I can't believe I'm writing this

April 11th 2016

Well this is it. My last email I will be sending out to everyone...wow I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday I arrived here to mexico from the MTC. I remember meeting my first companion and not understanding a word she said hahaha I remember the thought coming to my mind "How am I going to preach the Gospel to God's children if I cant understand what they are saying? How am I going to teach them if I don't know what to say?" 

Haha and now my companion can't get me to be quiet haha XD Wow, I am truly blessed with the time I have had to serve here in Mexico. These 18 months really have been the best months of my life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. They have been months full of joy, sadness, difficulties, pain, patience, and so many more emotions and feeling I cannot begin to describe. I am truly grateful for the time I have had here, because through the service of God I have found what I am truly capable of. I finally figured out what it means to be a child of God.

This past week I was reading in the book of Moses, the part where Satan is trying to tempt Moses to adore him and I love the response that Moses gives to Satan:

13 And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory,that I should worship thee?

Out of all the responses Moses could have made to Satan, he said "I am a son of God" "I am a child of God" we were made in the image of our Heavenly Father, the image of Jesus Christ. We have the potential to perform miracles, we have the potential to do things that we can't even imagine. God has given us talents and gifts that we need to use and strengthen so we can help others. We have the potential to bring lives back to God! We have testimonies that can heal the broken, we have words and talents to lift up the fallen. Don't ever waste them. 

To Satan we are Nothing, but to God we are everything and He has given us everything, Don't ever forget it. 

I love you all and miss you all a ton and thank you to everyone that has written me and has supported me in these 18 months. I am really excited to see you again, and to see how much your testimonies have grown. 

I will be talking Sunday, the 24 of April, in the Cedar Stake Center at 11:00am, I hope to see you all there =) NOS VEMOS!!!! 

 Our zone activity.

Love,

Hermana Orison

They are so boring....

March 28th 2016

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I don't have too much time to write all of you but I want to let you all know that I am doing amazing, and I am seeing a ton of miracles in these last weeks of my mission.

Last week we did a mission activity, that me, my companion and the Bishop had planned, and it was amazing!!! We found a ton of people to teach! And we motivated the ward to do more missionary work. I really love the ward I am in =)

The moment of the week: haha, so me and my companion were walking down the street yesterday and my companion said to me;

"wow, I feel like everyone here is so boring and we are the exciting ones."

I looked at her confused not sure what she meant "what?"

"I mean everyone just sits in front or inside of their houses, just thinking about their lives." She said as we passed a few people just sitting on their porches "They only know their own life, while we on the other hand get to see a glimpse of everyone's lives, we get to play a part in everyone's lives! We are in the lives of so many people that we forget about our own lives, isn't exciting?"

I thought about it for a moment, remembering my life before the mission, when I only thought about myself, she was right, it was so boring compared to the life that we have now. It made me think about the scripture in the Mosiah 2:17

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

It's true, when we serve our brothers and sisters, we our the happiest people on the planet, because we our helping the lives of others, and we stop thinking about our own problems, it is the most exciting work in the world! It is only through preaching the gospel and serving others that we can reach complete happiness in this life, I invite you all to be missionaries to all of those that you know, help them and serve them, and I promise you that you will feel better then you guys have ever felt before. I love you all!!!!! Please have an amazing week and WATCH CONFERENCE!!!!!!! WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hehe its my superbowl ;) 

Love,

Hermana Orison =D

Soldadura!!

February 22, 2016

Buenas tardes!!!!!! How is everyone been this week? Haha this week was a little interesting.

The sisters in our zone have been having a few issues so the zone leaders and Hermana Pacheco sent me out to do two divisions with two companionships this week, so I got to hang out in two different areas this week and I got to help them find some golden investigators. I helped them to have more motivation =) haha! It was so weird not being in my area or with my companion for 3 days, I almost came back to my area and companion crying because I missed them so much hahaha =P 

We arrived at the house of a member yesterday and she told us that she needed some one to weld her fence together because the person she hired never showed up, you have no idea how tempted I was to grab the welder and start welding haha, If I wasn't in a skirt or the mission I would have totally done it! XP 

The night before our district meeting a district leader from a different district called us and asked if we could give a presentation in his district to motivate the Elders (who don't have too much time in the mission) in his district in the morning. We told him yes and the next morning we had about 20 minutes to study for our presentation for the elders. We were not sure what we wanted to teach them, until I flipped to D&C 50:13-22, and I realized that I should teach them Elder Bednar Style) Entering into the room full of elders, we pulled out this scripture and read it with them, with every two verses I shared a story or experience to help them apply the principal and recognize how important their calling is, and when we finished the training they were all silent and the room was full of the spirit. During the week we had the chance to see them put into practice what we had taught them, and hear of some of the miracles that they saw. It was a really special experience for me =) 

