Time flies when you're serving a mission?

August 11th, 2014

First off, shout out to Staci! After weeks and weeks of asking for pictures of the wedding, Staci came through like she always does ;) so She's my favorite this week. So I don't know if any of you realize this... BUT this Wednesday I hit my year mark. That's right. I have been a missionary for a whole year. I'm partially excited because when people say "how long have you been out" I don't have to say "almost a year" I can actually say "a year" haha so that's pretty exciting. However, that doesn't mean that we start a countdown or anything like that. I still have the most crucial 6 months of my mission ahead of me. So keep writing me like it's nobody's business okay? Okay great! 

Hmmm.. this week.. This week i went on exchanges to Seabrook with Sister Hawks, turns out we had lots to talk about because we had both been companions with Sister Ritter and Sister Piutau. Small world huh? We had so much fun and we drove right by the beach, at sunset. Obviously we were in heaven. Haha it was an adventurous day. A member that we visited gave us these hot peppers and I took a bite and it was super hot.. but I wanted Sister Hawks to take one too so I pretended that it wasn't that hot. She wasn't convinced so she told me to take 5 more bites and she'd take one. Well I did. My tongue turned red and was all swollen. The things you do to make others fall into peer pressure... haha I never fell into it, but I've always been good at making others fall into it ;) haha we also got to hold star fishes and ferits, and I swatted 2 mosqitos on myself and had blood all over me. Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the mosiquito bites. Haha in the same day we taught a lesson with YELLING over the TV that was blaring 3 rooms down. It was a pretty eventful exchange. Haha

We had Zone conference this week and that was really good, we talked a lot about the Godhead and the Youth from the area were invited to come to this conference, so it was really cool. 

Our investigator Gene was so close to coming to church yesterday, he really wanted to support me (I gave a talk) but he was just too afraid, he couldn't do it. But one day. I wish people would stop giving him Anti information.. cause it's just not true. We're just working really hard on getting members to come out with us and finding new people to teach. Gene is basically the only investigator we have right now, and we have 2 areas, it should be a much bigger teaching pool right now. But I will not get discouraged because I know that the Lord has a plan for us in this area. I may not have any idea why I'm here in this area or why I'm with this companion BUT the Lord does. And that's all that matters. Obviously I think it's for Gene. 

This week I am speaking again in the singles branch. We'll see how that goes, my topic is how we can use the psalms in our lives. I'll let you know how that works out. haha. Plus I have to give a talk in district meeting. "Personal" study.. right.. But  our branch is about to take a huge plunge in numbers this week, with school starting up almost everyone is going away for school. I'm really afraid to see how small we get, because we're small already. I guess that's why we have to work with those that are the right age to be in the singles branch. Yesterday the lesson in RS was about eternal marriage. How great for a singles ward right? Well it was a really cool lesson to see the perspectives of people that didn't grow up in Utah and how their standards and expectations in those they want to marry differ from utahns. Just an eye opener for me. Gotta raise the bar a little bit I guess. Probably the awkward moment is when they asked us about our future spouses.. Talk about distracting subject to come accross in the singles ward.. Let alone as a missionary. But very insightful. Anyways, I don't have much more to report today, just that next week I'm going to the temple so I won't be emailing on monday. Don't be worried! I love you all and hope you have a great week. Keep strong and carry on! :)

Hermana Groves

Life... Is like baseball...Everybody wants to make it home.

August 4th, 2014  

Happy August! How is everyone doing this week? I've had a pretty eventful week so I'll try to get it all summarized. It all starts out with Monday, the elders were going to introduce us to a woman that they were teaching that they thought we'd be better off teaching. Well.. she didn't end up being there, but someone else they had taught/met a few times was walking up the steps when we were going down so we asked him if he wanted to hear a message and he agreed. This was probably one of the most interesting lessons we've ever had.. This is the kind of guy that has "Swag Factory" written in pencil in like 5th grade hand writing taped on his door. He kept asking Sister Winger and I if we wanted to go up to his swag factory. We said no and then he asked the Elders if they wanted to learn some "swag" and they were like "sure man that'd be cool" he said "alright we'll get those ladies up there too and I'll show you how the swag is made in the swag factory. Haha.. How 'bout no? haha so awkward. I wasn't stepping in there for the life of me. Haha but it wasn't dangerous, don't be worried. I gots street smarts ;)

   Then we went to FHE for the young singles branch and we got to go to the mall and play where's Waldo with some of the members of the branch. It was so fun! We got to know a lot more of our members that night and it was fun to just see their natural sides. 

