crazy week

Hola. Sooo sorry I didn't write until today, I forgot to mention that this week our Pday got moved to tuesday because we had zone conference yesterday. It was great. We were all spiritually filled. We learned a lot how to be better teachers and one thing that I loved was that we talked briefly about how we can only change through the sanctifying of the Holy Ghost, which is so true. We can make goals all day but that is just on the surface, if we want to change our desires it comes through the Holy Ghost. I know my desires have changed through reading the Book of Mormon daily.

So yeah. It was so great. So today is Pday, then we have a full day tomorrow...well we have to leave Ventura at about 6 then we are headed to Bakersfield!! We will be gone thursday friday and saturday and will drive back Sunday morning and go right to church. When we are gone we just stay with the Hermanas (or Sisters) we are visiting. Its super exciting. I was able to go to Newbury Park on Saturday and Oxnard on wednesday. So fun to work with all the sisters.

One cool thing that happened this week was we knocked on a door and talked to a man a bit and he was like sure you can come by and my roommate has some questions for you. So we made the appointment and she opened the door and she was so EXCITED to see us. She was like sit down I have so many questions for you. So we sat down and she just started going off. First she mentioned that her family did not believe in God and Jesus going up but in taroh cards and stuff like that but shes had some weird encounters and decided that she needed to know more about Jesus so she was doing some prayer and was just asking for a sign of what she needed to do......AND WE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!! She was too embarassed and shocked at the moment to come talk to us but she was waiting for us to come back. We taught her about prayer and a little about the Book of Mormon. She was really excited to read it. Only problem is she is from England and is only in the states for the 3 months and only in Ventura until the end of the week and we are leaving wednesday night. AH. But we are getting all her info so she can be passed on to where she is going. SO AMAZING.

Its been a really interesting transition having to teach in English, having to do these exchanges, and just everything. But I know that the Lord will qualify those he calls.

I got your cards from the family home evening activity. Thanks so much, they were super cute!!! Love them.

So about the camping trip. I am so sorry again, I feel so bad. I really want to go still but I think it might be kinda sad to just be able to go half the week but we can. Or you can just get rid of them. Whatever you all decide to do is good. My companion mentioned that you might want to try craigslist and see if anyone is willing to trade. Who knows. Whatever is good with me. Really. So whatever the family wants to do. Also Katie invited me to the wedding? That would be super fun.

I really love spanish, I dont know what phrases to teach you? haha what do you want to learn? We have been teaching in English a lot lately and I just miss spanish and spanish people a lot. We are really focused on english, atleast this week. But I am so grateful for the ability to speak spanish. Love it!


Anyway Im just loving it up and VENTURA IS SOOO BEAUTIFUL!

Ok love you have a great week and talk to you on Monday!

Venturaaaaaa............

So can I just say its AMAZING to just walk out of church and see the ocean??? Ventura is so beautiful. There are many times where we are driving around and we get really close to the ocean. ITS SO BEAUTIFUL...but ive been driving so its kind of hard to see. My companion promised me that when we drive up to Santa Maria she will drive so that I can get a great view of the coast...not that any of this matters haha.

SO you asked where I will be. Well this week on wednesday I will be going to Oxnard (yay) and on Saturday I will be going to Newbury Park! Then next weekend we will be heading up to Bakersfield for days but I will let you know next week when that will be. Im super excited about my new assignment but I wont lie it has been a CRAZY week. Ive had to get used to teaching in English and going to a English ward. Its so weird! We still teach in spanish quite a bit but its so different. We have also had to go to meetings and plan exchanges and wow. I have so much respect for the assistants to the president because they do what we do but 1000 times more. I dont know how they have time to teach. Its going to be so fun though and the people here are so great! We have some really solid investigators right now. In English and in Spanish and we are just really pumped to work hard this transfer. My companion Sister Dalton is so cool! She is from Portland, Oregon and we are getting a long really well. We live in an apartment (im telling you this mom because I know this is detail you want haha).

