Week 60 - December 17, 2013

Querida Familia!  Amigos! 

How is everybody doing?  I am doing great!  Especially since it has gotten a little warmer in ABQ and I am not an icicle anymore!  Yay!  We are looking pretty good on our bikes.  We were riding with the other sisters to dinner on Sunday and these two extreme bikers with the outfits were riding by and I said "Yeah that's how good we look too!" (Yeah right)  hehe As long as I don't look completely ridiculous on a bike I am happy!  I am getting pretty good at mounting and dismounting in a skirt.  Plus we get to talk to lots of people.  Strange things happen here though.  Just the other day we were headed to dinner and we see these two cowboys riding their horses in downtown ABQ going to Sonic!  I wish I had gotten a picture, but they didn't turn out. :(  Maybe they'll want another half price shake next week too!

Well just when I think I won't have a roach story to tell, one magically appears.  I made it all the way through the week until yesterday.  We were sitting in this new lady's house and I saw one walking across the floor and so I smashed him with my foot.  The lady said they had lots of roaches and I told her that I understood completely.  So we continue talking to her and not more then 5 minutes later I feel this crawling on my hand and I looked down in horror to see one walking on my hand!  That was a first!  Ok I shrieked a little and flung it away, but I was proud that I didn't totally scream and jump.  Just a little one. :)  I now have a cockroach sling slot (thanks Stephanie) so watch out little buggers I'm gonna get you!

We are having success finding people because we have made a goal to talk to as many people as we can each day.  We are meeting lots of wonderful people, but we have also had some interesting experiences.  Actually just yesterday there was this elderly lady walking down the street and she kept stopping and she was holding a bag.  So we flipped around and turned the corner to go ask her if she needed help.  I saw her ahead and she had just done one of her stops.  I pulled up next to her and I asked if she needed any help and she just stared at me.  She gave me a kinda a creepy stare.  I asked in spanish because maybe that was the problem.  She didn't say anything and kept staring, so I told her to gave a great day and I started to bike way.  I had hardly gone two paces when she gave this super loud piercing scream and I looked back and she was staring at me and screamed at me to get away from her.  My poor companion had been behind her and she just looked afraid.   We left, but it was really weird. I didn't expect that reaction.  As I was pondering on this experience it made me think of people in the scriptures and church history and the mobs that had intense hatred for people for doing nothing wrong.  Even the Savior of the world was mocked and crucified.  I am nowhere near the caliber of those people in the scriptures, but I am proud to wear His name and withstand a little bit of unpleasantness that others too have felt in his behalf.

Last week we had zone conference and Elder Foster of the Seventy came.  It was awesome!  I am feeling inspired and uplifted!   So they always do car inspections first and we just got to socialize and not have to feel guilty when they had to tell other missionaries to get back to work.  Maybe in the future they will do bike inspections.  That might be good, although I am getting pretty good at fixing a bike and the best thing about living in an old elders apartment is all of the tools that we have.  Like WD40. What sisters apartment would just randomly have some of that stashed away when you need it?!  So thanks Elders!  Back to zone conference.  Elder Foster talked about missionary work!  Surprise!  He talked about where missionary work is heading and how we are a partnership with the ward.  He talked about the different phases of missionary work.  Phase one: Missionaries doing work.  Phase 2 members helping missionaries.  Phase 3 missionaries helping members do missionary work!  Right now the majority of the units are in phase one or two, but when we all catch the vision together and realize that every member has a responsibility to share the gospel, we will get to phase three and the Lord will pour out his blessings upon us!  It's important to see that missionary work isn't just the theme for this month or this year, but is going to be continue to a central focus and you can bet the apostles and prophets will continue to talk about it's importance.  So go help your missionaries!  We need you!

