The Tale of Divine Intervention

Hello family how are you all doing!!! I miss y'all so much and I hope that your having a great day. Well things have begun to pick up and I am really glad about that. We have been tracting more in these past few weeks than I have been in my whole mission. But the lord has seen our effort and blessed us for all the things that we have been doing. So on to the stories of the week!!

Story 1 The Tale of the New Beginnings

A few Sundays ago the YW president asked if we would share our testimonies during new beginnings. We obviously said yes and she told us that the theme for this years mutual is “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32). So as missionaries this is what we do every day, by inviting other to come unto Christ. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do because people think that they know everything about him and that is good enough for them. I always want to ask where they got there information because I would love to know everything about Jesus! But as a missionary I am trying to work on not being sarcastic, so I have to refrain for such comments. Anyway so Wednesday came and I got to speak first. And it was then that I realized 2 things. 1st that I started the YW's program 10 years ago!!! How on earth did time fly by so fast!!! And 2nd how grateful I am for the YW's program. I learned so much about who I am and what it is that God expects from me. I know that I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father and he truly does know and love me. I am very grateful for all of my YW leaders and especially my mother. I am glad that she pushed me to get my medallion, because now I truly see how much it helped me.   

Story 2 The Tale of the Grateful Man

On Saturday we had the privilege to go to a baptism for one of the elders investigators. His name is David and he has been investigation the church for 2 years. But there was something that these 2 elders said that helped him finally want to enter into the waters of baptism. It was such an amazing thing to see this very old man walk down into the fount and when he came back out he just grabbed the elder who baptized him and sobbed into his shoulder saying "Thank You, thank you". He was so excited about what he had just done, and he truly understood what it was that the elders had helped him accomplish. And the next day in Sacrament meeting after he was confirmed a member of the church. He just sat there and cried, he was so over come with joy that he could do nothing but cry. It is just such an amazing thing that we as missionaries have this amazing opportunity to help people to find there savior. It is the single greatest thing that I have had the chance to do in my whole life, and i will be very sad when it ends.   

Story 3 The Tale of Divine Intervention

I am sure that I have told you about Victoria and her girls, Destiny 11, Lilly 8, Brianna 6, and Amber 18 months. Well they have not really been progressing for a very long time and we have just kept praying that we would find some way that would help them make so progress forward. Because something inside told us that we had to keep working with them. Well after we had new beginnings we found out the reason why. 

So we stop by just like we normally do, knock on the door, and this guy answers with his wife, who is not Victoria. My first thought is " Well they are not going to let us come in." But Victoria tells us to come in, and we start talking. The girls wanted us to read from the book of Mormon with them ( I know so cute right!) And the guy ask what it was that we were reading. So we tell him that it is the Book of Mormon and he gets very excited. Turns out that 17 years ago when he was 16 his daughter needed to have open heart surgery, and 2 elders that he was meeting with gave her a blessing. And she was fine and he knows that it was because of the blessing that the Elders gave to her. So we invite him ( his name is Leo by the way ) and his wife Tammy to come and sit in with us for the lesson. We talk about faith and the restoration, and I had the privilege of saying the first vision . It always brings in such power and the spirit always testifies that it is true. After I finished it got very quite, Leo and Tammy both had tears in there eyes. The kids started to talk but Leo, Tammy and Victoria just sat there in silence. and finally Leo looks at us and says, " Well the one how pointed to the other one.... That must have been God because Jesus is always on his right hand. So Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus."  I was so in awe because no one that I have ever worked with has gotten that with out us telling them. It was just such an amazing lesson and both of them accepted Baptism! And the best part of all of this is that Victoria and her girls were very engaged. They were excited that they knew answers and that they could help us. After the lesson we all sang I am a child of God (we have been teaching primary songs to the girls), and Leo was again moved to tears. I am just so blessed that I get to see how the gospel can change peoples live. 

Well that was the week. Like I said it has been a very good one! I would not trade my time as a missionary for anything in the world. Well I love y'all so much and I hope that you all have a great week!!!! Remember who you are and what you stand for ;) 

Love Sister Chatwin   

The Tale of the Toock

Why Hello Family !!! How are y'all doing? I hope that the new year is treating y'all well and that you are all having a great time. Well this has been another interesting week. We spent all day on Saturday tracting. Oh it was so much fun... Yeah really fun. We did meet a few nice people but most were not very interested. At least we got to walk a lot. Well so there were a few things that happened this week so we will proceed to the stories of the week!