So I guess I can tell you about some of the things that have happened since Ive been here (everything is kind of blurred...so bare with me) ...

Steve! Such a cool investigator. I met him when I came here on exchanges with Sister Dalton and I was so excited to come back and teach him. He grew up in the RLDS church. He is so thoughtful and is dating a member of the church. He is really growing his testimony in the Book of Mormon.


Brother Bruce. He is an 84 year old man that wants to be baptized on his birthday in june but we are trying to help him understand that he can be ready before that. We have really been helping him to discover the book of mormon. Its been great.

Raquel Raymundo and Naomy. Great family, I have only taught the daughter so far but have talked to the mom and the dad and they are just so solid. They are getting a lot of opposition from their friends and family but I feel like we can help them hold strong.

There are lots of others....we had two miracles this week where we helped 2 people to pray who hadnt really ever prayed out loud in their lives and the spirit was just really strong.

I havent been able to meet a lot of them because it has been pretty crazy.

Oh another experience...we went to dinner with a member family and as we were walking in we started talking to this little homeless lady and as we were talking to her this drunk homeless man came up and just started screaming at us and telling us we were brainwashed, ext. It was crazy I had never had that happen to me in my mission (spanish people are a lot nicer). But it was just nice being able to smile and him be confident and tell him that God loves him.

OHHH...also....eek. SOOOO we might have a little issue. So you know how you asked me when I go home? well thats not normally something they just tell you, and not something that you think about a lot...BUT i counted so I could tell you when i would be home...well I counted to the six week of the transfer and we go home on the 1 week of the next transfer. I wasnt really thinking. So I actually will be coming home on the 25th of July. I dont know if that messes up plans and if it does Im really really sorry buit there isnt much that I can do right now. Im really really sorry I hope you can get everything figured out and I hope this doesnt cause you any stress....

anyway. So Mariah told me that Katie Johnston is engaged!!!! Tell her congrats for me.

Oh and Pats funeral sounded really nice. I really am going to miss her and I know she can be proud of the life she lived...I mean she raised Lisa! That right there is an amazing accomplishment, such a great lady. Give her a hug for me.

Anyway I have to go but I love you all a lot! Have a great day!!! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!!!!

"It may not be on a battle front my lord will of need of me."

So a few random things....first off this week was the end of the month and we were really short on miles but we had an appointment in thousand oaks (which is far away) and we really felt like we needed to see her. So we started out on foot. It took forever!! But we madejust 10 minutes after our appoiontment...and she wasnt there. Ah. but we were like...ok we have to be here for a reason. So we went and talked to the people in front of her house and they werent super receptive. Well....we needed to get our spanish study in so we decided to treat ourselves and go to taco bell and study. As we were walking there a man turned the corner in these booty spandex shorts and he was about to start running but we stopped him and started talking to him. Turns out hes a screen writter in Los Angeles and also a painter and painted Princess Diana and Ronald Reagan. So we pretty much just walked with him for a while and taught him versions of the restoration and the plan of salvation. IT WAS SO COOL! He then was like well Ill take your contact information and be in contact with you. We both felt really good about it and decided if that was the only reason that went to thousand oaks that was ok. So then fast forward and later that night we were planning and we got a phone call. IT WAS ALEX...the man who was walking. He thanked us and tol us that he was having a really bad day and with all the glitz and glamor of Hollywood its easy to forget the important things. When then told him about the Holy Ghost and asked if missionaries could come by and he said he was in the process of moving right now but he would love for the missionaries to come by in LA!! SO COOL! Then he also mentioned he wanted to be our lifelong friends hahaha. But it was so amazing.

