The Tale Of my Transfer Adventure

Well hello everybody!!!! I hope that you are all having a great week! And Happy Birthday to Grant tomorrow! I can believe that he is already a year old!!! That means that next week I will hit my year mark!!! I have almost been gone for a year, that is so weird.... Well here in Santa Fe it has been very nice. The weather is getting warmer, and all the flowers are blooming. And so you all know what that means... Allergies!!! Yes that's right my right my allergies have returned with a vengeance! But thanks to moms emergency allergy package I am on the mend. Well at least I hope that I am. On the bright side it is a really good conversation started. I sneeze, someone says Bless you, I say thank you , they ask if I have allergies, I say yes I do then we are all just talking about Jesus :) So I guess that its not so bad. Well I have kept y'all in suspense long enough so here are the stories of the week! 

 Story 1 The Tale Of my Transfer Adventure 

So last Tuesday we had transfers! That means that we had to get up at 5, to be gone at 6 and at the church at 7. So Sister Johnson got transferred and it was crazy to help her pack and to say goodbye. But she got her new companion sister Long and is serving in a YSA branch in Albuquerque. Well my companion was coming up from El Paso so I got to spend the day with Sister Johnson, Sister Long, and Sister Mitchell. We all had the opportunity to go out with a dying missionary and take them contacting one last time. It was so fun and sad. We got to go out with Sister Mcshane, I was her STL when I was in Albuquerque. But it was so amazing to get to see her talk to people and tell them about the gospel. I want to be like her when I am go home. She could just talk to anyone and testified with such power. It was also really hard to see her go, because when I came out she had just hit 6 months. So when I hit 6 months she hit a year. And know I will hit a year and she is gone. The time flies to fast and I want to make sure that I can do all that I can to share the gospel with everyone that I can. 

Story 2 My New Companion

After a long sad/fun day in Albuquerque I finally got to meet my new companion! Her name is Sister Wilkinson, she is 19, and from holiday Utah. She has spent her first 6 months in El Paso and this is her first new area. She is very sweet and very excited to work. This past week it has been fun to get to know her. She is the youngest in her family, and the first to go on a mission. Her favorite color is yellow, she unfortunately likes cats. But that is good because she plays with them and they leave me alone. I am very excited to work with her and we have already seen lots of miracles  since she came!! We have been talking able to talk to so many people and teach so many new people! This is going to be a great transfer!

Story 2 The Tale of the Plaza Pot Heads

This past week we have been going to the plaza to talk to people. Its kind of like a gateway park city place, with lots of little shops that you have to have 1000 dollars to just to buy a stick of gum. Ok its not really that much but it is really expensive. Well not only is the plaza a place for rich people, but it is a very happening place for hobos and pot heads. So it is the perfect place to find very humble people, even if they are a little crazy. So we get to the plaza and there is this circle of people with dreadlocks and drums. We go up and start talking to this one girl who has a drum. She then tells us that her name is Arora and she is homeless because she doesn't want to have to pay the man for things and she is free to go where every she would like. And she "so totally" believes in the universe and that it helps her out all the time. She was a little odd, but we did have a great conversation about the book of Mormon. She took one and said that she would read it! Our conversation was cut short however when she informed us that she was going to go smoke weed, and went to another circle. Yeah it was kind of awkward.

Story 3 the Tale of David and the Solar System 

After Arora left to go smoke weed we got up to go talk to some one else. A man calls over to us and asks if we are giving up so soon. He then comes over and starts to talk about religion and god and other crazy things. So we asked him what he believes and he picks up a rock and starts to draw the solar system on the side walk. He then begins to relate that to the story of David and Goliath. Then he relates Jesus Christ to Buddha, and other religious leaders. He says that they are all the same and that we should stop breaching that there is only one true church. Because in fact they are all right because we all worship the same God... Yeah theses are the kind of people that we meet all the time here. Oh and he also told us that the world would not end and no one would die because we are all following God. He is crazy, smart but crazy. 