The other point that really stood out to me was during Sister Foster's talk.  She used the phrase "I can do hard things."  Ever since I went to Philmont at the end of my senior year, that has been a little bit of a recurring theme that has popped up in school life and here on the mission.  It was just in brief passing, but it felt like the Lord included that just for me.  I know the Lord knows each of us.  Missionary work is one of the most rewarding, but it can also be one of the most challenging things.  You have good days and bad days.  You have cockroaches and old ladies that love you or scream at you in street.  I have been stretched and pushed to my limit on various occasions, but that's what life's about.  It's about growing and learning, and I know the Lord doesn't give us anything that we can't handle.  He gives us experiences and trials to help us become who we are meant to be.  I want you to know that I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and that He is the head of this great work.  This time of year we should all spend a little less time thinking about ourselves and more time thinking of others and most importantly our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus

PS
Pellet is enjoying his transfer north!  He likes doing exercises in the morning with us!

Pellet Exercising

Sisters on bikes...

Week 59 - December 10, 2013

Buenas Tardes Familia!

Ok so it's been fun getting into the swing of things up here, but I think I am getting our area down pretty well.  At least I don't feel lost anymore. :)  We are pro's at getting on and off the bus and we can even do it with our bikes.  That always seems to draw attention to itself.  We are friends with all the bus drivers and they always like to comment on the bikes.  It's good being friends with the bus drivers because one night when we were waiting for the sisters to come pick us up to take us to dinner they were late about 30 minutes and it was freezing outside.  A bus driver was waiting to start his route and he came over and talked to us for a minute and then said I have 10 minutes before I leave and you can go sit on my bus.  Well he didn't need to ask twice we were on that bus lickety split to get warm.  Yay for little blessings.

As I have already mentioned it is really cold and we actually got some snow this past week.  That's ok because people take pity on the cold sister missionaries and let us inside to warm up a bit.  We did see some strange sights including a cactus with snow on it.  You don't see that everyday.  I'll include a picture for you to enjoy. 

I am not sure what it is about me that attracts cockroaches, but I've got a good story for you.  So we are teaching this man named Oliver and his family.  He has lots of questions, but he really wants to know the truth, so it's fun teaching him.  Anyway we decided to watch the Joseph Smith movie.  Just before we started it there was a knock at the door and it was the apartment manager telling them that they would be coming in tomorrow to spray.  I should have known that didn't bode well.  Anyway I was sitting on the edge of the couch closest to the wall and near the start of the movie I see this little black shape creeping along the wall.  Sure enough cockroach.  I would know those creepy crawlers anywhere.  So I do my best to ignore it and we are all watching the movie.  At one point the little kid plops a kitten on my lap so I am petting the kitten.  We are probably about 3/4 through the movie when I see him crawling on my armrest right next to my coat and scarf.  I move a little bit and I loose track of him in the couch!  So now I am slightly freaking out because I don't want to distract from the movie, but I am having these horrible images of him crawling in my coat and hitching a ride home with me.  If I had been quick enough I would have sicked the kitty on it, but I was given instructions by Katherine Hatch to stop feeding cockroaches to cats because that's gross! Hehe  Well the kitty was no help and I am squeezed as close as I can get to my companion trying in vain in the dark to locate this cockroach.  After about 5 minutes of unpleasantness I see him walking towards my face on the back of the couch and I steeled my nerves, took aim and I flicked that cockroach as hard as I could off the couch without making a single noise.  Win!  I saw him (or at least I think it was him) Crawling along the back wall near the christmas tree a little while later.  I must be a cockroach whisperer and they are just drawn to me!

We are still working on finding lots of new people.  We have been going through the area book and finding people to stop in and see if they are interested in taking the lessons again.  The good thing is that we are teaching, just not as much as I would like.  Hopefully things will keep picking up and we will have some people start progressing towards baptism.  We are working with one kid named Cesar, but he hasn't ever come to church and that is key.  Hopefully, he will come this Sunday.  He didn't come this past sunday because of the snow...grrrrr.  ABQ is just like Washington where everything shuts down for a little sprinkle of snow.  Oh well.  It doesn't look like there is any more snow in the forecast so that's good.  Hopefully we will stay a little bit warmer.

