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)

Week 20 - Exchanges and a visitors center trip!

(Huntington Library pictures from last week)

archway in Chinese gardens. #asthetic. 

This week went by so fast. It was totally crazy. We went to the visitors center with Steven on Friday which was the coolest! He's so prepared for baptism it's  insane and he was asking a ton of questions about the temple and stuff and it was so cool because you could just feel how much Jesus Christ loves him in that visitors center. He's getting baptized on Saturday! It'll be such an amazing experience and I just can't wait. I'm not even nearly as excited as he is though which is also stellar. 

We met a guy named Jeffrey earlier this week and he is so funny. He's this older man with no front teeth, and he was just plastered so he was laughing at everything. He said he was going to come and visit us at church, but he didn't show up. He told sister Allen and I that we were like two angels and that he felt like he was dreaming and then he would throw his head back and open his toothless mouth really wide and laugh and laugh and laugh and stop his feet and clap his hands. It was so funny. He said that everyone needed to listen to what other people had to say to cure stupidity, so he would love to hear our message! It was great. 

Today we are having a nerf war with our district and it's super fun so this email is going to be short.

Don't forget to read your scriptures!

-Sister Dorrance

Brother Tafua( ward mission leader), Sister Tafua, Steven, home girl, Sister Allen

comp goals, awkward missionary gap, Steven 

More from Huntington Library

everyone in front of fountain

fountain pic

companion feat. Sister Lavetter

Week 19 - No time, but I'm alive

Huntington Gardens

Hello! We don't have much time, today because we went to Huntington gardens today! ( most beautiful place ever in the whole world in California)

We have had some stellar lessons this week, and we put Juliana and JC on date! They're getting baptized on February 10th! We taught them the law of chastity, which neither of us had taught, and they're living together with their daughter but they still wanted to be baptized! and they're coming to church so that's fantastic. 

We had a sisters conference on Saturday! We did yoga and then talked about missionary work all day, but it was specifically from a female perspective which was super cool.

Basically that's it. I'll write more about Huntington gardens and things next week, but until then, here's a picture of me with a big plant!

Don't forget to read your scriptures!

- Sister Dorrance 

Week 18 - Church is great!

Zone mixtape dropping next transfer

I don't have much time, but this week was awesome! We helped a member of the Pasadena ward move on Thursday and we recruited the Huntington Ward sisters to help! We thought it was just going to be putting some boxes in a truck, but she hadn't don't any of it yet, plus she's got a lot of roaches and spiders in her house. And a lot of stuff. So we spent a couple hours shoving stuff into a truck and then we had to leave so we went home and put all of our clothes in the washer and got on with our day! It was great!

We visited a less-active member of the East Pasadena ward this week and shared a little thought with him! He ended up coming to church yesterday, so the spirit must've said something really special to him. We talked about prayer a little bit and he said he doesn't pray because he feels like he's talking to himself, but we asked him to try again and he said he would. Then sister Allen shared a scripture that's one of her favorites and it turns out that he loved the same one on his mission! Seriously, God knows all of his children. 

We went to yogurtland with Steven before we had an actual lesson and we ended up just sitting in this yogurtland talking about the book of mormon and the chapter that he read. Then the coolest thing, we invited him to baptism again! It wasn't very eloquent, it just came out while we were talking about preparing for baptism and I just said "so, when do you want to get baptized Steven?" He's getting baptized on February 3rd. Coolest thing ever, and it all happened in a yogurtland. 

We had Juliana and JC at church yesterday! We've been inviting them for weeks but she hasn't been able to get work off and they want to all come as a family, but they came! We didn't really find out until Saturday night so it was a little stressful getting them a ride, but it all worked out and they came! It was the greatest church block to bring people to for the first time. The first speaker in sacrament meeting talked about his conversion and how the Book of Mormon influences his life. Then his wife got up and talked about our divine worth as children of God. And the rest of the block was just stellar too. Also, if you see someone in church that you don't know with the missionaries, please introduce yourself. You'll be the missionaries hero. And mine. 

Today we had a zone activity and we had a barbecue and played some games at our church building! I'm really bad at foursquare, and pretty terrible at Wilson ball too, but Elder Madsen brought his lacrosse sticks and that was a party. I could do that sport for more than 5 seconds without dropping the ball. Anyhoo. I think that's it. It poured rain on Tuesday and I think it was the most beautiful weather I've seen here in California. Missions are so so fantastic. 

Don't forget to read your scriptures.

Love, Sister Dorrance