Arlington; Sunnyside Branch - Week 22

27 January 2019

Matresses, Massages, and Mental Breakdowns

Hello fam. I'm back.(:

WELLLLL the past couple weeks I haven't sent a solid email because everything has been so crazy and stressful. I've been getting migraines 3-5 times a week and on top of that I've had some pretty awful tightness and back pain that I just can't get relief from, so yeah. hahah.

Last Monday was the. last. straw. and I just couldn't take it anymore, so I cried to my momma who said, "Listen, I'll take care of it." And within' 24 hours I had a NEW. REAL. MATTRESS. You heard it people, Hermana Jimenez is SLEEPIN' IN STYLE. Hahaahah.

My back is feeling a lot better and I can actually fall asleep and stay asleep at night, so that has helped a lot.

On top of that, the new medication I take for my migraines is working a lot better than the old one. It takes about an hour to completely kick in and the symptoms are a lot more livable, so there's that.😎

Also, this week was multi-zone conference and I got to see all of my favorite people in the mission!!

Little by little, I'm beginning to get back to myself, but I still have moments where I feel completely and totally forgotten and frustrated. He is there in those times, and there is a lesson to be learned from all the things we go through. We just need to trust in the fact that God knows what he's doing. He has the bigger picture. (Mosiah 4:9)

We've been working with a lot of people lately, but the person that's been on my mind a lot is Avelino. That man just has a relentless desire to improve and be better. This guy has an IMMOVABLE faith in Christ. We meet with Him once a week at a restaurant. We walk in, shake his hand, order, sit down, and the man just talks and talks and talks until it's time for us to go and every time we leave I 1. have a migraine lol but most importantly 2. am just blown away at the faith that this man has. I've been pondering about how I could develop faith like Avelino has and the 2 things that I think make Him so spiritually strong are 1. the fact that he is ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS feasting on the word of God. He wakes up listening to the scriptures and goes to bed listening to the scriptures. like WHAT A G. RIGHT!? The truth is that Avelino knows what's up. There is a power that the scriptures bring that will ALWAYS come when we read. I'm talking about immediate comfort people.

Next, he doesn't just throw away his past spiritual experiences. This man will never deny God because he has received a witness that He lives before. I'm talking about something that happened YEARS ago. That's so impressive to me. How many of us just let those moments pass and then when we're going through a hard time say "wo me where's God at in my whole situation?" FAM. We can't be like that. We can't be seeking for signs all the time. The world around us is a sign enough that there is a God who loves us. And if you've felt Him stronger in your life before and you're frustrated that you don't feel Him that way now, evaluate your situation. Are you doing everything you need to be doing? If not, there's your answer, if you are, then GET OVER IT. You need to accept that maybe God just needs you to level up - to be a little more independent. So remember what He's given you and don't feel salty that He's not doing the same thing for you now. We need to have a little faith, people.

That's exactly what I need to be doing right now - walking with faith. The children of Isreal had to cross this river one time and God promised them that when they came to the water, the water would part, so that they could carry the Ark of the Covenant through safely. Now, these people I'm sure had no doubt in God's ability to part a river, God had parted the Red Sea for them, but when they came to the river bank, what happened?

Nothing.

so what did they do?

They walked into the river and it wasn't until their feet were wet that the river parted.

What do we learn?

We need to have faith. God is going to let us walk in darkness. He's going to let us exercise our faith so we can level up. So when you're feeling a little forgotten, just remember that God is putting His faith in you and that He deserves some faith in return.

Anyway, that's what I have for you today, fam. Trust in Him. And when you fall down, as my mission president told me, "Get up, and get going because that's the first win."😊

Love,
sofie

Arlington; Sunnyside Branch - Week 21

20 January 2020

Not gonna lie, fam, this has been the hardest week of my mission.

Haha.

BUT. I WENT ON EXCHANGE AND I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY.

THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL. I WAS FLUENT IN SPANISH. IT WAS CRAZY TOWN.

God is real. He loves you no matter the circumstances.

Philippians 4:13

Love,

Hermana Jimenez

Arlington; Sunnyside Branch - Week 20

13 January 2020


HELLOOOOOOOO FAMILIAAAAAA

Not going to lie, This week was tough, but it had a lot of amazing things, too.(;

First and foremost, I'm still getting migraines out the wazoo. This week I got 6. I'm exhausted, frustrated, and a little bit salty that I have to be dealing with this, BUT, I am seeing the doctor this week and yesterday I got a blessing that completely calmed a lot of my frustrations and anxieties. Blessings are a real thing. I am always reminded of the reality of priesthood power when I receive a blessing. God speaks to us, and he spoke directly to me yesterday when I received my blessing.

The work is finally picking up from the Holiday season!! Jairo is well on his way to baptism and we have a couple really promising friends!! I'm really excited about a lady named Luz.(:

Luz showed up out of the blue at church like a  transfer ago. She was participating in class and super energetic and quite literally a light in the room. We were so confused as to who she was and I honestly didn't even question whether or not she was a member (silly me). I was POSITIVE that she had been baptized. hahaha. Well, guess what. SHE STRAIGHT UP ISN'T. Over the past couple of weeks, we've gotten to know her a little bit better. She is always super busy, but we talk on the phone with her every once in a while and I'm always blown away at how faithful she is. well. We went by her house last week to see how she was doing and she was busy, but we were able to talk and plan on coming back going back on the weekend. Tuesday came around and while we were at the food bank I got 2 calls from Fire Trail (but I couldn't answer them because my companion and I were on opposite ends of the room helping people through the bank) When we left, we called them back and they were SUPER excited. They were like,

"YO this latina lady just let us right in when she opened the door and was talking spanish to us all fast and we had no idea what to do and then she realized that we didn't speak spanish, so we tried to call you to translate, but you didn't pick up so we called the Elders and they talked with her."