We are excited because this coming week because we have a Seventy coming for our Christmas Zone Conference on Saturday.  We are all really excited to hear what he has to say.  Plus Zone conference is always amazing, so it's for sure going to a good one.  Well that's about it for this week.  We are going to try and head over to old town with what's left of our P-day and see what's there.  When we accidentally tracked into that street it looked really cute, so we'll see!  I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!

Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus

Snow on the cactus

Sisters in Rio Grande ward all wore purple

Hot air balloon mural

Week 58 - December 3, 2013

Buenas Tardes Familia!

Well it's official! I am now serving in the New Mexico Albuquerque mission (instead of what seemed like the El Paso, Texas mission) and I am right in the heart of downtown Albuquerque.  If there is one thing I have learned about missions it's that the Lord doesn't let you get comfortable.  He will jerk you again and again outside of your comfort zone and make you grow a little bit more.  Well I'm growing again as I conquer my fears of a big city...again.  Really, wasn't El Paso downtown enough? :)

Well about two weeks ago Hna Fallentine and I were talking and I made the mistake of wondering what would be harder...riding a bike in 115 during the summer or 15 during the winter.  Well we all know the Lord has a sense of humor and I'll let you know as soon as I have decided.  Yep that's right.  Good missionaries get put in bike/car share areas, but awesome missionaries get put back in full bike areas.  Yay!  I can eat all the Christmas food I want and not feel guilty at all!  Wahoo!

Ok so let's see.  A lot has happened this week.  On Tuesday we were at the transfer site at around 10am.  I just happened to drive the Zone leaders truck up.  They have this little hamster named Pellet in the truck that sits up front with a button that says ask me why I am awesome.  Well I just couldn't resist.  So I had Hna Biancardi write a little note that said "Dear elders I am being transferred north.  Love Pellet.   PS sisters rule!"  :)  So I was all about getting into the transfer van quick before the elders noticed he was missing and came and hunted me down.  It actually was just perfect.  We were sitting at the stop light, them in their truck about to head south and us in the van about to head north, and they looked over and pellet waved goodbye to them.  The looks on the elders faces' was priceless.  The entire transfer van was rolling in laughter.  I think I might have to ransom pellet for an amor por juarez sticker.  I never got one of those.  So Pellet is currently enjoying his first transfer up north.  He was pretty excited to ride a bike too!

Hermana Bills and I both came up north and we are serving in...are you ready for this...RIO GRANDE.  Yep I am serving in Rio Grande again.  Hehe.  Actually this ward was mentioned in conference about a year ago.  It's like a really awesome ward, so I am excited to work!  My new companion is Hermana Gubeli.  She is from Gunnison, Utah and she'll be 21 in January, so not too much of a young'un.  We are getting along great and I think we'll have a lot of success together.  The only down side about my new area is the apartment.  Elders had lived in this apartment for who knows how long and it has been slightly abused.  I believe we should make things better when we leave then when we came, so we are going to make sure that the next sisters who come won't even realize Elders had lived there. We have cleaned and scrubbed and got rid of the ugly bench press and overall have made our apartment a little nicer.  We are still working on the interesting smell that accompanies the apartment.  It makes me think of the movie Tangled where he tells her to take a big whiff and overall it just smells like the color brown.  :D  Well if it's not roaches it's something else.

Thanksgiving was really nice.  We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner.   We actually were able to visit a few people which was good.  It was pretty low key overall and really just felt like another day as a missionary.  The best part is taking the time to remember all of the blessings we have been given.  I am always amazed at all of the little blessings the Lord has given me and I know there are so many blessings that he has given me that I don't even know of.  Hopefully we can all remember to take a little time to ponder on the wonderful gifts that we have been given in this special time of year.  Love you all!

Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus

Pellet in his new bike area

New companions

Can she really get it to go that fast?

Week 57 - November 25, 2013

Buenas Tardes Familia!

