November 12, 2013 - AHhhh!!!

We got transfer letters, and Transfers are tomorrow morning!! Because we have two new hermanas coming, we all knew President would have to open up a new area. There has been lots of talk about where he would decide, and let me tell you, it is Longview. Who knows what that means?? But I don't care I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!! I get to open up Longview!!!!!!!!!! With HERMANA VILLALOBOS. MY MTC COMPANION/BEST FRIEND. AAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! We have been waiting for this day, never thinking that it would actually come. We would joke, "President will never put us together. We would be too happy, and too successful." Well we ARE together, and we are SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! I love CAPS LOCK!!!! But even caps lock doesn't do these feeling justice. They told us to use exclamation points in General Conference, well I'm using exclamation points!!!!!!!

Do you know what this means?? We don't have a branch, so we will be starting a "group". They will go to an English ward until we are big enough to be a branch. Who knows if there are many/any Hispanic members in that ward to help and come to lessons, and we won't have an area book!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA. That is a missionary's whole life! This is the biggest adventure I have thus far ventured! I have already talked with some members about friends they have there that are fluent in Spanish and could help us out. It's gonna be wild!!!!!!! Hermana Scow will be going to Portland and training a new missionary. Woot woot!!! This is gonna be awesome.

Not like I haven't loved and appreciated everything I have learned here, but this is definitely an "await the blessings" experience. Truly, to be with Hermana Villalobos is the greatest tender mercy in my mission thus far. I just, ah, no words.

Mission News: We will be doing online proselyting (missionary work through facebook, etc.) before Christmas, and getting I-Pads in January. Our mission was chosen out of 30 missions to be the trial-run with the I-Pads. January should hold a lot of exciting news.

We had the last of Sister Conferences. It was great. Sister Taylor made a comment that I loved. She said she was talking to a local about the rain and gloom, and the lady said, "In the Northwest, we don't talk about the gloomy days. We ask, did you catch the sunshine today?" As goes with life :)

President Taylor talked about the strait and narrow way. And asked us why it is that strait is not the presumed straight, with the ght. He explained, and then I looked it up in the dictionary. Strait: a narrow waterway connecting two large bodies of water. And President Taylor added, "usually very rocky, very turbulent, and difficult to navigate." The two large bodies of water I imagine are this life and eternal life. And the way to eternal life is the strait.

I love each of you dearly. This is His work.

Hermana Patton

November 4, 2013 - I should just send you my journal.

Everything is funnier now that I saw the blog Alice is keeping. Haha. Now that I can see how everything I am saying is being recorded! I will probably put more thought into my words now. I wish I had my journal con migo,

 

Dear all of the best people I know,

 

This week was prettyyy great. Halloween was the funniest day ever. The Mendoza family had the four hermanas over for dinner, and our mission President said, as far as Halloween night goes, "Just be smart about it." Haha, that is his answer for everything. So, because we couldn't tract obviously, or teach lessons that night since people were out, we spent all hallows eve with this family! Also, they live like over an hour away, up into the mountains. It's not even in our misson! So they picked us up, drove up there, he had been talking about a "service project for us", well, he took us into the room to show us what we would be doing....MAKING MASKS!!! Yay! And then the dinner. Oh my goodness. It was outrageous. We ate by candlelight, and were handed a menu with crazy food items: dead man's bones, guts, stuff like that. Anyways, you were only allotted so many utensils, so you had to figure out how to eat everything. For example, Hermana McKinley ate her spaghetti and meatballs with a pie cutter. It was pretty great. Luckily, we still got to do missionary work because their daughter brought her boyfriend who is investigating the church right now. 

Thank you for all of the love! I didn't bring my camera. but I took a pic with me and the 5 letters I got the other night. I love you!

Hermana Patton

October 28, 2013 - Holaaa

Sorry but this week is going to be verrrry short.