Story 4 The Tale of the Young Boy Isaiah 

As we have been teaching Victoria and her girls, there is still no progress with them by the way. There is sometimes a young boy there who's name is Isaiah. He is very smart and loves to hear the lessons and to sing the primary sings. But since he is not 18 we could not teach with out permission form a guardian. So last night we had an appointment fall through and so we stopped by his house to see if he and his grandma were home. And they were home and his grandma let us in right away. She has been praying for some help to help with her house. So we volunteered and she was so excited! She also was very excited to hear about the Book of Mormon!! We are so blessed that we were able to find them and we just know that they will get baptized someday!

Well that is my week! It has been very good week and we are seeing lots of miracles!! I love you all so much and I am so grateful to have a family like you!!! Have a great week and I can t wait to hear from you soon!! 

Love sister Chatwin      

Vivacious Valentines Day!

Hello everyone!!! How are you all doing? I hope that all is going well and that y'all had a great valentines day!! Thanks for the cards and letters I loved them alot. Well so this has been a pretty good week I guess. I am not being transferred but sister Johnson is. So I am still a Sister Training leader and will be getting a new companion tomorrow. Hence why I am emailing today and not tomorrow. It is crazy to see how fast the time goes! I have almost been gone a year, grant will be 1 next week, and Makall will be going to Costa Rica in less than 2 months!!! It is just insane that time is moving so fast!!! Well since it is moving so fast lets get on to the stories of the week.

Story 1 The Tale of the Vivacious Valentines Day!

So this may have been the best Valentines Day Ever!!!! We started out with district meeting and lunch! This is the last time we will all be together as a district because most of us are getting transferred. Well we ate lunch at this little Mexican restaurant, I took my lunch because I am trying to be healthier. This is very hard when everyone thinks that the missionaries are starving and that we love sugar. Any way I am glad I did take my lunch because the main meat was cow tongue and cheek. So yeah I.. yeah I am glad that I took my lunch. So that night for dinner we had the opportunity to go to dinner with an elderly lady in the ward. A few days before she told us that we would be going to La Faro, this is the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe.


She came to pick us up and in the back seat she had put 2 roses, each with a card and candy. She said that since none of us had a valentine that we would all be each others. So after a long drive of getting lost we finally made it to the restaurant. It was very nice and pretty when we first walked in. Everything was dect out for valentines day. Then the waiter takes us back to our table and hands us the menu. The apparently were having a valentines day special, which consisted of a 3 cores meal, and you choice of wine. We did not drink the wine just in case you are wondering. All of it looked very good till I saw that it was 45 dollars a person!!!!! Sister Frie told us not to worry that she had already paid, and to get what every we wanted! So for my appetiser I had an asparagus salad, with a cheesy dressing. For dinner I had Filia Mi non, which was amazing!!! And lastly for desert I got a sampler sort of dish, that had chocolate moose, a lemon tart, and creme bru le!!! It was the best food that I have every tasted!! Mom you should learn to make creme bru le so we can have it when I get home!!! And then I we get home and I have an awesome valentine in the mail :) So it was a pretty amazing day!

Story 2 The Tale of the Interesting Exchange

This past week we got to go on exchanges with the sisters serving in Los Alamo's. And just so you know that is the place where they invented the first nuclear bomb. For the exchange I went to Los Alamo's with sister Bodily, Makall you know her as Ambree! She says hi by the way :) Well we had a very interesting day, everyone up in Los Alamo's is insanely smart and works at the laboratory up there. And if you ask people what they do they just look at you and say that it is classified.... Yeah crazy!
Well we met a few people who did not believe in God, or just didn't like missionaries. But the most interesting person I met was a man in the ward who has been inactive for 20 or so years. He and his wife have just started to come back to church and if you ask him why he stopped going in the first place, he just tells you that he promised someone that he would not go back for a while. But that is not the craziest part! He then proceeded to tell me that he could heal people with a ZAP of his hands.... Yeah he is dead serious about it. He says that he has cured people of Alzheimer's, cancer, and other crazy diesaes. He also can do this gift over the phone and heal people that way.... I am not sure what to think of him because he has 2 doctorate degrees, and used to be a multi billionaire.... Yeah I think that he is crazy. Oh he also says that that he can read the bible in 20 minutes with total recall of what he read.... Yep I think he may be a bit crazy.

