hey everyone!!!!

how was youre week? Mine was really really good!  it was hard but it was soo good and so worth it.

So thanksgiving is this week? im so glad you told me because i wasnt sure if it was this week or the next.... :) i have planning thursday so i will have to do something... 

Haha but this week i met a lot of new people and realized how much i love the people here.  Ive realized sometimes its really hard to stop teaching the people who are not progressing. especially because i grow to love them so much that i want to just will them to do the things that they need to do. to progress... but it doesnt work that way. we have to love them and do the best that we can to help them grow and when they decide not to do it we cant do a lot just love them.  

But also this week i realized how much the Lord really loves us. he really loves us a lot and is so patient with us. but i also realized soemthing else.  we cannot destroy the work of the Lord with our mistakes.  we are going to have a lot of hem. but the Lord will always find another way to make something happen if its necesary. but he knows our weaknesses and knows what could happen and he takes a chance on us.  And i realized that the mission is more for me than it is for anyone else.  Yes i have the opportunity to help other people come unto christ and be saved and i love the change in their eyes when they knwo and they want to follow these things when they realize that the lord loves them and feel the spirit is the best thing in the world.  But ive realized that if someone else were here and not me, these people would still hear the gospel maybe at a different timeand  in differetn circumstances, but i would never have the opportunity to know them.  The Lord gives us the opportunity to serve for us. so that we can grow and have these wonderful experiences and i am so SOOOO thankful for that.

I think that applies to every circumstance of our lives.  he lets us pass for all the experiences we have for US. to help us learna nd be happy.  He loves us so so much and i know it. I know it with all of my heart. and i hope that you guys can feel the love of your heavenly father. 

we were teaching a woman this week who really doesnt feel like the Lord loves her and it made me so so sad.  and she didnt want to pray and ask him if he loves her. she didnt think that He would answer and didnt want to either... and man it just broke my heart!!!! Because i could feel that Heavenly father loved her and wanted her to be happy. that he wanted to tell her she just needed to ask.. . i secretly still have hope that she decided to ask.. Because i know that when we ask, he always tells us.  I love the scripture that Joseph Smith read because i know that it is true. "and if any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of god, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him...." 

How POWERFUL is that promise.  how amazing.  he will always answer us and it doesnt matter how dumb we think the question is. if it matters to us, it matters to him.  

I want to invite all of you to pray.  really pray and talk to your heavenly father. and if you doubt that he is there or that he loves you. just ask him.  he will answer you.  i know because he answered me.  he answers me.  even if its something silly like "i need to feel pretty today" he always gives me somehting to make me feel pretty.  

will you guys pray and talk to god every day of your lives?  (here you all say "yes" in your minds)

Good I know that he loves you and you will feel that more and more in your lives if you do that. adn really come to him with humility....

well ive gotta go..

i love you all so so much.  ahve a wonderful week

les quiero!

hermana applegate

Hey everyone how are you all doing?!?!  I hope you are all doing good!

 

Im doing pretty good. I am constantly amazed at how preocupied The Lord is with his children.  with me!!!! and i know with everyone else.  I know that he loves us and that he wants us to be happy. That he wants us to seek the good out of everything.... hey that made me think of a song that i heard in the mission. a friend of my mtc companion sent me a cd and this song is on it and its one of my favorites.... its called "Seeking whats good" (you can find it on the page for youth at lds.org... and music.)  but it says

 

"the sunshine comes even when it rains. and even through darkness, the morning comes again.

I guess what im saying.. is that theres always something good that you can find.

and to see it, you open up your mind.

the bad will come and go. but through it all theres constant light for us to follow.

 

chorus: ive been opening up my eyes to see, all the beauty thats all around me

day after day and no matter what they say, I´ll follow it (somethign..) and come what may

ill be good, ill be strong and my heart will be pure, others may fall but ill endure.

cause im doing the things i should... seeking whats good..."

