Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

This week has been so crazy! A lot has happened and it flew by in the blink of an eye! I don't even remember a lot of it ... as time goes on in the mission, everything starts to blur, ha, ha. But I know it was a good week and that we kept very busy.

 

Tuesday we had a special Texas Houston South Mission Conference, which was really fun. ALL the missionaries in our mission came together and we had an all-day conference with our mission president, his wife and a few other people. The Spirit was so strong in the room with over 200 missionaries coming together to worship our Savior. I loved to think that it was over 200 soldiers dedicating and sacrificing time to serve the Lord.

Our conference was so powerful and I felt it was something I really needed. It is one of the best things to be around other missionaries and to just remember that there are so many other people out there doing the same thing I am and sacrificing the same thing. We learned about furthering our consecration as missionaries and together we set a mission goal of 60 baptisms in the month of January. It was a number that our mission president had been praying about. As he told us the number, he asked us all to kneel together in the chapel as he offered up a prayer so we could all personally receive a spiritual confirmation that this was God's will.

 

Imagine, over 200 missionaries kneeling in unison in the chapel alongside our mission president ... . TALK ABOUT POWER. It was incredible and the confirmation was felt. We know that this is something we can achieve in the month of January and we're going to do everything in our power to reach this goal!

 

Christmas Day was awesome. It was strange to wake up and remember, "Oh. yeah, it's Christmas!" On the mission, it just feels like another day, but it was still great. We saw the Dawsons in the morning and then we went to the bishop's house to Skype. I had been looking forward to skyping my family for a while, so when the day came, I was so excited. It was a bittersweet moment for me. To see their faces and hear their voices, but not be able to hug or touch them. I guess since I am so new, it was really hard for me, and right after I turned the computer off, I just sat there a while crying. I know that there is a reason serving the Lord requires sacrifice. Any service to God will ALWAYS require us to give something up, and for me, it is my family. I know that on the mission is the closest we will be to the Savior. By not being able to rely on our families for support in tough or happy situations, we have to immediately rely on the Lord, which increases our relationship with Him. As soon as the Skype call was over, I prayed and I asked my Father in Heaven to send His angels to strengthen me and help me to bear this burden. RIGHT AFTER my prayer, a peace filled my heart and I was okay. I know that I will get to see them and that the mission is such a short time compared to the eternities. I love my mission with all my heart. As hard as it may be, it is and will always be one of the greatest decisions I have ever made.

 

John Teate, our investigator is doing well. We saw him last night and are helping him to continue to progress towards baptism. Will all you at home, or reading this, please pray for him and for his daughter, Savannah? He needs to stop smoking and take a leap of faith! I know that prayers will make it possible for him to get baptized. Also, will y'all pray for Luther? His wife is a member, but he is not. His heart needs to be softened and he needs to receive an answer to his prayers.

 

Thank you for all your support, and THANK YOU for those of you who sent me Christmas gifts and letters, they meant the world to me! You know who you are!

 

God loves you. Jesus Christ loves you, and I love you. I love this work and I love serving others. There is no better remedy than service. May you all have a blessed New Year and STICK to your resolutions!

 

Godspeed.

Sister Sanchez

Christmas morning!

I saw Hermana Huntsman!

 

Christmas Conference white elephant gift exchange.

With Sister Pace driving!

Happy Holidays, Y'All!

Hello everyone! It's been another great week in Friendswood, Texas. There are so many days that I wake up and remember, "Oh yeah, I am a missionary! Then it makes me so happy." Ha, ha. The work here is great, we have been working really hard and doing our best to reach as many people as we can. The Lord is REALLY blessing us and our zone. We have had a baptism the last three weeks in a row for our zone! It has been an incredible month!

One of my favorite things that happened this week is meeting the Lujan family. The Lujan family were a referral from one of our members. We went over to their house to deliver a Christmas treat and a card and to sing to them along with a small spiritual message on Christ. They were so excited to see us and immediately let us in! Their kids weren't home, but they have five! We talked with them a little to get to know them and turns out the husband is from Mexico! We definitely connected because of Spanish, so that was really awesome! We talked about the Spanish Basques "vascos" in our family and how hard-headed we are sometimes, ha, ha. It was fun to speak Spanish again. I miss it! We scheduled a follow-up appointment with them and he made sure that the appointment was when his kids were home because he wants them to be there for the lesson, AWESOME! We also gave him a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and he told us that he has already highlighted parts and is going to discuss it with his kids as soon as they get home! They are a prepared family and we are looking forward to seeing them again!