Mario...hes just crazy. I love the guy to death but hes really overcoming some things from his past but the best part about it is HES OVERCOMING THEM! I just see the atonement working in his life every day because he reads his scriptures and comes to church. His attitudes are changing about the world and himself (see bible dictionary under repentence). So cool thing that happened. Elder Alonso was in the mission this week (of the 70) and so they decided to have a little spanish fireside in ventura. We were allowed to go if we had investigators going. Well we had Mario and Rosendo come. I sat with Mario and told him to pray before to have his questions answered. When Elder Alonso got up to speak he basically said "If you are waiting to know everything about the church before you get baptized you will never know unless you have the gift of the Holy Ghost, so get baptized as soon as you can"...I looked over at Mario and he was crying. IT WAS SO INSPIRED!!!. it was all in spanish and just wonderful. I also got to shake Elder Alonso's hand before the meeting started.

One thing that Elder Alonso said that really touched me was that he was talking about the story of Nefi killing Laban and I was like....ummmm this is an interesting story but he went on to talk about how the spirit told him to KILL HIM NOW. There was no..if you want to. He then said Laban didnt want them to make itto the promise land with all that they needed...and that we all have a Laban inside of us that is keeping us from getting to the promised land, and we need to kill it now (or repent)! I thought that was so amazing. Such wonderful insight.

So yeah its been a good week. Oh mom you said a package with shirts? Well I got a package with the skirt you sent me and also the sweaters Robin and Renee sent me. Is that what you are talking about? Also could I have their address so I could thank them? You should definitley right that sister missionary. I am sure she will appreciate it...





OH YEAH.....you probably want to know whats happening with us for transfers....WELLLLLLL....Hna Hunter is staying here and getting a new companion. I will be going to Ventura and I will be with Sister Dalton(an english sister). We ill be covering a english ward and a spanish branch. (part of them). Its called a "traveling sister" pretty much we go around and do exchanges with the sisters in the mission. Crazy. It was such a shock, but I will go and do and the Lord will help me.

LOVE YOU ALL!

buenes diaz!

Have you noticed the subjects of my emails have gotten really boring? haha sorry about that. Creative juices gone haha. So we are here emailing...haha. I just bought some running shoes, FINALLY. Mine were so beat up. I hope I like these ones.


So this week.....oh it has been a week. A WONDERFUL WEEK...




SILVIA AND MELISSA GOT BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!! It was so beautiful and you could tell Hno Tomas (Silvia's husband) was just soooo happy. It was such a precious day. We also had 5 investigators that showed up to the baptism and at least 20 non members. Silvia got up afterwards and bore a beautiful testimony and told everyone "who were there who weren't baptized" that they needed to be baptized. YAY! She got a calling on sunday but we won't find out what it is until next week.
(and Silvia and Tomas asked if they could come visit us in Las Vegas one day, I told them of course)


We also had our very first family home evening this Friday. It went over pretty well. We didn't have a huge huge turn out but Mario (investigator) came and feels a lot more confidence with the other members. He feels really supported. It was good for the members too because a lot of them don't have families or they just don't know how to do a family home evening, so this will help them. Its also a good way for them to invite their friends to meet the missionaries. Success.


President came to interview Silvia on wednesday and then he decided "to just stay for district meeting". Eek. So we were about to do a EDPEP (its what we do to practice a principle we just learned, its like role playing) Anyway my companion was acting as an investigator so I had to teach with someone else...normally an Elder..but as I was slinking off I heard president say "Hna TIppetts, Ill teach with you". Stressful. Haha. No it was really great and we were talking about the gospel and committing people to be baptism. We taught one of the elders investigators and the scriptures we used they used this week with her and committed her to baptism!!!!!!!!!! District meetings are so inspired. Our district leader also taught us a new way to teach the gospel and we used it with Mario and committed him to be baptized as well!! He accepted for the 3rd of March!!!!! Yay!


Rosendo (the man me and Hna Clark found at the gas station) has now been to church twice and he came to the baptism. He says he knows this is true but I feel like he needs to strengthen his testimony in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but we are getting there.


Rosario is still just as precious and really liked the plan of salvation this week. Has doubts that she can get work off. This is such a hard thing with these people.


We have been teaching members how to be better missionaries and challenging them to do things to invite their friends to learn. We are waiting to see the results.


