More news from Jenna

Hi!! How is everybody? I hope you are all doing well and having a fantastic summer! How has the weather been and what have y'all been doing? I miss you all so much and love you lots!! Well Life her in the west Texas town of El Paso has been fantastic! This past Saturday we had 4 people get baptized!! It was just so amazing, and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to share the gospel.

Ok so for the stories of the week.

Story 1 On Wednesday we were going to visit Tara (the girl who read the Book of Mormon in like 3 weeks. Crazy right!). But this visit was not going to be a happy one because since she had not gone to church twice she would not make her date of the 22nd. So we go in and say hi and start talking, and when I bring up here baptism she gets really excited. She says that she has been looking forward to it for the past two weeks and can’t wait. And it was at this point that I had to tell her that since she had only gone to church once she could not be baptized on Saturday. I thought that she was going to be so sad and disappointed, but instead she just smiles and says this. "But I did go to church twice once with you and your ward, and the other time when I was on vacation. I looked up the meetinghouse and printed out the directions so that my mom could take me. And while the rest of my family went shopping I went to church." I was dumb founded!! This young girl never ceases to amaze me, and I just love her so much! So we finished the lesson and set up her interview.

Story 2 On Friday Kevin had his interview with President Perez (he is the mission presidents representative down her in El Paso). And Kevin comes out of the interview and the President asks if we would come in. So we do and he then explains to us that Kevin is not ready for baptism. He told us he was so that he could please his mom, and us. But the thing is that I really knew that he wasn't ready. Something kept telling me this but I ignored it thinking that if he thinks he is ready than he is ready. The President gave us some advice to help him and us, because he knew that we were both pretty new to the field. But I did learn to never ever ever dismiss a prompting, no matter what it is. And that I will make sure that the investigator is 100% ready before they are interviewed.

Story 3 So Saturday finally came and we were getting everything ready for the baptisms of the Garcia's (Dee Dee, Katherine and Brandi) and Tara. So many people came to give support that we had to move out of the primary room and it to the Relief Society room! But the baptisms went amazing, and we got to stand on the stairs by the font to watch. The spirit was so strong and I know that everyone felt it! After it was over and we were having refreshments I asked all of them how they felt. Katherine and Brandi said really well and then ran to get cookies. Tara said that she just felt so clean and happy. But Dee Dee's answer was the best; she said that she just felt so light that she could float up to heaven. And she was so grateful that we had found her family the gospel. WOW! It was just amazing! The next day they were all going to get confirmed. And The Garcia’s come but no Tara... So we text her and ask if she needs a ride, she says no and that she is on her way. Well church starts and still no Tara! I was freaking out as the Garcia's all go up and get confirmed. And then the bishop looks at me from the stand and mouths were is Tara? And all I could do was mouth back and shrug on her way. So we text her again and it turns out that she had car trouble! After the sacrament was over she finally get there, and I was able to breath again. So the bishop says that they had forgotten an item of ward business and called Tara up to the stand. After its over the ward mission leader leans over to me and say, " I was getting really worried there for a second." And I just had to nod and say me too. After church Dee Dee's husband Adam (who was already a member) came over to me and shook my hand and said. " I have been waiting for this moment for 10 years. I have been praying that my wife would find a place that she could feel at peace. And even though I was inactive for so many years the lord never forgot about my family and me. And I am so grateful that you and sister Rose found us that day. Thank you so much!" If I could have hugged him I would have but he was so grateful that he started to tear up. I am so grateful for the amazing experience God gave me to witness all of these wonderful people come to Christ.

And finally story 4 Yesterday was the "Work of Salvation" Broadcast, and it was amazing! I hope that you all got to see it or can go online and watch it!! The work is truly moving forward and I feel so blessed to be apart of it. But the Missionaries cannot do this work by ourselves, and we need your help. We all know someone, or a whole family that could be greatly blessed by the message of the restoration. And it is the missionaries’ job to teach these people, but we need help finding them. So please be willing to help the missionaries, and to help them find people to teach. I know that it is not the easiest thing to tell people about the church. I think because it is special and sacred to us, that we do not want people to be little the truths we have. But if it is so special then why should we not share it? The Lord does not want just a select few to have his gospel but EVERYONE!!!! Yesterday Elder Packer said "Any invitation that is based on love of the person, and the love of Christ can never be taken in offense."  Again I know that going up to people is hard, but at least you all will know the people that you are talking to! Because I have no clue who any of these people are! But that doesn’t matter because I know that they are all children of God, my brothers and sister. So think of someone, think of anyone who you feel that the Lord has prepared and help them find the truth. Elder Holland said in his talk 'The first and Great Commandment' " I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world." If this is the work of God and we all know that it is, IT WILL NOT FAIL. Remember that we are all missionaries even if we don't wear a tag.   

I love you all so much and want you to know that I am "honnored" to be a missionary for the Lord. I know that this gospel is true and I love my Savior Jesus Christ with all my hear. Keep fighting the good fight and keep the faith. So that we can finish the course with joy.

