tongue this week, she didn't really like it....or me that much either for making her do it haha she's the best :) 

We had a fun family lesson with Ody, we talked about FAITH and we all planted seeds :) it was so fun!

We did a lot of knocking and finding new people! It's fun to go places you've never been before, I always lie the adventure. We went a little  farther on the busses this week to Go find the ovejas :) I love this work!nee always have the weirdest things happening when we knock, especially in the Tennessee HEAT. It's so hot here, but I can already tell I'm gonna miss it...anyways.

We had an awesome district meeting, probably the most spiritual ones I've had! I am so done being around dying missionaries. It's so hard. I just love them so much! What I learned from them is that We all just need to be so passionate about the gospel, and let it show :) 

We went to Olive Garden this week, I'm saying that because Hispanics call it Oliver garden and its darling. Then we visited Biviana, she's doing great!:) I LOVE HER. Her son, Hyrum, adopted me as his sister. Score!:)

Friday we planned, which I actually don't hate anymore :) then we visited Amanda, I love her. She's doing great. We all went to the lake on Saturday for a Ward activity, and everyone went swimming and it was fun:) 

That night we got the big phone call. Transfers. I'm leaving Antioch! I felt it coming, but I still am so sad and not ready. 

This is my place!  This is where I've come to know and love the gospel, and missionary work. Where I've strengthened my testimony. Where I've been so loved and where I've loved so much, and I've learned and grown and I know it's time for me to go, because I am comfortable haha. But I've loved my time here. I've been so blessed my whole mission, with wonderful areas, members, companions, and people in general. I am SO grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and my calling to serve him and preach his gospel.

I know the lord has a plan, and a reason for where I am going, and with who :) I am excited for this next part of the adventure that is my mission. 

LES QUIERO!!:)

Ody and her fammmmm

THe Ward missionaries 

My fun district 

Hermana Eastwood 

July 13, 2015

Howdyyy yalll. It's HAWT.

We did a mission fast last Sunday, and wow all I can say is God is real and he loves us and miracles for days. Yesterday at church, Elder Amulfo Valenzuela from the 70 came and talked to our Ward! It was legit. The spirit was so strong and I was just like, yeah he's an apostle of God. He talked about e Book of Mormon and keeping the sabbath day holy. Do it. :)

We had a fun noche de hogar with Biviana and her cute family :) her and Hyrum have been reading the Book of Mormon together, and they're almost finished! My heart was so happy when they told us that :) 

We found a place to go do service! Woo! At an old folks rehab center, it was really fun to go play board games and color with them (: 

We found this less active family, and met with them last week and they gave us lunch cause #hispaniclyfe and we set an appointment for last Thursday, we thought the grandmother was an investigator! So we go over on Thursday, and she tells us how she was the first member of the family! It surprised us a lot haha we had a family home evening with them that afternoon, with all her cute kids! It was darling! They came to church on Sundayand now we just love each other and we're gonna go over and eat dinner with them this week :) 

We taught Ody again, with her husband. She's doing good, not reading the Book of Mormon though. It's hard cause she wants to know its true, but she won't act..we have a lesson planned this week!:)

Amanda is doing good, we taught her the word of wisdom and she gladly gave up Sweet Tea :) she says she'll drink coconut water now, ;) it's been so fun meeting with her, she is so prepared. This area has my heart! My testimony has grown so much, especially in my Calling. I know as missionaries we are called of God, to build up His kingdom here on earth. I know he really is preparing his children to hear this glad message, and he is also preparing them for who we are personally :) 

 On Friday before visiting an investigator family to give their daughter a birthday present, (this family, loooove them but they hurt my heart cause they're totes eternigators but about a month ago I got a strong prompting to not give up on them, and they've really been turning around!:) ) We were walking into their apartment complex to knock, and Hermana hoferitza STEPS ON A BEER BOTTLE AND HER FOOT POURS OUT BLOOD. It was so sad, we called all the mission nurses, the mission presidents wife, the sisters we live with, everyone. And no one answered. So we called the assistants and bless their hearts they came and saved the day and brought us back to our apartment for the night. Pobrecita, my companion. Moral of the story: Don't drink, kids. 

