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

CONFERENCE!!

April 4th 2016

Hola!!!!This was a super amazing week!!!! I loved the conference!!!! I am sad to say that I do not have too much time to talk today because we have to catch a bus to go to a leadership meeting soon. 

For general conference all of us american missionaries got together in one room of the chapel and watched general conference in English it was so amazing to hear their voices (and to hear English again haha)! I loved every talk! I received so much personal revelation from this conference, I think it has been the best one I have seen by far. I really loved the talk by Elder Uchtdorf, how he talked about obedience and how it helps us to collect light. Light is a theme I have seen come up a lot in these months, I have found that our purpose in life is to collect light, and how do we collect light? Well, like elder Uchtdorf said, by being obedient! studying the scriptures every day, offering service, preaching the gospel, going to church and partaking of the sacrament and trying our very best to live gospel principals everyday. I know as we do these things, we will collect the sufficient amount of light that we need to enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and I invite you to do them. Read over the conference talks again and apply them in your lives =) Don't forget about the conference as time goes on, but be diligent and read something from the conference everyday so that you can remember it and retain the spirit you felt when you first heard it =)

I love you all!!!! Thank you for all your emails and letters!! I am sorry if I can't respond to you guys today, we just have a lot of work to be done today, LOVE YOU!!!!

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

PIE

March 7, 2016

Well this week has been a pretty good week, we had our leader ship meeting this week and I was able to see all the missionaries from Obregon, ahhhhh I miss Obregon! =´) And well, when we were coming to a close with the meeting, The President called me and Hermana Strong up to bare our testimony to all of the leaders because we will both be ending our missions in this transfer (but we were surprised because we still have one more meeting to attend...) I was not expecting to bare my testimony, so I had not thought of anything to say haha but the revelation came and I was able to bare a good testimony, and I DIDN'T CRY!!!! WHOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!! haha ahhhhhhhhhh I can't believe how fast time has gone by :'( 

I can now officially say that I have forgotten how to speak English, this week we received a new missionary to our zone and she is from the US and doesn't know any Spanish yet, so I tried talking with her on the phone to see how she was doing and the conversation went like:

Me: "HEY!! COMO ESTA? QUE TAL?"

her: "what?"

me:" I mean, how are you doing...como le fue....I mean how was your di- I mean day! How was your day?!?" 

haha my English is so bad! I cant even teach my companion how to speak English, because I don't know how XP Family! You better find someone who can translate for me when I get back, or you're not going to understand anything I'm going to say haha

I learned how to make a pie with my companion this week!!! Haha I know its sad, that I am finally learning how to cook my last transfer in the mission XP We made a pie for our bishop Saturday in the night and we took it to him and his family Sunday evening to surprise them, because they are an amazing family!! =D

So that's a short summary of my week, I love you all!!!!! Have an awesome week!!!!! =D

Love, Hermana Orison =D

Transfers

February 29, 2016

SO we had transfers yesterday, and can you guess what happened?....Yep, me and Hermana Pacheco are together for another transfer!!! WHOOOOOOW!!!!!! Hermana Pacheco is going to kill me!!!! (meaning she is my last companion ha) I can't believe this is my last transfer, where did the time go? 

Today we went to the bus station to help all the Sisters and Elders in our zone get onto their buses. I will admit I was a little sad to see all of them go. It made me even sadder to think that this was the last transfer I would ever see...But I am excited for this last transfer, we have had many amazing missionaries coming to our zone, I know this will be the best transfer of my mission =) 

Haha this week was very stressful because it was the last week of the month and it is usually when everyone baptizes, and we were going crazy helping everyone in our area and in the other sisters areas. One night we were really freaking out trying to plan and help everyone and our zone leader called us, and we told him all that was going on and he said

"Hermanas, lets do a practice"

"A practice?" We said confused, did he want us to practice teaching him over the phone? 

"Yes, Okay, Follow my lead" he said "1..2..3, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth" So we sat there breathing into the phone with him for a minute haha and then he said "Okay, now that we are all calmed down, I want you guys to know everything is okay, don't worry, lets plan this out step by step..." hahaha it was the best!

Now when we are walking in the street and cant find anyone and we are stress, we start taking deep breaths haha we call it our "zone leader moment" 

So if any of you are feeling stressed right now take a "Zone Leader moment" And breath haha, I love you all, and I hope you have an amazing week =D

Love Hermana Orison =)

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 =)

16 Months :O

February 15, 2016

Hola a todos!!!!!!!!!

Well, today I have officially completed 16 months in my mission and my companion completes 14 months. I'm in shock that time has gone by so fast haha! I don't even know what to say about it!

