What a Week!

This past week was both difficult and great! It was a little difficult because the majority of our set lessons were all cancelled :( But at the same time a lot of good things happened!

We are teaching this woman named Jodi and she has three boys. One of her boys is fifteen years old and his name is Colby. Colby has some kind of disability and he has a wheelchair that he can maneuver himself. He is really funny but at the same time he really understands our message of the restoration and it makes sense to him. He reminded me so much of Christopher and it just made me miss him! It also made me really happy to know that in the future Christopher will have a perfected body and I will be able to talk to him. :)

We also found a new investigator this week! We were looking for people to teach in this really nice neighborhood and we met Grace, who was outside with her daughter. We had a really good conversation and Grace told us that she is Christian but that for some reason she has never been baptized. We took the opportunity to ask if we could share more with her about the authority needed to baptize and she said yes. She then gathered up her kids inside and we taught the restoration! It was a miracle! :) I'm excited to keep teaching her!

We also had that really good training on family history and how we can share information about that with people who aren't ready to hear the gospel yet. I came out of that meeting with an even greater respect and appreciation for my past ancestors! I encourage you all to learn more about your families and to preserve the precious stories and memories of your ancestors for the future generations!

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot! I taught a lesson in Spanish all by myself! Literally, I taught the whole thing! We were talking to our friend, Nick, who works at Pep boys and he told us where some Hispanics lived. So we went over and found Omar! He seemed really interested and had good questions! Hopefully he continues to learn more!

This crazy, fun week was ended with a wonderful Sunday! We fasted, heard wonderful testimonies, and had dinner with some members! I was also able to go to the sacrament hour with the Spanish branch as well so that was nice!

The last and most crazy thing that happened this week was during our fast and testimony meeting. We had just listened to three really good testimonies and then all of a sudden a women walks in from the side door and goes directly to the pulpit. She hadn't even said anything yet and the spirit was already gone. When she introduced herself Sister Walker started to be a little anxious because she had heard that this woman had basically been looking into anti information  and had left the church.

In the beginning she wasn't saying anything too crazy. She talked about the plan of salvation and how she was happy that her son had just been married in the temple. Sadly, as she went on though, you could tell that she was not there to share her testimony. She started talking about Islam and what is happening in other countries and talking about the Bible and a whole bunch of other stuff.

I was thinking, "Ugh...is someone going to politely ask her to sit down??"

Then she goes on to say that we have all been deceived and all of this other stuff.

As soon as she said that Bishop Smith stood up and asked her to leave but she wouldn't stop. Bishop Smith literally had to escort her out of the building to get her to leave.
It was crazy! Never had I ever seen something like that happen in a sacrament meeting.

I felt so sad for this poor woman who was obviously so confused and lost.

What happened after this though was a very special experience that I hope I never forget.
So many members went up to share their testimonies of the gospel. They bore their testimonies of the teachings of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, prayer and much more. The Spirit was instantly brought back into the meeting! It was so great!

My heart aches for that woman but I am so grateful to know that we all have the right to pray to our Heavenly Father and receive personal revelation. It is very important that we keep our focus on Christ and that we continue to grow and REAFFIRM our testimonies. We can do this by taking the sacrament seriously and by studying the sacrifices that both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have made in our behalf. The sacrament is an important ordinance that we have to REMEMBER Jesus Christ. I know that as we take the sacrament seriously we will not lose our way.

I know that the Bible AND the Book of Mormon are the word of God. When the Bible was originally written it was perfect but after the death of Christ some precious truths that we desperately needed to know were changed and lost. The Book of Mormon is filled with those precious truths that were lost. The Bible and the Book of Mormon BOTH testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that God truly does have all wisdom and HE can see the bigger picture. I know that without Him we are nothing. I know that God always reveals more revelation to His prophets and that He will continue to do so. It is because God loves us that He has a prophet on the earth to help guide us just like He did in the past. I promise you that if you read the Book of Mormon and ask with a sincere heart if it is true, you will come to learn about the path that leads to our salvation.

I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Hermana Soliz :)

Sister Walker and I have decided that getting Italian cream sodas is our favorite thing! They are soo good!

The Adjusting Phase...

I never thought that I would ever feel out of my comfort zone when speaking in English. It is so weird to talk English all day instead of Spanish! I still get to talk to Hispanics when we see them but still it is not the same! I keep saying Spanish words when I'm speaking in English and then since I'm not using my Spanish as often I'm forgetting how to say some really easy stuff. I think my brain is just a little confused as to what is going on. Haha! So yeah adjusting is going well!

I'm lucky though because I still get to see all of the Spanish members at church and I've even seen a couple just around town. I hope that after this transfer that I go back to the branch instead of going to a different area!

BUT being with Sister Walker is great! I love her! We talk all of the time and we laugh a lot so that's good! I can see us becoming really good friends! :) She also has an obsession with Texas so I told her she'll have to visit me. :) We've only been together a week but I already love her so much! 

Tomorrow we are going to have a special training on Family History. It is going to be so great! I'm so excited! 

