Its Almost Over......

This was such a wonderfully special week!!!!!! Such a good way to go out! Even though every one of our lessons seemed to fall through and there was lots of knocking it was perfect! I had an amazingly tender mercy on Friday starting off with reading an article in this month's ensign about "truth and tolerance" about standing up for your belief while loving and being considerate to others, it was a great article and Heavenly Father really wanted us to put it to practice because as we went out to work that day we talked to lots of people and honestly almost every single one was discussing how our beliefs are false or how we are a cult or their misconceptions on our beliefs. It was a challenge but a very humbling experience as we were able to testify boldly with the spirit of what we believe and how we have come to know and validate their beliefs and experiences. The Lord teaches us in so many ways! The young women are being rockstar missionaries and it was so fun this week to work with them and helping their friends get excited about reading the Book of Mormon with them as a class. We had a ward miracle in regards to one of our investigator's daughter. She has been in the hospital for 3 weeks in a coma for a case of pnuemonia that went toxic, after lots of prayer and one ward fast the outlook was very dim and they were about to prepare a funeral but the prayers continued and as the next ward fast commenced on Wednesday that same morning Elise woke up, she has since gained conciousness and the ability to nonverbally communicate and comprehend it is no longer a case of live or die rather simply how long the recovery will be. Such an amazing example in the power of Christ and in the blessings of fasting, it is real! (Isaiah 59) I was also this week able to go with a recent convert in our ward through the temple for the first time and it was just icing on the cake to just see what this work really means! It put it all into perspective and the spirit was so strong. Many members came to support her and as we were all there, happy, and in white, and loving each other it was such a pure taste of Heaven! The fact that it was my last week really was not hitting me all week, bits and pieces, but it became real on Sunday. We had a jam packed schedule with meetings and appointments but as we were in ward council and to hear the bishop thank me for my service and tell me how much I was able to do for them with tears in his eyes I just knew this was real. I felt such a wonderful feeling of peace and accomplishment! Then the first tears were shed as we sang the closing hymn in relief society, "let us all press on" cause I knew that is what I needed to do, no more being a ward's missionary at church.. The lessons were all wonderful and though it was a little bit of a failing surprize the ward threw me my very first surprize party to wish me farewell.. this ward is so so amazing I love them and will miss them so so much! Then to make the day even crazier we get transfer calls and find out that we are being doubled out to put in elders for logistical reasons.. That is when the real tears came I just bawled thinking of all of our investigators and that I was leaving all this work to people I didn't know and trust bah! but as I thought my mission scripture played through my head, proverbs 3:5-6, and I know without a doubt that this is what this area needs no matter what my hesitancies are! What a great way to seal my time here with the scripture that helped me get here! The ward will probably not be so excited, most likely they are going to freak because we have only had sisters here for 1 year and they love us but all is well! We have an insane day ahead of us and we are just so so excited! Missionary work is the most incredible thing. It is true joy being able to be a representative for Christ to share such beautiful restored truth that God loves us, that He is real, that we have a Savior and a Redeemer to rely on who knows us so much that He can guide and support and provide all that we would ever need! I know with no doubt that the Lord is real, that this is His kingdom on the earth, that we have a Prophet on the earth today and that any and everyone can know these things if they will but read and pray and embrace the truths and strength available in the Book of Mormon. It is all real and I am just not quite finished about 5 more lessons to go today! Thank you for all of your support and prayers I have felt them and appreciate them more than you will ever know! I love yall so very immensely much! Keep Smiling!