  On Tuesday it was a hectic day. Sister Winger went to mission leader council and I got Sister Taylor (the one that used to live right down the street) and Sister Villarreal for the day. Up until the time we were driving to the Astros game, we had to meet Sister Winger and a senior missionary and do this crazy trade off, the other sisters that were coming to the Astros game were an hour late to where the member was supposed to pick them up and I felt like I was in charge of everything and it was so bad. But then, we gave a quick devotional at bishops office about how the gospel is like baseball and we got to go to the game. We must have been their good luck charms because when we were there they were winning 4-1  (also one of our investigators caught a fly ball. Cool huh?) anyways we found out that they ended up losing 4-7. What a disappointment astros.. dang. Haha

  Thursday was our friend Gene's birthday so we decorated his door early in the morning (he's our neighbor) and made him cookies that said "Happy Birthday" and got the neighbors to sign his card and come over and sing happy birthday to him. It turns out  it was the first personalized birthday card he'd received in 6 years. We went in to teach him a lesson and he just started crying, he said we had given him the best birthday he had ever had and that he doesn't know what he'd do without us. We also gave him a card with a picture of us with him and we came over the next day and they were pinned up in the center of his wall. He tires us out though. He had committed to come to church and to be baptized, he called his sister to tell her the good news and she told him to never talk to us again and that the Book of Mormon will ruin his life. So.. We're just kinda praying for that situation to change. The agency of other people.. man.. 

  The ward mission leader had us over that day for dinner and we all got to make personal pizzas, it was so much fun! Their daughter, Morgan, is 19 and I love her to pieces. We always talk about dogs and how I think my dog is in heaven, she said that he's probably in heaven with her cat Toby, so that's always a cool conversation.

  We also helped out with her special olympics car wash (Morgan is a gold medalist, cool huh?) and it was a LOT of fun we were mainly sign holders but we had so much fun getting to know all of her friends on her team. 

  That's all I got for this week, I hope ya'll have a great week. Keep strong and carry on. I love you!

Hermana Groves

I'm just glad my leg didn't fall off.

July 28th, 2014
Can you believe that July is almost over? My lanta, time surely flies doesn't it? First of all, you guys are all the worst because NO ONE sent me pictures from Tara's wedding. So let's try this again. Haha. So we are just living the life up here in Clear Lake. We have been riding our bikes to a member's house every day for the past two weeks to water their garden and take care of it and stuff. Well, obviously we're getting eaten alive by mosiqitos, I didn't mind either, I was trying to be a good sport and not scratch my bites, but being a girl missionary I have to shave my legs, because there is NO way I'm wearing tights in this Texas heat and so I was shaving my legs the other night and guess what. I shaved off a whole bite to where there was like an indent in my leg. I was gushing blood. so we put a band aid on it. Well that does no good, I look down after what, 3 minutes? and My band aid is bled through and my leg is covered in blood. So we did what any 20 year old girl would do, I wrapped up a giant paper towel and balled it up onto the spot. Sounds fine right? Well It was till I had to go to bed. So Sister Winger wrapped the paper towel on there with tape. She did a great job. It wasn't going to fall off, ever. Haha. So I went to sleep and woke up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night because I had this dream that I was going to have to cut off my leg. Well nightmare confirmed, I fell! My foot was swollen and I'd lost all feeling in it! haha I went to the bathroom and my foot was still people color, not purple and so I just took off the tape and hoped I wouldn't bleed to death in my sleep. That was pretty crazy. But about as crazy as it gets this week. I think. 

We teach this man named Gene in our apartment complex and he's a super cool guy. He's about 65-ish and we see him in the parking lot like every day. Well we decided to go visit him with a member so we could go inside his house. He loves us, really he does, but this day he was basically breaking up with us. But some how by the spirit we were able to just ask him if we could come back the next day and just check on him.We did and he told us that he was worried that we were never going to come back and visit him again. He said he wants us to come by every day because he likes the feelings of the Spirit he feels when we visit him. He also said that if either of us get sent anywhere that he will send a taxi to come pick us up so we can pray with him and help him expand his mind. Gene is so great. 

