Hermana Inman Letter March 10, 2014

Blessed sweet transfers!

I'M STAYING IN OCEANSIDE WITH HERMANA WOODRUFF!!! :D

It's a miracle!  What a wonderful way to end your mission!!! Today I'd just like to tell you about Leti.  Leti is part of the Palacios family, she's the one who wants to be baptized so bad but her "husband" won't let her.  Leti prays and reads in the Book of Mormon every day, she is at church every week with her kids, she watches the Mormon channel with her kids each week, sings hymns with her kids and reads the scriptures in front of her husband so he has to listen to the gospel... the list goes on and on.  She is stronger than most members I know in this church.  It's time for her to be baptized, so if you all could please just keep her in your prayers these next few weeks and maybe even put her name in the temple, we would all be ever so grateful for the miracles that will come.  The day that Leti gets baptized will be one of the happiest days of my entire life, and if she was the only baptism I ever had on my mission it would be worth it for her (of course the mission would all be worth it even if I didn't baptize, but you know what I mean). 

Vanessa Palacios is staying strong :)  the entire Palacios family was at church yesterday minus Leti's husband and his brother (Vanessa's dad).  Then, the Pereyla family came :) we've been working with them, AND, Jacobo came to sacrament meeting all by himself!!!!!!! And he actually made it in time to participate in the sacrament!  He usually comes late, so this was the first time he had ever seen it. Another lady we've been working with came. The entire left side of the chapel was filled with people just from our area that we've been working with- I can't even express the joy that that brings :).  We've been able to really develop strong relationships with the less-active members in our area these last few months and it is so rewarding to see them returning back to church.  It's that same joy you feel when somebody gets baptized.

Today is my 17 month mark in the mission.  It's bitter sweet.  I'm bringing out the "greenie fire" that all the new missionaries have and am going to give this last transfer everything that I've got. Sprint to the finish, as they say.  :)

I truly love this gospel and I am so grateful for the blessing it is to serve a full-time mission.  I would never trade it for anything.  It truly is "the best two years" (or 18 months).

 

I'm glad that Jesse got to start his volunteer job this week and that he enjoys it :) those kids are so lucky to have a friend like Jesse to help them.  Jesse will like this- this week at dinner I showed a 13 year old girl in our ward a picture of our family, and the mom thought that Jake was really cute, but the daughter said, "no, I like the younger one.  He's cuter."  haha!  Somebody has a crush on Jesse!

Congratulations Torie on everything you're doing, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I LOVE YOU!  Your card is in the mail. And WOO HOO! for BYU-Idaho!  Let's be roommates.  Cedar Apartments were nice, but it might be fun to go somewhere else.  Look around and maybe check out Nauvoo housing and Carriage house, too- I've heard good things about them.  Check out some others too and tell me what you think/find. Ones that have their laundry machines inside their own apartment are really nice.

I hope you all enjoy spring break! It will be pretty busy over here in CA this week- the weather is absolutely PERFECT and there's just enough wind so you know that the waves are really good, too.

 

I'm glad the missionaries in your ward are working so hard.  What a blessing.  How neat that we have so many serving from our ward, as well.  The work is hastening! I hope the lesson with them goes well this week!

Have a great week, everyone and be safe! The gospel is true!

Love,

Hermana Inman

Hermana Inman Letter March 3, 2014

BAPTISM!!

 

VANESSA PALACIOS GOT BAPTIZED!!!  She called us Wednesday night at 9:24pm and said that her dad had just given her permission to be baptized!  So we planned the baptism in 2 days, and it was crazy!  But everything worked out and the service was smooth and filled with the Spirit.  We had a huge turnout, and there were several investigators there, including a deaf lady that we found last week, who ended up being Vanessa's aunt!  How cool is that?!  We went over to Vanessa's house before the baptism to help the family get everything ready and when we walked in, the deaf lady that Hna. Woodruff talked to in the street was sitting there at the kitchen table!  Small world!  No coincidences!  And, Vanessa's mom Mariela told us that she's been telling Lupe to come to church but she's been afraid to because she didn't have anybody to translate for her, but Hermana Woodruff translated the entire baptism for her on Saturday and will translate church for her hopefully this Sunday. 

I'm so happy to hear about the Gilbert Temple dedication!  Not even the bad weather can stop such a beautiful celebration!  We are so blessed to have so many temples so near to us.  I got to go to the San Diego temple on Tuesday and it was wonderful and certainly needed.  I especially enjoyed the celestial room this time and received some divine revelation and comfort.

