May 9 Mother's Day

Yeah it was really good to talk to you guys yesterday, I hope you had a good mothers day!

This week has been super emotional for me. I just crying every day. I felt really alone being in the new area I think just because I was SO close to everyne in Claveria ,  so I don't feel like anything is the same here. but I am learning to love it the same. We are working hard and want to find lots of miracles, it's just been harder to feel unity and the spirit because of the differences. but we talked it out a little last night and I felt a lot better today.

Just a little miracle I forgot to tell you guys about yesterday..So we were getting ready for the baptism, and my companion was talking to her family while we were at our Mission Leader's house.  It was just one of those cool little things, because what happened is that we totally forgot to tell the elders to start filling up the font.  When we remembered it was about a half hour before the baptism was supposed to start.  We called the elders and they turned the water on, but we were pretty worried because it normally takes about 2 hours to fill.  I said a prayer and was just like Okay Father, we need your help, and we know that you will provide.  We got there and the font was completely filled.  I'm so grateful for His constant tender mercies.

This is Freddy! yeah his full name is Freddy, it's so goofy. because that's so not a common name here. 

May 4,2016 Title of Liberty

I put these clothes on and we were like wait, its Ana! from frozen

We stayed up till like 2 making this standard of liberty haha

it was Hermana Gallacher's idea, and I got to my new zone and was like yeah we really need to get them excited to work because our zone hasn't been baptizing a lot so Monday I started making the plans in Concilio and on the way back from Presidentes house we made the plans and gave an AWESOME talk and had "Captain Moroni" act a bunch of stuff out and everyone signed it.

it was pretty legit :)

April 25 - New Companion in Estaca Lerma and saying goodbye to everyone

My new companion!

I'm in the Estaca Lerma, in a new little rama that's called Aeropuerto. Should be good! back in the pueblos! Our house is super nice so that's cool. and I'm excited to be in a small branch again.

I saw one of the converts of Ixtapan today during cambios, that was really cool. :) miss it!

The Salgueros

I can't tell you how much I've learned from this family.

and they are probably the ones that I'm MOST excited for you to meet. El Hermano speaks English too so that will be good. and Hermana Sheila understands it too.

Hermano Salguero worked 10 years giving tours to members and nonmembers of archaeological sites all around mexico.  he knows SO much about the Book of Mormon, and it's so cool because everything makes sense, it all has a lot to do with the Mayan culture and history.  so we TOTALLY have to come back and go to some ruins and museums with him, and the family.

Okay this was on Saturday. we went to eat with the Familia Saavedra, to Despedirnos. and wow, they took us to the GREATEST restaurant in la Ciudad de Mexico, is called Casa de Toño.   just has really typical mexican food, but I'm not kidding it's the best I've had in the mission.  so I don't think we ever tried it when we were in Cuernavaca, but a really traditional dish is Pozole. its got maiz, a little chile, they throw in some carne and then put in lettuce and rabano and onion and  oregano. from the first time I tried it in Loma Hermosa its been my favorite :)

but in the casa de toño its like the specialty so we are definitely going back together because you've gotta try it!!

Ah, it was kinda hard to say goodbye to the Saavedras. They are so sweet, and they have so much potential in the gospel. they have so much faith and honestly are probably some of my best converts. I feel SO blessed for the spirit that led us to them, and that prepared their hearts to receive the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like they were the easiest baptisms, because they were SO ready.   Those are the type of people we need to find, and I know that there are LOTS out there. We just have to find them :)

but it wasn't even that hard to say goodbye because 1. its not even a goodbye because I know I'll see them again before I leave to go home, and 2. because I feel like I really don't have to worry to much about them. They will be strong and will keep progressing

It's impossible to really express the gratitud and joy I feel. Just for this family, and I feel like its multiplied with everyone I get to know here. Our Heavenly Father is so loving, He loves His children so much.  And our oldest brother Jesus Christ too. Just never forget it okay

It totally hailed the other day.  It started raining a bunch this week and then it started to hail.  Totally crazy

Joshua his is my favorite kid ever.  He is just super goofy and he looks like he comes out of a cartoon, I don't know I just love him a lot and we were playing keep the balloon up for awhile on Saturday.  I am going to miss him a lot!