Tengan una buena semana!!!!! LES AMO MUCHO!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Orison =)

Ive changed a little

February 8, 2016

Wow, this week has been so tiring but good. First we started the week off with a Leadership meeting, so we drove 3 hours to Obregón and spent the night there (WHOOOW I LOVE OBREGON I MISS IT SO MUCH!!!) then we had out meeting and took a bus back here to Los Mochis and pretty much crashed into our beds with exhaustion. Haha but I had a really cool experience while I was on the bus ride to Obregón, that really made me realize how much the mission really changes you.

When we arrived to the bus station and climbed onto the bus, I realized I was assigned a seat up front while all the other missionaries had all been assigned seats to the back of the bus. So I sat down in my seat waiting to see who would be my neighbor for the next three hours. Can you imagine who it was? Or what he looked like? It was a really big guy from Guatamala haha!

He climbed over my seat and sat down beside, and I dont know how but I was able to strike up a conversation with him about religions, and he told me the missionaries had visited him before about 10 years ago, and that he had baptized with our church, but because of work had not attended church for many years.

So I started sharing the message of the restoration. I explained to him how Jesucristo came to this earth to establish his church why he established it and then I explained how important it was to go to church and obey the commandments and how we could change and be better through repentance. Then I asked him if he remembered the steps to repentance and he told me he had forgotten it.

So I grabbed a bible and pamphlet and taught him the six steps of repentance, and he loved it! and the conversation ended like this "Hermano, will you use these six steps tonight to repent and get rid of your sins?"

"yes!"

"and will you go to church this Sunday so you can partake of the sacrament?"

"yes! I will go to church this Sunday!" He said with a lot of enthusiasm.

I then got off the bus, and a lady I didn't know yelled

"Muchacha! Venga!" (lady come here!)

I was a Little hesitant to walk over to her because she looked mad (the people of obregón have an angry Spanish accent that you have to get used to haha. I am not kidding!) but I walked over to her.

"I just really want to thank you for what you did back there, we need more people like you, who really REALLY preach the góspel at all times and in all places, that was amazing. Thank you so much, you really helped me." She said grabbing me and giving me a quick hug and then she quickly walked away.

I just stood there for a minute stunned, what just happened? I just taught a man about the góspel and called him to repentance, as well as this lady, in a language I didnt know before...Wow It was a moment that really made me realize how much the misión has changed me.I would have never done anything like that before... haha Whoow!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT HERE!!!!!!

HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!!

Love,

Hermana Orison

I'm still living I think ;)

January 4th 2016

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha yes I am still alive!!! I am sorry that I have not had the chance to write any of you guys these past weeks, I seriously have not had a Pday for three weeks. The work here has been crazy, I am going to try and give you all a big up date because I feel bad that I haven't really written anyone for a while. I will try to send a bunch of pictures too.

Okay starting off this transfer, our president made me and my companion sister training leaders of a zone that is not the zone that we are in, so we are trying to run two zones. That means double the work and stress, but double the fun =) We have two sets of zone leaders and we get to know a ton more missionaries, its the best!!! =D I like looking at transfers as if it's another chapter to my story here in the mission and this chapter I feel like has a theme of sacrifice and concentration (I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPELL IN ENGLISH AHHHH!!!) I have really learned what it is to sacrifice my time and all my efforts to the lord in this transfer. We have not had a minute to ourselves in this transfer, we are always teaching investigators, members, or training the other sisters, or calling someone to motivate them (haha I have fallen in love with the word ANIMO this past week, it does not have a direct translation in English but it means something like "you can do it" And I love screaming it into the phone when one of my the missionaries we are helping feels down, haha they get a laugh our of it XP) or we are preparing presentations for a meeting (I am proud to say that I can prepare an 1 hour training meeting in about 10 minutes, haha this week has taught me ton!) 

 I have been the happiest missionary this transfer, I have really gained a testimony. I have learned that when you actually lose yourself in the work of God, helping your brother and sisters, dedicating all of your time to them, you will achieve happiness that is unimaginable. I love this work so much!!! It's the best!!!