Christmas is literally AROUND THE CORNER, and I am actually really excited. On Tuesday, Dec. 23 we have a Christmas Conference with our whole mission and it will last all day. I am really excited to be around other missionaries because it really eases the hard part about the holidays on the mission family. It's easy to stay happy when you're serving, but whenever I stop to think about my family, sometimes it really hits me and I start to cry.

I know that this work is important, though and that this is exactly where I need to be. There is no doubt about that in my mind, nor will there ever be. This is the most important work anyone can be doing, and I get to be a part of it. How amazing!

Sister Pace, my companion, will be leaving Jan. 2 so I will be getting a new companion at transfer meeting on Jan. 31. I am excited and I have to take over the area! Not so excited about that, but I know that if I rely on the Lord, I will be okay.

One Sunday we had our Christmas Sacrament program and I got to sing! Along with the choir and then in a group of five. We sang in Spanish and it was awesome. The Lord has really been blessing me to speak Spanish lately because he knows I miss it, a lot. Even today! We went to Galveston as a district trip and we got to ride the ferry! Galveston is a Spanish and English area, but almost everyone we met spoke Spanish, it was super fun.

I love the mission. It's the HARDEST thing I have ever done, but I know it's the most rewarding. I love my Savior so much. I have come to know Him more personally then I ever will in my life. He is there, nothing will ever shake my testimony because it is planted strong. Thanks for all the support and Christmas cards. I love you all and the Lord loves you, too.

Please watch our zone singing some Christmas songs to bring the Christmas spirit!

http://youtu.be/d8r6e1bWlbM

Sister Sanchez

Ready to teach!

MY DREAM CAR ... I see so many in TEXAS ... Dad??

Rainy Texas!

District photo in Galveston!

Love these girls!

New Convert!

Believe And You Will Receive

This week was a great one, as we all would've imagined. There are never bad weeks on the mission because it is always what you make it. If you have a bad attitude it will be a bad week. I always try to focus on the good things and change my perspective. It always turns out to be an amazing day/week/month. Being on the mission is one of the greatest blessings I have ever received, so how could the days ever be bad? They can't!

The person that has really blessed our week is Aubrey. She's our investigator and she is amazing, to say the least. I don't think I have ever met anyone so prepared to receive the Restored Gospel. We have taught her the first three lessons and every time, she is completely and openly receptive. She is reading the Book of Mormon, and always pondering her decisions.

The elders in the Friendswood 1 Ward had a baptism on Saturday, so we invited Aubrey to come. After the baptism, she was at a loss for words and it made me tear up. She felt the Holy Spirit during the whole thing and I can tell her heart is being softened and she is receiving the answers she so desperately desires.

On Sunday, I was sitting in the back of the chapel with some of our less-active members that came to church and as soon as our Sacrament Meeting was over, I saw Aubrey rush in to find us. She came up to me and the first words out of her mouth were, "I want to be baptized." She went on about how during Sacrament, she just knew. There were no words to put her feelings into sentences, but she just knew, and I knew because the Spirit confirmed. She is amazing and the best part about being a missionary is seeing the conversion happen right before your eyes. If that's not a miracle, then I don't know what is. She is so happy and I know that she knows she has found the truth. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for her and I am so excited that we get to be there with her every step of the way.

We had our ward Christmas party on Saturday and it was so fun. We had games and lots of food and I feel so loved in the ward. I was so happy to see some less-active members at the party and to see all of the ward members greeting them and making them feel so welcomed. That's what it is all about, people!

During the week, Sister Pace and I thought it would be nice to do some caroling in between appointments ... so we went to an older sister's home in our ward and we sang her two carols. It was so funny ... . We had practiced before and so we were prepared, but as soon as we started singing, one of us squeaked ... I don't know who it was, but we started laughing so hard. It was an EPIC fail, like EPIC, EPIC. Poor lady just wanted some nice hymns and we obliterated them! I felt so bad, and then we couldn't stop laughing ... ha, ha, ha. We definitely have some more practicing to do ... .

One thing I learned this week in my studies is that the Savior has TRULY felt what we feel. In His final moments on the cross, the Savior says, "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?" I didn't know what that meant, or why He said it, but as I kept studying, I learned quickly. In the final moments of His mortal life, the Savior was in deep agony. I read in a talk that Heavenly Father had to withdraw His spirit from the Savior so that He would truly feel how we feel, alone. I know the Father didn't want to do it, but He had to so that the Atonement was completely fulfilled.