But this week was really good and really difficult haha (Another opportunity to progress, yes!) I know that right now it is only Feburary but I don't think Los Mochis knows that because summer has come back in full force! I think we were in about the 90's this week, ahhhhhh I thought I could come back home just a little bit white, but I think I am going to come back black XP

 Valentines was fun, entering the church with our investigator and her daughter, all the members handed us heart suckers and shook our hands and gave us hugs, wishing us a happy valentines day. A few members walked into our class of Gospel Principals and hung up a huge poster full of photos of missionaries, and it was a huge thank you note. Awwwwwwww I love this ward! They know how to make the missionaries feel loved here for Valentines day =)

All in all, this week has been good, I don't know why but I am just noticing a lot of changes in me and in the mission. I have been having many opportunities to teach and help other missionaries improve their teaching skills, and its just amazing to see how they change as well. I don't know why but I cant really describe how I feel right now, I'm just really happy, even when no one wants to open their doors for us and its about a 100 degrees outside, and everyone keeps throwing challenges at us, I am happy because I know this is where I am supposed to be =) And there is no where else I would rather be then in the work of my Padre Celestial =) I love this mission so much, I don't want it to end!!!!!!

A generation of Leaders.

Our Valentines Present.

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

Milagros =)

February 1, 2016

Haha wow this week has been amazing!! I don't have to much time to write today because we have to catch a bus soon.

I know I only have a little bit of time left here in the mission, so this week my companion and I decided that we were going to give this week everything that we had, we were going to dedicate every minute to God. And we did, and God blessed us in more ways then we could ever imagine!!! Everyday we had faith that we would find many people and that we would have many opportunities to teach the Gospel.

 God just threw people at us to teach haha! Every time we contacted someone in the street they accepted us into our house to teach a lesson, one day we were able to teach 10 lessons!!! I didn't even know that was possible!!! Our zone leaders called us to ask what we were doing to teach so many people (because the asistants had called them to ask us what we were doing haha) I've just seen so many miracles this week! Reading some of your emails today, has made me realized that God is showering down blessings upon me, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh IIII LOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE MISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have not served one, SERVE ONE!!!!! Its the best thing in the world!!!!!!!! AND WORK LIKE THE 2nd COMING IS TOMORROW!!!!!!! 

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

My scripture for the week: Mormon 9:19-21, 28

I'M GOING TO DIE IN A VILLAGE!!!! WHOOOOOOOW!!!!!

January 25, 2016HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COMO ESTAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week has been a really good week, haha all though I have been sooooo lost. My new area is HUUUUUUUUGE!!!!! We cover a few parts in the city of Los Mochis and we cover a village that is about an hour away from the city, that's right a VILLAGE!!! haha I always wanted to die in a humble area (die= end the mission) and I guess God answered my wishes haha YES!!!!. Right now I am still trying to get to know the area, it is so different compared to my other areas XP

My companion and I, Hermana Pacheco, have had a lot of success this week! We are finding so many people that are just ready to learn and I love it here because the people our so humble and just want to learn. It is quite a blessing after working in a richer area for 7 months. I still miss my other area, but I am slowly falling in love with the people here in this area. My goal is to put everything I've got into this area, I want to split a ward dang it!!! haha wish me luck! ;)

I just want to say this is the best mission in the world and I am loving every moment here, the good ones and the bad ones, I am just so grateful that God has given me so many opportunities to learn and grow here. That's what the gospel is about, to learn and grow, to become more like our heavenly father and Christ. I invite you to apply the attributes of Christ in your lives, every night kneel down and ask God what else you can do to be better, and I invited you to attend church and partake of the Sacrament. Because it is only during the precious minutes of the sacrament that we receive divine revelation from God for the things we can change and the people we can help.

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

Con Mucho Amor,

Hermana Orison 

Photo: We are walking to our Village!

Im preparing for the olympics, since I will be back in time for them ;P

and I found a Iguana!!! (sp?)

It's a promise

January 11th, 2016

HOLA A TODOS!!!!! COMO ESTAN???

Well, this week was like a roller coaster ride. 

First I had the chance to do swaps with my Daughter Hermana Puc, so we both got to work in our same area again together, it was really cool to see how much she has grown in just one transfer, I am so proud of my daughter, they grow up so fast! :,) 

We went to the offices this past week for interviews, and when I entered one of the secretaries handed me a packet full of cards from my ward (YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!) I opened the packet to look at a few while I waited and all the Elders in the Office started screaming HERMANA ORISON IS GETTING TRUNKY!!!!!!!!!!! Trunky is a missionary slang word that means your getting antsy to pack your trunk up and go home! Ha ha you've got to love the elders, I think I have about 50 new brothers. I promise I am nothing close to trunky ;) its the exact opposite!