I want to thank all of you that have supported me in this year, and thank you so much for all of the cards!! I have loved reading them all!! You guys are the best ward and family members ever!!!!!! I know that I only have four months left (wow it is so scary how time flies by so fast) and the truth is I just want all of you guys to move to here to Mexico, because it is so awesome here!! It is going to be so hard to come back home. Ciudad Obregon is like my home, I love the people here!!! This is the best mission ever! It is going to be really hard to talk to you guys when I get back because I am really forgetting my English (I think it's through the power of the holy ghost that I am writing this write now haha) sorry to my family that I couldn't quite speak English  to correctly, I hope you understood what I was saying haha. I love you all please have an awesome week!!!!!  Happy 2016!!!!!! =D

Love Hermana Orison

Photos: Skype call and Christmas party =)

 District Pictures:

Fasting and Training

December 21, 2015

Whooooooooow!!! This week was crazy, can I just say being a sister training leader is the best and most stressful thing ever hahah. Here is a summary of my week:

We are teaching an investigator named Hector who is getting ready to be Baptized, and he is really excited. But the thing is he works Sundays and is only able to attend church the first hour, then he has to go to work. He asked his boss if he could get work off but he told him no. I then went and asked his boss if he could get the day off those Sundays and he told me no. So Hermana Garcia and I fasted for Hector, asking if God could help him get Sunday off. So last night after our fast, we went to the Boss of Hector and asked again if he could have Sunday off, and guess what? he said YES!!! It was an awesome miracle for us, I can testify that fasting does work! =D

My convert Luis received The Melchizedek Priesthood yesterday!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED =D FOR HIM!!!!! awwwww they grow up so fast!

We had the Dedication of the temple of Tijuana last week, we got to watch through transmission to the church, and Uchtdorf dedicated it! So awesome!! His Spanish is so funny, haha =D

This week I have had the chance to experience what it really means to be a sister training leader. During our studies we did not only plan for our investigators and our area, but we also plan for the sisters we train and their areas, we then work twice as hard in our area to have lots of work so we can be an example for the rest of our zone, and the missionaries we train (as well as do divisions with them and help make their areas better). Then we get back home plan and call all the sisters every night to motivate them and help solve their problems and then we finally go to bed haha, so tiring, but I love it!!! I have the chance to see so many miracles and blessings with this calling, it is the best!!!!!

I am going to try and send pictures later (haha I forgot my cord for my camera...) I hope you are all doing well!!! Please have an amazing Christmas!! Family I am super excited to talk with you guys this week, to this rest of you see you in 4 (wow time goes by so fast!) Love yah!!! =D

Once again with time...

December 14, 2015 

Hey everyone!!! So I had to do some Visa Paperwork again today, so once again I do not have a lot of time to write =( I hope you are all doing amazing!!! I am loving my area and my new calling as Sister Training Leader, and we are seeing a lot of success with the missionaries we are training!! 

I have to say that this mission is the best thing I have ever done, I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to serve here and be a instrument in God´s hands. This transfer has really opened up my eyes and has helped me see how much I have really changed. I cant really describe how I feel, there are no words for it, all I can say is that I am uncontrollably happy. I love the people here so much! I love my companion, and I love this work more than anything in this world. This Gospel has blessed my life in more ways then I have ever imagined, and watching it change the lives of others is the best feeling EVER!!!!! I invite you to share this gospel with all those around you , help your brothers and sisters receive all the amazing blessings that you are receiving. I promise you will feel a joy you have never felt before, I Love you all!!!! I pray for all of you everyday, please stay safe (especially with the snow) , Have an amazing Week!!!!!! =D

Love,

Hermana Orison

Thanksgiving??

November 30th, 2015

Buenas Tardes!!! How is everyone doing? This past week was pretty good, I did not get the chance to write a lot last week because we has a short amount of time. But all is well in Obregon =) 

Gloria and her boys are doing great! So many amazing missionaries sharing the gospel with everyone =) This week we have started sharing the video A Savior Is Born, a beautiful Christmas video! I love it! In Spanish and English haha Christmas is the best time in the world to share the Gospel =D I invite you all to check the video here: https://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HP_SU_11-29-2015_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_

Everyone has questioned me how they celebrate Thanksgiving here, and I am sad to say they do not celebrate Thanksgiving here =( haha I didn't know it was thanksgiving until we returned to the house in the night and I looked at the date in my planner, ha oh well, there is always next year =P

I love you all!!!! Have an amazing week!!! =D

1 Ano Luego

October 19th, 2015

So,... this week I completed 1 year in the mission!! I can't believe it!!! Time has flown by so fast!!! It does not feel like I have been out here for a year, It feels like just yesterday I arrived to Mexico, and didn't know any Spanish (I am now proud to say that I am speaking Spanish in my sleep haha the gift on tongues is real!!).