With all my love

Sister Chatwin

P.S. It, it was, Soap poisoning!

Things are going well in El Paso, yet one more baptism appointment scheduled!!!

Hi Family!!! How are you all doing? Sorry that I could not write letters last week it was super busy getting ready for transfers. But I am still at the same address on gateway Blvd North so you can send me letters again. And HAPPY FATHERS DAY (Yesterday) to the best dad in the whole world !! I miss all of you so much and cant wait to hear from you. 

So this week has been a roller-coaster to say the lest.  Monday was crazy because we had to run around and get things for sister Rose to leave, wash the car, make a map, and do laundry. So that is why there were no letters mailed last week. But on Tuesday I said good bye to Sister Rose, yes she was a little crazy but I miss her lots. I guess that's what happens when you live with some one for almost 4 months. Wow can you all believe I have been gone for 4 months already?! The time has just flown by, and it will be September 2014 before we all know it. So after we said good bye to sister Rose I spent the rest of the morning with sister Biencardi who also sent her trainer up north. And then after we waited at the transfer site for almost 2 hours in 110 degree heat ( yes it has been that hot all week), we finally met our new companions. Her name is sister Brown, she is 19 and from west Jordan Utah. So I still have to explain to everyone we meet how not all missionaries/ Latter Day Saints are from Utah. But she is very nice and eager to learn. 

Ok so the stories of the week!!! On Friday the day started out just like it normally does hot and windy. And as the day wore on we saw a storm moving in, and I thought it would be a normal dust storm/ thunder storm... Man was I wrong. After we left dinner it started to rain just a little bit and as we drove to our next appointment it just got harder and faster. After about 5 minutes we were in a monsoon! The streets were filled with ankle deep water, and the rain drops were about the sizes of quarters! But we had an appointment to get to so we drove down the river (it really was a river and not a street) and a crossed a few lakes (The intersections were even deeper than the roads!) then made it to our appointment. By the time we pulled up in front of the house it was raining even harder and faster! So we said a quick prayer and mad a brake for the door! And by the time we had gone about 10 feet we were completely soaking wet, so when we reached the door it looked like we ad just gotten out of a swiping pool! And the best part is....The person was not even home! So we stood out in the rain for another 5 minutes trying to get a hold of the investigator then sprinted back to the car. After we got in the car the rain just stopped, the sun comes out, and there is a beautiful rainbow in the sky. But we are still soaking wet, and had no time to dry off because we had another appointment to get to. So we drive back over the lakes and rivers to our appointment which also happens to not be there! So we park the car and start walking to a house just around the corner. We talk to a few people and the day is still very nice cool and with just a few clouds. We get to the house and started to talk to the kids out side when it starts to sprinkle. The kids run in the house and close the door so we start walking back to the car and we are almost dry at this point mind you. When all of the sudden the monsoon returns!! So we just start running to the car which is a block away! So we are soaked to the bone and kind of cold. So we went to our apartment to our last appointment, were we visited  with a former investigator just to see how she is doing. And when we leave it starts to rain again!! Man for living in a desert it can sure rain and flood fast! 

Story 2 We are teaching the Garcia family ( the miracle family I told you about a little while ago) and they are on date to be baptized this Saturday! But on Saturday we taught about the word of wisdom, and Dee Dee the mom has been a smoker on and off for years and loves her coffee. So I promised her that if she would stop drinking coffee and never pick up a cigarette again, that God would help her to stop doing both. Yesterday while at church I asked Dee Dee how she was doing with out her morning coffee. And she said, "Sister Chatwin I want you to know that every time I smell coffee or cigarette smoke, or even think about them I get sick. I know that God is helping me to be a better person and to be prepared to be baptized this Saturday!" I mean wow right!! This woman has so much faith in God and in the gospel that its just crazy! I know that she is doing so well because she is relying on the lord and doing all the things that she is supposed to be doing. 

Story 3 Again on Saturday we went to talk to Kevin Robinson (the guy who made oysters) and also talked about the Word of Wisdom. Wow we taught that lesson a lot on Saturday...Oh well I guess that's what God wanted. But he is pretty much living it already because he doesn't drink smoke or do drugs. And he rarely drinks coffee or tea, except when he is at work or in training. so we promised him that if he would have faith and try to find something else instead of coffee and tea he would be blessed. And just before we were about to leave I felt prompted to ask if he was still prepared to be baptized on the 22 of June. Because he has been sitting on the fence about whither or not to follow the spirit, which we know he feels. And he stopped and looked at me for half a minute and said, "Well based on everything that you have taught me so far, yes I am." So he is still on track to be baptized this Saturday as well! So we will get to see 4 baptisms this Saturday!! It is just so amazing to see how the lord works on people even when we are not there. 