Also June 10th there is a special training for all missionaries who are teaching in a different language so I will get to go to that!

I love being a missionary and serving the Lord! As a missionary, you talk to a lot of people and a lot of times they aren't so nice. 

Recently, we talked to a man and after our conversation we were leaving and he said something along the lines of, 

"You ladies did really good at answering my questions but I bet I really stumped you two." 

We politely said no and left.

I would like to say again that no, I am not stumped on something or doubting anything. I know what I know and I cannot deny it. I know that when we exercise our faith in God we can and will gain more knowledge about who He is and of the teachings of Jesus Christ.; 

I love my Heavenly Father and I am so grateful that serving a mission was a part of the beautiful plan that He has for me. 

I am learning that life really is a continuing learning process. We all go through phases where we are progressing and then at other times we feel like we have digressed. BUT the miracle of it all is that as long as we are trying we will never be back at the very bottom where we started in the first place! 

 

So with that said, keep your heads up and keep looking forward everyone!

Love you all! Abrazos! 

Hermana Soliz

 

Guess what happened?

You will never guess what is happening this transfer! But that's okay because I'm going to tell you just like I always do!
Are you ready for this??
Okay.
I'm staying in Auburn...BUT...I'm going ENGLISH speaking!!!!
I know, CRAZY! I obviously was NOT expecting it since I was called Spanish speaking and I was not warned about the change at all!
But it's okay because I know all of the decisions were made after a lot of thought and praying for revelation. God knows what He is doing!
President Eaton told me that I will only be English speaking for this transfer and that the next one I'll go right back to being an Hermana!
The reason why I'm going English speaking is because he doesn't have a lot of English sisters right now but more will be coming next transfer so he didn't want to have to close an area just to open it back up a transfer later.
So this means that Sister Walker will be my new companion. You all don't know her but she is awesome and she has this obsession/undying love for Texas!! :) And she's not even from Texas. Haha!
It should be a lot of fun! I was sad about not going to the Spanish Branch but we use the same building for church so I'll still be able to see all of the Hispanic members in the halls. It should also be easier to cover one ward instead of two stakes so that is a plus!
It will be really weird to speak in English all day though! I also realized that I don't know the first vision of Joseph Smith by memory in English. I only know it in Spanish.
Anyways, wish me luck! This next transfer is going to be full of Spanglish!
I had tons of fun with Hermana Hill this past transfer and I love her so much! We made tons of plans for this transfer of stuff to do together but that will just have to wait since we won't be companions. I love you all so much and wish you all the best! Thank you for your love and support!

Hermano Rosalio Lopez and his Ferrari ;)

La Hna Hill! Somos carnalitas!

Are we really grateful for what we have?

This past week Hermana Hill and I received priesthood blessings of comfort and just like always, it was so great!
Don't worry! Nothing is going on and we are both fine. We were just talking a lot about the priesthood power and both felt that we were in need of divine help from God. :)
The priesthood power is the power of God and worthy men that are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can receive the power of the priesthood.
All of us fall short of perfection so these men are not perfect but as they strive to live the commandments of God and become more Christlike they are able to bless the lives of others with the priesthood.
I have a testimony that the priesthood power that many worthy men hold today is the same priesthood power that the ancient prophets had. It is the same power that Jesus Christ and His apostles had. It is the same priesthood power that was restored to the earth when God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet. It is the same power that the prophet we have today, President Thomas S. Monson and his leaders hold. 
What an incredible blessing it is that God allows worthy men to hold the priesthood to be able to serve others!
Asking for a priesthood blessing this past week was the first one I've asked for since I've been on my mission and I can't believe I didn't ask for one before.
I received my blessing from Elder Cabrera who is one of the elders in my district this transfer. He was pretty nervous about giving the blessing but the words that he said were inspired by the Holy Spirit and they were exactly what God wanted me to hear.
If any of you ever are in need of a blessing of healing or of comfort do not hesitate to ask for one from a righteous priesthood holder. In fact, it's a blessing for them to be able to use the priesthood so when we ask for blessings we are doing them a favor.
I know God lives and that He loves me and every single one of you!
Keep serving God with all of your hearts!

Love,

Hermana Soliz

Auburn District!!

I have a prediction!

I hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day this past week!!
I was so happy that I was able to see my family over Skype! I love you all!
So I have a new prediction of what will happen this next transfer.
It turns out that Hermana Mortenson, who has been out for 3 transfers, is going to teach in English for the next couple of transfers or until we have more English sister missionaries.
However, we are still getting two new Spanish speaking sisters so that means there will be a trio somewhere!
My guess is that the trio will be here in Auburn! Which means that Hermana Hill and I will have another transfer together!
Nobody really knows what will happen but that is my guess.
This whole transfer has just flown by! The past three preparation days felt like they were one right after the other.
The Spanish branch was in charge of a stake activity that we had this past weekend and it was so much fun! There was a lot of people there and I'm hoping that we can start teaching some of the ones who weren't members. Some of the members performed a dance number and it turned out really well! There was a ton of dancing and Mexican music and of course Mexican food!
It was so cool to see the members having so much fun!
The only sad part about it was that Hermana Hill and I couldn't dance since we're missionaries. Haha! But we will visit in the future when they have another fiesta!
Also this past week we had a zone conference with President Eaton and we learned all about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how that helps us talk to people and find new people to teach!
It was so great! Not only did we talk about the sacrifice Jesus Christ made but also of the sacrifice of the Father.
We also spent a lot of time role playing asking people different questions to help get out of the habit of just saying something like, "How are you?" It was so much fun!
I have a goal to study the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us at least once a week! There is just so much more to learn!
I love you all so much and I know that God loves you all too!
He loves me and He is slowly changing my heart and shaping me into a better person!
Remember, "Consecration is the only surrender that is also a victory."
Hasta luego!

Hermana Soliz

Hna Hill and Soliz - Beautiful day in Auburn!

She had hiked up a hill to get a good pic for mom.

Ana and Miguel's Baptism!

This past week was another week full of blessings! The highlight of course, was the baptisms of Ana Aguilar and Miguel Gonzales.
Miguel is the 10 year-old son of Hermana Marcelina Gonzales and we visit her about once a week.
Ana Aguilar is the woman that we found and were teaching all of the lessons to. She was so prepared and ready to be baptized right from the beginning!
One thing that really helped Ana learn was that she had a friend, Hermana Lopez, who was a member of the church that she could go to with her questions.
Ana met Hermana Lopez while she was walking in the neighborhood one day and even though it was the first time they had met Hermana Lopez used the opportunity to invite Ana to a church devotional, where people would be sharing their testimonies and watching church videos.
Ana accepted the invitation and ever since then she wanted to learn more.
This is a wonderful example of how we can do missionary work! It is also proof that we can do missionary work with EVERYONE! It doesn't just have to be our family and close friends.
We had dinner this past week with a member who lives in Puyallup and she was telling us about a talk she had heard at church.
The member giving the talk was a convert to the church and explained that throughout her life she knew many people who belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but none of them shared the gospel with her. She continued to explain that the time between her first encounter with someone who was LDS and the time that she actually learned about the church was 17 years. She then said that 17 years is too long.
Just like this member who shared her experience in church I know that 17 years is too long. We can all do so much better than that!
There are so many different ways that we can share the knowledge of Christ's teachings with others! Pray for opportunities to share the knowledge you have and I know God will put prepared people in your path.
You might think that it's scary to speak with others or that you don't want to be pushy but when we know the truth it is our duty to share it. Some people will choose not to listen and that is okay, but we must open our mouths and give them the opportunity to learn more about what God has in store for them. If we never open our mouths they will never know.
I know that all of you can find someone and help them learn more and be baptized like Ana and Miguel. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the power and authority of God to carry out ordinances such as baptism. This is part of the message we need to share with the world.
I know that people can change and that there is always hope! The teachings of Jesus Christ that are found only in this church really can change lives.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Hermana Soliz

Ana's Baptism! All three of these lovely missionaries have been my companion!! Love them all!

Miguel with the Elders, love him!

Showered with Blessings!

This week we had so many things happen that I don't even know where to begin!
Well Hermana Hill and I have received an overflow of referrals to visit which is great! We've found some new people to teach, including a family so we are excited about that!
Ana Aguilar had a baptism date set for May 9th but now she is getting baptized May 2nd! :)
We have been inviting everyone we talk to to come to the baptism!
It's really cool because awhile back President Eaton suggested asking people "Have you ever seen a baptism by immersion before?" as a way to get a conversation started and now we can actually do it!
Also our investigator Daniela got married! She looked so beautiful!!
We also had another mission devotional Sunday night!
Audon and Maria Ayala, who I taught in Renton both gave their testimonies!
Rosalio Lopez who was also recently baptized gave his testimony too!
I love the devotionals and they are a great way to do missionary work!
One of the videos that was shown at the devotional was the video of the parable of the prodigal son. I love that video! I love it so much that I sent it so you all can watch it!

This is the link
http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/the-other-prodigal-son 

I know that our Heavenly Father lives and loves us. It is never too late to follow Him. I know that when you read the Book of Mormon you will feel the spirit of God testify to you that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that as we read the Bible and the Book of Mormon everyday we will be guided by the spirit and God will shower us with blessings!
One chapter I studied a lot this past week was Enos chapter 1 in the Book of Mormon. I learned a lot about prayer and the relationship that I want to have with God. I learned and recognized things that I hadn't before. I hope you all read the Book of Mormon and I invite you all to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If you learn more about the church and it's teachings you will come to understand why I came to share the teachings of Jesus Christ with others for 18 months. I love you all so much! Keep learning more about the gospel and keep growing!

Love,

Hermana Soliz

What really happens during weekly planning!

Auburn Zone Service Project Activity

Me, Daniela, and Hna Hill

Daniela and Ricardo's wedding!