Ok so it has finally come.  I am being transferred and I am going up north.  I have no idea where I will end up or who will be my companion, but I know that it is going to be good.  I know that the Lord has something special planned up there, but it is so hard to leave El Paso.  It has become my home for this year and I will be sad to say goodbye.  So I do know the Lord has a sense of humor - he left me in 115 degree weather on a bike in El Paso and I bet I'll end up in a bike area in the north end of the mission in -15 degree weather with 2 feet of snow!  I guess I have to wait until tomorrow and see!  Who knows what will happen?!

So I think to get me ready for the change, El Paso decided to go crazy!  It went from 75 and sunny on Thursday to 40 degrees on Friday!  Needless to say I'm freezing!  So I think you might need to send me those extra winter clothes!  With the cold, the worst part is the wind.  The wind is horrible down here!

Actually I have a really funny story about the wind.  On Friday morning we are headed out to district meeting.  My hands are full of scriptures and stuff.  I was also holding onto my Restoration DVD in the little paper package.  We were planning on showing it to one of our investigators that night.  Well, we walk down the steps and in all my life I have never had anything ripped from my hand by the wind, but just as I got down the steps the wind ripped my dvd completely from them!  So then I think ok it's just going to blow a little bit and then stop...right? Wrong!  It starts blowing away!  We of course start chasing it and then the CD busts from it's paper case and it starts spinning like a mad wheel and then disappears!  We are like where in the world did it go.  I walk around the rock wall in between the fence there are rocks and grass and I find my dvd laying there on the ground.  Sadly my dvd was busted and we both agreed that it was Satan's wind trying to stop us showing that movie because it is so powerful!  Well, we one upped him because my dad is inspired and he sent me two copies!  Haha so take that evil wind!

Let's see what else happened this week.  In trying to help my companion overcome her dislike of all animals I made her help me save a bird this week.  It was just chillin in the middle of the road and I thought maybe it was hurt.  I didn't want it to be hit, so we flipped a u turn and went back.  I brought a plan of salvation pamphlet with me to scoop it up, but wouldn't you know when we went to put the pamphlet under it he flew away!  Seriously - if you could fly all along, what were you doing in the middle of the road?!  I also tried to get her to kiss a Chihuahua, but I didn't succeed in that front.  Oh well.  There is plenty of time after the mission to help her with her love of animals!  Oh I am also including a  picture of what missionaries do when we need the young women to come out with us but they decide they want to sleep instead!  Hehe ok so this was a reenactment, but I actually did pull her out of bed a few weeks ago when she forgot that she had said she would come with us, but was sleeping when we went to pick her up!

I don't like the cold weather because everyone hides indoors and the ward activity we have been planning for a month wasn't very well attended.  It was really good.  We watched Ephraim's Rescue.  If you haven't seen it I would recommend it.  It is a good movie.  It made me want to be better and always be ready when the Lord needs me.

So when we woke up on Sunday there had been a tiny bit of snowfall the night before.  The roads weren't horrible at all, but you would have thought the blizzard of the century was going!  Hehe people who can't drive in "frost". ;-)  We were meeting on of our investigators at her house and then she was going to follow us to the church.  She is a super cute old lady and she nearly turned back on the stairs because it was a little icy.  We were determined though.  We knew the roads were fine and she needed to come to church!  So she followed us the whole way and we laughed because we had a little Lourdes tail. :)  She loved church, so it was good thing she braved the weather.

As for me it was a hard Sunday.  This ward is like my family.  I have been here for so long that it was really hard to say goodbye to all of them.  One sister gave me the scarf she was wearing as a little goodbye gift and that pushed me over the edge and I started to cry.  They are such generous people and it has been a pleasure to serve in Rio Grande.  The only upside about being transferred is there is no way I will mention that I can badly play piano top handed!  So I think my piano playing days in the mission are over!  Whew!

One fun person that I went and saw before I left was a lady named Stella.  We started teaching her, but since her grandson doesn't speak Spanish we had to give her to the English Elders.  She is doing great.  She has a baptism date for the first part of January.  She is amazing.  We found her outside just watering her lawn.  The Lord really put people who are ready for the gospel in our paths.  I can't wait to hear more about what happens to her.