It's been very stormy over here, too.  Rain and wind storms all week long!  The sidewalk to our apartment was flooded with a foot of water for a few days this week, so we got to trudge through that in our skirts haha.  Good times! I really enjoyed your rain story mom! haha that's awesome!

Before the weather was bad on Monday, we went to the Oceanside Pier as a district and it was so fun!! The ocean is beautiful!!! We got to go fishing over the pier (although we didn't catch anything but hungry pelicans and seagulls), and we got to just enjoy the beautiful scenery.  It's a lot prettier than Jake's 5 ft of snow! Holy cow! I can't imagine tracting in that.

I'm glad you enjoyed your package mom :) I hope the rest of your birthday was okay. 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO JENSEN ON HIS MISSION CALL!! Washington DC South!  Woo!! That's Awesome!!!! Wow, he and shane leave the same day, huh? That's so neat!

Transfer calls are this week.  I really hope I get to stay here for my last transfer. Weird. 

I love you all and miss you very much.  I want you to know that I know this church is true.  I know this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I would not trade this opportunity for anything.  I have a testimony of repentance.  It is such a blessing and gift in our lives and I'm so grateful for our Savior for making it possible for us to be clean and return to live in His presence again someday with our families. I'm grateful for how merciful our Heavenly Father is.  I feel His love daily.  I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Hermana Inman
 

P.S. I got to see Sister MacKay when I was on exchanges this week, it was so great to see her :). Exchanges are a long story, but I'm glad they're done!

 

Hermana Inman Letter February 24, 2014

Woo!

this week was much better.  We had the opportunity to work so much more, and we picked up 4 new investigators!  2 families!  Yesterday afternoon we began to knock doors, and the very first door we knocked let us in to share a message.  At first Ricardo and his wife Carolina were very closed off and were trying to disprove our message.  We answered a few of his sincere questions about the godhead, and then used "how to begin teaching" (it's in Preach My Gospel chapter 10).  We then said a prayer (at first he said no we could not pray with him, but the spirit moved him, and he agreed to let us pray).  We then shared with him the message of the restoration, and although we did not get to finish, we answered some of the questions of his soul, and within the 40 minutes that we were there, Ricardo and his family did a complete 360, we saw the spirit work in them, and they invited us back, agreed to read the Book of Mormon, and Ricardo even said the prayer at the end of the lesson.  What a miracle and what a wonderful experience. Hermana Woodruff picked up 2 other investigators when we were on exchanges this week- Enedina and Natalie, a mom and daughter!  We're teaching so many families right now and it is WONDERFUL!  I love teaching families!  That's what it's all about!! This weekend is supposed to be Vanessa's baptism... we're just waiting for her dad to say yes... the whole family is trying to get him to say yes... so we'll see what happens!  Isaac is well, he's reading in the Book of Mormon and answers and returns our calls, so that's really good.  We're seeing him on Thursday.

Exchanges went well, I have one more this week, and probably one next week because I need to go on an emergency exchange with one of the sisters... JUST BE GOOD MISSIONARIES FOR GOODNESS SAKE. But I thoroughly enjoyed my exchange with most of the sisters and they blow my mind and teach me so much.  Zone conference was good. Hermana Woodruff has been feeling better this week and has a follow up appointment next week with the doctor about what they found in her procedure that they did. Hopefully it will give her some answers and help her be permanently better.  Did I ever tell you that my companion speaks ASL? She does!  Fluently!  And so we keep running into deaf people and she's been able to teach them.  Last night we ran into another deaf lady, and she's Hispanic   So, I'll get to teach her family in Spanish while Hermana Woodruff translates for Lupe in American Sign Language!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!!!  Also, we get to go to the San Diego temple tomorrow :D I'm so excited.  It's been too long! Oh, guess what?  I ate dinner in a $25 Million House this week on one of my exchanges!  I'm not even exaggerating.  twenty five million dollar home.  I felt like a nasty fly in that house.... I belong in Spanish work for sure. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sending a card to you in the mail today, sorry it will come a few days late.  I hope you have a good birthday mom!  You deserve it!  I love you!! You are the best mom in this world and I am so grateful for you. 

I got the Valentine package!  Thank you!! It's yummy :). 