Sunday.

This is where we all learn to understand why my mission is a Novela [and i'd say this is a pretty normal day in the life of Hermana eastwood].

At church, there's this Hermana named Eva, she has diabetes, I've met her only a few times, and I just love her and she loves me! We were jus chatting and she just gave me the biggest hug and then church started.. Then during relief society, another Hermana runs out and grabs the husband of Eva and once he comes in, she FAINTS hardcore. The Hermana giving the class stopped, and we all just freaked out. We called the police and the firefighters came, and the elders have her a blessing. It was a whole Ward affair. It was CRAZY. And so scary. Still haven't heard from anyone how she is now.. But it was really sweet to see how much the ward cares for every member, and how they'll just drop everything To help.

Then, we went and saw one of our dear friends. We've been trying her all transfer and she hasn't been home, but our appointment cancelled and I got a feeling to try again. Loco. And perfect timing. She had just gotten home from being in the hospital for 4 days for her stomach, and we were talking and she said her husband was taken to jail on Wednesday, and it completely innocent and it's her roommates fault and he left and this poor girl is so alone and, man she just cried to us. We sang for her, and she cried more. It was so sad! She really needed someone to talk to and someone to listen to her. We followed the spirit and did what we could. 

NOVELA.

I love being a missionary. I love my mission.

 the end.

Happy Fourth of July from Tennessee!

ONE OF THE BEST WEEKS EVER.

God is real. God loves us. This week was amazing. 

We had a papusas and horchata for lunch on Tuesday, which is probably my favorite meals :) then we met this guy named Jose looking for a less active woman, but we didn't find her but Jose is awesome! We ended up having two more lessons with him with members and everything! He was reading the restoration pamphlet and the Book of Mormon and MAN we were just so excited about him! Such a miracle. He didn't come to church which was sad, but claro que si we have a lot of hope for him :) 

This is our next miracle: Melida. Hermana James and I met her one last week together, and she's just this SWEETEST lady and we've gone back weekly with Hermana flor, who is just awesome. In the past 3 weeks we've seen such a big change in her, because of the Book of Mormon. She's starting to read it, with a prayer, and is able to understand it. It's teaching me so much of the power in this book :) she came to church!!!! It was so happy, everyone was talking to her and were so happy to see her :) totes gonna make papusas with her this week too ;) #blessings.

We had a fun district meeting, I gave a training on helping and using the members, and elder spiked (LP shout out!) gave a training on commitments, it was really fun. I walked out just so happy and grateful to be here. I LOVE MY MISSION. I love my friends, I love the missionaries, and my investigators and these members. I am so blessed :) 

We had basically a flash flood in a crazy storm, SO FUN. I love Tennessee. We met with Ody, her husband and family are members. She wants to get baptized! But needs time or something. Keep her in your prayers, we love her (: 

Totes ate dinner from a taco truck this night, that was great. Life complete.

Thursday we did lots of knocking, and MAN I'm talking about right place right time. We met so many new people, and they're so interested, nice and prepared (: we're excited for the coming week to go back and teach them the gospel! 

We had a sweet miracle. A while back when elder spiker was here he was teaching a girl named Nancy. She would come to church and was super interested and they even helped her get married! Then they dropped off the face of the earth cause the husband wasn't interested. We went to visit them, and the husband said literally  I'm interested. Goes to show we plant seeds and it may not seem good at the moment, but with time those planted seeds grow and they can't be stopped :) #noeffortiswasted.

Basically I'm obsessed with my mission. and Tennessee. and everything. and I love my savior and I love being a missionary and I'm so grateful for all I'm learning and seeing happen. This is the Lords work :) 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY. You can bet I celebrated my freedom by going to bed at 9:) #Murica hope yall  had fun with fireworks! On Sunday they had all the missionaries, (the gringos...)stand up in front of everyone and sing America the beautiful...God Bless! 

LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD WEEK!(:

Hermana Eastwood