Week 21: crazy crazy life we live

This week has been CRAZY people. Just crazy. My new area is insane. And I love it so much. Things have been so busy and so great. I'm loving it!
This week we had 2 back to back zone meetings because me and sister phenicie cover 2 different zones as sister training leaders. And we had to give trainings at both of them and we had 1 day notice on those so such is the life of a sister training leader! It was really fun though.
We had our mission christmas devotional this week. We started with zone skits and can I just say, ours was definitely the funniest. I was our mission president's wife in our skit and it was great. But it was AWESOME because the speaker at the devotional was Brother paul anderson, the founder of the PIANO GUYS. He makes all the videos and is in some of their videos and he talked to us and showed us some of their awesome new videos and it was literally the coolest thing ever. He was really cool and shared with us things that the piano guys do to be successful and it was so super awesome.
We have this awesome investigator named ron and he came to church yesterday and we got him on baptismal date yesterday! So we're so excited for him! He's so awesome and he just has such a light, and the gospel will bless him soo much so we're really happy. That's definitely my favorite part of missionary work is seeing the light of the gospel and the light of Christ enter peoples' lives.
funny moment of the week:
we were driving down the road like normal in the middle of this super busy area during rush hour and we look over at the other lane and there's a car and we're like what the heck is wrong with this car? and we realize its driving down the road on the right side but in reverse. like going the normal speed but backwards and he's like swerving everywhere and we just died laughing. the things you see here. i laughed for a solid 20 minutes about that one.
spiritual moment of the week:
one of the trainings I gave at a zone meeting was based on a talk by president thomas s monson, "finishers wanted" and it was so good! one thing that stuck out to me was a verse in John 18:37-
"To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth."
And I thought a lot about that! About how Jesus christ was born so that He could die. He was born so that He could save us from our sorrows and sadness and so that we could be forgiven of our sins and live again! How grateful am I for a Savior who was born so we could live. And our mission motto is "make it personal" so of course, the best thing to do is to ask yourself and to ask God, "to what end was I born?" and then strive each and every day to fulfill His purpose and become what HE wants you to become and I can promise you that He will bless you for it!
have a great week, I have so much love for each of you!
Sister tracy

Week 20: BIG CHANGES FOR SISTER TRACY

Well clearly, this week has big changes for me!!! I got transferred and now I'm a SISTER TRAINING LEADER!! For those of you who don't know what that means, its basically a zone leader for sisters and for those who don't know what that means, it means I'm in charge of a bunch of sisters and I help train them and help them with the emotional side of things haha so its a big change but it'll be so good! I'm companions with Sister Phenecie, she's from Hawaii and I'll be her last companion!! Its a lot of changes for me but it'll be really good! I'm excited to see what this transfer has in store for me. Its going to be an adventure every single day I'm sure.
We went sledding this week for sister's p day so that was awesome!! Check out the cute pictures.  It was so fun! And we worked real hard this week. I also went to MLCs or mission leadership conference on friday since they knew I would be a new STL. and that was real good! except they called me out for my face always getting red and then it just got redder and everyone was like, it matches her hair! But that was sweet.
Someone yelled hail satan at us this week, that was fun. And I can't really remember what else happened this week, honestly. I've just been packing like crazy and now I'm in my new area and I just have no idea what's happening but its okay! I'm ready to learn and have some crazy new experiences!!
But yeah, that's life! We had stake conference this week and it was really good! This sweet 14 year old girl gave a talk on how trials make us stronger. And she talked about how when you're walking into the ocean its like our walk of life. The further in you get, the waves get stronger. Sometimes the waves will just knock you off balance but other times, the waves will knock you down. But you have to choose what you're going to do because of it. Are you going to get up and keep walking or are you going to lay down and drown in the waves? the answer is GET UP MAN. you keep walking. some quote i love by jeffrey r holland is like "don't you give up. you keep walking. there is help and happiness ahead." #sotrue
so be happy, keep walking, and have a good week!
love you all!
sister tracy

pictures
1. sledding!
2. how presh
3. me and sister dennis! she came out with me and now we're both stls!
4. the sweetest family in my old ward now

Week 19: question: when will the snow stop? answer: never.