I'm so happy to hear about Jesse's volunteer job :)  that's perfect for him. Congratulations Torie on your acceptance to BYU-I!! :). Shooting guns sounds like it was so much fun!!  I wouldn't mind if our family invested in some guns and picked up a new hobby....

Anyway, time is up.  I love you all and miss you!  Have a great week!  Happy Birthday mom!

I'm healthy.

 

Love,

Hermana Inman

 

p.s. no I did not eat the fish eyeballs. 

 

I saw sister mackay at zone conference :)  and this is the daily sunset I get to see 

 

 

Hermana Inman Letter February 18, 2014

Read the Book of Mormon!

Our second home was doctor's office this week.  Hermana Woodruff has been so, so sick.  We had to take her to urgent care on Thursday because she couldn't keep anything down in her body and so they had to put IV's in her to give her some nutrients and strength. We've also been in and out of the doctor's offices and labs doing blood work and tests to try to figure out what's wrong, then yesterday she had a procedure done, too (an endoscopy), so I was her designated driver and chef for the day haha.  She was really funny on anesthesia.  So I've had a ton of down time in the apartment and at the doctor while she's been sick, which means the apartment is super clean, I can almost quote all of Ephraim's Rescue, AND, I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON IN SPANISH!! It's taken me almost all of my mission to finish it in Spanish, but I finally finished it yesterday!  The Book of Mormon is true.  I testify that it is, and I know that as we read it we grow closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.  I can say that because that is what happened to me as I read it, time and time again. The spirit testifies to me each time I read that the accounts in that book really did happen, and that doctrine in that book is pure, and is of Christ. Read it. Pray about it. Ponder it.  You will receive a testimony just like I have, as well as all those who I have met here on the mission who have become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Congratulations to Shane on his mission call!!!!!!!  CHILE! SPANISH!  That's so awesome!! Their Spanish is really cool, too!! Wow that's awesome!  Tell him congratulations for me! 

We only had one exchange this past week  because of my companion's health, so we'll be doing them all back to back this week.... no matter how early I schedule the exchanges in the transfer, for one reason or another, they always have to be re-scheduled and all end up happening in the same week. It's all good though, I'm not too worried about it. Plus, we picked up a new investigator Isaac on our exchange!  He's Catholic, but he's very excited to read the Book of Mormon!  I'll let you know how it goes! 

 

Zone conference is this week, and our zone will be with Del Mar zone!  Which means I get to see Sister MacKay and my other friends from Del Mar!  So that will be fun!  We got free tamales from some Jehova Witnesses this week, so that was cool!  They asked us to buy some and we told them we didn't have any money (which is true!), so they gave us some for free! That's not something that happens every day. Maria Infante is great, we are just trying to help her come to church.  She's embarrassed to go in public much, so we're trying to help her get some good friends to help her feel comfortable there. She asked me to come with her to Mexico after I end my mission.  She's from Sonora, Mexico and wants to show me her pueblo!  Wouldn't that be fun! Viviana and Briana have been in Mexico this week so we haven't been able to teach them, they're still great because rather than just not be there for our appointments, she calls us ahead of time to tell us she won't be there but tells us which day we can come instead.  That shows real interest!  It's really nice!  We had a really neat lesson with one of our less-active/part-member families last night.  We taught the restoration and the spirit was so strong, and at the end of the lesson the non-member dad gave the prayer and prayed for the desire to come to church and the desire to quit drinking alcohol.  It was so neat :) he's never had the desire nor prayed for it, so it was beautiful to see his progress after being touched by the spirit. 

Congratulations Torie on your concerts!  You're awesome! And Jesse is so special and I am grateful to have his sweet spirit in our family. He must have been one of Heavenly Father's most valiant spirits. I'm glad you guys had a good valentine's day, and I'm glad that you are still in love mom and dad :)  that sounds like a silly thing to say, but it really is such a blessing to have such a strong family that originates with the love between the parents.  

I love you all and am so grateful for you.  Thanks for all that you do.  Have a great week, and don't forget to do the small, simple things each day.

 

Love,

Hermana Inman

weird dinner of the week:  an entire fish! eye balls and all!

 

 

 

Just on the patio of our new bishop's beach house.  no big deal. the sun was really bright.

 

 

This is Leti, the investigator who wants to get baptized so bad but just needs permission from her husband... she is the most golden and humble person I have ever met.

 

 

This picture sums up this week.

 

 

Hermana Inman Letter February 10, 2014

I ate a grasshopper.

