Season 13, Episode 6, The One With the Last One

  See y'all soon! 

               

             

                Love, Sister Yates :) 

Season 13, Episode 5, The One With Joy in the Hard Work

 Hey Folks! 

   This week was crazy busy and super good!! I definitely had some incredible highlights. One of the best ones happend on Sunday. Yesterday, my good friend Albert (who I taught in Casa Grande) GOT BAPTIZED!!! I was able to go down with Sister Curry and Sister McEwen. Albert was so happy and I was so happy. It was a miracle that I was blessed to be a part of. This past week we also had a couple awesome storms with some crazy lightning and thunder. We had one day where we had a pretty physically and spiritually intense zone council, then we helped a member paint their house (it was so much fun and they have a cute doggo), then we were out biking to back to back lessons for the rest of the night. That day we worked hard. And I was so happy. I love how we can have joy in working hard. We also got to film some videos for our Family Discovery page with some really cool people. One day Sister Brown (who is so much fun) took us out to dinner and I love her. We laughed hard and had a lot of fun. So overall I had a really good week. 

   For the Book of Mormon read, we should be through Ether 7. We are almost done with the Book of Mormon!! I love the Book of Mormon so much. It has seriously changed my life. I do need to be honest with you all. As y'all know, I am coming home soon. I have been feeling so many different feelings all at once. 18 months of missionary work is coming crashing down on me. I am thoroughly exhausted. But I wouldn't trade the last 18 months for anything. It has been the best 18 months for my life. I have grown my testimony more than I ever thought I could. I came to better understand my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I learned how to better love people and see their divine potential. I have been challenged, torn apart, and pulled down. It has not been easy. But every single moment. Every single person I have met. Every single experience that I have had has been 100% worth it. I was placed in the right areas with the right people because God is aware of me and He knew what needed to happen. I cannot fully express my gratitude for the past 18 months of my life. I am also very grateful for all of you and how you supported me and loved me through it all. I want all of you to know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's restored church on the earth today and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love this gospel and I love my Savior. I am eternally grateful that Heavenly Father loved me enough to let me serve a full time mission as a representative of Jesus Christ.

                    Love, Sister Yates :) 

Season 13, Episode 4, The One With 5 Degrees and A Cup of Gluten

 Hey Folks! 

   Once again, this week was really good. It had a lot of really funny moments. We got to have interviews with President Goaslind and walks around the church with Sister Goaslind. It is always so good to talk to them. They are seriously angels on this planet and I am so thankful for them. Also this week we had pulled pork mac and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Let me tell ya, it was pretty good. One night I made one of my housemates a cup of gluten (because she requested it and I'll attach a picture for example) and we all laughed pretty hard that night. One night at dinner, Sister Black and I got to play a super retro pinball game. Let's just say that I might have won. Who really knows though. We also got to do service at Feed My Starving Children again and I always love going there. Then while doing service at the Food Bank, we were able to help in their cooler and freezer! We moved pallets, swept, and moped. You guys. I had to wear a coat and beanie! It was 5° in the freezer! I LOVED IT. We also pretended like we were pirates moping the deck floor. It was so much fun. Again we laughed a lot. We definitely experienced very extreme temperatures in one day. We also got to see some pretty dope sunsets too. So overall it was pretty chill and a lot of fun. 

   In our Book of Mormon read, we will be through Mormon 2 today. So we finished 3 Nephi this past week! I love reading about when Christ comes to the Americas and teaches the people. There are so many different scriptures that I love from 3 Nephi but there is one line that really stood out to me this past week. It is in 3 Nephi 20:22 and it is Christ speaking about the last days. He says "I will be in the midst of you". Christ himself promised that he will be with us. He is closer than we think. And he wants to be close to us. He loves us. So if we want to feel the Savior close by, we need to do things that welcome him. Do things that he would do. Say things that he would say. Try to be more like him and you will start to notice how involved he is in your life. I have felt him with me. I love my Savior so much. I am continuing to grow a relationship with him and I am so grateful that I can continue to do that throughout my life. The living Christ is with you. He is in your midst. He loves you and I love you! Have a great week! 