 Okay, and on Sunday it was David's birthday. We went over to his and Pamela's house, and ate some awesome tacos de alambre and we hung out with all his family. He is also the greatest convert ever, just was super prepared as well. We got there and he was talking to his cousin about how great the church is and telling her about the organization, how its an unpaid clergy, everything about prophets and apostles and Hermana Gallacher and I were just listening and beaming. It was so cool because he's so excited to share the things he learns. On Sundays it's awesome, him and Pamela just study stuff together, they spend hours watching Mormon videos and talks and learning new things. I wish everyone had the same passion for learning about the gospel as he does! oh and the best, they bought a dairy queen ice cream cake for his birthday. YESSSS we died, I didn't know they had that here! For his birthday and as like a goodbye present, we gave them a picture of the temple in a frame, and they loved it

 Another amazing family that we had to say goodbye to, la Familia Sanchez.  They're members, and probably my favorite. ah, the twins are just little studs, they are the funniest 14 year olds I've ever met and we just get along really really well.  Raul is 12, he told me to say hi to Aidan because they're the same age.  whenever we go to their house, they give us food. like literally without fail, even when we are not hungry at all. and so to send me off, they gave us some tlayudas.  These GIANT tortillas tostadas things and it was delicious. It's not very common here, its from Oaxaca, because that's where they're from. but we got excited,you guys have to meet them

April 18 - Trials

 So on Saturday, the Familia Salguero had us over for dinner, and made a TON of wings and carne asada.... I was in HEAVEN.

and note Hemano Salgueros Utah shirt... he just does that on purpose to bug us.

and I'm bringing the scrunchie back in style.  I bought a sick one the other day and wore it all week haah 

and we went and ate crepes today. eees for fun.

 I didn't take a tons of pictures but these are some cool ones  from Hermano's house Parque Villa, I just love the ciudad! 

Well this week was a week of pruebas, like the refiners fire. We feel like the Lord is seeing if we really REALLY want it, if we really want to reach our goals. Every fecha that we had fell, Danae, Aaron, Andres, Alejandro. We didn't baptize this week. We have been getting up early, fasting, praying all the time during the day, trying new things to find new people and people that are ready to be baptized.
We did find a really great new family, Rosario and her hija Fabiola. Rosario is a nurse, and has a complicated schedule, so she will have to miss church once every three weeks. But she is really excited about the message of the Restored Gospel!! Wow, we had some really great lessons with her this week. We contacted her in the street outside her apartment, and she told us to come on up and talk to her. She had a really good friend who is a member of the church, and she told us she's really interested to learn more. We talked to her and when we taught the restoration, she was super excited, she got on the LDS page the next day and read a bunch of conference talks and studied a ton of information about the church. Wow she is really escogida, and I'm excited for her to be baptized next change <3 I learned a lot teaching her, and seeing how excited she got. We take for granted a lot of things, especially the blessing of having the plentitud of the gospel in our lives. We gave her a book of Mormon on sunday, and she gasped and wouldn't stop thanking us. It was so sweet, and it makes me so happy to be out here as a representative of Christ, and a carrier of this great message :)
So even though everyone is falling through, and we don't have any possibles right now, I know that we will baptize before this change ends.

I'm also super grateful for my companion.  I have learned SO much from Hermana Gallacher, and I know there was definitely a reason that we came to the mission at the same time, and we were together for so much.  I have needed her to learn to be more humble, more serviceful and more obedient. The Lord knows exactly who I need, and I'm getting sad just thinking about how I've probably only got a week left here in Claveria. 

I love you a lot!!!  thank you for all your prayers <3

Hna Schneider

April 11 Rebeca's Baptism

Rebeca and Viridiana y Hermana Sylvia.

 

We had Rebeca's baptism on Sunday! She was really happy. It was sweet, and her grandma Sylvia was super excited.  La hermana Sylvia probably has the most faith that I've ever seen, I love her a lot. she doesn't have much, she is so humble and relies 100% on the lord.  They don't have any money, but still somehow get to church in a taxi every sunday with her daughter who can't walk.  It's amazing.