WE SET A BAPTISMAL DATE WITH VANESSA!!!!! MARCH 1ST!!!!! WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!  And guess what else?!  HER MOM CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!! That was probably the biggest miracle of all! Her mom always avoids us and doesn't ever want to learn about the gospel, but, she came to church yesterday and stayed for all three hours!! Can you believe that?!! I guess if your child is baptized you'd want to know what she's getting into. We picked up two new investigators this week, Viviana and her 11 yr old daughter Briana.  They are GOLDEN and are progressing.  Speaking of progressing investigators, we had 11 this week!! I've never seen that before in my life!  11 progressing investigators!!! A couple of them didn't come to church, so that bumped it down to 9. haha.  We finally saw Jacobo this week and were able to talk about the strength of his testimony and what we can do to help him progress towards baptism. He stopped drinking coffee :).  We finally finished an entire lesson with Maria because she talks so much but we figured out how to hold her attention.  The pizza party with the Martinez family went really well, and now they have some good friends at church.  Great things are happening!! Oh, I tried chapolines at the pizza party.... chapolines are cooked grasshoppers. mmmm!! actually it was really gross.  see attached pictures below.

 

And this is how it tasted.

 

 

Hermana Woodruff has been really sick lately, so are spending a lot of time in doctors offices, but somehow the Lord still blessed our area and our investigators/less-actives.  If you could please keep Hermana Woodruff in your prayers this week she would really appreciate it.

 

We had a zone training meeting this week and we trained on how to help our investigators to study the scriptures, pray, and come to church on their own.  It was a really good training overall- we were told by a man from the MTC the other week that if we would just focus on helping our investigators to do these 3 things then we would baptize twice as many as we are now.  We're going to give it a go! 

 

We start exchanges this week!  I'm only over 4 other sisters this transfer so that means we do less exchanges, it's kind of nice and less stressful.

Today is my 16 month mark... it's hard to believe.  Lucky for me I get to serve for a little longer than 18 months!  I come home on April 23rd- I did the math wrong.  But the mission office contacted me this week to tell me because they said "mom called and checked" haha.  

Congratulations Torie on your concerts, you are so talented!! What's everyone's plans for Valentines? Does Torie have a valentine?  Hna. Woodruff is mine ;). 

Thanks for sending me pictures of Grandpa Jensen, I'm going to print off his obituary.  

 

How neat that you got to go to the Gilbert Temple open house!! It looks gorgeous from the pictures!! That's awesome that Reed & Muche's kids get to be in the pre-dedicatory celebration!  Lucky!  I bet that's going to be so awesome! 

I got the package of snacks :)  thank you so much! You guys are the best!  I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Love, 

Hermana Inman

 

Our companions asked us to be their valentines with heart-shaped donuts :) 

 

 

 

 

Hermana Inman Letter February 3, 2014

When life gives you lemons...

This week was really hard, yet I wouldn't say it was a "bad week."  We have had to drop a lot of our investigators, and we're dealing with controlling and... ungodly... parents who are the only thing keeping their kids/teenagers from progressing in the gospel.  What parent would not want their child to be strong in the gospel of Jesus Christ? We had one day this week where not one door was opened up to us the entire day, NOT ONE, for 24 hours! But, you just keep going and know in your heart that it's nothing like what the Savior went through, and perhaps the reason we have to work so hard right now is because there is somebody in our area who is 100% prepared to receive and embrace the gospel.  We've been finding a lot of investigators and people who are willing to learn, but they all speak english, so we have to keep giving the english sisters our new investigators.  It's okay though, it's all the same work, and all that matters is if they get baptized and come unto Christ.

We're still teaching the Palacios family, of course :) they are wonderful.  Vanessa has been such a good example lately, this week her parents tried to give her coffee 3 times and she turned it down every single time, and finally her dad asked, "why don't you want coffee? Is it because you want to get baptized?"  She answered "yes" to which he replied, "hmm, ok, I'll remember that and take that into consideration."  Which is GREAT! Slowly but surely he is softening his heart and we are hoping and praying that she can get baptized this month.

Yesterday our ward got a new bishopric, and during their testimonies, somebody set off the fire alarm in the church... that was a fun and exciting experience, especially because just a few weeks before we had a training in ward council about how to respond when an emergency happens during sacrament meeting or if protesters try to come and stop our meetings.  Luckily it was just a kid who pulled it and there was no emergency. 