We met with Elizabeth again, among many others. Oh my gosh I don't even have time to talk about Cynthia! Ok Elizabeth has not been coming to church because she doesn't feel worthy. She has church pamphlets that her sister gave her, talking about the law of Chastity, and tithing, and so forth. She is so humble and sweet, she hasn't wanted to come because she is not yet perfect in those things. We talked to her about this life being a process, and nonnneee of us will ever be perfect in anything. And that Heavenly Father wants us to come to him with our sin, heartache, thoughts and feelings, good or bad, He wants us to come to Him. No importa que hacemos, El es siempre nuestro Padre. Yo se que El quiere que venimos. Con todo. "No matter what we do, he is our Father. I know he wants to come. with everything."

Love you,

Hermana Patton

October 21, 2013 - Abundancia

Oh my goodness.

What a week :)

The Cruz family:

Hermana Scow and I needed to use the restroom. We at random chose McDonalds. Haha. But as we approach the door, we see the "restroom for patrons only" sign, so we start to turn around, but two people in line wave us in. Hermana Scow runs to the restroom, and this family introduces themselves as the Cruz family, from Texas. They were happy to see us because they had a referral, someone interested that they had found for us to teach. They gave us his name and contact info. We asked how they knew him. Ready? They are here on VACATION for a week, had been praying for missionary opportunities, had met him in the mall, and read Moroni 10:3-5 with him. What?! What?! These people are awesome! Turns out this guy they met has a Book of Mormon in his house already. We are still trying to contact him. We gave them two more Book of Mormons with our phone # in case they find anyone else. That was a crazy inspiration to me, of what I need to be doing on vacations!

One thing about the branch. It is so special to watch these people progress. Basically everyone is a recent convert, so every week there are men being ordained to the Priesthood, and one by one, these humble men with little to their name are showing up in misfitted suits to respect and honor the priesthood they now hold. It's a beautiful thing.

Last night we had dinner with Pres.Harbertson and his family, and we were talking about his son's cool mission experiences. They were ones of miracles and healing. And President Harbertson looked at me, and said that experiences like those are just as sweet as seeing Hermana Sanchez come back to church after several months. The first time I met Hermana Sanchez, the Spirit whispered to my heart during the lesson, that she among others, but her specifically, was why I am here. That was a couple of months ago. And after a visit last week, we saw her at church this Sunday. It was beautiful. Most of my experiences with helping others come unto Christ has been with less active members. And that means a lot to me.

Hermana Patton

October 14, 2013 - Am I Laman or am I Lemuel, because I sure ain't Nephi.

Well family and dearly beloved,

Thanks to an UNCLE KURT and my companion Hermana Scow, I have realized once again something that I love to do: not share anything personal or close to me with anyone except the chosen few haha. Hermana Scow doesn't care, because she isn't a conversationalist in any regard, and I've been forcing myself to share personal things with her. She does't respond haha. Hahaha I really love her. But yeah, this is definitely a quality that puts a strain on all of my relationships, including my e-mailing realtionship with you! Can we all agree that it is time for me to share personal experiences, and stop being so vague and mysterious?? Okay cool.

Personal experience #1:

Oh gosh I hate this already.

Okay I don't know how to do this, can we start gradually maybe? Read some how-to books or something? Alright.

Mostly I just feel like my daily life would not be interesting for other people to read about. And I was raised to not speak unless you have something of worth to say. I don't really know how to determine what is of worth.

OK THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR ME....READY???

Elizabeth. Elizabeth's sister is being taught by a set of Spanish Elders, and her other sister's family is being taught by, us. There are 7 sisters. Elizabeth has a truly beautiful soul. She does it alone. Works all day to give her children a home and food, and receives no gratitude or help in return. She told us that she just cries and cries, and then wipes herself off, goes on with life, and then wakes up the next morning and does it all over again. All I could stand to talk to her about was the Atonement. But that is all I ever really want to talk about. Because if everyone just understood that, there would be no need for anything else.