 

happiness comes to those who know, that all weve been given is a gift thats not our own.

i guess what im saying is that even when you make mistakes it only shows.

that together we still have room to grow, cant make it on our own.

but hand it hand we´ll walk the path that weve been shown.

chorus...

and even when trials come into our lives, faith makes our doubting soul take flight...."

 

its something like that... i dont remember all of the words. but i really like the song.  adn i know that the lord loves us. i know that  he wants us to be happy. so so happy.  and i know taht we can be happy only when we look for the good. and are grateful.  i learned a lot aobut gratitude this week and how important it is in our happiness.  we all have trials and dificulties. but, when we are grateful and seek the good, we can get over the hard stuff and be happy....

 

and yeah thats what i wanted to share this week.... its been a really eye opening week for me. ive seen people who seek the lord and seek the good and they can beat any trial that comes their way and ive seen people who get angry are pessimistic and only look at how hard it is and they dont grow at all....

 

so i want to invite you all to seek the good. be optimistic and trust in the lord. and when you guys do that you will be able to get over any trials :)

 

i lov eyou all so  stinking much!!!!

have a great week

hermana applegate

hey everybody. this is going to be short and sweet. because i dont have a whole lot of time. :)

 

But we had transfers today. and hermana terrera went home.  well... right now she is in the offices and tomorrow she will head home.  im gonna miss her a lot.

 

but my companion right now is hermana vargas!!!!! i dont know if i wrote about her but when i left the mtc, we met up with a group from the mtc in argentina and there was an hermana in the group and she is hermana vargas!!!!!! shes really great. and i was really nervous because i knew i was gonna have a lot more responsability this transfer. and i did a lot of praying for my new companion and that they would wnat to work hard and change things up. because i realized this week how we were working is not the most effective. we need to work through the members.  and more witht he local leaders.  and thats not easy. its easier to go and knock door... it involves less planning. but it doesnt work as well.....

 

anyways. she came and she is so ready to work and so the lord answered my prayers.  :)

 

he always does that. he always helps me out a lot. i know that god answers my prayers and i know he answers the prayers of everyone who prays with real intent. who really wnats to know and who is really willing to do whatever it takes to have success...

 

I love you all.... remember to pray everyday and read your scriptures.  someone said in stake conference this week that the people who fall away, who turn cold in the gospel are the people who neglect to do the little things every day.  and its not that they mean to do it. they just stop doing it.  because they were busy etc.  it was a really great weekend.  i got to go to the priesthood session for stake conference.  because they announced a new stake mission plan.  :)  it was so weird but so cool. i learned so much..

 

remember to take care of yourselves and to share the gospel.  it isnt just the responsablity of the missionaries its of everyone. and thats how the work really grows. when we all work together. 

 

lvoe you all

saludos a todos

hermana applegate

Can anyone hardly believe that its the end of October?!?!?

 

Im down to my last week with hermana terrera y im kinda sad.  Shes heading home.  but i decided i wanted to do something special so that she would remember the last few weeks of her mission. so i make little cards every night with a count down until she leaves and i write all of the good things of the day. and i have a little box that i want to decorate and put some cookies and treats in it for the trip.  I dont know if i will get the box done but she will at least have the notes done. :)

 

Im a little nervous too... because that means im gonna move up and some people keep joking that im gonna have an hijita!! (a new missionary that ive gotta train.....) im really hoping thats not true. but i guess we will know in about a week.