We were at a recent convert's house a few nights ago and she said to us "Guys I think I'm coming back to the mormons" and we said "Coming back?" and she said "yeah after I got baptitzed I really liked being mormon, but I recently started practicing buhdism, I was wondering if I could be a mormon buddhist" (Sons of Provo anyone??) haha But that was basically the bulk of my week. We scared one of our less actives while he was watering his plants with headphones on, that was funny and tomorrow we're going to the astros game. YAY! The 55 hats are something that the bishop does. I don't know he and the missionaries have a 55 club. I think there were 55 less actives reactivated last year or something. I don't know? Anyways. I want ya'll to have a great week. I love you. Keep strong and carry on! 

Hermana Groves

Now I'm just a liar, cause I didn't kill anybody...

July 21st, 2014

Okay, so I'm not a killer. I actually got a call on Tuesday morning from one of the Assistants to the President saying that I was getting transferred. To answer all of your questions, I am still an English missionary. Can I just say.. what the? Haha I was definitely lead on by the AP who told me he heard my Spanish was great at the baptism but that now I'm getting transferred. That would lead you to think that I was going back to Spanish yeah? NOPE. Man, the Lord is testing me on something, so I better wise up before I forget all my Spanish. 

Anyways my new companion's name is Sister Winger, from Boise, ID. She's pretty cool, she doesn't really laugh at me though and you guys know that that just feeds my self esteem haha. But she's a sister training leader for our zone and all that fun stuff. I am in Clear Lake right now, don't know where that is? Dude, me either. haha I know that Pearland, League City, and Kemah are near but I don't even know where those are on the map. I do know that NASA is in one of our areas. Oh yeah, we're over 2 areas. The Clear Lake 2nd ward and get this, the Armond Bayou Singles Branch. But don't worry, no temptation there. haha our Branch covers this huge chunk of land, we even cover Galveston. I don't know where else, besides those places listed above.

 But the good thing about the singles branch is that it covers both English and Spanish branches so I get to use my Spanish (Sister Winger doesn't speak a lick) to try and get those YSA's from the other wards to come to the singles ward. We've been working a lot with the ward since I got here. We literally have a member out with us every day, we are teaching in member homes, the ward mission leader is amazing and the bishop too. This ward is very missionary minded and it's really awesome! Also twice a year, bishop buys like 50 tickets to The Astros Baseball games and if members of the ward invite a friend they can come. Guess who gets to go to an Astros game next week.. That's right. This guy. Haha honestly, I don't think the astros are very good (correct me baseball fans if I'm wrong) but either way, it'll be a fun experience to meet new people.

Saying goodbye to some of the people in Maplewood last week was really hard, because it was so unexpected, I didn't get to say goodbye to a lot of the people I taught, but saying goodbye to Sister Mitchell, a less active we've been teaching was really hard, I've been with her since the beginning of her recovery. So some tears were shed. The mission has really taught me the true meaning of love. I remember a quote from Elder Neil A. Anderson from a devotional I heard in the MTC and he said "You sacrifice the ones you love for the ones you love" or something along those lines. But that has really stood out to me as I've been on my mission, whether it's sacrificing family, friends or even people I've met on my mission. We all need growth, and sometimes love grows fonder with distance. I know that I've met the people I have for a reason, I know I'm here for a reason. Leaving those you love is hard, but as I grow, I know I'm becoming the kind of person that I want to be and with that many more people will be benefitted. So I want you all to know that I'm sacrificing for you. I love you and you are important to me. I hope you have a great week and that you are filled with the love of the Savior throughout your days. You are important. Remember to always keep strong and Carry on. Have a great week, I love you!

Hermana/Sister Groves

ps. If you all are going to talk to me about Tara's wedding I better be getting some pictures.. It's unfair for you to talk about a beautiful bride and not to show it off. That's everyone's assignment next week. Haha pictures of everything are always appreciated :)

ppss new address is:

707 El Dorado Blvd. #523

Houston, TX 77062

me? A killer? Noooooo...

July 14th, 2014

Well transfer calls came today and surprise surprise.. But really it is a surprise, I'm staying in Maplewood 2 for this transfer and probably the next.. This is Sister Piutau's last transfer so in missionary terms she "dies" and I'm gonna be the one to "kill" her. Sad huh? I'm glad I get to be with her as she shifts into hydro mode to finish her mission. President told us that we were going to baptize a lot.. So we got 6 weeks.. starting now. haha. 

