Week 27 - Transfers, packing and in-patient

Goodbye to Pasadena (Picture from Sis Luymes)

It was quite a week this week! First off, I have to leave my dear Pasadena and East Pasadena wards that I've been in since the beginning my mission. It's a sad day but i guess they need a curly haired weirdo in hacienda heights first ward! I'm pretty pumped, but it's a pain trying to pack everything back into my bags and it's crazy how much stuff I've accumulated in six months. It sorta fits. 

Also, HAPPY SIX MONTHS TO MEEEEEE. I hit six months this week! And it was sister Nays birthday so we got pie for pie day!

So in-patient. We got a referral this week from a guy named Chris who referred himself. He's a convert from Huntington beach who is currently staying in an in-patient drug rehabilitation center and has made it his personal goal to baptize everyone that's living there! So we met him and taught him and a bunch of his roommates and they're actually really interested! If anything, this should let you guys know that you can do member missionary work anywhere! So we're teaching four new people because Chris wants to baptize everyone! Plus, he even managed to get a few to stake conference yesterday and they loved it. I love missionary work! Alrighty, I think that's pretty much it for the week. 

Here's what we do during weekly planning:

Week 26 - No time, but we got smart phones!

BBQ

The subject line kind of says it all because this week was pretty uneventful... But we did get smartphones! (Haha I've got more technology than Hayden did on his whole mission #stateside) it's super weird to have a smartphone again though so there's that. I can't type on it anymore. We also had zone conference this week and we talked about how to work with the ward council better and how to use the technology that we have to further the work of the Lord! Missionary work is so cool. We did exchanges on Thursday which was sweet. I went to Glendale and we carried around a ukulele when we would contact people on the street. I'm learning a little bit how to play it. Knowing guitar helps. WAIT. We had a miracle named Isaac. He requested a bible and when the missionary from Mormon.org called to confirm his address he said that he had met with missionaries before and that he knows that the church is true and wants to get baptized, but he moved and lost contact. Holy smokes was that the greatest thing ever. Seeing people accept the gospel is the absolute most amazing thing ever. Have a great week!

Don't forget to read your scriptures

- Sister Dorrance 

Picture sent to Mom by a visitor to our ward

Week 25 - Bothering Brings Baptism

here is a picture of us in front of the church in Alhambra to email and eat Wendy's. 

The thing that Sister Nay and I have learned this week is that persistence is key in missionary work. Bother them until they want to meet with you. It's worked pretty well. Sort of. 

This week was great though!  On Tuesday we were double signed up for dinner somehow so we had two dinners because we don't like saying no to nice people (it's quite the problem to have, right?) They both served enchiladas though so it was a pretty good night. I love enchiladas. 

We had to teach part of district meeting on Thursday and we were talking about the role of the holy ghost in conversion and it was cool because in a missionary broadcast Elder Bednar talked about the difference between bringing the spirit unto our investigators hearts versus into their hearts. We can give them everything we've got, but we can't shove it into their souls and that's kind of a bummer, but agency is sweet so I'm not totally mad about it. We also had a stake relief society birthday party and the theme was Finding Joy in the Journey and they had four speakers get up and talk about their hard times and how they've found joy through them. It was fantastic. 

On Friday we got chick fil a. I love chick fil a. We cleaned the office too, but chick fil a is more important. 

Saturday we helped one of our new friends destroy his drug paraphernalia by smashing it with a hammer in the hopes that it'll help him get sober. It was pretty funny because he wasn't totally sober while he was trying to smash it. All is well. I'm making friends mom! No need to worry! 

On Sunday we had a guy named Jason come to church and we hadn't actually ever met him, but a member from Australia gave him $600 worth of bitcoin for charity (whatever that is) so he figured as a thank you he should just go to church! He's pretty interested in learning too, so it was a good Sunday. 

Today we're going bowling again. I'm still terrible at bowling and I don't think I'm getting any better so not to worry. Last time my top score was about 76 I think so I'm hoping to hit 85 today.

I realize that a lot of this email has been about food, but you talk about what's  important to you right?

 -Sister Dorrance

Also, just for kicks and giggles and I havent sent it in a while, my mailing address is 

614 w foothill Blvd.

Arcadia, CA

91006

Email:

riley.dorrance@myldsmail.net

bowling beats Battlestar Galactica

Week 24 - Sunny and 75

Katie!

Hey everybody, how's the weather in Utah??  

Anyhoo, it's been an awesome week. We found a family to teach which is GREAT. They're names are Carolina, George, and Daniel and we're pumped. We put Dejah on date to be baptized on March 17th! She didn't come to church like she said she would, but we're still optimistic that she'll make the right choice. She's fantastic. Sister Nay got a stomach sick kind of thing on Friday but it wasn't the flu so we stayed home that day. On Saturday we had a young woman come from LaCrescenta to be with us for most of the day and she was so nice. She bought everyone pizza. She is so pumped to be a missionary and she was so great at it! Her name is Katie, she gave a book of mormon to a pastor and she was pulling out scriptures in our lesson with Steven and I think I learned more from her than she did from us. That's all I've got for the week, sorry it's so short, but enjoy the pictures!

 

Katie part 

comp date at the Chevy dealership getting our blinker fixed. (I could've done it in the driveway, but I guess that's okay....)