Ok well I love you all!  We have lots to do before transfers tomorrow!  I know that the Lord has a plan for me and I am excited to find out what it is!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus

The broken DVD

You know you want to kiss it!

Wake up and come with us!

Week 56 - November 19, 2013

¡Buenas Tardes Familia!

How is everybody doing?  Hopefully everything continues to go well.  I appreciate all the love and support and especially the prayers that I am receiving, so thank you!

So this is the last week in the transfer and I have no idea what is going to happen next week.  I actually have a fear for serving up in ALBQ now.  I am an El Paso missionary, so I'm not sure I could handle it up North (especially the cold...I wear scarves in 70 degrees now. :) )  We find out Saturday what is going to happen.  Both Hna Fallentine and I are dreading if we have to leave our area, but maybe we can stay together.  That would be awesome.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and our Birthdays!  Plus I don't know how it will work emailing next week because if we are being transferred on Tuesday depending on where we go we might not have time to email.  It might be a crazy day!

I probably should stop telling you cockroach stories because I am pretty sure none of you want to live in Texas anymore, but hey why not one more.  I think I am just blessed to have such a great relationship with the little buggers and I think I have been specially trained to lock in on their locations.  In good news we haven't had any roaches in our apartment.  However, I went on an exchange with some English sisters and we were visiting someone.  When we walked in, the lights were dimmed and we all had a seat.  Then after about 5 minutes or so the lady turned the lights up (probably so we could read something) and then I saw him...and he was HUGE!!!!!!  Probably top 2 or 3 biggest roaches I have seen on my mission.  He was just lying on the floor on his back and I had to stop myself from gasping.  Then because who can't sneak glances at something like that, I watched as he would slowly move his legs up and down.  At one point he started madly kicking and I was planning my escape route if he managed if right himself up, but luckily he just stayed where he was.  So I am not sure why, but wherever I am cockroaches follow.

So we pulled up to our apartment one night and we saw this big old tumbleweed just sitting in front of our parking spot.  So naturally I had to have a picture with it.  It's like half my size!

The real reason why Hermana Fallentine and I are afraid about transfers right now is because our area is doing so good!  We have been teaching a ton of lessons these past two weeks to lots of news too!  Here are some of the highlights of our missionary week.

First off we were doing some Sister stuff and we were on the other side of the mountain, and we were hungry so we decided to stop by Conchita's bakery.  I thought that maybe Chelo would be there, but I didn't think anyone else would, but Conchita was there too.  We were able to say hi to all of them and give them big hugs.  Great news!  Chelo was baptized in Juarez about a month ago with her niece Griselda.  I was so excited to hear that because Hermana Mitchell and I had started teaching her, but because she lived in Juarez over the weekends we referred her to the Elders down there.  It was such a special little blessing to get to hear that she was baptized.  Plus they loaded us up with a ton of pan dulce, which we happily munched on the rest of the week.

Then on Saturday we were looking in the ward directory for people that we didn't recognize to go and visit and so we started trying to contact people.  None of the people that were on the list actually lived there.  We had so many strange encounters to half shut doors, to slightly rude people, to the person had passed away 5 years ago, to wait a second this is the home of one of our investigators.  Every time we got back into the car Hna Fallentine and I just laughed because we couldn't believe that the day could be any crazier, but apparently it could.  It makes everything so much better to have a companion that just looks on the bright side with you and says "well who's next?!"