 

This week was really good!!!!!!! We had Zone conference and it was really really good.  He read with us from the Manual of George Albert Smith chapter 18.  Which is "stay on the Lords side of the Line."  OH man...I have a lot ive gotta fix up. It was soooo great it has a lot of great quotes that i liked.  This is probably the part that i liked the most:

 

"George Albert Smith often repeated the counsel his grandfather used to give to his family: “There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of that line one inch you are in the tempter’s power and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord.” George Albert Smith said that he used this counsel throughout his life to guide his choices: “When I have been tempted sometimes to do a certain thing, I have asked myself, ‘Which side of the line am I on?’ If I determined to be on the safe side, the Lord’s side, I would do the right thing every time. So when temptation comes think prayerfully about your problem and the influence of the Lord will aid you to decide wisely. There is safety for us only on the Lord’s side of the line.""
I think a lot of times people forget and let just little things happen.  just the little things like not really study today just read a little or not have as great of prayers and as we forget that, little by little we are crossing hte line and then one day we are going to wake up and realize we arent anywhere close to the lords side. And Satan is really deceptive.  He makes everything look grey and so we think "oh its not so terrible" and we forget that if its not white its not where we should be.  and then we get used to being there and it looks whiter to us and we move a little more into the grey.... and then we cant figure out why things are so hard...
haha i dont know why i just shared all of that. but i liked that a lot. i liked the conference a lot. my mission president is so great. 
so i look forward to hear from all of you guys i love yall so much!!!!
les quiero!
hermana applegate

SOOOO this week was good... interesting... but good.

I really felt like we were there when people needed us this week.  :) and i learned so much from my companion. I love her so much. Im so glad that i have the opportunity to be her companion right now as she is finnishing up her mission.  I will admit this transfer i was a little sad when hermana franco (who has less time in the mission than i do) moved up to senior companion and i didnt. I felt like maybe i just wasnt good enough or that the lord doesnt have confidence in me (does that make sense in english?) but honestly i feel more and more like i have to be with hermana terrera and thats all thats important to the lord. it doesnt matter to him if im senior or junior companion. as long as im trying to do my best he will make up the difference.  and i am so grateful for that. and i got really humbled from my little bit of pride... well lots im so gra teful for the mission.

Okay so this week we have been sharing a talk with a whole lot of hte women that we teach. especially they younger ones.  its by President Uchtdorf from the young womens broadcast in 2010... its soo good. its called "Your happily ever after"  here is the link if you want it. 

http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-young-women-meeting/2010/03/your-happily-ever-after?lang=eng

But he starts out talking about fairytales and taht the best part is "and they lived happily ever after" - remember that its for young women -  and he talks about how we all can have a happily ever after.  he says "

"“Happily ever after” is not something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father’s map.
Sisters, please embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ! Learn to love your Heavenly Father with all your heart, might, and mind. Fill your souls with virtue, and love goodness. Always strive to bring out the best in yourself and others.
Learn to accept and act upon the Young Women values. Live the standards in For the Strength of Youth. These standards guide and direct you to your “happily ever after.” Living these standards will prepare you to make sacred covenants in the temple and establish your own legacy of goodness in your individual circumstances. “Stand … in holy places, and be not moved,” ⁵ regardless of temptations or difficulties. I promise you that future generations will be grateful for you and praise your name for your courage and faithfulness during this crucial time of your life."
I love that idea. we can all be happy! thats what the lord wants but weve gotta follow the gospel.  he also says that its not easy. he reminds us
"For a moment, think back about your favorite fairy tale. In that story the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milkmaid, a ruler or a servant. You will find one thing all have in common: they must overcome adversity.
Cinderella has to endure her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters. She is compelled to suffer long hours of servitude and ridicule.
In “Beauty and the Beast,” Belle becomes a captive to a frightful-looking beast in order to save her father. She sacrifices her home and family, all she holds dear, to spend several months in the beast’s castle.
In the tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” a poor miller promises the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king immediately sends for her and locks her in a room with a mound of straw and a spinning wheel. Later in the story she faces the danger of losing her firstborn child unless she can guess the name of the magical creature who helped her in this impossible task.
In each of these stories, Cinderella, Belle, and the miller’s daughter have to experience sadness and trial before they can reach their “happily ever after.” Think about it. Has there ever been a person who did not have to go through his or her own dark valley of temptation, trial, and sorrow?
Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not simply live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy, and love?
The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter. ² Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?"
everything worth anything in this life comes with trials. i know it and you all probably know it too. and if we have a positive attitude we can get through anything and we can find our prince charming at the end of it. i have one less active who said "yeah and our prince charming is God! its Jesus Christ and they are always there waiting for us!" and i was like "yeah! why dont you come to church and find him" (i just thought that in my mind... i didnt say it)  but its true.  its only through Christ that we can find happiness and live happily ever after.