And then we were like WHOA WHOA WHOA The Elder's are swooping someone in our area!? So then we talked to the Elders and they were like, "We're just going to go by to see if she has potential and if she's legit we'll send her info to you."

I was salty town. hahah. Anyway, Friday comes around, and we decided we should swing by to see how Luz is doing, so we swoop and she immediately lets us in and is super nice and tells us her life story and how she just knows that the church is true and the whole time I'm just thinking that God has literally sent Hermana Fuller and I an angel from heaven. I am telling you, this lady just reminded me of home. ANYWAY... we laugh, hear her story, leave her with a message and she goes, "Listen you are always welcome in my house, same with those other 3 muchachos who came by." and Hermana Fuller and I were like... WHAT!? We both instantly knew. Hahahah. Fire Trail had tracted into Luz and the Elder's had no idea that the referral they were going to check out for us was literally like our most promising potential. hahaha. Anyway. God works in mysterious ways.

That's my story for this week. But lately, I've been thinking a lot about faith. It's the most essential part of our spiritual well being. It's the first step of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but how do we find it? How do we find the faith to find friends, or receive answers to our prayers, or remission for our sins because unless we have the faith, God can't work with us (Ether 12:12). So it's something we need to cultivate first. I don't know how to do it quite yet, but I think there is something about walking in darkness that helps us realize that we cannot do it without His light and when we realize that we can't do it without Him, there is a complete necessity to believe in our Savior. And with that ounce of faith we give Him, he will make all the difference. Those are my thoughts right now. Sorry they aren't super developed I'm still tryina' figure this stuff out.

I love you all,
God loves you more,


Sofie

Arlington; Sunnyside Branch - Week 19

6 January 2020

HEELLLLLOOOOO FAMILYYYYYY

How goes it?

Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR. 2020. WE MADE IT FAM. BIG THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR. AND I MEAN BIG THINGS. hahah.

TBH not going to lie, this was a pretty hard week. I've been having these insane migraines almost daily that are making all the things hard, so if you could pray for that, it would be extremely appreciated.

The new year was great - we had to be in by 7:00PM, so Hermana Fuller and I drank Martinelli's while we painted our toes and watched The prodigal son, and at 12:00 we were snoozing away peacefully in our beds because AINT NO MISSIONARY GOT TIME TO LOSE THEIR FIRST GOOD SLEEP OF THE YEAR. So yes.

It's been getting pretty cold over here in Washington and there has been this INSANE wind for the past couple days (it's supposed to snow by the end of the week) so Hermana Fuller and I broke out the bufandas. You heard it. Sofie Jimenez for maybe the first time in her life (under her own agency) wore a scarf. It was a sight to see, but I didn't take a pic, so until next time. hahah.

I've been here in Arlington for just over 4 months now and when I first got here Hermana Chatfield told me about this convert that the missionaries used to meet with for years and she was like, we are going to do it. We are going to start meeting with him again. And unfortunately, it never happened for us, but it was always in the back of my mind, this mysterious man that used to meet with the missionaries all the time.

and then, we were like. Let's just do it. Let's just ask this man if he wants to meet up.

and that

was how

I met Avelino.

Avelino is maybe potentially THE MOST AWESOME PERSON IN ALL OF WASHINGTON. He gave us a food place to meet up at and we were like, "Chill, we'll be there."

we walk in, not even knowing who we are looking for and Hna Fuller goes, "Where is Avelino?"

and then out of nowhere comes, "I'M AVELINO. HELLO SISTERS! LET'S GO GET YOUR FOOD."

The kind man buys us teriyaki and we sit down to talk. For the next hour, I was just SHOOK with this man's life story. The best. This guy has so much faith and the stuff he was saying was just piercing my heart to the core.

ANYWAY

He totally knew the drill. When the food came out he was like, "Okay sisters pray over your food." And then he basically did "How to Begin Teaching" for us. It was legendary. 55 minutes pass by and he was like, "Okay I know you sisters only have an hour, I know you have other places to be."

Then he pulls a cake out of NOWHERE and is like, "I bought this for you because the teriyaki place doesn't have dessert. Okay sisters let's say a prayer."

And then we said a prayer and he was like, "I'll see you next Saturday 3:00 at the Mexican place next door." and got up and left.

It was the best. All things said and done I am SO excited to be teaching Avelino again. The man is a legend. Hahah.(:

Anyway, the district plan right now is to find through members and so we've been visiting a lot of less-actives lately and we've just been having all of these amazing experiences with them. Sometimes, I feel like we can forget the people in our ward who don't exactly have their place, BUT FAM. We can't do that. Everyone needs to be welcome AND INVITED to our services, activities, and all the other things. That's my commitment today for you. Think of someone who used to go to church that might not come as much or maybe not at all and DO SOMETHING FOR THEM. Reach out, say, hi, bring treats, I don't care what you do, just help them understand that they aren't forgotten and that they are invited to the Lord's table.

Alma 26:37

Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

GOD IS MINDFUL OF YOU. HE LOVES YOU AND YOU ARE NUMBERED UNTO HIM. HE LOVES YOU AND HE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU. NEVER.

Alright fam, that's all I've got for today.

I love you!

Sofie

ps: CONGRATS TO DAVID AND KENZIE!!!!

PPS: Happy 3 Kings Day!