In the final moments of the Savior's sacrifice for us, He was completely alone and He truly knows what we feel in every sense of the word. "This perfect Son who had never spoken ill, nor done wrong, nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind, us, would feel when we did commit such sins. For this Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die, not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally alone." It really touched my heart and allowed me to understand that He does know. He really does know.

I love my Savior and I love all of you. I hope that you all are taking advantage of the sweet Atonement He has freely offered us and trying everyday to become closer to Him.

YOU can do it.

Sister Sanchez

Ashley, we're attatched at the hip!

Jon & Kim, recent converts went through the temple!

Ward Christmas party! A member made us ear warmers! 

Hna. Sanchez and President and Sister Brian Ashton. 

Tree pics!

Tree pics!

Consecration Requires Dedication

Hello to the people I love!

I know I always ask this, but how is everyone doing? How is home? I just want to know, so email me because I care about you all ... EVERY person reading this.

This week was amazing, to say the least. Shevyn got baptized on Thursday. It was soooooo special. She had been waiting for this day for a while, and it finally came. She was so prepared and excited for it and as soon as she came out of the water, she shouted, "Hallelujah." I started laughing. She is the sweetest person ever and always has a big smile on her face. It was an awesome moment to be a part of. She deserves the world and she has just taken the necessary step to changing or life.

Saturday was a hard day for me. I wasn't really feeling high spirited about proselyting that day and I really just felt low because I had gotten discouraged. I remember praying in the morning as I jogged. I specifically asked Heavenly Father to help me proceed through my day with lifted spirits. It's hard not to cry because the mission makes you FULLY rely on the Lord in all things. As soon as studies were over, my day got trememdously better. We saw a less- active that loves us so much and she made me feel so good. Then we saw another less-active family and they let us help them wrap Christmas presents and the husband always makes me laugh SO MUCH. I was changed in that moment, I felt so good. Then we had dinner with the "Jollys" at the Burger Barn and as we were walking out, another LDS family greeted us and thanked us for being missionaries! It was so great. THEN, we had a member meet us at the church to talk to us. She helped me feel so loved because she had felt prompted to talk to us. It was so amazing how everything played out exactly how I needed it to. Heavenly Father ALWAYS answers our prayers, but it's up to us to open our eyes and see the answers. I definitely did that day and I KNOW without a doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father had that day planned out because I needed it and because I asked Him in faith to help me.

On Wednesday, we had Zone Conference, and it was SO GOOD. They are always so good. I love conferences because all the missionaries get together and you get to see old companions and old friends. It is so awesome. At this Zone Conference, we talked about consecration. The main thing that stuck out to me was the difference between sacrificing something and being completely consecrated. It was a lesson that I really needed to learn. A lot of the times we go on missions because we feel we need to or we feel like we have to impress people by doing so, but that is NOT it at all. We come on the mission to FULLY devote ourselves to our Heavenly Father. My mission call distinctly states that we devote our time, energy, talents, everything to the Lord are we leave behind all other personal affairs. Yeah, it's hard, but salvation isn't cheap. The Atonement wasn't easy for the Savior Jesus Christ so why would the mission be easy for us? One thing that I liked that was said was that our Heavenly Father doesn't need missionaries to do this work, He can EASILY do it on his own, I mean come on, He is omnipotent, but He ALLOWS us to participate so we can grow. Our mission president told us that he doesn't care about numbers. He doesn't care about how many people are baptized. What he does care about is that our missions are saving us first. We are to be our biggest converts. I feel it. Every ounce of that sentence, I feel it. I am striving to be a more consecrated missionary. These past two months out in the field have changed me, and not a change that I will forget tomorrow, but a drastic change. One that isn't achieved from completing a driving course in a day, or taking a test. It's a gradual change that has occurred in me but it has happened because I have let it happen. I came out on this mission NOT to be the Cassidy I was before I left, and I feel my Heavenly Father molding me into exactly what He wants me to become. I know I have a while left on the mission, but I know that if we ALLOW the Savior to change us, He will.

I love my mission and this Gospel so much. I can bear my witness that I know it is true.

Love you all,

Sister Sanchez

Shevyn's Baptism!

Putting up our Christmas tree!

