There Was a Party in Heaven!

Russhine entered the waters of baptism this week. That was such an experience. I really can't explain the feelings of seeing someone you love so much get baptized. It was pretty amazing to witness someone you've worked so hard with be baptized. 

Russhine was fighting the baptism a lot this week. She told us last Sunday that she didn't want to be baptized ... but with prayer, we felt the Spirit tell us to continue to be persistent, but not overbearing. We scheduled her baptismal interview for Wednesday and she came. I could tell she was a little nervous, but ... SHE PASSED. Then after we went to the Relief Society activity and she just blended in. She has the best personality. Well, apparently someone at the activity asked her when she was being baptized and she didn't tell her. But after the activity, we were walking to the car and she asked, "Hermanas, when is the baptism again?" And we told her, "Sunday. Are you getting baptized, hermana?" And she said, "Yes, hermana." IT WAS SO COOL. So since Wednesday she's been set on her date. She wasn't listening to family or any of the other voices of the world, just the Spirit and it was really cool. 

Russhine's baptism was scheduled right after church and her non-member husband came to support her. We had a huge turnout because everyone stayed when our regular services ended. Right before the baptism started, we went into the bathroom to find her and tell her she could come out. When we opened the door, she was kneeling down praying. She's so amazing. She knows how important this step is in her life. She had to be submerged twice in the water and that was pretty funny for her because her hand came out of the water. But after being completely submerged and the ordinance performed correctly, she stepped out of the font and just cried thanking us for finding her and helping her. Hermana Davis, my companion, was glowing, too, as it was her first baptism. I'm so grateful for the tender mercies the Lord gives us to allow His children to grow. There's no better work than this. There was a celebration in heaven!

We met with Jose this week AND HE HAD READ 5 CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON. Keep in mind this is our second visit. The first time was the night we found him! He loves what he's reading and understands it so well. He understands the fact that Lehi is a descendant of Joseph. I didn't understand that until I came on the mission! He came to church this week, also. We had a member pick him up and he just absorbed so much. He loved Gospel Principles because it was about the Spirit World and everyone was bearing their testimonies. He told me after the class that he really wanted to bear his testimony, but he didn't feel it was right because it was his first time. He's really doing well and yesterday in church he was just reading his Book of Mormon the whole time. We have a date for him to be baptized on Feb. 21. Please pray for him! 

Just another great week in the service of The Father and The Son!

Exciting news! President Russell M. Nelson will be visiting our mission this week! It'll be a tri-mission conference in our church building! We're really excited for the instruction he's going to give us! He also might come to our ward council! That'll be amazing!

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Sanchez

Russhine was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016.

Russhine right before her baptism.

Russhine enters the waters of baptism! 

Hispanic ward kisses!

I'm an Aunt and a Missionary!

My sister had her baby this week! I really can't explain how I feel. I want to cry and scream and all of the above. I love newborn babies, especially one from my sister! God is so good to us and now we have this sweet little born who is part of the family! I'm so excited. As much as I wish I was home to see Graham, it's not a sacrifice for me because I know I need to be here! I love being a missionary and an aunt. What a special time.

This week was so good. I never get tired of saying that because every day is so good. We had some really awesome miracles this week. Hermana Davis and I realize that God guides our steps every single day! We have so many cool experiences that testify this to us. The other night, on the way to an appointment with an investigator at a member's home, we stopped and talked to this young kid named Angel. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would read and come to church ... well he didn't come, but when we were on our way back from an appointment, we decided to try and look for him. While looking for him, we saw this guy on his stairs smoking a cigarette. I rode by and said hello, but as soon as I passed him, the Spirit told me to go back, so we whipped our bikes around and returned. He was walking down the stairs to get to us and we met at the bottom. He was really excited and so we started talking to him. He told us that he fled from Cuba and on his was to the United States, he crossed through Brazil for a couple of months. Some days before he began his journey again, he met 2 Mormon missionaries and they gave him some comfort and a Book of Mormon! He lost it but started reading while he was traveling. Anyway, he was really excited to meet us because he knew who we were and he knew God had placed us in his path. We went back on Monday and he was there waiting and anxious for our return appointment. We taught him the Restoration and it was no coincidence that his name is Jose and we taught about Jose Smith. He said, "Sisters, you don't have to tell me this is true because it already entered my heart. I know it's true." It was a really powerful lesson. He understood the apostasy and the Priesthood and everything! It was really cool. We're teaching him again on Friday. Please pray for him!