This week was the average week for us, we taught a lot and had some really great experiences. On Monday we had a zone activity with the other missionaries in our zone and it was nuts. It was a team effort (companion wise) we did a relay, a 3-legged race, marshmallow stuffing in our mouths, doughnut on a string eating, shaving a balloon and blowing flower off a plate to read the scripture. It was SO much fun, and Sister P. and I killed it. We didn't win though, cause we got the Chinese elders in our district and apparently they're used to weird game show type games? Bahah but it was a huge mess, took about an hour to clean up. Flour+Shaving cream= big mistake. 

 Yesterday in specific was bitter sweet. Bad news first? Okay. Louis, who I have told you about before (the golden investigator) was all set to have his baptism this coming Saturday, the only thing we needed was the stamp of approval from his parents. We didn't receive it, he actually told us that his mom doesn't want him meeting with us anymore. Man, that was some really rough news to hear, it's so hard for me to see someone so prepared to learn and to literally turn their life around and have the desire to change but be held back by someone else's decision. Whatever, I'm going to continue to pray for him, because one day he'll be able to fully make that decision on his own. But wanna hear the great news? Last night the familia Avalos from my last area was baptized! And I was able to be there! Oh my gosh I am so grateful for Sister Romero, who took us to the baptism. Hermana Bonhard did a great job of making sure my H1 family was there as well so I got to see a bunch of the members that I used to work with. I was so grateful to see them, Jessica, one of the members wrote on the chalk board "We love you welcome home, Hermana Groves" man I miss those people. Haha. I was also asked to speak at the baptism and I was really nervous (for obvious reasons, 1 being I haven't been speaking a whole lot of Spanish) but a few members came up to me and told me that my accent and my grammar has improved since I left. What? Gift of tongues, that's simply what that is. Haha. But man, it was so great to see them! 

 Other than that, we've been working really hard just trying to visit all of our members and present the ward mission plan and to find new people to teach. I am so glad to be a missionary at this time in my life. I have been thinking about those "defining moments" in my life and how my split second decision to serve a mission will change the outcome of my life. My knowledge and testimony of the gospel has grown so much in the time I've been on my mission. I know that it continues to make me a better person in the community, church, with my friends and especially with my family, present and future. I have learned so much about myself and who I want to become. I love the gospel, and I love being a missionary. I hope you all have a great week, you're all in my prayers. Congrats to Tara this Thursday getting married! Just remember guys, keep strong and carry on! :)

Happy Birthday 'Murica!

July 7th, 2014

I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July! It was pretty good for me. 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. This week we had a really awesome week. The numbers of lessons taught didn't exactly show it, but we felt like we were on top of our work. We unfortunately had to say goodbye to the Hubbards, a couple whom we love dearly. They're all grown up and bought a house, so they don't live in the ward anymore. It was rough, we helped them move out and then we had to say goodbye!

 

We had a Zone Meeting this week and I was asked to speak on faith in relationship to obedience. I was afraid that I needed to speak on that because it was something to work on.. Well it turns out everyone had to give a talk and the topics we were given were what the zone leaders think are our strengths. That was a really great feeling to have. Knowing that I feel obedient and that I'm the example of that in the zone. So there's that. :)

The mornings here have been so beautiful and sunny and then the afternoon hits and it's like a rain storm. I don't get the bipolarity of this place! haha.

 

July 4th was such a fun day for us! We had a tri-ward breakfast and then guess what. We got to march in the Bel-aire 4th of July Parade! I was worried that we wouldn't really have a chance to do anything really "4th of July-ish" but we got to be in the parade and give out candy and pass along cards. It was awesome! We then got to help the Hubbards move their stuff and honestly, it was a giant game of tetris but I really love them and already miss them since they moved. It's a sad day in the Maplewood 2nd ward when the Hubbards leave.. Seriously.

On Saturday we had 2 more service projects the first was helping a neighbor of a member move her stuff from her storage unit to her apartment. Again. One video game that never did me wrong, tetris. Haha. She told me if it wasn't for me, we would have probably taken 3 or 4 trips instead of the 1 trip we took. After that we went and helped a young man with his Eagle project which was really fun as well. We "beautified" the grounds of a middle school and by the time we were done planting the grass and the plants, that place looked awesome. Just as we were finishing up, the rain came, what a blessing!

 

On Saturday it was Sister Mechling's birthday (the senior sister in our ward) and so we were invited over to their apartment for some cake and ice cream. We wanted to make it a good birthday for her so Sister Piutau and I arranged a special musical number for her.. Thanks to those plastic clarinet flutes mom got me. Haha We played her happy birthday and she was so happy, she felt so loved. As long as it beats the elder's gifts.. Haha jk. 