This has been the best and hardest year of my life! I have enjoyed every minute of it. There is nothing more beautiful then serving a mission, and having the chance to meet so many amazing people and teach them about this beautiful Gospel. I have had the chance to see so many lives change and many miracles happen, I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!

This week we had a lot of success with finding people, and we had 4 investigators come to church, as well as 4 less actives, we were so excited to see them all! I think one thing I have learned during this year is that Patience is key to success. We need to have patience and faith that God knows what He is doing. If we continue with patience, and if we give this work all we've got, God WILL bless us with more blessings then we could ever imagine. =)

I love you all!!! Continue with Patience!!! See you all in 6 months! (Well, that is if my President doesn't let me extend my mission...I think he will...so see you in another year!!! =D...jk Mom and Dad don't have a heart Attack! haha Love you!!! ;P ) 

Love,

Hermana Orison

Dear Jane,

September 28th

Buenas Tardes!

Wow, this week went by so fast! I cant believe it is P-day today, it is so crazy! This week was hard but good. We have had the opportunity to work with a lot members this week and Family History, can I just say that family history is awesome? We have been helping a lot of members find there ancestors to take to the temple this month, and they are all so excited! 

We have all been preparing for conference this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. This conference is going to be awesome! It's going to be a big change because for the first time in history we are going to receive 3 new apostles, WOW! I am so excited for this conference!!! AHHH I CANT WAIT FOR IT TO GET HERE!!!!!!!

Funny Moment of the week:

We finally found one of our investigators that went missing for about 3 weeks, and we set an appointment to meet with him Friday in the evening at a members house.

We arrived at the members house a little early to tell her about the appointment and the member opened the door and held a letter in her hand. "He came by and dropped this off with me to give to you" She said handing us the letter.

The first thought that came to my mind was : "OH NO! our investigator just dear Janed us! una Querida Juanita!!" 

I slowly opened the letter, hesitant to read it, but reading it I was soon filled with awesome happiness. It read " Dear Hermanas, I am praying for you everyday, and I wanted to tell you that I won't make it to our appointment because I need to visit my mom, but I will be back Monday and I want to be Baptized..." Ha ha best letter ever! Why our investigator wrote us a letter to change our appointment instead of sending a message, I don't know, but I am super excited for him =) Please put him in your prayers! =)

I love you all!!! Thank you all for you support!!! You are all amazing!!! =D

LOVE HERMANA ORISON

I finally found the discus statue!!!! My mission is complete haha!!!! Awww I miss my discuses!!! =P

and we got to walk around the Lagoon today, so pretty!! =)

I want to see the Temple!

August 10th

Wow, I don't even know where to begin with this week. For one, I am sooooooooo Tired! But this week has been awesome!!!

Our Stake had youth conference this week and they called all the missionaries of the stake to help them out. Haha, we had to help set up a dance and blow up a ton of Balloons! I don't think I have blown up that many balloons in my entire life!! I was definitely a little light headed afterwards ha.

Saturday all the youth went proselyting with the missionaries. They divided us with our wards, and I am in the biggest ward here so we have a ton of youth! They divided me and hermana Ake up and gave us each three Young Women to accompany us. We were given a list of names to visit...mine happened to be in a area that wasn't mine X( so I stole my zone Leaders map and left with the Young Women to teach people! 

First it was stressful because it wasn't my area and I thought the girls were going to pass out from heat stroke, it is about a 110-115 degrees here right now (Its weird I didn't realize it was hot until I looked over and saw them sweating up a storm!) Our first lesson no one wanted to testify, but lesson by lesson it got easier and easier =) and I had the opportunity to teach them how to contact people in the street like a boss! (I love contacting! XD) 

One of the names on the list of members we needed to visit happened to be the mom of one of the girls that was with me. (Yeah a little awkward) we didn't exactly know why her name was on the list and I didn't know if it would be a good Idea to visit her with her daughter but I kept getting the prompting to visit this mom. So we went and I had the daughter pick out the theme for the lesson (she knows the necessities of her family more then I do) and as I was helping her teach the lesson and when I testified about the families, the house filled with the spirit. Her mom started to cry and her dad said this is the message that they needed. I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that until the next day (Sunday) when I walked into the church and the daughter of this family came running up to me holding up a temple recommend in her hand telling me that they were going to get sealed together this month. One of the happiest moments of my mission! I just wanted to cry! I LOVE THIS MISSION SO MUCH!!!!! HELPING PEOPLE FIND THE GOSPEL IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

If you feel like something is missing in your life, I invite you to look for the gospel of Jesus Christ and apply it! Read the Book of Mormon, Pray in your families, Go to church and have a Family Home evening every week, if you do these things I PROMISE your life will be better, you will be happier, your relation with God will be stronger and you will have the spirit by your side to guide you and comfort you 24/7.