We have 4 investigators right now with a lot of potential.  One is a sweet older lady who has lost her purse with all her credit cards and papers, but still wants to listen and to learn about the gospel.  Then we found a less active member who has her 15 year old nephew living with her who is not a member, but really wants to learn more and is praying about being baptized.  Then last night we had a lesson with a lady and her two daughters (10 y 8)  We shared the story about Joseph Smith and then committed them to pray about Joseph Smith and ask God if this was Christ's true church.  We originally asked the mother, but then she told her daughter to pray.  This little 10 year old girl offered one of the sweetest prayers I have ever heard and just simply asked if this was true and for God to enlighten their minds.  After the prayer we asked her how she felt and she just started to cry and said she felt real good.  Then her mother started to cry too.  We had visited them two weeks ago and they said they could only meet on Monday, but after that prayer they really wanted us to come back on Thursday.  The spirit really does soften people's hearts and the Lord really does answer a sincere prayer.  Loren is doing great.  We had an excellent lesson with her last night with some members from our ward.  They all were able to share their own experiences and the spirit was testifying to each of us during that lesson.   Loren told us that about week ago she was praying about whether or not to be baptized when all of the sudden a memory of when her Grandmother was baptized into the LDS church entered her mind.  She said she had basically forgotten that memory until right at that moment.  She knows she needs to be baptized and I am pretty sure that she will  in this coming month.  She has some fears, but everyone experiences those, so she just needs to hang on to the good feelings and know that she is receiving an answer.  When she told the story of her grandmother she also told how she had passed away.  That brought to my memory the very first lesson Hermana Cruz and I had with her back in January when I was a brand new missionary.  We were teaching the plan of salvation and through that entire lesson I felt as if someone was sitting next me.  I don't know for sure, but maybe that someone was her grandmother.  This whole experience has been a real testimony builder to me that there are seen and unseen forces at work and that this is no ordinary work.  This is the work of Salvation and this is the work of our Savior.  I love y'all!  Have a great week!

Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus

Katie's tumbleweed...

Week 55 - 12 November 13 (11-12-13)

Hola!

This week was filled with lots of different service opportunities.  Our first was our greenhouse and grubs.  We are helping build a greenhouse.  It is putting all of my building skills to the test.  After about an hour we were getting really frustrated because we could not figure out how to attach the screws to the frame and they sure weren't staying up by themselves.  So in the beginning we just ignored those pieces and decided to move on.  Then all of the sudden we realized that we weren't going to get anywhere until we figured it out.  In frustration I said ok that's it we are not doing another thing until we figure out how this works.  Just then like inspiration from heaven...  We picked up the screw and slid it into the frame and figured out how it was suppose to work.  Well then we couldn't help but laugh at how easy it was and how silly it was for us not to have figured out for so long!  But now we have, and our greenhouse is coming along nicely.  Then we started dropping bolts on the ground so we needed a magnet to find them, which was provided.  However, as I held out my hand to catch the bolts the member also dropped in 2 huge grubs!  I screamed so loud I am pretty sure the people in Mexico was wondering what was going on.  Oh yeah all the other missionaries got a kick out of that one.  Nasty creepy crawly things.  Just when you think you have the cockroaches under control - grubs! 

We also helped a sister in our ward move.  It was a lot of lifting and carrying and we had to get creative in order to keep our copies of the Book of Mormon with us...more on that in a minute.  My personal favorite for the service this week was the Great Chihuahua rescue!  So last Monday we were driving to our next appointment when I saw this Chihuahua walking down the sidewalk.  It was wearing a collar but no one else was around.  We passed it and then I said "Hermana did you see that dog?"  Hna Fallentine paused and then said "You want to help the Chihuahua don't you?"  Of course!  So we flipped a U-turn and proceeded to park, so we could help the Chihuahua.  To my companion's credit she doesn't like dogs, but was still willing to help the little guy out.  Well the little guy turned out to be a little bugger.  The dog is walking next to this complex that has a big fence on one side and then the street on the other.  The dog is in and out of the road.  We start to walk towards him calling him and he takes one look at us and the "missionaries are enemies to all dogs" kicks in and he grabs this chicken bone and starts to run.  He runs back into the street and nearly gets hit by a truck as we are frantically waving our arms to have him stop.  The dogs runs into the complex and we follow him.  We start stalking him through the cars and he is munching on a chicken bone.  Hello?!  Dog don't you know that's bad for you?!  So we start trying to circle him and we are nearly successful until he sees us and that sends him into full panic mode and he bolts off and then you have the two sisters in skirts with bags chasing after him.  He runs back into the street and he nearly gets hit two more times before we can get him to run back inside the complex and then all of the sudden he freezes and we hear someone calling and he booked it so fast to his owner.  She had lost him and was looking everywhere for him, so at least we were able to help him find his owner.  We were a little bummed we never caught him, because it would have been a great way to start a conversation.  "Hey is this your Chihuahua?  No?  Well we're missionaries..."  So in the end we got to serve and we got a little extra exercise.