Well happy late thanksgiving to you all! Hope you all had the best one!
This week was crazy! It hasn't stopped snowing for like 5 days. It's been insane. I've never seen it snow so much at a time. Fortunately, it hasn't been accumulating too bad. but holy cow, literally we had a white thanksgiving, something I've never experienced before! Its beautiful but cold haha its been soooo cold recently. I might die. and yet, everyone tells me this is only the beginning of winter. #cantwait also driving in it isn't the funnest but oh well. also I HATE SCRAPING ICE OFF THE CAR. IT IS THE WORST. first time doing that ever and it isn't very fun. but the good thing is, i haven't hit anyone yet #knockonwood
thanksgiving was super fun! we got to spend the day with members! we ate lots of delicious food and i was so happy!! I stuffed my face man. that was sweet. but we love playing in the snow haha it makes us the happiest. 
we got to help a member set up her christmas tree this week! she's the cutest and the sweetest and it was awesome! and also we saw a coyote in a school playground this week and that was crazy! 
also we've just been doing so much finding this week. like we just tract and knock doors like all day because our teaching pool has shrunk significantly....but that's okay. finding is a lot of work but its literally the BEST when you find someone who will let you teach them. We were trying this less active and this man was standing outside next door and we started talking to him and then we got into this deep religious discussion and we stood out in the snow for like 30 minutes and I thought i was going to lose my toes. and then he let us in and we talked for like another 30 minutes and he was so awesome! he asked such good questions and we'll be meeting with him this week! its so exciting! but yeah, its been a great week!! i love being a missionary!

y'all should go to christmas.mormon.org and watch the new christmas video. it is sooo good. A Savior was born for each of us because He loves us so much. We can't even comprehend how much He loves us. Each of us should take some time this week and discover why the Savior was born for each of us! Remember He is Christmas!

have a good week, much love!
Sister tracy

Week 18: well now its been 4 months...where has time gone?

Well I hit my 4 month mark yesterday! What the heck? Its crazy and I can't believe that I've already been out that long!! Time is flying.

well for exciting news, it snowed so much this week! I had to drive in the snow for the first time ever and can I just say, I WAS TERRIFIED. It was so scary. but I lived and didn't even hit anything #blessed. but the snow is so beautiful and its pretty cold but hey, I'm going to survive, okay?
We got to go to the temple this week and its always the best! I got to see my old companion aka the best companion, Hermana King and so that's always the happiest!
The elders in our ward had a baptism and I gave a talk so that was awesome. I love going to baptisms because you can always feel the Spirit so strong!!
We got some new investigators this week that we found tracting and through part member families so that was sweet. We've been doing sooo much tracting recently and its crazy but hopefully one of these days it'll pay off haha of course it will
but things are good! a bit cold, but not too much else to say from here! just working hard and seeing the Lord's hand in my life on the daily.

This week we had a zone meeting and part of it was about doubt not. I thought about that a lot this week! I read about Peter walking on water in Matthew and as soon as he takes his focus off the Savior, he falls! but of course, in his mercy, the Savior IMMEDIATELY reaches out and saves him. The only way we're going to fall is when we take our eyes off the Savior! Remember him always because He loves us so much!
"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."
-D&C 6:36

happy thanksgiving to everyone and be happy!
much love!
sister tracy

1. its real live snow people
2. me and my stl twinning on accident
3. we're clearly terrified of snow
4. I GOT THIS AWESOME JESUS PICTURE ON A STRING. IT IS AMAZING.

Week 17: IT SNOWED PEOPLE. SNOW IS FOR REAL

IT SNOWED THIS WEEK AND I WAS JUST LIKE WHAT. LIKE I WOKE UP AND THERE WAS SNOW EVERYWHERE AND FALLING FROM THE SKY. LIKE WHAT THE HECK. ALSO THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A HUGE BLIZZARD THIS WEEK SO START PRAYING FOR SISTER TRACY BECAUSE SHE'S NEVER DRIVEN IN SNOW BEFORE OR EXPERIENCED SNOW LIKE THIS SO PRAY REAL HARD PLEASE.