In a neighborhood we teach in ... I LOVE FRIENDSWOOD.

Crazy comps!

Posing by the beautiful fountains of Friendswood.

#SISTERS

Stretchy Skirts And Sleep Talking

Hello! How is everyone doing? I am doing great in my new area. I love Texas. I LOVE Friendswood! It is so beautiful and the people are so amazing. Heavenly Father has really blessed me with an amazing area and companion. 

This week went by so fast. I feel like last P-day was yesterday. Time flies on the mission and it's really hard to explain how fast it goes, but it's been good. I am almost at three months! So crazy to me. I feel like I just entered the MTC yesterday. We worked really hard this week and we have so many people to see. The highlights of my week were seeing Shevyn and Aubrey.

Shevyn is just so amazing. She has a ton of faith and I learn something new from her every time we teach her. I have such a testimony that the investigators are perfect for us to teach because we need something from them like they need something from us. Shevyn has been progressing a ton, and she is so ready. Her baptism is this THURSDAY! She passed her interview yesterday and she is so excited. She keeps saying that she is ready to start fresh and progress with the truth. It's amazing to see people change and she always talks about how she knows it to be true because the Holy Ghost has testified to her. It has been such a pleasure teaching her and it will be an even bigger pleasure to see her enter the waters of baptism! God is so good.

We taught Aubrey this week and the first lesson we had was unbelieveable. We all cried. It was us, Aubrey and her friends, Rachel and Rene, who are members. They call our lessons "pillow talk" because we all sit on their bed with blankets and just teach. It's so fun. We have all gotten so close. Aubrey has had a pretty hard life, but she has pushed through it all and still remains strong. She has studied SO many religions but she told us that nothing seems to satisfy her thirst for the truth. We taught her The Restoration and she cried when we shared the First Vision. The Spirit was so strong. It's hard to explain. I had the chills all over and I know that she felt the testimony of the Spirit. She is so interested and she WANTS the truth. She is what we missionaries call a "golden investigator," one who readily accepts the truths after diligently searching for it. We extended a baptismal date on the first lesson, and she accepted! She thrives for a change and she wants to know God and Jesus Christ properly. It has been such a blessing and miracle to have met her and to have the trust of God to teach her. She is progressing and had set a goal to read and study the scriptures every day, it is really amazing to see it unfold in front of my eyes. There are so many prepared people, we just need to be willing and worthy to find them.

This week, Sister Pace and I had a good lesson with Jon and Kim Olivier (recent converts). After our lesson, we were SO tired, but still hyped up about how good the lesson went. We got into bed and talked for a little while, then fell asleep. During the night, I started talking in my sleep and I was testifying of the importance of temples ... I caught myself mid testimony and woke up. I remember saying, "what the heck?"... because I caught myself, it was so weird. So I just brushed it off and was ABOUT to go back to sleep when Sister Pace starts testifying of temples! IT WAS THE WEIRDEST THING OF MY LIFE ... Ha, ha, ha, ha. It was so funny. She then caught herself talking and woke up. I told her what happened and we came to the conclusion that we were TESTIFYING AND TEACHING IN OUR SLEEP! Dedicated missionaries? I think YES! It was awesome, and creepy ... BUT AWESOME! That's when you know that you're working hard. I didn't even know it was possible, but I guess everything is possible with God!

By the way, this season is when EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE feeds the missionaries. I have never eaten so much in my life or received so many leftovers ... I ate like 20 pieces of pie this last week! Okay, maybe not that many, but you know what I mean. Thanksgiving was so fun, though. We visited so many people and it really distracted me from my first holiday away from home. But, yeah ... stretchy skirts are the way to go, hence the blog title. (;

I love this mission. This past week I have really been focusing on giving up my will and I feel so much success. It has been great. Relying on the Lord has been my biggest assets and I am so grateful for my mission and the short two months I have been here. Big thanks to all my family members who have written and emailed me. I appreciate it so much and miss and love you all. You keep me going. Don't stop writing, it's something EVERY missionary looks forward to.

I love you all. I challenge you to find someone for the missionaries. It is a way to give back to Heavenly Father, and it's really not that hard. Not harder than what the Savior had to go through. 

Please watch this video put out by the church for this holiday season.

http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

Remember WHO the season is really about.

All my love,

Sister Sanchez

Apple turkeys!

Sister Pace holding a baby! Ahhhhh ...

We're so cute!

A less-active member let us ride in his 1920 car!