We're teaching the Martinez family and they have never read the Book of Mormon on their own, regardless of how many times they've been invited.  So, this week in our lesson, we just read in 1 Nephi 1 and explained it to them, and the loved it!  It might not seem like a big deal, but Cristian, the dad, said he wanted to read it during the week, and that it was really interesting.  If Cristian gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon and (the gospel), then that whole family will be baptized!  This will be huge!  When we went over there they were so happy about what they learned that they asked us at the end of the lesson to bring all of our friends over from church this Thursday and they are going to make pizza for everyone!  Huge fellowshipping opportunity!  And, Cristian told us about his friend at work who was baptized a long time ago who is struggling and needs the church back in his life.  He gave us his friends number so we could find him, and the missionaries in his area found him and are working with him now!  Small little miracles with the Martinez family, and we're really happy about it! 

I'm so happy to hear about all the successes you are having in your ward back at home!  That's so great that an entire family is going to be baptized and that there are so many other people to work with right now! That makes me happy :) make sure to be good friends to them, the new converts and investigators.  They'll stay around if they have good friends to support them and answer their questions. That's so crazy that Jensen and Shane are working on their mission papers!! Holy cow!! They're little! But that's so great!!! :) So many Inman Missionaries! How fun that Edison Thalman's MTC teacher is Elder/Brother Armstrong!  I know him!  He was a great elder and I got to teach some of his converts in the Olivenhain ward while I was there!  That's so cool!  Small world. I didn't know he even knew who I was haha. 

I am so grateful for my knowledge of the godhead again this week.  God sent His SON to redeem us, and the Holy Ghost testifies of THEM.  They work together for one purpose, but are THREE separate beings.  The Atonement wouldn't be possible nor make any sense if God was also the son and also the holy ghost.  We've had the opportunity to teach about it a few times this week. The gospel of Jesus Christ is so true!  It's so comforting and brings me so much peace.  I love the Lord.  I love this work.  I love the Book of Mormon, and I am so grateful for the divine truths that the restoration of the gospel teaches us. 

Have a great week and don't forget to study the scriptures each day.  

Love,

Hermana Inman

 

 

 

HOT DOG I'M STAYING IN O-SIDE!

Vanessa, our 13 year old investigator in the Palacios family gave a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday!  It was wonderful and I am so proud of her!! That family will be baptized before we know it!  We just need a huge miracle!  Lupita came to church again this week, for the 3rd week in a row after years of not coming, and she brings her husband with her every time! We picked up a new investigator named Jenny, she's a young mom with 2 little girls.  They live in a one bedroom apartment in the back of someone's house- this one bedroom literally means one bedroom- the kitchen, beds, dining area, are all in one room, and I think they use the lady's bathroom in the house they're at.  These people are so humble and yet to generous and willing to listen to the gospel, it amazes me.  I feel uncomfortable in large houses or nice houses now... it just makes me think about all of these people I've taught and how they'll never live in anything larger than a 2, maybe 3 bedroom house that's run down and infested with roaches.  I wish I could give them everything I have! 

This past transfer was absolutely wonderful and I'm happy to say that I'll be staying here with Hermana Woodruff for at least one more transfer!!! WOO HOO!!!! :D We were adding up our numbers last night from this transfer and we invited 881 people to learn about the gospel in contacts, taught around 150 lessons, picked up around 14 new investigators, and saw so many miracles!  What a great transfer!  I'm stoked for this next one, because I know we'll see even more miracles and baptisms!  We're working really hard on being consecrated missionaries, and it's by far one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it's amazing how great it feels to know you've given absolutely everything you have to the Lord and have nothing else to give.  You come home completely exhausted every night, but it feels so good!  I wish everybody could experience this! 

I'm especially grateful for the atonement this week, it is the greatest gift we could ever receive.  And that's just it- we have to RECEIVE it, we have to let the healing and enabling power of the atonement into our lives.  It upsets the Lord when we "stiff-arm" the mercy and grace he offers us.  

Congratulations Torie on getting into regional orchestra!  You rock!  I'm so proud of all of you!  Thanks mom for sharing that family history with me, our family is the best! 

I'm healthy and well and grateful and happy.  Thanks for everything.  I love you all and miss you!  Keep up the good work.

Love,

Hermana Inman

This is a picture of the Palacios Family (the ones that come to church)

 cute little ninos I teach.  Vanessa gave a talk

hermana woodruff and I!! dream team companionship.