Story 1 The Tale of the Toock 

First of we are still teaching Victoria and her girls. The have been being taught since July and are making slow progress. Well they have been taught every thing, several times, but they remember very little. so we started taking about the restoration. And I have this fun object lesson that involves a lock and 2 keys. One key is the priesthood and can unlock the lock. The other is a key that I tampered with so it wont work. This helps us explain how the priesthood was lost, but there was still something similar on the earth. It is really fun because you switch the keys with out them noticing and they try to open the lock. I had one guy try for 15 minutes once because he was positive that it was the same key ;). It is one of my favorite things to do with kids. Well we were showing them this lesson and they were trying to remember the word Priesthood after I had given them pack the original key. They could get the remember the Priest part but they could not remember the hood part. So the member was with us and pointed to the hood on her hoody. So they start shouting things like priesthoody, priestsweater. Then on of the girls get so excited and says, "I know I know!!!!" So I ask her what it is and she said, "Well obviously it is the PriestToock" And I just had to giggle a little because first off how does she even know what a toock is and how do you get toock from Hood? I think that kids are just to funny and I miss my kids at home! 

Story 2 The Tale of the High CNA

We have an investigator named Papa. Yes his name is actually papa, well papa is from Ghana, and living with a woman. He is living with her so that he can take care of her because she is really sick. We have been meeting with him for a while now, and know him and the lady he takes care of pretty well. So we had an appointment with him and we go to his apartment and knock on the door. Well no one answers, so we knock a little louder. Then the neighbor comes out and ask who we are and what we were doing. So we talk to her and start up a really good conversation. I even gave her one of the gift cards mom gave me. Then in walks the other neighbor. And she starts to yell at us and asking what we are doing there. We tell her that we are here to see papa, and we had an appointment. I am just amazed at how she was freaking out!!! And I look at her and she is totally high. She still just yells at us telling that this lady needs peace and quite. This is kind of and oxymoron as she is yelling at us in the hallway. Well we finally leave after she just keeps telling us "YOU CAN GO NOW". This is just another reason why I will never do drugs. 

Well that is it.... yeah sorry... again. We spend most of our time tracting and nothing really interesting happens. But things are going to pick up and we are going to baptize the whole city of Santa Fe!!!!! Well I love you all so much and I put some more pictures in the drop box. So I hope y'all having a great week!! I love you so much and cant wait form you soon!! 

Love Sister Chatwin      

The Tale of the Shocking News!!!

Hi family!!! How are y'all doing? I hope that all is well and that y'all are doing well and that your new year is starting out great! Well this has been one of the slowest weeks of my life! We are trying to find new investigators but they must all be invisible or something. We have been tracting for several hours a day and so far we have found 3 types of people. 1 Those who are not home. 2. Those who are catholic and not interested, and number 3. witches. Yes we found a witches house in the middle of a Santa Fe neighborhood. And I dont think that they were the friendly kind either, but they also were not home so we will never know. So this week there really has not been any stories of interest.  Sorry about that, but this week is going to be full of stories!! I hope. But any way I am doing well and enjoying my time here in Santa Fe. Everyone here is crazy liberal hippy's though, who are all on there own spiritual journey and have no time to find out about god. Well hopefully someday they will figure out that every body has time for god.

   Well this is the second week of the transfer and after this one I only have 5 transfers left or 30 weeks!! It is just crazy how fast the time has flown by!!! I have almost been gone a year, Makall has her mission call, and the kids are all just so big!!!! I just cant believe that a year ago on Thursday I got my mission call to come here to New Mexico! It has been such an adventure to say the least. But I am so grateful for this time that the lord has given me to be a missionary and to preach his gospel. 

Oh yeah something funny did happen last night! 

Story 1 (and only) The Tale of the Shocking News!!! 

Last night we were finishing up our nightly planing session when we get a call from the Zone Leaders. They start the conversation with saying how good of a job we were doing, and that the stake president, and President Miller are very proud of us. Then they say "Well we have good news and bad news which would you like first." Sister Johnson likes to get the bad news first so she asked for that. Then Elder Godinez says that sister Johnson has been doing such a good job here in Santa Fe, but there is another sister that really needs her. So she needs to back her stuff because she is leaving on Wednesday.... And she almost started to cry, and I am freaking out inside because my companion is getting ET'ed. And so she says that she will be ready, and then asks for the good news. And the Elders take a deep breath, sigh and say that they are just kidding..... I have not laughed so hard in weeks!!!!! Sister Johnson again almost starts crying because she is so relieved that she is staying, and the Elders and I are all just laughing so hard. Oh man I love elders who will play tricks on sisters, but now we need a way to get them back so if you have any ideas let me know ;)

Well that really is the most interesting thing that has happened all week. So lets hope and pray that there will be more next week. Or y'all will have to write me with questions you want answered. So I hope that y'all have a great week and I hope to hear from y'all soon!!! 

