November

Can you believe that it's November already!? What the heck! This is crazy. And I'll tell you, it's starting to get pretty cold here... Uh oh I might be in trouble. The actual temperature isn't too cold but the winds are what are killer. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! It's so weird to have holidays on the mission. Seriously. But it was a good Halloween, how was your guys? Although I had no scones I did get fed pozole, so you know I was the happiest girl ever. We went to the wad party and it was fun. They had a chili cook off and a trunk or treat! One of our less actives came with their families and some investigators too :) our Ward is nice but no parkview Ward. 

Haha okay so this week was crazy and went by so fast. But that's good. It was really warm the first couple of days of the week and we rode our bikes... Joy. Haha it's getting better. We had a crazy experience with Irene and her oldest daughter Betsy on Tuesday. We went into going to teach about the plan of salvation and all of a sudden Irene says she really wants Betsy to get baptized and how she wants to too. WHAT??? Hahaha crazy. So I mostly talked to Betsy in English and Hermana Torres was talking to Irene in Spanish. Betsy is so confused and has so many questions. She said she really loved how we teach and that it all just makes sense! It's crazy. Hoping to set s baptismal date next week with her :) and on Wednesday we had our English classes! We had 5 people come. It was great but English is actually really hard! I had a hard time teaching it. But everyone said they liked it so that is good! And we hope next week we will have more people come too! We also had interviews with president and that was really good. He made me feel a lot better about how I am feeling as a newbie missionary. He is such an amazing president and I am so glad to have him as my mission president. He truly has the strongest testimony and cares about all the missionaries. Also we have been visiting a less active family a ton, well the parents are members (less actives) and none of their kids have been baptized though. Their oldest daughter invited us to her band concert on Thursday night and we went. I love this family so much. The mom is margarita, the dad I actually don't know his name, but he is never home when we go over cause he works a lot... But he is kinda interesting... Then their oldest daughter Ariel is 11, Robert is 9, Erik is 8, Ilene is 6, and Gordo is 2! They are so dang cute. I will send a picture. 

FELIPE SET A BAPTISM DATE FOR NOV 15!!!! Yayayayayayayaya! The happiest girl in the world. We challenged him on Wednesday and he accepted but it was kinda like a soft acceptance. Then on Saturday we had a lesson with him and before we even started he said, remember the 15th. And we finally got him to pray with us too. It was a great lesson and really overall great week! It's been hard with him because he doesn't really express his feelings all that  well so sometimes we don't really know what he is thinking. But we have been starting to ask him more questions so that he can teach us. 

ALSO! I was sooooo surprised what I found on our door step on Thursday night. How nice of the rasbands and Marcie!! I felt bad because we never got in contact with her but she left another note on the door Saturday night too. She is so cute. Tell her I say thank you and I'm sorry I missed her, it was a crazy week and weekend. It was so nice to get that and just feel all that love and support. 

Like i said, the weather has gotten pretty chilly but it's also been so dang pretty too. I will send you pictures of all the fall weather we have been having!! I love it. Since there are tress everywhere, that means, leaves everywhere!! 

The Spanish have their own sacrament meeting on fast and testimony meeting, so I bore my testimony! In Spanish of course. I think it went pretty well. It wasn't totally awful I don't think but man our Spanish members need some help. About 2/3 is made up the Abac family, and they are great and usually come every week, man they are different. Haha one of the little girls was walking around drinking a coke and eating chips.... It was hard because 1 I can't drink coke on the mission and 2 it was fast Sunday haha temptation at its finest. We are hoping to work with them so that they can feel the spirit more while at church. 

We also had a kind of interesting experience last night. We were knocking doors and this lady answered and at first she seemed really nice but something was off. She invited us in and Hermana torres and I both just kind of had a weird feeling about her but not s bad get out feeling. We kinda might think she is a witch. She really liked our message and the restoration of the gospel, but then she would go on tangents and just quote random bible scriptures and told us how she is a seer? And has like a crazy mind and stuff... It was interesting. We probably won't go see her again... Just refer her to the English sister.

This week I have really been focusing on the atonement and how I can better understand the atonement and apply it to my life so I can help those I teach to better understand it. I have been finding some really good talks to help me better understand it. Elder Nelson gave a really good talk about the Atonement and why it's so important. He talks about how the creation, the fall, and the atonement all loop together. My favorite part of his talk was this part "The Creation required the Fall. The Fall required the Atonement. The Atonement enabled the purpose of the Creation to be accomplished. Eternal life, made possible by the Atonement, is the supreme purpose of the Creation. To phrase that statement in its negative form, if families were not sealed in holy temples, the whole earth would be utterly wasted. The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The earth was created and the Church was restored to make possible the sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors, worlds without end." I just love that. I love the temple and I am so grateful I am able to be sealed to my family forever! And wow I just love it. 

Last week was a really good week! I am excited about this next week. We have a pretty full week ahead of us so that's good! And we have the car. Even better :) thats crazy there weren't too many kids at grandmas Halloween party! But it's good cause we are doing what's right, right!? Sounds like Jake and Hayden are doing well too :) I'm sad that Halloween was so lonely :( but those scones just looked so good and so did the sugar cookies! Haha I saw them in a corner of the picture. I'm so sad the Utes lost :( but it sounds like you have had a good little trip and get away to Arizona! I swear now that my parents are empty nesters all they want to do is go on trips.... Haha I'm glad you guys are having fun! 

I love you so so so much! I hope you guys have a great, fun, safe week! I love you :) 

Love always, 

Lizzy 

 Brown street! And parkway kinda funny :)

Me in leaves

Cute twinkle lights and town square

Halloween balloons

Me and Ilene