with love

Sister Camarella

Januray 28,2013

I think that it is finally starting to hit just what is going to go on in 3 weeks! We had ward conference this week and it was so very amazing! Everything focused on the "garners" it made me really contemplate my purpose as a missionary and I had this overwhelming rush of love for every single one in this area and that I have worked with thus far. It was really amazing another one of those Ammon/Alma moments!The work is good! We are working with two of the youth with some of their friends and helping them be missionaries. After Zone Conference, which by the way I almost died having to role play since I had made it a goal not to have to do that, we were really focused and ready to "thunder" a concept we talked about using the power of the authority we have been given. We had a lesson that night with Tyree and had the most amazing lesson with him! We talked of finding our faith in Christ by following what He invites us to do and as we extended the baptismal invitation I just felt so powerful. Even as he spoke of his concerns I had no doubt I was just filled with this real "power" to be able to promise him blessings and to be able to testify. It was a really neat experience! We are in the process of really trying to find new people to teach and working on our approaches with inspired questions, always a fun process that brings a few blunders but it is good! We are doing our best and that is all that matters! Sister Nielson is still steadily improving she had some milestones in the grieving process this week that were really good for her I think and that makes me really happy! She loves to serve so much it has really taught me how to receive and how to love more and how to be more honest and more trusting! Such a big heart! Funny story we had a dinner appointment that we went to a chinese restruant and this sister is mentally unstable, she is having to take a week off of work and it was amazing to be able to be there for her you could tell she just trusted us and of course sis n got along with her really well she does that with all of the crazies! haha Anyways, that is enough raving for this email, hope you have a great great week! please be safe in the snow! i want to come back to a whole family :) give abby loves for me! i have been missing her this week so excited for those ears! haha love you bunches and bunches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

miss you!

sister c

January 14, 2013

As for me and my week! oh my goodness! with great blessings and power come great great adversity! this week I could say was probably one of the worst or maybe just hardest of my mission.. surprizing to me! There were wonderful highs a great interview with president because I will admit those always freak me out and he said i have grown so much and was doing so so good! We were able to go to the temple on Thursday and that was so very amazing! I learned so much and felt so much peace I was grateful to be able to do that with Sis. Nielson and then not to mention Elder Holland. That was a huge motivator and a ginormous blessing to be able to have my testimony confirmed of his power and his calling. like i told sissy he talked a lot about the RM thing but just also how great this work is.. that we have the responsibility to do what Christ has to get done before he can come again! The spirit was very strong and very encouraging! We also had great lessons with our investigator Tyree, who dispite our lack of teaching skills is progressing and truly coming to know God for the first time in his life, all because of the power of the spirit! Also we had two investigators at church this week! Amazing blessings but on the other hand of those things it was a really really trying week for Sister Nielson and though I tried so so hard to help her she was really really down. As I of course stressed and worried about her my mood was complicated a few times and there were moments I felt I just couldn't do anything more to help her, I was tired. The Lord gave me some very real experiences that allowed me to live even just for a few hours some of the feelings she was feeling for me in my own circumstances and that was a huge eye opener! The Lord truly has placed me here to help her and I have tried to take those experiences that allow me to be a little more sympathetic and understanding of ways to overcome what she is going through. We are taking it a day at a time, usually even an hour at a time and we have high hopes for this next week! I am so so so grateful for the gospel because I know that ALL problems are fixed with faith, repentance, keeping our covenants, and being worthy of and following the spirit. I know that without a doubt! And I am so grateful for that!!! So we are going to keep on! Sister Schwarze wrote me she told me.. "He has to accept our labors or whos Savior is he?" my new moto, that girl is amazing! So thankful for Heavenly Father giving her to me as a trainer!! Hope all is well for you! Thank you for everything! I love you lots and lots! hope that you can share this with sissy and papa! miss you have love you lots and lots!