                    Love, Sister Yates :) 

Season 13, Episode 3, The One With the Reunion

 Hey Folks! 

   This week was so good! Last Tuesday we got to make jewelry with this really fun older lady. Then we had a kinda really awkward lesson with a couple later in the day. Then after that I was able to bike through a super windy mini dust storm. It was fun but really hard to bike in. On Wednesday we went to Feed My Starving Children for a zone service project. The table that I worked at had 6 elders and 6 sisters. As a whole table we boxed 34 boxes of food to send to children. Listen, that's a lot of boxes!!! It was non stop working and it was SO much fun. Ok so the reunion that I had this week was a kinda last minute thing and it happened with someone that means so much to me. I was able to go visit and have lunch with Sister Barnes. Sister Barnes is the old member that I lived with my first two transfers. She became another Grandma to me. As soon as I saw her and walked in to see her, I started to cry. As she hugged me she said "welcome home". I have missed her and worried about her so much my whole mission. It was so good to catch up, crack jokes, and listen to more of her stories. I was so happy that I was able to see her again and I plan on visiting with her again in a couple of weeks. Then on Saturday morning we played ultimate frisbee at a park. It was fun, but I did walk away with 26 mosquito bites on my calves. But then later that day I went on an exchange with Sister Reed. We had a fun time doing service at the food bank and we even got to go to a cool restaurant for dinner. So overall my week was good! 

   For the Book of Mormon read, today we should be through 3 Nephi 18. I would like to talk about one of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon. It is 3 Nephi 5:13 and it says "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." This scripture has really made a big impact on me. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a representative of my Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for each second that I have as a missionary. Good or bad. But the incredible thing is that you do not have to be a full time missionary to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. That is something that each of us can do. Each of us need to continue to grow in the gospel and help others around us to do the same. Keep uplifting and loving others. We should always be kind. We should always be trying to be like Jesus. I know that each of you are incredible children of God and I love you all so much! 

                  Love, Sister Yates :) 

Season 13, Episode 2, The One With More Rain in Arizona

 Hey folks! 

   This past week was pretty awesome. On Tuesday I went to my last Zone Conference and I was able to see more good friends and past companions. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and the spirit was very strong. They also sang to me and other missionaries for our birthdays, so that was fun and I got a mini loaf of homemade bread. It rained more this week and it was awesome. When we were biking, we would purposefully ride through all of the puddles we could. Plus with the rain and clouds it was so much cooler than it usually is. One day it was 76°. Crazy, I know. One night it was a pretty heavy downpour so we went out and played in the puddles and got pretty soaked. We also had a mini dust storm one night and we had to bike home in it. That was crazy. I also got to pet SO many doggos this past week. I even held a miniature schnauzer!!! My heart was happy. This past week was another good one. Tender mercies man. They are awesome. 

   For our Book of Mormon read we should be through 3 Nephi 4 today. For my little spiritual thought, I want to write about how Christ is the Light of the world. In Helaman 14, Samuel the Lamanite gives signs of Christs coming to the Nephites. In Helaman 14:3 it says "this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness". When Jesus Christ came into this world, there was only light. In Helaman 14:20 it says "as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you". When Jesus Christ was crucified and taken out of this world, there was no light. These signs literally show how Christ is the light of the world. The hymn The Lord is My Light has become a favorite of mine. If I could quote the whole thing on my weekly, I would. But instead I will just invite all of you to go listen to it or read the lyrics. I know that the Lord is my light. "He is my joy and my song". I am so grateful for my Savior and the light that he brings in my life. I know that he can do the same for all of you. Love you all!!! 

                  Love, Sister Yates :) 

Season 13, Episode 1, The One Where I Biked in a Monsoon

 Hey folks! 