What else, this week we are going to start something crazy..
Hermano Salguero gave me this book.. invocando los poderes celestiales. its the best book I've ever read, by Grant Von Harrison "drawing on the powers of heaven"

We decided that what we need in the ward is a miracle. a big one, we need to lift the spirit of the whole ward, and get the members attention.  They need to witness God´s power, and believe in it again.

We decided we want 12 baptisms. 6 in the next two weeks, 6 in the first two of May.

It's kinda sad because we have cambios on the 24th, so we don't know where I'll be. but even if I get transfered out, I know that Hermana Gallacher and her companion will keep working for this goal.

We are really excited. really nervous, but it's gonna be crazy.

I hope you guys have a really good week.  I love you all TONS!!!

hna schneider

April 6 General Conference

Keeping the family tradition alive. We made the little egg activity for easter and did it with la familia Sanchez.  They loved it and loved experiencing a little of the american easter of finding eggs.

 

Well I LOVED CONFERENCE.

It was incredible. and my favorite thing is that I got to see how we really can receive all of the answers to our questions through the Spirit and the words of the Prophets.  I know that President Monson and the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles and the Seventies are called of God.  I know that they speak for Him, and it really was Christ´s conference.  That's just so cool. The Church is TRUE guys!!!!

I loved all of it, but received a lot of strength from Elder Hollands closing talk especially. 

We have a really busy rest of the week planned, it's going to get pretty crazy. We just want to use every moment we have left together, Hermana Gallacher and I.  

We are teaching some pretty cool people, a part member family who we are trying to activate, they all went to conference and we have a fecha with Danae for the 17th, I'm really excited for them, because they could be really strong fro the ward when they all come back, full force :)

and teaching more of the Marquez family, Rebecca (who is the niece of Maribel and Carlos who got baptized) has her fecha for this week! she's really excited, and its been incredible seeing her just be so much happier in the past few weeks that she has been going to church. The spirit really changes people.

I'm so grateful for my Savior, I'm beyond grateful for missionary service. I realize more and more how the Lord doesn't need us out here, he doesn't need our help. The escogidos will get to the church, with or without us.  This time really is just so we can grow. and thats how it is will ALL service in the church. The Lord doesn't need us.  We NEED to serve.

I love you all the much!!!

hna schneider

La Reyna and I back at it.  I enjoyed catching up with here at concilio, she is the greatest!

 

March 28 Women's Conference

Okay so my favorite part of this week was probably going to the saturday womens conference session!! It was incredible.

I loved Hna Neil F Marriot's talk.  she's just a really good speaker, all of her expressions and everything haha, but I love how she talked so much about LOVE!

She said that Love is just making space for someone in your heart, or somethng like that, and how being a mother doesn't just mean having kids. It is simply GIVING LIFE.  whether that is spiritual life, like sharing our knowledge of the gospel with all who are around us, or being kind to others or caring for our primary class, there are a TON of ways.  It just requires a little bit of  selfless sacrifice.

It was really cool because we brought a really good investigator, her name is Laura, and her husband Gustavo, and she is SUCH a good person. She has about 8 dogs in her house that she rescued, and tries to find people to adopt them. it's so cute, she's so good. I really just hope that she enjoys the conference next week too!! 

I also loved loved President Eyrings talk.  If you didn't get to see the conference, I hope that you guys can watch a few of the talks this week!

I hope that everyone is getting REALY exicted for general conference this week. do ALL that you can to see all 4 sessions, because I have a huge testimony of the blessings that we receive when we listen to the prophets and then try to apply the counsel in our lives. 

I'M  glad everyone had a good Easter, actually I bought some eggs and tried to make the easter eggs with the numbers and the little things inside, and we were gonna have a noche de hogar ayer with the familia Salguero but then didn't end up doing it, so we will do it tonight!

What else, we had a conference with President Whitehead and hna Whitehead on friday and it was really good.  We have so so much work to do, a LOT of elders and hnas are going home this next change, and a lot of them are leaders. and the mission has had a lot of problems in the last month.  So yeah it was really good though the conference and we just have to get everyone going again, with the same DESEO and obedeince and hard work. 

but yeah thats about it, i love you all all the much!!! have an amazing week