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!! GET SOME MISSIONARY WORK DONE!!!!! =D

LOVE Hermana Orison =)

It's Raining!

July 27

Hola!!!!

Wow! So much has happened this week! It is crazy! First I just want to testify that prayer works! Haha, I have 10 months in my mission and I can finally testify that it works.

Wednesday we were contacting all the references that we had and NO ONE would open there doors, at this point we had not found one new investigator the whole week and we were feeling a little depressed, because we had received 40 references last week to contact this week. When we got to our last reference, and were about to knock on the door I said a small prayer asking God to give us one new person to help and to teach, just one.

We knocked on the door and...no one answered...we just stood there for 2 minutes wondering what to do next. We left the house and right across the street we found a woman crying in front of her house using a little kids t shirt to wipe away her tears. We walked up to her and started talking to her. We talked to her for about an hour, she told us a really sad story about how her husband died and that she was having problems with her 3 little kids and how she had just found this house to live in (which had NOTHING in it!) and a ton of other problems. We shared a message with her and we got a few members to help her out (I just have to say the Ward I am in is AMAZING!!! I LOVE THEM!!!) and she ended up attending church with us this Sunday! And she loved it!!! She is one of our miracles this week =)

In other news, it decided to pour in Obregon this week, and let me tell yah, in our area when it rains it floods! I was really tempted to go swimming. Ill send some pictures for proof ;)

I just want you all to know that the mission is the best!!! And I miss you all! Have an awesome week!!

Love,

Hermana Orison

Flash Back!

Hola everyone! Don't have too much time today, so I am making this quick:

This week has been pretty fun, I had the opportunity to go on swaps with my Mom!! Hermana Alfaro!!!! You have no idea how weird it is to teach with your trainer 7 months after your training! (I'm freaking out! I almost have 10 months in my mission :O

Haha it was weird but fun teaching with her. Our teaching styles are a lot alike and we almost ended up repeating each other at times. Being able to teach her investigators with her was the best! It showed me how much I have progressed in my mission =) It is sad, this is her last transfer in her mission, so this will be the last time I will be able to teach with her =(

We had a mission activity this week, but with another ward. Our mission president sent all the missionaries that are on this side of Obregon, to go to this ward activity that was in my Church here!! It was awesome! I got to see some people from my first area!! I could actually talk to them!! WHOOW!!!

For the activity they gave each companionship a map and a list of less actives to visit and they put us with a companionship of members. Oh I am so glad we had members with us because it was not our area and maps of Mexico don't help for nada!

But we ended wandering around looking for houses for 2 hours! And we only found houses where no one was home or no one lived there. We had a little hope as we knocked on the last house of our list. But when we knocked a guy opened the door with a big smile,

 "Ah the missionaries! do you want to come in?"

"well, yeah" I said

"Pass in! But I'm going to warn you it is a little messy in here." He said opening the door for us, and we saw tools and all sorts of stuff all over his tables and floor. We had to hop over stuff to get to the couch.

A movie was blasting and the house smelt weird, my companion was asking me if this was a good idea we both had a little weird feeling, we had two members with us and the younger girl was looking really nervous.

I said a little prayer in my head asking God if wanted us to leave or stay. I got the impression to stay in the house. So we stayed, and I asked a few inspired questions and the guy ended up telling about how his dad had died a few years back and his mom had moved away, and he had started getting into some bad stuff but some friends helped him out of that situation and he was now attending the catholic church. but just a few weeks back his life started falling apart again.

We ended up teaching him about prayer and about the plan that God has for all of us, and that we are able to live with our families forever through this gospel. The spirit was so strong! He ended saying the prayer and it was so powerful! and I am so excited to say that he attended church the next day =) I felt like God had put us there in the right place at the right time =) I love this mission!!!!! =D

 Love Hermana Orison

HAPPY FOURTH!!!!!