with love
sister camarella 

12/24/2012 Merry MerryChristmas

happy happy Christ's birth!!!! i apologize for lack of blog updates but as of late things are going fabulously!! Sister Nielson and I are now together.. still in San Pedro ward and loving it! This ward is so so amazing! They take so much good care of us and my companion is a hoot! We are a match made in heaven.. literally.. we have lots of fun together which has helped make this the best Christmas ever!! I love being a missionary at Christmas time! We have seen wonderful miracles and have been able to go caroling lots and sharemormon.org/christmas with everyone.. As of this week we had an amazing experience.. Friday morning we had a service appointment fall through so as we were changing to our back up plan we headed to a woman's apartment that we had talked to a few weeks ago, she didn't answer so we were walking to another building to go and knock and we see this lady sitting up on her porch.. we start a wonderful conversation with her, she knows a few people in the church and we discussed our various Christmas traditions.. we asked if we could come and visit her again and she said no but as she spoke she started crying and she told us that she needed our visit.. she needed our visit more than we would ever know and she we so kind and gracious.. she is going through a lot in her life right now and so we ran upstairs and gave her a hug and our number and the next day dropped off a wrapped Book of Mormon for her with a scripture to read.. it was such a simple moment in time but it was where God needed us to be and I absolutely love those moments the little things! They are so precious.. her story is still unwritten and I will follow up if I am able to be a part of more of it but it was one of my highlights of the week! I have really been thinking a lot on one of the thoughts that was shared at the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional this month about the importance of receiving.. that sometimes we can get wrapped up.. in a good way but nonetheless, in always being the one to serve or to give like Christ did but something just as important and true that He did was to receive.. He allowed his feet to be washed, he welcomed all that wanted to serve him and in today's world we sometimes have too much of an "independence kick" when we are here to rely on one another.. there are blessings received both for the giver as well as with the receiver.. we were talking with a member this week and she had learned this principle in a difficult way when her youngest daughter died and as people offered to serve her and her family she realized that principle.. that receiving is a way we show our love for God, especially when we take the time and humble ourselves to receiving the most important thing.. HIM! Our Savior! He wants us to receive Him and all His strength and all His comfort and all His help and understanding and hope and peace! Ah! It is such an incredible thing and we get a whole month to celebrate it and rededicate ourselves to receiving Him! Just some of the thoughts I have had this month on the season! We had an epic Christmas conference this week! So so so odd to be one of the few old sisters in the mission and to get to see all my old companions! Esspecially Sister Alfaro, I hadn't seen her since June so it was a great reunion and yes I did actually sing  in front of everyone.. I have finally acknowledged my love of singing and having that as one of my talents so that is one of my new goals to actually learn how to read music so I can sing more.. haha.. no one complained at the conference so i am guessing it is not a bad thing! haha.. we also got to carol at the Alamo again this year! Another fun adventure, so so many people were there and as I was out in the crowd taking pictures everyone was asking me what choir we were with.. I proudly told him that we were simply missionaries spreading the gospel! :) Oh and most exciting news ever ever ever! Remember Fred.. from Uvalde the investigator who in August set a baptismal date for Dec. 22.. well it really happened he was baptized Saturday and I was so so so so excited to hear it!!!!! Jumped for joy a few times that man is incredible! Oh and another thing I wanted to share that i thought was neat.. one of Sister Nielson's siblings shared it with her.. the meaning of fear.. False Expectations Appearing Real.. so profound and so great.. the only expectations we need to think about are God's expectations.. not ours or our friends.. just some of my random thoughts and happenings.. will promise to be better at updating yall with the TSAM epicness.. I love yall so so much and hope that this season has been wonderful! Soak it up and enjoy the snow for me! Keep smiling!!!!!! miss yall

with love 

sister camarella  

November 5,2012

The work here in San Pedro is wonderful! We are working really hard at finding those who are ready to accept the gospel but we saw so many miracles this week of how the Lord works in His children's lives! There are a lot of single older sisters in this ward and as we were out working this week we were able to simply bless several of them with a answered prayer and an acknowledgement that they were loved. During a dinner appointment as I offered the closing prayer I simply prayed that the sister's new job this week would go well and after we got up to leave she looked at me and sincerely thanked me telling me that is exactly what she needed! I have the greatest testimony of how powerful specific and heartfelt prayer can be! Another sister going through a divorce just needed our friendship and support as she received a blessing from the bishop. The simple things are so powerful! The greatest miracle we saw this week was Ryan. Ryan is a man that in this recent week lost everything! He is currently out of work and home and has been beaten by thoughts of shame unworthiness. By the hand of God we were blessed to receive a phone call from him asking for our help. By entire God's design we were able to meet up with him with a set of elders in our district and had one of the most powerful lessons! We testified that he was a son of God that God loved him, he prayed the most sincere prayer of humility and pleading. We left not knowing if we would ever see him again but praying that he would be able to make it to church. Then two days later still praying for him back down in the same area, mid prayer i look over and there he is on the steps of a building another sign of God's love for him. We went over to see him and just told him that he was an answer to our prayers and he saw hope and more perspective on his circumstance. We were able to arrange for the sisters of a different ward to meet him and have another lesson and throughout this week just the light in his eyes, the hope that he has been able to receive and the knowledge that God sent his representatives to help him is amazingly apparent! It is the best feeling to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord! I don't know what the end of Ryan's story is but I know that God loves him and that we were blessed to be able to tell him that! The work is good!!!!!!! Hope all is well where you are! God is aware of you! Keep smiling and keep praying!!