 

I got one story that I just think is hilarious. So bear with me (if you've read this far, you've already bore with me) haha. We were at a member's house for dinner last night and the elders were invited over as well, a surprise to us. Something went wrong with the dinner and so the members were trying to fix up something last minute,( they're a young family with 3 kids under the age of 5 so it's always fun over there.) So all of us missionaries are sitting in the living room just talking with the kids and one of the elders just starts cleaning the tv. His companion was like "Are you cleaning their tv?" "yeah.." "that's nice... WEIRD..but nice" (hahah this companionship is super awkward. as i'm sure you can imagine) so the elder that's cleaning the screen is like secretly licking the paper towel that he's cleaning off the tv with. So I ask "Elder, what are you cleaning that off with?" and he just said.."Oh you know just the paper towel and just rolling it up" I asked, "is it dry?" he just looks up and doesn't really say anything. Haha just at the opportune moment the member walks in and asks "oh my gosh Elder, are you cleaning my tv? Thanks I had a bunch of kids over here yesterday for Claire's birthday and they were licking the tv. Who does that?" and you know what he says? "Well there's some jam on here so they were probably licking off the jam" how the heck would he know that there was jam on the tv if he hadn't licked the tv himself? haha so after she left the room he casually went and got some water to walk down the screen with. Haha this was so weird and Sister P and I are still laughing about it to this moment. 

 

haha hopefully you enjoyed that story. I'm laughing my head off head off over here. 

 

last of all I want you to know that I love ya'lll and hope you have a fantastic week. Oh and here are some pictures of us celebrating the 4th like a couple of Rednecks. haha enjoy :)

Love always

Hermana Groves

Happy 4th Of July!

June 30th, 2014

Every week I try not to start my email with the same opening line because that's really boring. But it always ends up being basically the same just the words jumbled around. Sorry. Haha. I'm just trying to entertain you all, it's harder work than it seems!

Productive. If I could choose one word to describe this week, that'd be it. We were busy ladies this week! We have been working really hard with an investigator named Louis. As we've been teaching him, it really makes me think about "defining moments" I was reminded this morning of 13 Going on 30, not a missionary movie, I know but for those of you who haven't seen it, the movie starts out with Jenna Rink as a 13 year old girl, she has a birthday party and decides to never talk to her best friend again, she then wishes to be 30 years old and the movie shows the results of this decision. This was a defining moment of her life and the decision she made at her birthday party changed the whole outcome of her life, not for the better. Life is full of defining moments, where the moments that seem so small become the moments that define us. I have been looking back a lot, being so grateful for the way I have acted in defining moments. Leaving a dance, staying home, and just listening to the promptings of the spirit and I think of negative reactions I also had. As President Thomas S. Monson says "Decisions Determine Destiny" and I have not seen more truth in that than as I've been here on my mission. The people we teach, they feel down, lonely, or like they can't receive forgiveness, although we do have repentance and we can change afterwards we can ALWAYS decide first, whether we want to follow the Lord or we want to follow the natural man. Louis has had a few defining moments in his life and I just think of how grateful I am to have been raised with the knowledge of how to act and not be acted upon. 

This week we also worked a lot with a few less actives recovering from drug/alcohol abuse and the same thoughts have been running through my head. But the amazing thing really is that God loves us and has provided us with a way to repent and to change ourselves for the better. I know that through Christ we can be cleansed. 

I went on exchanges this week with Sister Newman, our sister training leader and that was a really good time, she's really positive and just wants to work hard to get the job done. But not gonna lie, when Sister Piutau and I were reunited we thought that one day was enough to be away from one another. Haha. This girl. She kills me. We just laugh our heads off and every time we're in the car we sing duets. I'm always the man. Obviously. Haha. I love being a missionary.

Yesterday for 5th Sunday we got to teach the youth about missionary work and it was perfect because it was the first time Louis came to church so we could be with him for all 3 hours. I realized that I needed to come on a mission. That was one of my defining moments, staying or going. I look back at the times when I wanted to give up and just swat that idea away. Who would I even be if I didn't come on a mission? What kind of future would I have? This is for me, personally. The person I need to be depended 100% upon me being a missionary. I have learned so much and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else. I hope you all have a fantastic 4th of July!! I LOVE AMERICA!! (Even though we have to walk in the parade. At least we get to celebrate...right? haha) I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week. Keep strong and carry on! 

Hermana Groves