I had the best, busy 4th of July ever!!!! We celebrated with the Baptism of Perla!!!! WHOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Can I just say, she is one of the most amazing people I have met in my mission? Teaching her has been the best, she was definitely prepared by God and understood everything we taught her and not only did she understand it, but she applied it in that moment (and I mean in that moment. We taught her about fasting and as soon as we got done explaining it she asked if we could start a fast right there in the lesson! It was awesome!)

The day of her baptism we went on divisions with some of the members of our ward (it was their "MTC" activity for the month). Hehe, a little stressful for me since I only have two weeks in this big area and it was raining really hard. I ended up teaching two lessons with a member and then we got to the church a little late so the baptism started a little late (Ahhh!!!). I quickly ran into the church and took a picture with perla and then the baptism started (yeah the picture was not very pretty because I'd been outside running in the rain the whole day XP) but her baptism was amazing! I am sooooo happy for her!!! =D

Funny moments of the week:

hehe We got back home one day and finished planning and I was in the bathroom brushing me teeth when I heard my companion let out a high pitched scream, I quickly ran into our room thinking she was dying or something, and I find her pointing at the window screaming "Lagarto!!! Lagarto!!!" I had no idea what the word met until I saw two huge lizards crawl out from the curtains of our window.

"Kill it! Kill it!" She screamed, yeah I started laughing and walked into the kitchen grabbed a container and jumped on the top bunk (yeah we have bunk beds right now =P) and I tried catching the lizards to throw them out the window. I got one out but the other started crawling on the ceiling and I tried to grab it but the lizard fell to the floor almost hitting my companion and she jumped onto the top bunk shrieking and the lizard ran off somewhere....haha we haven't found it yet, but oh well, it will come out eventually. I got quite a good laugh that night XD

Have a great week!

Love Hermana Orison.

Life in Obregon

So I am loving it here in Obregon! We have an awesome area and an awesome ward that is realllllllly huge, there our four pairs of missionaries working in this ward and we are the only sister missionaries here, WHOOW!!!

So Ill give you a few details of what its like here:

• To get out of our house every morning we have to jump over our neighbors huge pig, petunia, who lays at the bottom of our stairs everyday. My companion usually runs screaming when the pig starts following her haha (it likes to nip people, I think I am going to get Swine Flu hehe)

•  The buses here don't stop! haha I always have fun trying to jump on moving buses, I missed that part about Obregon, Love the adrenaline rushes you get here =D

• Church starts at 8 in the morning in this area...haha and I thought it was hard getting investigators to attend the 9 o'clock XP but we did have a miracle this Sunday. We had 3 investigators attend church, and 2 of them we contacted Saturday. I am so excited to teach them!!!! XD

• Funny Story: So at the beginning of my mission I went on swaps with another missionary and I worked a day in the area that I am in right now. So I know a few of the people here.

We went to share a message with a member Tuesday, and I realized I had taught her about 7 months ago, and Hermana Ake went to introduce me to her

Hna Ake: "Hermana this is my new companion hermana Oris-"

Member: "I know who she is! Ive met her before! I was hoping you would be transferred her!!"

Me: "uh what?"

Member: "When you taught us last time and left our house, my son (who isn't a member) was standing outside and watched you leave and came running into the house and said "Mom! Did the missionaries visit you? There is a new missionary and she is really beautiful!" and I have been hoping you would come back so you could teach him and motivate him to come to church"

Haha yeah it was awkward, I didn't know how to respond and my companion just laughed at me. People we teach are supposed to go to church to get closer to God, not me! XP

So I have a request of everyone who reads this email, one of our investigators is having a hard time identifying her answer of the Book of Mormon, and me and my companion have testified of allll of our experiences of the Book of Mormon, but I think our situations were different then hers is. I was wondering if you could each write me about one of your experiences with the Book of Mormon, how did you come to know that it is true? What was your answer? What did you feel when you prayed? This is your homework assignment! hehe =)

Love you all!!! Have an awesome week!!! =D

Hermana Orison

20 Years In The Making

    June 8th 2015

      Well, it is official, I don't know how I did it, but I made it 20 years! Yep, I don't believe it either! How did I get so old, ah! I'm just going to give everyone the lay down of my Birthday since everyone keeps asking about it ;P

      So on my Birthday we had a zone meeting (yay...) and we were sitting in the chapel waiting for it to start, when my zone leaders came over to me and my Companion and told us to come with them, so we followed them out of the room and they told us to go wait in the primary room...yeah we knew something was up...