We also had an incredible lesson with Russhine. We invited her to the Samayoa's house (a member family) and they helped Russhine a lot. She accepted baptism for next Sunday. We're praying so hard that it goes through. We have already planned her baptism and announced it in church. Now it's just up to her. Please pray for her because she's having some problems. Right before the baptism Satan works really hard and it's happening right now, so please pray hard! She's so ready. Loves the church, came to noche de hogar (family home evening) last night and already signed up for the Relief Society activity on Wednesday! We love her so much and want this for her so bad!

This week we biked in the pouring rain ... I fell into a big pot hole and got soaked. I thought you all would enjoy that!

ALSO, John Teate and Savannah, my converts in Friendswood, came to my Sacrament Meeting to surprise me! I cried so much. They're both so special to me! John gave Russhine a blessing because she's been having a hard time/ THAT WAS SO SPECIAL TO ME! I didn't even know John knew how to give blessings! He blessed her and it was powerful. Woah, God is so good. He told me that in his first blessing he almost ordained someone to the office of something, aha, ha, ha, ha. He has progressed so much in the Gospel. It blows me away every time. It was so nice to see them and to have him bless Russhine. I would have never thought that my convert would come to give my investigator a blessing. So cool. 

My mini missionary Sister Andersen gave her farewell talk this Sunday! It was soooo amazing. The fact that I got to be with her for 6 weeks and now see her serve a mission is so amazing. She heads off to the MTC this Wednesday! Reno, Nevada, the best missionary is coming to you!

Great week. I'm so happy. I've never had this much happiness in my life. I love serving the Lord and I love serving His children. 

Have an amazing week!

Sister Sanchez

Eye flip!

Our neighbor put this note on our door!

Proselyting with Kiko!

John Teate, Savannah and our invesitgator, Russhine!

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Mission collage! 

Staying in Houston 1!

YAY! I'll be staying in Houston 1 with Hermana Davis for another transfer! I sure hope to end my mission here. I love this area and this ward so much! 

This was another wonderful week in the service of our Savior! I love being a missionary! 

Hermana Davis and I decided that we needed to spend a good portion of our week finding new investigators and so we did! We probably biked a good 30 miles this week, if not more, exploring our area and searching! We've found so many wonderful potential investigators and we're hoping that they can continue to desire to change and let the Atonement take full effect in their lives! 

We had a really awesome miracle this week! So earlier this week, around Tuesday, we were riding our bikes and we saw this lady putting water in her blue water containers outside ... so we had the thought to talk to her. Well, we did, and she knew who we were and she mentioned she had talked to missionaries previously. Well, she was a little standoffish because the missionaries that had visited with her earlier kept calling and calling and she got overwhelmed so she never answered. We felt that we shouldn't be too pushy with her, so we just got her number and left her with a pass-along card with a picture of the Savior on the front of it. She then says, "Oh, I have that card." And she pulls a withered, old, wrinkled card out of her visor in her car and she said that whenever she was lonely, she would call the number and someone would talk to her! Well, that was a miracle. So we kept thinking about her during the week and then we got a call from her the other day asking where the church was. We gave her directions and at stake conference on Sunday, she calls and she was AT THE CHURCH! She came and she loved it! They spoke a lot about the Sacrament and she asked me what it was and when she could take it! We told her that it would be next week and we could tell she wanted to come! We also introduced so many of our members to her and she felt so welcomed! Pray that she'll let us come and teach her! We gave her a Book of Mormon, too, so we're hoping that she reads it! 

Russhine is still doing really well! We had an awesome lesson on Tuesday with her about prophets and reading the scriptures. She's still a little hesitant to be baptized, but she keeps saying that she knows it's something she needs to do. She's just scared. Pray she'll have the confidence to take that step. She is soooo ready and we just love her so much! Her example has changed me and I can see the Atonement starting to play a part in her life. She's just one of the best people I've ever met. 