Anyways, so the story is this: I was on exchanges with another hermana, and Hermana Scow and I had been trying to contact Elizabeth for days, (she is a referral from her sister). So Hermana Clanton and I tried it out. Basically, every road block you come across with your investigator is removed on exchanges. Exchanges. I love exchanges! So we go over, of course she is home, and she was going to shoo us off, but we sweet talked our way into the door. Like usual. Wendy, I know you hate that I am so awfully persistent, but it has been of more value to me on my mission than almost any other quality. So, she invites us to be seated. The three of us gather at the table. I ask her if her husband bought those flowers for her. She shakes her head and quietly says no and looks down. I start telling her about her sister, Griselda, and if she knew about her upcoming baptism. She says no. And then I ask about her sister Alma. She doesn't want to talk about Alma. So I ask her, "What has passed between you and Alma?" And then the tears flow. She tells me that their mother was dying, and was staying here in her home as she took care of her, with the help of Griselda. Griselda is the only one who would help take care of their dying mother. And when her mom said, "Elizabeth, call your sisters. I want to say goodbye.", Alma never came. Alma lives 5 minutes away. And so, Elizabeth repeated the phrase, "-my heart is hard towards her...my heart is hard towards her." Well I don't blame her. Elizabeth is the oldest, and her father is a broke drunk, and so since she was 8, her mother worked, and Elizabeth took care of all her little sisters. She told me she doesn't even like to leave the house anymore. She said, "I dont' know what has happened to me." She desperately needs the Atonement, as do each and every one of us.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught us that, that is all missionary work is; it is providing for the Atonement.

Was that a better e-mail? Worse? Who knows, but thanks for your love and prayers. They are felt every day.

Hermana Patton

October 7, 2013 - Well I love ya dangit.

Hellooo!

 

It's confusing to feel this happy when some of the darkest days of life just passed yesterday. But they're over. And what I realized is this: (just now while writing this)...

 

The darkness was encompassing and completely engulfing me. Dimmer and dimmer the light got, as I slipped out of reality. I was gone. For three days, I sat in the dark, having escaped warmth and comfort of soul. I was here, in body, but it was as if there was nothing inside of me. Like I was watching my own life, but not taking part in it. The prophet's voice, on the morning of the third day, is what softened my heart enough to hear the voice of the Spirit, resucitating me back to life. As he spoke of his angel wife Frances, I saw a much broader perspective and path. And now the curtains have been place back, the light has filtered into every crevice of my spirit. The prophet's voice, and your voices, brought me out of a very dark state.

 

"People like you, save people like me. And I love you for that."

 Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

 

 But I claim those words as my own to each of you.

 

Sometimes, the light is not as bright as the sun. That is when we must walk in the light of the sparks we have kindled. You, and the fire of a testimony, are many of my sparks. I think of you as the sparks that I have kindled, that carry me through the dark until the morning comes.

 

I love you very much,

Hermana Patton

September 30, 2013 - Let it burn.

The Lord let the Provo Tabernacle burn so that it could one day become a holy temple. The same is true in each of our lives. He will let us burn to the ground. To be cleansed, to be purified, and so He can build us back up to something much, much better than what we left in the ashes. I guarantee it hurts Him more as our Father to watch us burn, than for us to suffer through it for a time and season. But He needs to build us into temples, and there is only one way. To let the wordly edifice burn down to the ground.

 

This is the most incredible and most painful experience in my life thus far. He is preparing us to be eternal. That is a painful transformation. To become a new creature; nothing about that sounds easy. But it is what we have been asked to do. To me, it's a beautiful concept. Learn to become.

 

This is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, once again on the earth. The very same church Christ set up and established as His way. The priesthood is real and healing. This is the work of the Lord. There is no other way. 2 Nephi 31:21

 

"The only way out is through."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

 

We must each go through. But there has already been a plan set, a path marked, and the way made known. He is the way. And there is no other way. And when we come to the end of the road of mortality, there will only be One to greet us. Because He employs no servant there at the gate. 2 Nephi 9:41

 

This is His work.

 

Hermana Patton