     They finally came for us and told us we could go back into the chapel, and when we entered the chapel, we saw a big sign on the white board that said "HB Hermana Orison" and there was a cake (haha three pancakes with frosting XP) sitting on the table in the middle of the room. All the missionaries sang happy Birthday to me in English and Spanish and then they made me eat a piece of the cake in front of them haha, it was awesome! =P

      Then we went to eat lunch at a members house and I guess the zone leaders had told her it was my Birthday and she brought out a huge cake for us to eat and everyone sang happy Birthday again haha

     Then we had told a family we would have a Family Home Evening with them, and when we arrived to their house, there were balloons all over! And they brought out another cake, with a sparkler for a candle! IT WAS AWESMOME!!!!! I Love this family =D

      When we finally got home for the Night, the Assistants called us and sang Happy Birthday to me over the phone! I have to say this has been one of my Best Birthdays EVER!!!! Today the other hermanas and I went on a EARLY morning Hike-run, to celebrate mine and Hermana Perezs Birthday, soo much Fun!

      I love this area and this ward! I want to thank you everyone for the Birthday wishes, they made my P'days amazing, and thanks to all who sent birthday letters too, you are the best! haha Mom I don't know how you did it but I got your Package right on my Birthday and everyone's letters =D I love you all! Have an awesome week!! =D

Love,

Hermana Orison

Some of my cakes.

 Our morning hike :)

 and another cake!

Its getting HOT in here!!!

Whoow! This week was a lot of work and some miracles too =)

• We got to paint a house this week! Which was a ton of work! A fun fact about Mexico, all of the houses here are made out of concrete! (haha everyone tells me its weird that we build our houses out of wood). So here in Mexico people paint the outside of their houses all the time (that's why there are blue,pink, yellow, and a load of colorful houses) So we went to the house thinking we were just going to paint it but found out that we had to scrape all the paint off first. So what started as a 2 hour job turned into a 5 hour job!  But, at least I got to wear jeans and the little old me was happy haha =D

• Danny and Luis were BAPTIZED!!! =D Okay, so they are not my investigators, but I have had to teach them a lot with my Sister Training Leaders. They have been learning about the Gospel for four months now, and it has been so amazing to watch them grow with the gospel. Haha, they remind me of when I was an investigator, we are so much alike! It's crazy! That's why my sister training leader would pull me aside and tell me to go talk with them, she would always tell me "They are not as sassy with you as they are with me, go talk to them" haha. Their Baptism definitely was the miracle I needed this week and I am excited to say they are preparing for missions, whooooow!!!! I am so proud of them =D

• The temperature has been between 105 and 110 this week, haha working in this weather truly has not been easy, and I feel it is a miracle that I am still alive XD! Everyone keeps telling me its just going to keep getting hotter because it is only June, whoow! BRING IT ON!!! 

I love you all!! And I hope the weather is fantastic wherever you are! Have an awesome week =D

Food =P

Whoooooow P-day!!! Hola mi amigos!! We had some fun times this week:

1. We were eating lunch at a members house last thursday, and she put out a plate of sliced peppers. Having 8 months in the mission, I was sure I would be fine eating them, so I took a big slice that had a lot of seeds on it not even thinking about it and quickly put it into my mouth. Hehe ya I dont think I have cried so hard at a meal before, haha that is when they told me the seeds were the hottest part -_- and then they gave me soda to drink because thats all they have here, haha didn't help! But I am still alive! =P

2. We are teaching a family right now, that is just incredible and amazing. They invited us to eat dinner with them after one of our lessons, my companion and I didn't really want to because we just got done eating a big meal with a member and were already full, but we accepted, because we didn't want to be rude. So some how I stuffed down a plate of re fried beans and meat and was completely full.

And the dad of the family asked if I wanted more, I told him no and that I was full. But he doesn't take no for an answer, and grabbed my plate and filled with re fried beans and meat. Ahhhh, I honestly don't know how we ate it all! That's the fullest I have been in my life XP then after the meal he gave us a bunch of fruit (mangoes, oranges, bananas) to take home haha my companion asked me
"did you pray for food?"

me: "haha, no I'm pretty sure this is a sign from God that I need to eat healthier" XP

3. We had ward conference this Sunday which was pretty fun =) All the missionaries had to sing in the choir, which actually sounded really good =D

Most of the talks that were given Sunday were about The Sabbeth day and how it connects to our faith in God. If you think about it, when we attend church, it is an act of faith. It is an act of faith that we will receive personal revelation from the talks or the classes that we attend. Another act of faith is repentance, which really is a beautiful thing. It give us the opportunity too look at ourselves clearly and show us all the things we can do to be better people and to live better lives, it is a change of our thoughts and actions and a part of the repentance is the sacrament. When we partake of the sacrament we become clean of sin and we have the opportunity to start fresh again. Which leads back to attending church, one of the ten commandments of God. I know God gives us commandments not to restrict us, but to benefit us. When we obey His commandments we are free of unnecessary burdens, and live happier lives because we have the opportunity to receive the fullness of His blessings.