In other big news, I colored my hair for the first time.  Hna Fallentine and I decided that the El Paso sun had done a number to our hair, and we wanted to fit in more with our culture.  So now I have dark brown hair.  All of our investigators approve and say we look much more "Mexicana" now.

Since it was the first Thursday of the month we headed up to ALBQ for MLC (Mission Leadership Council).  It's always an adventure driving up.  So the Elders drive a mini van up to ALBQ because it is the only vehicle big enough to carry all 6 Elders.  At one point we were following the Elders and we sent them a text that said.  "Hey mom slow down we can't keep up...oops sorry we got confused our mom's drive mini vans!"  hehe  Well we have to entertain ourselves some how on the 4 hour drive up to ALBQ.  This time we actually stopped in New Mexico's diamond of the desert, Elephant Butte for dinner.  A member fed us and it was really yummy.  Basically the whole drive Hna Fallentine and I listened to primary songs in Spanish.  We got really good at the chorus to follow the prophet after the 12th verse!

MLC was wonderful as always.  I always feel so inspired to be a better missionary and get back to El Paso and get to work.  So for Zone training Hermana Fallentine and I gave a Book of Mormon training.  We talked about what a powerful tool the Book of Mormon is and that combined with the spirit it is the most powerful tool in conversion.  It is the evidence of the restoration and everything we teach rests on whether or not the Book of Mormon is true.  So our challenge this week is to keep the Book of Mormon within arm's reach at all times.  We can't have it in our bags either.  It has already made a difference and we are seeing lots of opportunities to talk about the Book of Mormon that we wouldn't have otherwise.  So back to the moving.  We had to be creative in carry couches and boxes and still having our books with us. :-)

Funny note.  I think it was Friday night we collapsed into bed and apparently, like the drama queen I am, I said "Hermana I have never been so tired in my entire life!" Hna Fallentine just busted up laughing because it wasn't even that long of a day, but apparently I had never been more tired. I think what happens is that every day we get home I just can't believe how tired I am.  Well the Lord always blesses us that we can carry on!

So our little miracle for the week was that we were finally able to find Lorenza at home again.  We haven't been able to meet with her for over a week and we were getting worried.  On Saturday we found her at home and we learned that she had been having a really hard time.  She lost her job and has been dealing with that and a lot of other stuff too.  Well we had a lesson and then we invited her to come to church the next day.  We were a little sad when Sacrament started because she wasn't there.  After the sacrament was over a lady came to sit by us and our phone was knocked off the bench, so I reached down to get it and I  noticed a message from Lorenza that we had missed asking for help in finding the chapel.  We immediately went outside to try calling her, and she didn't answer, but then we saw her drive up.  We were so excited that she came to church and she loved it!  The ward was so wonderful in welcoming her.  I think she especially loved Relief Society.  Working with Lorenza is extra special for me because she is one of the first people that I OYM'ed (Open your mouth) back when I couldn't speak Spanish.  I actually went back and read about it in my journal.  I can't believe that it's getting close to a year ago I hit the field.  I want to be missionary forever!  There is no place I would rather be, then here teaching the gospel.  I hope y'all have a great week!

Con Amor,
Hermana Klaus

Darker Hair...

Week 54 Pictures

Fumigating the kitchen

Had to remove all of the dishes

And the food.

Socks from Hali (with an addition by Katie)

Nothing like a birthday pizza...

Elder Rosales entered the MTC on Oct 31 as well, so I guess that makes them twins? :-)