Story 3 The Tale of Mr. Brother Joe Hotsause

This is a special encounter that we had on Friday. So me, Sister Johnson, and the sisters who were serving in Las Vegas were all walking around the park waiting for there truck to be fixed. And we naturally start to talk to people, well sadly not many people like to talk here. So when this man starts to talk to us we naturally continue with the conversation. We asked for his name and he said that it was Joe mumble mumble, mumble Hot sauce. So I said hello brother hot sauce, he then corrects me by saying that it is Mr Brother Joe Hotsause to you. So we ask him about his life and he starts to tell us this random story about a witch and a broom and a few other crazy things. He then proceeds to tell us that he has to go so that he can go get "HIGH". I wish that you could hear how he said it because he sounded crazy!!! Why is it that missionaries always find the crazy people. We never seem to find nice normal people who just want to hear our message. They all want to save us from the crazy brain washing cult that we belong to. Oh well I guess that the crazy people need the gospel too.

Well that was the week! It has been kind of slow and crazy since sister Johnson is leaving. But I know that whoever my new companion will be, is the person that god thinks can help me the most in the area. I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week! Hope to hear from you all soon!!

Love Sister Chatwin

The Tale of The Travel Back in Time

Hello Family!!! I hope that you are all doing well and that you are not to cold (especially the Christensens). Well this is the ed of another week! Also before I forget we have transfers this next Tuesday. So hold off on any letters or things till I tell you next Tuesday. I am not sure what will happen but I will be sure to let you know. So this has been a really good week and we have been able to see lots of people! So with out further a due here are the stories of the week!

Story 1 The Tale of The Travel Back in Time

First off, no Rachael I did not find the TARDIS and no Morgan I did not bring my timeturner with me. This week was MLC which is the meeting for all the Zone leaders and Sister training Leaders. It is always awesome to go and meet with them and President and Sister Miller. Well the weather here has been very strange. For a few days it is nice enough out side to have a light sweater, then the next day we get 1/2 inches of snow and the cancel the schools. Yes they really canceled school for less than an inch of snow, sad I know. Well the day that we were supposed to drive down to Albuquerque it was supposed to snow really bad. So the AP's told us to drive the night before and stay with some sisters in Albuquerque. So we called a few sisters and we drove down and stayed with them. Well the sisters we stayed at were in my old area Canyon Heights! It was so crazy to go back to my old apartment and see the board with all the investigators on it. I knoew some of them but there were a few that I did not know. It just makes me realize that after this transfer I only have 4 left!!!! I hit my year in March and I don't know were the time has gone. So I guess that it was a travel back in time with a glimpse at the future.

Story 2 The Tale of A Fun Craft

There is a old Navajo lady in our ward named Grandma (she makes us call her that) well this past week we went to her house and we helped her make skirts. It was really fun to help her and really hard.

They were Navajo skirts and they are a lot harder than they look. They have ruffles and it is really hard to sew a ruffle on a skirt apparently. Well as a thanks for helping her she let us take 2 and they are so cute! I think mom can do it much faster, and easier. So when I get home I will be most defiantly be learning how to sew.  

Story 3 The Tale of the Blessing of The Priesthood

We have a elderly couple that we are teaching and the husband has been haveing health problems. so we offered to have the Elders come over and give him a blessing, and they said that they wouyld like that. So we called the Elders and set it up. So we go to there house and start to talk about the pristhood and how the blessing works on your faith. So the elders get there, and they give Bob a blessing. The spirit that was there was amazing and Bob was very grateful for the blessing. We stopped by a few days later we stopped by and asked how he felt. And he said that he felt really good and that he knows that the blessing helped. It is amazing to see how the priest hood can bless peoples lives. 