Sister Nay ate Elote for the first time! (Aka best street mexican food ever)

Week 23 - Miracles and dog washing!

 in a tree

We had miracle this week everybody and her name is Dejah and she's the coolest. So. We met her mom Casie last week and she was super cool and we went back for casie's return appointment and she wasn't feeling well BUT THEN Dejah said "well shoot, I'll listen" and we taught her the whole restoration lesson and then we went on to the part of the plan of salvation because she had questions ( WOOT WOOT) and we started talking about the three kingdoms and she said "woah, I've never heard it like that before. That's really cool" and then she said a bunch of times that she was so glad that she opened the door and that her mom was going to be so bummed that she didn't come out. It was great. Then as we were leaving she said " I hope you two inspire someone else like youve inspired me today" it was a good day. 

We took sister Nay to the doctors office too. She had hurt her foot falling down some stairs on her second day and we found  out that her foot isn't broken, she just has a torn tendon. Shes got a giant boot on her foot now and she really hates it. But it's chill. She's doing great. Other than her foot. Training isn't as scary as I thought it was!

We washed a golden retriever this week named Chico and it was swell. I wish we had some pictures of the actual dog washing, but all we have is some pictures of us climbing a tree and making stupid faces. Stellar. But anyway, this week was amazing and I love being a missionary and I'm pumped to keep teaching Dejah and 

ALSO, STEVEN LOPEZ GOT THE PRIESTHOOD YESTERDAY AND I'M REALLY EXCITED IT'S GREAT.

But I think that's all the important stuff. The church is so true everybody. 

Don't forget to read your scriptures!

- Sister Dorrance

temporary splits with sister Mecham

 waiting for Nancy and Chico

playing star wars with Ezra

with a bow and Mili

Week 22 - Training and Driving!

Sister Allen and I right before we left to transfer!

This week has been pretty great! I picked up Sister Nay on Wednesday! She's from Honeyville Utah and she's amazing! She's got a ton of passion for the work, but the only bummer is that she might have broken her foot on Thursday so we were inside keeping it elevated for most of the weekend. We're going to the doctor tomorrow. But on a completely different note, I'm driving now! I haven't driven since September, but I still drive like I'm 97 so it's pretty cool. I missed driving! All is well, Sister Nay says she's fine so I guess we'll just have to see about that tomorrow though. 

Don't forget to read your scriptures!

Love, 

Sister Dorrance

Sister Nay on a wheelchair at target

Plan of Salvation in front of the church

Week 21 - Transfers and a BAPTISM 😄😄😄😄

Pasadena sign because we're in Pasadena. 

HOLLA. This week was great.

 STEVEN. GOT. BAPTIZED. It was my best day thus far I think. He finally did it and he's worked so so hard for it. But there's more to the story. We had quite an adventure this week. On Thursday, he had his interview with our district leader and he was so ready to be baptized that it wasn't even a worry, and then they came out and told us that he was going to have to move his baptism and I about died on the floor like, "what the heck did you not tell us Steven???" But they were joking so it was all good. 

Then the STL's (Sister Training Leader) came over for lunch and that was swell, but after they left sister Allen locked Sister Mecham and I out of the apartment so I had to climb the balcony to get back in. Nothing else to the story, I just thought you all would like to know that I climbed onto a balcony in a skirt and didn't even get it dirty. 

Alrighty, now on Friday, we cleaned the office, but on Saturday is where it really gets crazy. We had made programs and everything, we had cut little cards so everyone could write him a little note while he was getting dressed, we had done everything, but we were stressed out. So we were at our dinner appointment that we already were rushing because we had to get to the church and we knew that transfer calls would come that night but we weren't even thinking about that because we were hyper focused on getting Steven baptized. But then. It happened. We got a call from President Wells in the middle of dinner and we said "well shoot, he never calls unless it's important so we had better answer this" and went into this strangers bedroom to take this call. That's where he dropped the bomb on us, Sister Allen was getting transferred to be a Sister Training Leader in LaVerne,  and I wad going to train a sister straight from the MTC.  No tears were shed, but we both had to sit down for a little bit after that phone call. Yes, you read it right, little old newbie me is going to be training so pray really hard for me. And sister Allen because she's nervous too. 

But then we went to the baptism. And we were running around like chickens with out heads cut off and our pianist didn't show up and Steven forgot extra underclothes, but Brother Whalen (the one who baptized him) came in clutch and went to his house for him and brought his non-member mom back too! Blessings! She was so proud of his decision and so were we! Plus I'm positive that Heavenly Father was super happy about it as well. Even though we started super late, we had to use sister Mecham as a pianist, and brother Whalen had to baptize him twice because he did it the wrong the first time, he was BAPTIZED! I'd never been to a baptism for an adult and it was the most peaceful feeling ever. Then that same spirit came back into the room when he was confirmed a member the next day. I can't even express how amazing this work is and how happy I am to be here!

Anyway, I won't make this super duper long, but this week was definitely one for the books. 

Don't forget to read your scriptures! 

Love, Sister Dorrance 

 this is where we go to play scrabble once a week aka the coolest place ever. 

 BAPTISM (Sister Allen, Brother Whalen, Steven, main squeeze)