   Ok this past week was honestly so crazy and awesome. Last Monday night Sister Anderson and I had to announce to a lot of our ward members that both of us were leaving. It was kinda heartbreaking because I came to love a lot of those members. So we pretty much took a selfie with everyone there. On both Monday and Tuesday night, we had 11 sisters sleeping in our apartment. The first night we had the departing sisters and the second night we had some of the brand new sisters. So let's just say that I did not get sleep for a few days. Then Wednesday was transfers and I got to see a lot of friends and past companions and give them all hugs. I also found out that the area I am in is a biking area! So I am using a loner bike. Listen, biking everywhere everyday in Arizona is a whole lot of fun. On Wednesday night we hosted a stake Young Women's activity where we taught them chair soccer. Let's just say that I was part of a pretty legendary shot. Also my church building has a bunch of scorpions so we get to see those on the daily. So on Friday in the morning we went and did quilting with one of our members for service and then we had to bike home before a Zone Council. On our way back we literally biked through a heavy downpour. (It was intense for Arizona) It was SO MUCH FUN. While I was getting literally drenched I couldn't stop smiling and wondering why I was so happy. At one point we just dragged our shoes through puddles. We even had to show up to Zone Council with soaking wet hair. It was legendary. Then on Saturday we got to do a district service project where we helped at a food bank. And on Sunday we went to a total of 5 church meetings and 3 of those where full 2 hours church services. Then at dinner I got to hold some chickens. So as you can see, I had a pretty awesome week. 

   Ok since that was an experience dump for y'all I just want to talk a little bit about being happy and grateful in every circumstance. This past week, there was actually a lot of hard things and good things. But in every experience, I was really happy. It made me think of a quote by Elder Uchtdorf from his talk Grateful in Any Circumstance (one of my favorite talks) . He says "How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?". I was so grateful for biking in a dress in pouring rain, almost stepping on a scorpion, seeing good friends, being sleep deprived, meeting members that remember me, working hard, and feeling joy. I know that y'all can also be grateful and happy in any circumstance. Just choose to have fun and enjoy each moment. I love you all, have a fantastic week!!! 

              Love, Sister Yates :) 

Season 12, Episode 6, The One With A Great Week and Big News

 Hey folks! 

   Ok so this past week, I got to go on an exchange with Sister Everett, one of the Sister AP's, in my area and we saw some miracles! I also got to go do some service at Feed My Starving Children and it was so much fun! Sister Anderson graduated training! We had TWO dust storms with dirt, rain, wind, lightning, and thunder! And yesterday at dinner, we got our very own Phoenix Suns shirt from the kindest member ever. So as you can tell from how many exclamation marks I have used, this week had some pretty great moments. Now for the big news. Last night I got called to be a second half trainer AGAIN. So that's pretty wild. Transfers are this Wednesday. Next transfer is my last. I was prepared to stay in this area that I am in now. Until, this morning. We got the news that I am leaving this area and going BACK to Mesa to serve in family wards that I had served in before. My mind is kinda blown. Definitely was not expecting it. So back to Mesa it is! 

   For the Book of Mormon study, today we should be through Alma 55. Since last week, we have begun the war chapters of the Book of Mormon. I actually really enjoy the war chapters. It's my action and adventure while I am a missionary. One thing that I have loved learning about is how the Nephites fight for the right reasons. They aren't fighting to shed blood or to take the Lamanites captive. They are fighting to protect their country, their families, and their religion. Those are the things we need to defend. They were fighting for the right reasons. They were trusting and relying on the Lord.  In Alma 49:28 it tells us how the Nephites reacted after a victory. It says "the people of Nephi did thank the Lord their God, because of his matchless power in delivering them from the hands of their enemies". Whenever we have a victory in our lives, if we conquered or accomplished something, we should always give thanks and praises to God. So just remember, fight for the right reasons, and do it with God. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and Savior that deliver me on a daily basis and for the little victories that I have because of them. I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! 

                  Love, Sister Yates :)