Hola!

This week was perhaps the toughest week yet... for sure the first of many to come... :) But I got through it! That's all that matters! So we really struggled to find people this week. And when we did find them, we taught en espanol... Obviously something that I can't do yet. I did see a couple miracles... of being in the right place at the right time. It's really crazy how the Lord works. We started teaching this kid from vietnam.. his name is Cuong. and he commited to baptism the first day!!! BUT.. we have to hand him over to the elders.. we think he wanted to be baptized for the wrong reason? haha he's 17... and he may have a tiny crush on us. BOOOO. So that went down the drain... But we were tracting, and we ran into this huge black guy. he came out and we asked him how his day was going, he said "I'm drunk, and I'm eating a taco, what do you want" we told him about eternal families and how he can be happy with his family on this earth, and the life to come. he said "not gonna happen here. have a good day". so that was interesting... it seems like everyone we run into is drunk!!! haha But.. like I said. really tough week. and then yesterday happened... and everything was better! So we've been struggling to find as I said, and I've been having a really tough time with the language. So saturday night, I prayed with probably the most heart felt prayer I've ever said. And yesterday in relief society, we were talking about faith in Christ. Obviously, I couldn't understand the full lesson. But Siser Flory stopped in the middle, and said to me in English, "Sister Vogel, you are very brave. and we love you. and God wants you to know he loves you and you can learn the language" I started bawling!!! like how did she know?! Uhm k...  like the church is true??!! hhaaha then during the broadcast, it talked about strengthening the ward before you can bring in more converts. Me and sister sakurazawa decided thats our purpose... to strengthen this small weak hispanic branch. God isn't going to bless us with converts to come into a branch that can't support them. Anyways... tons of more miracles happened. Really cool ones. If you wanna know, write me. haha I need letters!!!! Love you all

 Hermana vogel

Hola!!!! so.... my mission president has a huge sense of humor. because guess what... I have been called to serve in Sioux City Iowa, SPANISH SPEAKING LIKE WHAT THE HECK!!!!!! Yes! I am now a Spanish speaking sister, 1 of the only 4 out of 260 ish missionaries?! So crazy!!!! And me and sister Sakurazawa are the first sisters to ever serve in this area.... wow. Its crazy how much the Lord trusts us... I don't know why he would trust me so much with this assignment, pero I know that it can be done. The Lord doesn't give us anything we cant overcome!!! SO. My week...

I met my companion. Sister Sakurazawa. She is amazing. Such a blessing. She's 4"7 from Japan. and this is her last transfer :( But she helps me so much!!! She speaks Spanish. her mom is from Costa Rica. So we are living with a member in Sioux city. (They are super wealthy and their house is a mansion) But they were out of town until yesterday. So I got my assignment to Sioux city on Thursday, and just served at the visitors center until yesterday. So yesterday was a crazy day. We drove to Sioux city which was like 2 hours. and on the way down, I had a feeling to write down my testimony en Española. So I did. Y we get to sacrament, and the branch president asked the missionaries to come and bare their testimony!!!! I was petrified because hardly any of the members speak ingles!!!! But then I remember that the Lord gave me a little heads up, and I had my testimony written down. So yeah! I shared it, and one of the members came up to me after and told me I made her cry! At least someone understood me :)

 So it really sucks because I can't communicate with the branch president at all. I seriously feel like I'm in another country!!! Right after sacrament, we stayed at church and ate cake. and the members are so obsessed with the sister missionaries, that they feed us WAY TOO MUCH. And So of course we have to say yes. Then we went to the branch presidents house for lunch. We had carne asada! I told the members that I like spicy stuff... and they laughed their heads off!!! "white sister likes spicy!!!!???" so they gave me so much spicy stuff. 

they love me;)

Also,  feel like I'm in another country because they just put their hands all over your freakin food!!! I was like uhm..... but yeah. Its okay.

Then, after that, we went and had ANOTHER meal. And we had to tell them we were hungry. got more food....

The members love the sisters so much, we seriously have like 3 meal appointments a day for the next week... oh man. 

Also, I am serving with Elder Griffith and Elder Campbell from high school! they're in my zone! that's pretty crazy. There's only one church in Sioux City, so I see them there. They serve in the other 2 wards. 

So this lady from the 1st ward, came up to me, and said she knew me from instagram!!! and that she stalked my instagram page??!! She was praying I would come to Sioux city!!! hahahahaha so weird. 

Also, me y Hermana Sakurazawa are teaching an English class. haha Wednesday and Friday. so yeah.... that's pretty much my last few days. There's too much to tell, but I got the jist of it. 

Oh!!! I saw Kennedy's friend in a hotel in Nebraska!!! super weird!!!

love you all!!!!

Hermana Vogel

 

Okay everybody!! this email is going to be short because I'm not in the laundry room... so I only have 30 stinkin minutes!!! But I head out to Nebraska this week!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAYAY!!!!!!! And This week was a little rough.... Super emotional. But if you know me pretty well that's nothin new ;) So Something really cool that happened, I was struggling with teaching by the spirit. and I would get really impatient in lessons, and plan everything out that I was going to say, because I hated awkward silence. Well, we are teaching an investigator named Naomi, and she has a TON of issues in her life.. poor girl. and me and my comp just couldn't get her to trust in God. her faith is really lacking. Well, the night after we taught her, I said the most sincere prayer I've said in a while!!! It was amazing! I just begged that I would have the guts to follow the spirit when I teach. So, the next day when we taught her, my and my comp killed it!!!!! like holy cow!!!! we did so good. We were feeling the spirit, and we were feeding off each other really well. Well.. I kept thinking to ask her to be baptized. But I was to scared to ask!! but the spirit was really pushing me to... so i asked her. and she said yes!!!!!! totally unexpected. but it was cool. the rough part is, is that when we met with her again.. she told us that since she started meeting with us, her life had gone all wrong. and that she had started to smoke again... my heart BROKE. and I wanted to yell at her and say "what the heck girl?!!?!?!?!? you're preparing for baptism you idiot!!! you know better!!!" but I didn't and I just loved her... and me and my comp explained to her that as she's coming closer to God, that Satan is going to do everything to stop that. Anyway... it was a way spiritual lesson. and I'm bummed we can't keep teaching her. But yeah. that's how it goes!!! so i fly out to Nebraska at 3:00 am tomorrow, and get my comp on Friday!!! so. uh. yeah. I'll email soon!!!