And last but not least Story 4. On Saturday ( yeah everything pretty much happened on Saturday this week, but hey what can you do) we had just come home from dinner with Kevin, he made this really good spinaich chicken with cheese and a mushroom rice thingy. And we look at the phone and see we have 2 missed calls from the same number. But I usually don't call people back if they don't leave a message and this person had not. I was just about to delete the number when something told me to call it back. So I did, and a young man answers the phone, and after I explain who we are and why we are calling he proceeds to tell us the following story. About two weeks ago he was just coming home from work and getting things out of his car when 2 pretty well dressed (his words not mine) come up and hand him a card and say that they have a message about how you can find more joy and happiness in you life. And ask his name and shake hands then leave. Well for the next few weeks he just keeps thinking about it, Then his Grandfather comes to visit him and to help him get his life together, and tells him he should join a church. And the young man says that's funny because he has thinking about that the last few weeks. Then the grandpa proceeds to say that if he were to join any church it would be the Mormons. Again this young man says that also funny because he had just meet 2 young ladies who gave him a card and said that they were Mormons, and he had been thinking about calling them. Well the young lady who gave him the card was me. I remember that we were running late to a meeting and I saw him getting out of his car. I almost passed right by him when something told me that I had to give him a card. So I went over and shook his hand gave him a card and we left. The young mans name is Dallas and he lives in our apartment complex. We taught him the for the first time yesterday and we committed him to baptism. He wont set a date till he knows a little more but I know that he will get baptized! The moral of that story is to always follow promptings!!   

Well that pretty much all my good stories, and I hope you enjoy them. I love you all very much and miss you tons!! Cant wait to hear from you all!!

Love Sister Chatwin

P.S SMILE!!!

Site's from El Paso

Here are a few site's from El Paso Texas, I had hoped she would forget about Dr Who but I guess not???

Hi!! How is every one doing? I hope everything is going well and that you are all having a great summer. Congratulations to Makall for graduating from high school!!! And Happy Fathers Day to the best dad in the whole world!!  So how is everybody?  What’s going on and what are all your summer plans? The kids still look as cute as ever and tell them I miss them all.

Well this week has been kind of slow. We have been teaching most the same people that I have already told you about. But the story of the week is this....

On Wednesday during studies we got a phone call from Pres Miller. And he asked sister Rose if she would be a sister training leader next transfer. Naturally she said yes, and he then told her that she had to drive up to Albuquerque with some other sisters for a leadership training conference....That day. So we had to do an emergency exchange so that she could go to the meeting and I would have a companion. We exchanged with a set of sisters were one was also going to the meeting. So I went with sister Oxley to her area in Horizon City till they got back. Sister Oxley is 21 and has been on her mission for 5 months or so. She is super nice and we had lots of fun. For dinner we went to this store in Horizon city and she got this burrito with molla. And Molla is apparently chicken cooked in chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon and butter. Yeah I know weird right. But since I have committed to not turn down any food on my mission I had to try some when she offered. It was the weirdest thing I have ever tasted! She said that it is not the best molla and that the real stuff tastes so much better. But it was still the weirdest taste ever. But any way Sister Oxley is called Spanish speaking so I got to spend quite a bit of time just sitting and smiling while she did all the talking. But we ran in to some very nice people, and I was able to help teach a few lessons. Thursday night our companions still had not gotten back so I had dinner with the missionaries in her area. And I ran in to Elder Dylan Barns from our old ward! He is serving in the same ward as sister Oxley. So he and the missionaries shared some of their stories while we ate dinner. And as for the spiritual thought, it was in Spanish so I again got to sit and smile. And before you ask no I did not get a picture because I left my camera in the apartment. But it was great to see him and to meet some of the other Elders. Around 9 o'clock the companions tell us that they will be home soon, and that we needed to go to the meeting spot. When we all got there it turns out that Pres Miller took everybody to Tuconos for dinner and my companion (who has a paralyzed digestive track and cant eat meat or pasta) decided that she was going to try a chicken heart. Why she did it I don't know but it was a very bad idea. Not only was it nasty but all the way home she was super sick. And then we went home.

So yep that is my story of the week, we were out of our area for 2 whole days so not much happened. Oh yea and one more thing when president Miller Called Sister rose to be a Sister training leader, he also called me and asked if I would accept the call to be a trainer next transfer.  So yeah I get to train a new sister Missionary after just finishing my own training yesterday. I am very excited and very nervous all at the same time. So this means sister Rose is being transferred up north and I am staying here. So my address is still the same probably for the next three months, which means you can send me letters again. But transfers are tomorrow so I will meet this new sister then. Last Friday I had to go to a trainer meeting and Pres Miller said that all of us were there and going to train because God had called us to do it. So I know that if Heavenly Father has called me to do this he will help me do it. So what I want everyone to do (especially if you have been on a mission) to send me some tips on how to be a good trainer. I love you all so much and hope that your summer goes well. Cant wait to hear from you all soon.

Love sister Chatwin  

Letter June 3

Well life is good in the west Texas town of El PasoVery Very hot but good. We just had a Zone Conference and we learned the Glad Game, I am sure you have seen Pollyanna, well thats the game she playsIf you take any situation and then find the positive in it.
I hope you get the yard put in soon and that it turns out the way you want.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Sis Jenna Chatwin