I have seen some great people here. people who have been very faithful to the gospel. in my life i have seen so many examples of how to be happy! and its through the gospel. i know that more and more here. Because here i have the opportunity to see the other side. a lot more than i ever have before. and a lot of people think that because we as members of the church have so many high standards we are crazy. and we arent free. and i look at their lives and i htink i would never want to be where they are. so far away from the strength that i recieve from my Heavenly Father every day.  and a lot of people just cant see a way out.  and its so sad. nad they dont let us help them past these rough spots. 

The church is so true. so so true. and i am grateful for this opportunity i have to tell people that its true. and i am so happy when they are doing hte things that they need to do to change.  we are  teaching a girl named Romina and she is so great!! she wants her family to be better. she wants to change her life and the life of her son and everything.  she wants to get baptized. she just has to get married first... but to see the change in her and to teach her makes me so happy.  and eventually her boyfriend will sit down and listen to us consistantly too but i lvoe the people here they make me so happy.
I hope you all can think back on how you guys gained your testimonies. how you knew that this was true. and think about all the blessings youve recieved through the gospel then share it with someone!!!!!  Share it with someone who doesnt know. and help them be happy too.  My mission president sent me a quote from this past conference (its in spanish so ill translate it so im not sure if all the words will be exactly what he said.. but its close) " we should try to look at men not how they are, but instead what they could become when they recieve a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ."  i know that this gospel changes lives. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of god to lead us and guide us.  and i know that he restored the authority of god to the earth so that we can recieve the guidance of the Lord again. and i am so grateful for that. I know that the book of mormon is the word of god to lead and guide us through everything.  and i know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and redeemer and that he gave his life and suffered more than we can imagine so hat we can have  a happily ever after. I know he lives and he loves us.
and everyone who doesnt know about he church i wnat to invite you guys to look into it. :) read the book of mormon pray to know that it is true. because you all have a happily ever after waiting for you. Youve just gotta come and get it.
Les Quiero!!!! MUCHISIMO!!!!! gracias por su amor
hermana applegate

his week was sooooo great!!!!!

and Laura your new baby is adoreable (mom sent me a picture....) :) i cant wait to get to know him someday. 

We saw so many miracles this week.  so many and i feel like we really helped the people that the Lord needed us to help. 

AAAAANNNNNDDDD....

We had a baptism!!!! WOOO HOOOO.  and it was one of the most amazing baptisms ive seen.  It was just so special.

weve been teaching Maria for a long time and shes always been unsure about baptism.  Shes listened to the missionaries so many times before (her son is a member in another branch and hes in the branch presidency... so she has a lot of exposure to the church.)  But shes really progressed solo because we havent had a whole lot of tiem to teach her.  but she reads and prays and quit smoking and when he son went to chilie with the stake to go to the temple she went with them (she didnt go in the temple...)  but its taken a lot of patience to get her to baptism because she wouldnt be rushed nad now i feel like it was the best thing.

And the service was so nice.  Walter planned everything.  the talks were from her grand daughters, he bore his testimony, they picked out the songs and organized everything.  all we had to do as missionaries is fill the font and bring food (but htey brought food too....) :) but oh man i cant tell you how happy it was i cant explain the joy that comes from seeing someone make changes in their lives so that they can follow the Lord. 

It really was an amazing weekend. with that and hte Relief Society Broadcast.  :) I love the new relief society presidency and i think every talk was perfect for me. nad also for an investigator that we brought :)  double whammy. 

But i really feel like the lord was guiding my steps and i hope that that keeps happening. :)

have a great week everyone
hermana applegate