anyways, this week was sweeeet as all get out. so it snowed clearly so that was pretty happy. i went on exchanges with my stls this week and it was super fun because i got to go work in another ward and it was awesome. we tracted on this legit dirt road in the middle of no where and it was so fun!! and we did lots of service this week, we worked at a food bank like we do every week but i climbed into some huge boxes so check out the picture. i was pretty happy. also we got to rake leaves and sister york had never raked leaves before and i was laughing so hard because "there's no trees in las vegas"
we took coffee from our investigator and threw it away but she's legit man. Her name is amanda and we weren't sure if she would be baptized on her scheduled date on the 28th but she was like yeah I want to for sure!! so that was super happy!!
we got to do lots of tracting this week and found lots of potentials and we're gonna baptize them all clearly.
2 funny moments this week:
we went and talked to this rando on the street and we were talking to him and asked if he wanted to hear about jesus christ. and he was like with such a straight face and so much seriousness, "I worship the devil." and i almost lost it right then and there. it was hilarious. we were just like okay haha it just made me laugh so hard because he was so serious.
and then we were at church and we were in the hall and this little boy in our ward just walks right up to this painting of jesus and stands right under it and points at it and yells, "I SEE YOU JESUS. I SEE YOU." and i almost died haha he was the cutest little boy ever.

quote of the week:
"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, it casts the shadow of our burdens behind us. Hope turns discouragement to determination." -James E. Faust
so whatever happens, remember to have hope and it'll all work out!
i love you all and keep being good and being happy!
sister tracy

Week 16: sister tracy isn't cut out for the winter life

WELL IT'S REALLY COLD AND I THINK I'M GOING TO DIE. not really but really. holy cow people, it's been so cold already and it snowed a little the other night and now its definitely going to snow so much this week. bring it on. just kidding, let's not. pray for me not to die.

anyways, this week was pretty chill. not too much exciting happened.
we had zone p day this week so we got to play lots of fun games and what not.
We did sooo much finding this week. literally all we did was tracting this week so that was fun i suppose. we got to talk to this guy about the rapture for like a solid 30 minutes and I was trying so hard not to laugh because he was a little crazy. and he was telling us everything he learned was from these "very reliable videos" that he watches haha I was dying. I love people.
and lets see, I was forced to play the piano this week at district meeting because no one else could (#shoutout to mother for forcing me to play the piano even if I'm the worst) but hey at least I could do it somewhat not terribly.
and we got to do lots of service this week! i love doing service!!
and lets see, oh we were tracting and this girl in her 20s comes up to us and is like are you doing a bible study? and we were like sure. and then she invited us in and we taught her and it was awesome!! so she's a new investigator!!
this week was hard for us in a lot of ways but I learned soo much!!
my ponderizing scripture this week that really helped me is in Isaiah 54: 7-10:
"For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."
like that helps me so much to know that even if we go through hard times, we will never be forsaken nor forgotten by the Lord! He loves us so much and has so much mercy!
Hope y'all have a great week and STAY WARM


Photos:
me and sister ahokava on zone p day
this cute thing on the sidewalk on the last warm day of ever
THIS GIANT LEAF

Week 15: happy halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! I hope y'all had the best halloween and that all is going well!!

This week was pretty chill! Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary but we had some good things happen this week!
We're really working on talking to everyone. that's super hard man. like how the heck do you just stop people in denver who are obviously in a big hurry? but we're really working on it and slowly getting better. but this week, God definitely taught me a lesson about it. We were walking and this man passed us by and as soon as I let him pass, I immediately was like dang it, I should have talked to this guy! So i went on with my day. and then like 3 hours later, we ran into the same guy in this random parking lot like 5 miles away from where we initially saw him. And then he was super interested! He sang us some songs about Jesus and gave us his number and we're going to meet with him this week!! It was awesome. And that same day, once again, we let this lady pass us by outside this apartment complex in the morning. and once again, i kicked myself for letting her go. and then that night, we were back at the same apartment complex and she was out walking her dog! so we got to talk to her about the gospel! it was amazing and God really does give second chances haha he's really trying to teach me to stop being an idiot haha so I'm working on it. but i was super grateful for the chance God gave me!!
i got to go to cafe rio this week #blessed so that made my life. also we got to go to the ward trunk or treat and it was sooo fun! we got to help judge all the cute kids' costumes and it was so adorable!!
also we've been having some spanish sisters stay with us the past week while their apartment gets finalized and since we had to be in at 6 on halloween for safety, we got pizza and it was super awesome! they moved out today though :(
oh also we took all the coffee from someone we're teaching to help them keep the word of wisdom. it was the first time i've actually ever done that and it was pretty funny. i felt so bad even having the coffee in our car haha i promise we didn't do anything but take a picture with it and then we threw it away but hey, at least she'll be keeping the word of wisdom now!
quote of the week:
"as dark as night may become, we can always count on the sun coming up. as dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. the task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us." -brad wilcox
rely on God this week and remember that His grace is sufficient!
Love you all!
sister tracy