We finally were able to teach Lorena the Restoration and she was AMAZED. She commented to her friend how beautiful it all was. The spirit was so strong. It amazes me how strong I feel the spirit EVERY TIME we teach the restoration. Never gets old.


One thing I was thinking today as I studied about hope is that hope is the faith that helps have joy every day. When we have HOPE we have CONFIDENCE that God WILL fulfill his promises no matter how bad today looks. We show our Hope and our confidence in him when we use our free agency to press forward. When we receive that confidence, we have great joy every day.


I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am soooo grateful that we know exactly what the gospel of jesus christ is through the Book of Mormon and Bible. I will be eternally grateful to know that Christ lives and to know HOW to use his atonement.


Im glad everything is going well at home. Did dad give up the del sol??? He just got it. Hm. Your family home evenings sound great. I did get the BYU I info. I filled it out today, now president just has to do my endorsement. Yay! It wasn't too stressful I don't really allow myself to think about that stuff except on Pday.


I love you all so much and thanks for writing me!

Go figure...

Go figure...I have TONS to write this week but I have NO time. Sooo we will get some good bullet points in.




DID I TELL YOU THAT I AM LIVING THE BEST LIFE THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER????????????


Well if I didn't I am telling you now. Being a missionary...I really haven't experienced anything cooler. Every day Im just like...yes. This is good.


ok so this week.




1. Mario came to church and afterwards basically told us that the spirit told him to get baptized. He's just scared. We finished teaching him the plan and it was AMAZING
2. Silvia is getting baptized on saturday!!!
3.Rosendo and Adolfo came to church
4. We taught Rosendo at his gas station (he's the one me and Hna clark met while we were going to the bathroom at a shady gas station). And he ordered japanese food. It was funny, He made me eat this broth soup and I felt like I was going to die so we bought a pepsi on the way to our next appointment thinking it might kill the meaty stuff. Ha.
5. SILVIA IS JUST SO AWESOME.
6. Elder Zwick came to the mission (member of the 70) IT WAS AMAZINGGGGG. When I shook his hand he told me Tippetts is a good name haha. I will probably write a letter today with details on what I learned at our meeting with him.
7. Having members involved in this work CHANGES EVERYTHING
8. We brought cake over for Chuy's birthday and he was so happy
9. I was going to say we taught a powerful restoration lesson...but we had so many spiritual lessons this week.
10. I taught a lesson in a gas station eating dancing japanese food...i know i said that but how random is that
11. THe gospel is true and we have living apostles and a prophet. THE PRIESTHOOD IS RESTORED. That is sooo important. With out that we can't know about the plan of salvation, We teach the restoration so people understand that the Plan of salvation...IS THE ONLY PLAN GOD HAS FOR HIS CHILDREN! How blessed our we to know that.
12. My family is awesome (thanks)
13.We started teaching this less active woman and she has came back to church and comes every week...now we are teaching her children!!! I love families!!!
14. We ran in the rain


Sorry thats all I have. We are busy busy busy. But I love you all and this is the BEST LIFE EVER!!!!!

Its January and its California.

Hello FAMILY. Happy Martin Luther King day. Im just writing a quick email and we are off to go grocery shopping and then to play some sports with the Elders. (also hopefully buying to outfits...long story ill tell in a second).




Soo this week....