with lots of love,

Sister Camarella

October 15, 2012

This week felt like a crazy whirlwind but I loved every bit of it! Leaving an area is so hard but amazing things are happening and are in store for Uvalde and I know that they are in good hands, Sister Jesperson is amazing! I was really nervous to find out where I was headed but the verdict is......... San Pedro Ward right north of my first area! It is semi similar but more well off than a lot of the parts we normally worked in. The ward here is fantastic! So ready and willing to serve and help out they love the missionaries and there are a bunch of older single sisters and those are always a favorite of sister missionaries because they are just so sweet! We did a service project for one of them.. Sis. Tatsch and cleaned up her crazy overgrown backyard. First time ever using a gas weed wacker, those things are intense but it was so so fun even if my arm is still sore. :) There is lots of work to do in this area and we are really excited to get to it! Going out with a lot of faith and a lot of energy we were blessed tremendously to see beautiful miracles like having the first man we knock into being Victor, this sweet younger guy who has been searching for God and studying for awhile now. It was entirely inspired that we stopped by when we did and the next day when we actually got to teach him he just ate up the Book of Mormon and was so excited to learn more! Also one of the investigators the sisters were teaching before had hit a rough patch and they weren't sure how to move forward but we met with her this week and were able to figure out her concerns.. she is incredible. And also a former investigator that had dropped us a few months ago we were asked to stop by from the ward mission leader.. i love inspired leaders.. at first it seemed we were unwanted he left to do to the store we talked to his kids for a bit and headed to the car.. as we did he drove back and pulled over to us and asked us when we could come back.. time is a very precious thing and I know that God has timing for everything. It was a huge tender mercy and hopefully this is Jessie's time to fully accept the wonderful blessings of the gospel! I am so excited for this next transfer great things are in store.. Sis. Fritz my new companion is from Florida and worked at disney world for two years before her mission.. that is a pretty good indicator of how much fun we will have togther :) all is well! love yall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

with love sis camarella

October 8, 2012

Oh my goodness what an incredible week! It was a little slow during the week, sadly Sister Jesperson was hit hard by the flu going around down here and so a lot of the time we were inside the house helping her get better which means lots of time to think and lots of time to do other random tasks I never seem to have the time to do.. even got to journaling after procrastinating it till the very end! We got to teach a few lessons though when she was feeling up to it.. Robert loves the plan of salvation, Bro. Ruiz' life is completely changing through the gospel overcoming his depression and just feeling so much love he deserves! The real miracles happened along with conference and though that isn't surprising because it has so much power.. what was wonderfully surprising was at the end of the first session who walks in??? Jean!! She made it! Complete miracle and working of God! All starting with us being able to take sister yanelli to a lesson Friday morning.. she had us stop at HEB for some cat food and while she was in there who did she run into.. Jean! She invited her to conference since we have not been able to be in contact with Jean because of her husband's wishes. So with that invitation, Jean made it! We went out for lunch us and some members.. she was glowing and I think that is my favorite thing as a missionary seeing people be and feel loved and being able to make new friendships! It didn't end there Sunday she was there the whole time.. we had a family style lunch all together. One of the sisters in the ward, two of the people we have been working with to get back into the church and then two of our investigators.. all there laughing and talking about the gospel and the talks. It was one of the highlights of my time here just success! Talked to Tom before the last session.. he has been struggling with the idea of prophets and apostels so i asked him about it and after one of his distant answers and asking again "do you feel these are men of God?" he looked at me and sincerely said "yes, i really do" you could see in his eyes it was a realization for him.. an acknowledgement of the testimony he has been building and gaining.. it was beautiful! The work is so good here and sadly that is how it is going to end at least for my stay here. I am getting transferred wednesday and it seems surreal but i am excited for what is ahead even though I love love love love this place and these people! Wasn't conference amazing!!!!!!??????!!!! it was truly evident that the theme of God's message for us at this time is love and discipleship. God just wants us to keep going.. to endure.. to know how much we are loved and with all of that he just wants us to be happy! it is all so good! i hope yall will do a good job of taking the answers you received and implementing them to your life.. more happiness is waiting.. :) haha i love yall you are wonderful! Thank you for all the love and the prayers of support! i feel them! missionary work is THE BEST!!! 

keep smiling!

with love 

Sister Camarella