How amazing is this Gospel!! Love it more and more everyday!!

I love you all!!

Love Hermana Orison

My English Sucks! Whoow!

HOOOOOOOOOOLA!!!!! 

This week has been so long, but very good. We our finding a lot more people to teach that's actually progress, whoooooooow!!!! Miracle!!! Summary of my week:

• Our District had its first English class together (Our President has really been pushing on all the missionaries to learn at least one language in their mission) And we practiced giving the first lesson to each other in English, and I was the only English Speaker in my group, so I lead it off and helped my companion out, haha it was actually really difficult to teach in English because my brain has taught this lesson so many times in Spanish that It forgot all the words in English. When we got done the missionaries we were teaching told me that I sounded like a Mexican trying to speak English, WHOO!!! I have been waiting forever for that insult!! ;)

• I had to give a talk in our ward Sunday, and I didn't end up writing it until the night before (As a missionary in Mexico, you neeeever have free time, never!!) So I wrote my talk about the Holy Ghost because I thought we didn't have specific topics. When we went to sacrament meeting the Bishop announced that I would be talking about Obedience...yeah didn't get that memo...So I got up to the stand and said "Today I would like to talk about the blessing of Obedience, the Holy Ghost." and gave my talk and I am proud to say that people were crying during it (And not because my Spanish is bad!!) we could really feel the Spirit in that meeting =)

• Funny surprising moment: We contacted a women outside of her house and we started teaching her lesson one and I taught her about the Baptism of Jesus and started inviting her to be baptized when she cut me off and said "Where do I go to get baptized?" I stared at her shocked and explained where a church was, but told her she needed to pray about the things we were teaching first so she could receive an answer from God that they were true. (Because I don't want anymore less actives!) She stared at the pamphlet we gave her then looked at us and simply said "I believe it is true" and then her sister walked in and women asked her Sister if she wanted to listen to the Mormons with her and her sister said "ah, I was already baptized with them" by this time me and my companion were so confused and shocked, but invited her sister to come to church too. By the end of the lesson we had an investigator with a baptism date and another less active to work with, haha miracles do happen! I promise! =D

I hope You are all doing well! Have A great week! I love you all!!!

Love,

Hermana Orison

 

 Me cleaning the graveyard! Whoow! Sweeping up ashes and leaves =P

The last dinner of our last transfer (yeah didn't want my Zone leader in the photo...hehe)

 

 Our investigator has a turtle that wanders around her house and always comes out to greet us during our lessons =D

 

Feliz Dia De Madres!!!! =D

    FELIZ DIA DE MADRES to all you Mommies out there!!!! 

Skyping my family yesterday was amazing! =) I love you all! When I got done Skyping, the family of the house I was Skyping in laughed at me when I got done because I had a huge smile on my face. They also told me that they understood half of my conversation because I had been speaking Spanglish without really realizing it, oops! To my family, I am sorry if you didn't understand everything that I said, the Spanish is getting to me =P

     Yesterday we also got Transfers, and I am staying in Mochis again with Hermana Serrano. Third transfer here, whoow! I feel like this next transfer here is going to be really good, I am excited for it =D 

Little Funny story: Saturday we had another mission activity where we invited all members and investigators to the church to watch Meet The Mormons, we were sad when only one of our investigators showed up. But 20 minutes into the movie, the DVD stopped working and one of the Elders thought it would be a great idea to put ¨17 miracles" on instead. I love that movie, but when you have a bunch of people watching it that don't really know anything about Joseph Smith or Pioneers, its a little weird. Especially when the first 2 minutes is of a wolf chasing down someone and a person freezing to death, AHHHH!!! Me and my companion quickly became happy that we didn't have more then one investigator there (Who asked a ton of questions, but said he really liked it. Yep, he is our Golden Investigator =) ) Gotta love the life of the mission =)

I hope you are all doing wonderful! I love you all!!

     I want to include this link to a Mormon Message (by Elder Uchtdorf of course) for all the Moms out there, you are the greatest creators, I mean you make people? How cool is that? haha LOVE YOU!!! =D

 

 

 http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/create

 

And here is a Photo of my Zone before Transfers =)