So this week was a little difficult with finding people, my companion and I spent most of the week trying to contact references that were never in the house, and we felt a little discouraged walking from house to house. We felt like no one would come to church this Sunday, and we were praying really hard to see more success. On Saturday we were walking in the street and my companion said "Hey Hermana, if we contact at least 70 people in the street this week, God will bless us with someone in church tomorrow" So We started contacting a ton of people until we had contacted at least 70 and we went to church the next day. We were in sacrament meeting for about 10 minutes waiting for someone to show up, but no one did and I was feeling a little sad, and said a little prayer. When I finished, I felt like I should look behind me, so I did, and all the way at the back of the room, was sitting one of our investigators and her two sons, I literally leaped out of my seat and quietly ran over to them, I was so happy!!! It really was a testimony for me, that when a missionary makes a promise with God and completes their part of the promise, God will always come through =)

I hope all is going well for you out there (and not too cold, I've heard you are all drowning in snow right now...haha suckers, just kidding!) Please have an awesome week! LES AMO MUCHO!!!!!!!

Hermana Orison =)

I found baby Jesus, and we got to break a pinata! :D

 I love Mexico! 

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

December 7th, 2015

Okay, well I don't have to much time to write today. We had transfers today, and I will be staying here in Obregon for another Transfer, whoow!!! 5 transfers here!!!!! I will have 8 months here!!!!! I am now the Sister Training Leader here!!!! =D WHooW!!! I am super excited, although I am a little sad because Hna. Puc transferred =( My daughter left me to go train!!! They grow up so fast!!! I now have a granddaughter ;) 

My new companion is Hna. Garcia, who was in the MTC With me, and is from Utah, we will be sister training leaders together, WHOOOOOOOOWWW!!!! I am super excited for this transfer!!!! =D LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!

My daughter and my new companion from Utah =)

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

This is Halloween...?

November 2nd, 2015

Hello and Happy Late Halloween everyone!!! Here is a summary of my week:

This week was the first week of the transfer, and a bunch of missionaries transferred in our district and we our loving our new district! Our leaders are amazing!!!! =D And I am the only white girl in my district, REPRESENT!!!

I thought Halloween would be different here in Mexico, but its actually the same as America. Everyone here dressed up and went trick-or-treating for candy, I have never seen so many people in the street before!!! We ended up having 31 street contacts in one night, Whoot! Whoot!!!

The two days after Halloween are called days of the dead (yesterday and today) and they are literally days of the dead. NO ONE is in the streets or in their houses, everyone is at the cemetery...which makes it a little hard to teach ha. 

The day of transfers we decided to pull a prank on our convert, Luis, and tell him I would be transferring to another area. We had a member with us, (her name is Josafina, she is like my Grandma! She is amazing!!) and when we told them "I was transferring" Luis stood in shock and hermana Josafina bursted out crying!...ahhhh I felt so bad! We thought she knew we were joking haha, But I feel loved in this area =) haha

I love you all! and I hope you all had an amazing Halloween! Success in all you do! ANIMO!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Orison

Yah need to pray!

October 26, 2015

AHHHHHHH!!!!! I AM ALIVE!! I CANT BELIEVE IT!!! Haha, this week has been so stressful! I think last night was the first night I have slept this entire week haha (I cant sleep with stress X/) But, everything was worth it, because our Investigator Luis was Baptized this past Saturday! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously one of the best days of my life!! We are so proud of him and the changes he has made in his life =) 

The days leading up to his Baptism were very hard, we had a lot of difficulties and many tears but we made it =D The day of the Baptism was a little stressful too haha we had a little miracle.

My companion and I went to the Church at 8:00 in the morning to fill the baptism font (because our mission leader and the elder were busy) so we turned on the water and realized the water was draining because the pump was on. So we had to go to another room to turn the pump off, but the door to this room was locked. We put the key in the lock and tried to unlock it and it would not budge, I gave it the key another turn and it broke...O,O yes it broke, right in the lock (AHHHHHH!) Luckily the part of the key that broke did not get stuck in the lock and I was able to pull it out. But it was still locked...

We quickly ran across the city to find someone else with keys to the church, we found a member from another ward with keys to the church and then we ran back to the church and tried to unlock the door again. I put the key into the door and it still would not unlock, we were a little stressed because it was an hour and a half before the baptism ,and we still hadn't started the water for the baptism font. 

I stood there trying to unlock the door for 20 minutes but it would not budge. Finally we called our district leader to ask for advice, and guess what he told us? Are you guessing? Yep, he told us to kneel down and pray first, and if that didn't work, we needed to call him again. 