Well last tuesday we were about to go to a lesson with Margarita (one of my favorite investigators) but she wasn't there. I was super sad...so we went to a Recent converts house...well they were busy so we went to visit a potential and ended up talking to her husband. We talked to him for a good while and got an appointment with him and his wife (good guy). Then we started walking down the hill and we saw a young man who kinda looked english and had head phones in but we stopped him anyway he was spanish. he was on his way to work so we started walking with him to his bus stop. Turns our his parents are learning for missionaries in Guetamala and he had a lot of questions of the plan of salvation pamphlet that he read. So we sat at the bus stop and taught him a bit about it and found a time to come back to his house. So we started walking back towards our car and we were just SO pumped cause we knew that we had been guided by the spirit...then just as we said that we noticed a woman walking down the street so we decided to talk to her..and she got closer her face lit up...IT WAS MARGARITA MILES FROM HER HOUSE...so we talked to her and she apologized for missing her appointment but she had to do something at the bank and took the bus and decided to walk back and she told us that as she was walking she thought, "maybe I will see the Hermanas"....adn there we were. She then told us she was reading the book of mormon and praying about it and she has a lot of desires to know more. That night she came to a family home evening we were having with a less active in her apartment complex and it was great. I KNOW THE LORDS HAND IS IN THIS WORK.


Random note...im dreaming in spanish...i recognized this because I woke up from a dream where I was telling a friend off for not writing me hahaha (and I realized it was in spanish hahaha).


Also we set two more wonderful people with baptismal dates this week


AND SILVIA AND TOMAS GOT MARRIED THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!! She is so ready to be baptized on the 28th. YAY YAY YAY. I see her faith growing daily. She's amazing. I wasn't at the wedding because I was in Ventura for exchanges but the most important thing is that I will be there for the sealing next January!!!


Lets see....Oh the shopping thing. HA so this morning the assistants to president called us and asked us to present something at zone conference on thursday,....which we are having because there will be a general authority coming!! AHHH. CRAZY.


My companion is on FIRE. She is just great.


Its so fun to hear that you are able to hang out with Kimber, chelsea and McKenna so much! Love them.


Dad keep it up with your schedule. I know having goal and a schedule will lift our spirits so much. Don't forget to add scripture study in that!


GIVE REFERRALS TO THE MISSIONARIES! THEY NEED THE HELP OF MEMBERS.


The gospel of Jesus Christ heals hearts. He loves us. We are all children of our Heavenly Father and we have GREAT worth.




Have a great week.




Oh p.s. mom thanks so much for doing everything with school. I will look into it next monday and hopefully get it forwarded to president. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR ME!

this week...

So warning...this is going to be short. We have a ton of stuff going on today but I love you all very much!


So this week was good, Im still learning lots from my new companion Hermana Hunter. She is a great missionary.


We had an appointment with Olivia, her son Blas and his wife Sheena. Olivia is a member who has been inactive for a year but she has now come to church 2 weekends in a row. We are teaching her son and wife. Her son is super confused about religion and she didn't grow up learning about religion at all. She was really receptive to us and she can already see how this is going to bless her marriage and family. We asked them if it was weird for them to here each other talk about God and they said yes but it was really nice.


Mario...hes progressing nice and slowly. He has a lot of fears but this week we have been teaching him about the plan and he really is soaking everything up. Slowly but surely it is helping him clear up his doubts.


One cool experience was with Jesus (we were teaching him and had to drop him a couple weeks ago). Well I had been thinking about him and Ingrid all day and we were about to go knock and I finally told my companion that I didn't know why but I had been thinking about them all day and she said she had thought about them as well so we decided to head over. We get there and Jesus is out side cooking carne asada. BECAUSE IT WAS HIS BIRTHDAY! So we were there and shared a message with him and ate with them (I had grilled corn in case you were wondering) haha. I really know that the Lord's hand is in this work and I know that he loves Jesus and is really attentive of the things going on in his life.




WE FOUND CARLOS. It was such a miracle and we were able to have an appointment with him and teach him about the gospel. He accepted to prepare to be baptized next month!!! EXITO! We are really excited. He really understands the scriptures and has desires to serve his father in heaven.


Silvia is still getting baptized on the 28th and I am just so exited for their family. I can't wait when they get sealed in the temple!! That is the goal!


Mom, I will write you my schedule next week. I got to go.


I love you all so much and I just want you to know that this is God's work and his Kingdom. I am privileged to wear the name of our Savior every day and invite people to repent and come unto him!!


LOVE YOU ALL!!!