Story 4 The Tale of the Reason for the Season

Happy Valentines day !!!! I hope that you all have a great one and remember that I love all of you so very much! I miss you all so dearly and think of you often. Russlle M. Nelson said "When I think of the love I feel for each member of our family, I sense, to a slight degree, the love that our Heavenly Father bears for His children. While the family is under attack throughout the world, The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims, promotes, and protects the truth that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and our vast family history efforts are but two evidences of how this Church brings hope and help to the sacred institution of the family." I am so blessed for my family and the fact that we are all staying together in the gospel. I feel so blessed to have this chance to help other families find that same joy that we have! 

Well that is it folks. I hope that you all have a great week and remember that I love all of you very much!!! And I hope that you all can remember that you are the children of God. And he loves you and me so much. 

I love you all, 

Sister Chatwin

P.S 2319 WE HAVE A 2319!!!!!     

The Tale of.......YUCK!!!!

Hello family!!! How are y'all doing? I hope that y'all are having a great week! How is everyone doing? Is there anything new and/or exciting going on? How did you like the super bowl? Did it have any good commercials? I think that the sea hawks won right? I dont know because obviously I did not watch it. But I went to a super awesome party that I will tell y'all about shortly. But things have been picking up and we have found a few new investigators so thats awesome! I am so blessed that the lord has given me this chance to serve him here and to help so many of his children! So i guess that we will go in to the stories of the week. 

Story 1 The Tale of the Epic Super Bowl Party!!!!

Since I already mentioned this one I guess I will start with it. But I am sure that y'all knew that it was the super bowl on sunday. The only reason I knew was President sent out an email that told us not to watch it. Apparently there were a few people ( elders) who thought that it would be a good thing to do with there investigators. I guess that they just needed some clarification on that. But since we could not watch it there was this very kind member that said we could come to dinner were she would not be watching it. So we drive 20 miles out of town to go have dinner with her. Well it was very exciting, it was just me , Sister Johnson, and this sisters. We had a lovely dinner of pasta and walnut salad. We then had ice cream sunday's for deserts, and went home. So that was the extent of our Super Bowl extravaganza. 

Story 2 The Tale of The YouTube Missionaries. 

We got a refer l from mormon.org her name is Linda Payne. We stopped by to contact her and found that she is so prepared for the gospel. She was in the hospital for a few months and she heard about this awesome group named The Piano Guys. So she went to youtube and found some of there stuff. She said that she insistently loved them and wanted to go see them. She got tickets but it seemed like the advisory really did not want her to go. Because everything that could go wrong did, the flight was canceled, it snowed all the way to utah as they were driving. But in the end she made it and got to see the concert. While she was there she met a couple who are members. They exchanged info and this couple some how got John Schmidt to write Linda. She says that there is just something different about the Mormons and wants to know what it is! She is super busy for the next week or so but we will continue to teach her and I just know that she will join the church. 

Story 3 The Tale of How I Won Eternal Life

So I now have eternal life!!! Well actually it is really just a box of life with the words ETERNAL written above it. But still I won it by being the fastest scripture finder in the district! 

Yeah that the story, there really was no competition with how marked I have my scriptures. See the picture in the drop box to know why ;)    

Story 4

The Tale of.......YUCK!!!!

So here in New Mexico there is a very big Mexican influence here, especially in cooking. The other night we went to a members house for dinner. And she wanted to try a new dish called Manudo. We go over and she has two pots on the table, one with red sauce, the other with this whiteish meat. We sit down and I start with the red stuff, it was good but really spicy so I could not eat to much of it. Turns out that it was red chilly and pork so not to bad. So I go on to the other one, and turns out this is the Manudo. So I try it..... It was like eating tasteless fuzzy rubber. I almost vomited there at the table. The Spanish elders who were with us just started laughing at me. The asked if I knew what it was that I had just eaten, I say no and they laugh harder. They then proceed to tell me that Manudo is COW STOMACH!!!! I again almost vomited. I can know say that I have eaten the inside of a cow. YUCK!!!!!

Well that was my week, and the manudo was nasty, just in case you did not know. Also I attached a talk that I read and I really liked it. I think that y'all should read it because it was a real eye opener. And it has a analogy about a mom paying for piano lessons. Well I love y'all so much !!! Have a great week and I hope to hear from you soon!!!

Love Sister Chatwin