Yes I know, before my mission I would have said that my district leader was crazy and for him to run  over to the church immediately, but in the mission I have realized that prayer is the first thing we have to do for any conflict. So me and my companion kneeled down on the concrete and said a prayer. When we finished the prayer I felt a lot calmer and I felt like I should try the door one more time. I put the same key into the same lock, and it clicked and the door swung open...Me and my companion were speechless. We couldn't believe that the prayer had worked. It was definitely our miracle for the day haha it was amazing!!!

I just want to say the mission is the best thing in the world and everyone needs to serve one because it is amazing!! I hope you are all doing well, and all of you that are concerned for me with the huge hurricane, please don't worry about the truth I didn't know a hurricane hit close to here until I read your letters haha, so no se preocupe!!! I LOVE YAH ALL!!! HAVE A GREAT HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Love Hermana Orison

P.S. We got transfer calls yesterday and I will be staying here another Transfer, WHOOOOW!!! 4 Transfers in Obregon!!!! Its a dream come true!!!! =D

I think I am going to dress as a Bible Basher for Halloween...;)

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

I lack faith?!

October 12 2015

Buenas Tardes!!!! Como estan????

Wow, this week flew by really fast!! I will say, that it was really hard. All of the appointments we had fell through for the first 4 days of this week, and we couldn't find anyone to teach, because no one was in their houses X( We felt like we were wandering around in circles and having no success. I could not figure out what we were dong wrong, or what we were missing. 

I think the hardest thing about being a trainer, is that even when everything is going wrong, and your not having success, you still have to be happy and  keep a smile on your face to motivate your companion, Because if they see that your feeling down, and unmotivated, they will feel it too. Then, there will be no success at all. 

So, we came home Thursday night, with not to much success and  I was a little sad but I was trying to motivate and cheer up my companion. That was when our zone leaders called to check up on us and asked how our day went. I was honest and told them that the day did not go so well. They said a lot of things to motivate us, and one of my Leaders finally said,....

"Hermana Orison, you lack faith, you just need to have a little more faith and you will have success." Ill admit, I was a little offended by what he said. I felt like I had faith, I had hope that we could find new people, and I was acting on that, and looking for those people. How was I lacking faith?

After the phone call, I listened to some of the talks from the conference, pondering the question "How could I increase my faith?" ,and I received the answer through the Talk of President Monson. To have true faith we cannot doubt the will of God, even when we are going through challenges. Because it is through challenges that God will try and strengthen our faith. When we throw away all of our doubts and fears, that is when we truly have faith. The power of God works through us according to our faith. (Moroni 10:7) If we have enough faith, we are capable of performing miracles!

The next day, I threw away all my doubts and fears and went to work. We found two new people who accepted baptismal dates. The next we found two more, and Yesterday we taught four new people! I know that if we have faith God will help us through any challenge! He wants all of us to succeed, we just need to put our confidence in him and He will do the rest =D I love this Gospel! 

Love Hermana Orison

Conference

October 5th

Wow! Can I just say I love conference!! I had the awesome opportunity to watch the Saturday sessions in English (Gringo Power whoow!!!) and the Sunday sessions in Spanish, both of them were beautiful =) 

Before I watched conference I wrote a bunch of questions in my notebook (about the mission, life, etc) and the conference answered every single one of them! I love how the conference was talking a lot about the Plan of Salvation and how we can apply this Gospel in our lives. I loved the talk by Elder Uchtdorf that spoke about simplifying the way we apply the Gospel in our lives and why some people benefit from the Gospel more then others. 

We will receive blessings and benefit from the Gospel when we have come to truly love it. And I mean LOVE IT! When we come to love every commandment, principal, doctrine and ordinance that is in this Gospel. When we strive to live it 110%. When we look at the commandments and apply them in our everyday lives (for example commandment 1 and 2, is to put nothing else above God, maybe you can ask yourself the question are you using your iPhone or electronics more then your scriptures?). When we truly absolutely love it, we are promised to receive blessings! We are promised to benefit from this Gospel more then we could ever imagine, in this life and for eternity! I am so happy and excited that I have the opportunity to have this Gospel in my life, and that we have Prophets and Apostles today to give us the guidance that we need, to help, improve and grow. They really are a gift from God =)

I love you all!!! Please study the conference talks and look for ways to apply every talk in your life. Every talk has at least one commitment, I invite you to looks for the commitments and apply them into your lives =) 

Love Hermana Orison =)

P.s. I want to hear everyone's experiences from conference, tell me what you got out of it and how you will apply it =)

We went running to the Lagoon this morning! Whoow! (haha I think my companion is going to kill me, she hates running! =P) and we found some exercise machines by the Lagoon!! =D