Other than that, we are doing so awesome! Loving the work and working, working, working! I hope all is well where you are!

Keep putting God first. That's the only way to be happy!
--

Sister Sanchez

Exploring the area!

I love this ward!

2016, It's Gonna Be FAT!

This week was amazing! It flew by so fast ... time flies when you're doing the work of the Lord. It's the best work in the world. 

Okay, I just want to first start out talking about how much I love my companion. She's the best. We're just so unified on everything and working with faith and working hard! The Lord is blessing our area SO MUCH. We have so much to do and not enough time to do it all! That's our stress!! Ha, ha. It's been one of the best transfers of my mission. Hermana Davis is the best. I appreciate her so much and how much she loves the mission after only being here for 6 weeks! This week will be the last week of the transfer, so next week we'll have transfer meeting, but I'm pretty sure that we'll be staying together! Oh, and we were trying to write a good mission rap and the only thing we could come up with is "2016, it's gonna be fat." Like fat, full of GOOD things. (:

We got news this week that we'll be moving apartments! So we're hoping that we'll move somewhere more in the middle of our area because right now we're at the very bottom corner of our area!

Can I just say that Russhine is AMAZING! She's progressing a ton! This week we visited her and Dulce four times! And they loved every visit! We're so sad because Dulce went back home today, but she gave us her address so that we can let the missionaries know there about her so they can visit her and her family! We taught the Plan of Salvation this week along with the Word of Wisdom and the Restoration. They loved them all. Dulce cried while we taught the Plan of Salvation, but it was really good because she learned more about where her loved one went when she passed away and that she'll see them again. We could tell that Dulce was really comforted at that idea. Keep in mind that she's only 13, but she's so mature for her age. They both came to church on Sunday! Russhine's third Sunday in a row and she said "I will be there next week, too, because I need this." She told us yesterday that she always asks Heavenly Father after church "Is this where you want me?"... and she says that she can't argue because all she leaves feeling is peace and comfort. She's recognizing her answers! We love her so much. She has become one of my best friends! Dulce teared up as we said our last goodbyes. We're so grateful that for 2 weeks, we used the Gospel and the help of the Spirit to impact Dulce in a way that she'll remember for the rest of her life. She said the closing prayer and asked Heavenly Father that she would be able to join the church and her mom as well. It was incredible!!! Hermana Davis and I are on CLOUD 9! The Lord is incredible! We love this work!

Norma and her husband came to play soccer! That was a huge miracle! Luis hasn't played in 10 years! And so he played with us! At one point, I was going for the ball and so was he and it was muddy so we both fell, ha, ha, ha, ha. It was funny! I tripped with my investigator! But it gave him a great laugh, so hopefully it softened his heart a little bit! They were going to come to church yesterday, but they couldn't make it. We're hopeful for next Sunday! She committed to a baptismal date of Jan. 17! So please, please, please pray for her!

We met a new less-active this week who ... LIVES RIGHT ABOVE US. God's plan is so perfect. He hadn't been to church in a while and his records were in the English ward when he actually wanted to be Spanish! So he came to church yesterday AND bore his testimony in Sacrament. That was really cool. 

Our other less-active, Hermana Perez came with her son! First time I have seen her in church since I got to this area! We worked really hard to get her to come and she totally recognized her need to come! And now we're teaching her son!

HUGE MIRACLES PEOPLE! 

We had an amazing week. New Year's was so fun! We had to come in early at 7 p.m., so Hermana Davis and I planned a lot for our week. We had some sparkling cider and took some funny pictures with 2016 glasses! 

2015 was a year I will ALWAYS remember. The whole year I was on the mission and I cannot believe that it has all gone by so quickly. I'm so eternally grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve my Savior. It's been the best year of my entire life! I love Him so much! 2016 will be a wonderful year!

I love you all! I love the MISSION. I LOVE THIS WORK. 

--

Sister Sanchez