Love Sister Chatwin

P.S 

This is the most I have written all month!!!!!!

Off the Charts New Years Eve Party

Hello family how are you all doing? We first let me answer you question we have transfers tomorrow so they changed P-day to today. And the place that we normally email at was closed and so we just got a chance to go to the library and use the computers. an to answer you second question no I am not being Transferred. I am staying here in Santa Fa for a little bit longer. So I again do not have much time this week... Sorry I will write lots next week to make up for not writing so much these past 2 weeks. So on to the stories of the week.

Story 1 The Tale of the Off the Charts New Years Eve Party

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Well last week I am sure you all new was new years, and if you didn't know then you have now been informed. So It was our P-day, we emailed and wondered around the mall for a little while. No where in Santa Fa has a Brown Skirt... But I found one on sale today :) Then we had dinner , then we had another dinner. The first was a lasagna and the second was chicken pot pie. And for our big party we watched Laura's Christmas Gift. It is an old church movie from the 80's. Then we went home and planned and we were in bed by 10:30. Yeah that is pretty late I know, but hey we know how to party as missionaries.

Story 2 The Week of Meetings

Since this week was the first one of the month we had MLC. It was great to talk with all the ZL's, STL's, and President and sister Miller.

We talked alot about goals and what we wanted to accomplish for the next year. Well we settled on the goal of 825+ Baptisms for the year 2014. I will only get to see 3/4 of the year but I am so very excited to find all of the people who are ready to be baptised. Then we had Zone Training, and again we talked about goals. And they related the story of Lot and his wife to the new year. They said that we should not look back like lots wife did. So we should focus on the new year and not dwell on the past. 

Story 3 The Tale of HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Yesterday was my Moms birthday!!! I cant remember how old she is so we will say that she is 30 ;) She is the best mom that anyone could have asked for. I love her so much and just wanted to let her know that. I wish that I could have been there for her birthday ( and all the other holidays) but we all know that this is where I am supposed to be :) I love you very much mom and I hope that this year will be as good as the past 30 :)

Well..... Yeah thats about it. My time on the computer is almost up, so I will wrap this up. I am not being Transferred and will still be an STL. I love y'all so much and again I apologize for this being so short...AGAIN. Well I will write more next week I promise!!!!! Love Ya!

Love sister Chatwin

P.S I wrote y'all letters this week to make up for the short email. Hope that helps.

Still in Sante Fe

Hello family how are you all doing? We first let me answer you question we have transfers tomorrow so they changed P-day to today. And the place that we normally email at was closed and so we just got a chance to go to the library and use the computers. an to answer you second question no I am not being Transferred. I am staying here in Santa Fa for a little bit longer. So I again do not have much time this week... Sorry I will write lots next week to make up for not writing so much these past 2 weeks. So on to the stories of the week.

 

Story 1 The Tale of the Off the Charts New Years Eve Party

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Well last week I am sure you all new was new years, and if you didn't know then you have now been informed. So It was our P-day, we emailed and wondered around the mall for a little while. No where in Santa Fa has a Brown Skirt... But I found one on sale today :) Then we had dinner , then we had another dinner. The first was a lasagna and the second was chicken pot pie. And for our big party we watched Laura's Christmas Gift. It is an old church movie from the 80's. Then we went home and planned and we were in bed by 10:30. Yeah that is pretty late I know, but hey we know how to party as missionaries.

 

Story 2 The Week of Meetings

 

Since this week was the first one of the month we had MLC. It was great to talk with all the ZL's, STL's, and President and sister Miller.

We talked alot about goals and what we wanted to accomplish for the next year. Well we settled on the goal of 825+ Baptisms for the year 2014. I will only get to see 3/4 of the year but I am so very excited to find all of the people who are ready to be baptised. Then we had Zone Training, and again we talked about goals. And they related the story of Lot and his wife to the new year. They said that we should not look back like lots wife did. So we should focus on the new year and not dwell on the past. 

 

Story 3 The Tale of HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

 

Yesterday was my Moms birthday!!! I cant remember how old she is so we will say that she is 30 ;) She is the best mom that anyone could have asked for. I love her so much and just wanted to let her know that. I wish that I could have been there for her birthday ( and all the other holidays) but we all know that this is where I am supposed to be :) I love you very much mom and I hope that this year will be as good as the past 30 :)

 

Well..... Yeah thats about it. My time on the computer is almost up, so I will wrap this up. I am not being Transferred and will still be an STL. I love y'all so much and again I apologize for this being so short...AGAIN. Well I will write more next week I promise!!!!! Love Ya!

 

Love sister Chatwin

 

P.S I wrote y'all letters this week to make up for the short email. Hope that helps.