September 24, 2012

apologies.. I have no time this week and thus i cant even begin to describe all of the incredible miracles and blessings we have had this week.. great loud and crazy hispanic family parties, the power of primary kids singing primary songs, seeing two youth that have way too much on their plate find solace and peace in attending mutual and seeing the temple for the first time!, a man who has been away from the church for awhile stepping up to the call of an assignment and bearing beautiful testimony, seeing robert come to church for the first time and being so excited, getting to do crafts with a sweet sister, being able to draw again while serving Bro. Ruiz, persevering through opposition of sickness, inspired dinner messages that touch members hearts.. The Lord is good! Things are going really really well! I love this work and I love yall hope you have a beautiful week and get to see all the miracles in your own lives.. keep smiling!
with love
sister camarella

September 17, 2012

Wow.. another week has flown by but yet I feel as though there is so much to tell! Amazing things are happening here in Uvalde! One of which is how I somehow ended up getting a pedicure by a man to start the week off.. haha awkward? most definately.. surprising? not for how my life goes haha but that is another story! We had an awesome zone meeting that was just full of inspiring goodness including a training my companion and I did that included watching 12 different missionaries sprint for a finish line, i love object lessons :) We were blessed to survive a trip to Utopia where we lost cell service and came really close to running out of gas in the middle of no where and successfully dodged all dear on the drive home in the dark which really is a miracle for two sisters who are night weak and near-sighted :) We got a down pour of rain which has made contacting and working just so pleasant! I love fall weather! Heavenly Father was busy working miracles to touch people's hearts this week as we received a message from a young man we had contacted a few weeks ago who realized he wanted what we had a needed a change in his life. It is the spirit that does amazing things in God's timing even after we leave that I am just amazed by each day that I am here! We also were led to work on this one street this week since we had contacted this woman who lived there but were unable to get the house #. So we decided to knock till we find her.. no big deal that the street is 15 blocks long haha anyways.. had broken it up over a few days and last night as we were walking and talking Sis. Jesperson said something to the effect of "we should have gotten her address this is hopeless, we were wrong" I felt differently as though God had a plan for us.. and He did! No lie the next house we arrive at we talk to this man, I was inspired to ask him about his family and if they do family prayer together. We offered to have one with them and as we visited with them and got to know them we come to find out that they have met with other sets of missionaries 3 times in the past in different areas and that at this point they are trying to get back on track.. we share a wonderful prayer with them and are invited back and the sweet words of the mother "I truly feel that God sent yall to us tonight for a reason, we needed this" just melted my heart! God really is in charge of this work! I love it! So amazing miracles and rewards mixed with lots of stress this week! Tom has been working on receiving his answers and this week we were really worried on making sure he was ready to have his interview and to be baptized next week. We met with him multiple times and each time there was just a mix of things, confusion on the highest level. We really pondered and prayed this week about what he needed and where his testimony is at since during our conversations it is sometimes unclear. We ultimately took the eternal perspective and relied on the spirit knowing that in all reality the date doesn't matter it is whether he is ready. So we decided together that he would wait, even though he is willing to take it all on faith, and live all the commandments, and has his desire.. he just isn't there yet.. it hurt. Being a representative of Christ this week was humbling, I felt the huge weight of love and concern and pain for my brother that Christ feels everyday. I was drained after that lesson. Emotionally, Spiritually, Emotionally.. but I felt peace! This work is good! It is of God! I love it so so much! Give cheerfully, Give bountifully and receive it in return! 2 cor. 9:6-7.. i love you all! hope yall have a wonderful week! Keep smiling! Say your prayers! 
with lots and lots of love
sister c

September 3, 2012

okay family this is what is sad.. my entire brain has now been contained in something called a missionary planner and with a new transfer i only have the new one so last week's happening's are a little blurry but i will try and remember some highlights!

1.. Belia and her family!!! Paulo went basketball with the youth and loved it!!! he came home and told his mom he wants to be mormon and then at our lesson jessica his sister said she wanted to be too and then Belia and Sis. Alardin from the ward completely hit it off it was amazing and something i thought was hilarious..

sis alardin's mom has been meeting with missionaries but is holding on to her catholic background.. so she is now a "mocah" a mormon catholic.. haha love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Tom is doing amazing, life does exist without coffee in the morning! haha

3. Fred came to church and loved it, he is just so intuned!

really.. i can not think of all of the things and i dont want to take more time from the wonderful family of the christensens so i hope you will just take my word that the work is amazing and i am stoked to be in Uvalde.. i love these people!!!!!!!!!!! learning so much studying the atonement! All we have to do is be humble! God loves you all and i love you all almost as much! You are wonderful! Keep smiling!!!!!!!!

With love..

Sister Camarella

August 20,2012

Too little time today apologies! The week was wonderful! Had an awesome miracle just last night.. my companion has been under the weather this weekend and thus we stayed in a few days for her and we had a lesson scheduled with LeAnna and Andy a family that we have been teaching. Sis. Jesperson had enough strength to make it to the lesson and as we begin LeAnna just starts talking and talking and talking and both of us worry that the lesson won't happen but after an inspired question the entire mood changed. The spirit came and we were able to introduce them to the Book of Mormon. This family is so amazing, they are really hesitant afraid of changes and going out of the "catholic box" their entire family is apart of and the lifestyle changes it will require. As we taught them you could just see their hearts being softened and this desire to read and learn from the pages of the scriptures just grow it was amazing and such a tender mercy! I love the Lord! Not only them but another girl we just started teaching is also not familiar at all with the scriptures and how to learn and read them and as she has started to read the Book of Mormon she is gaining so much peace and her faith is growing so much! Fred is now studying the Bible the Book of Mormon and the Gospel Principles book for church every day and is loving it! The scriptures truly answer all of our questions! I LOVE THEM!  I hope yall have a fabulous week and I will write more next week!

with lots of love..

Sister Camarella

August 13, 2012

What a crazy busy week! I feel like so much has happened and with it lots of miracles.. Where to start.. we learned a great lesson about prayer this week. We had planned to visit Bro. Ruiz with a sister in our ward but last minute she needed to cancel so we ended up meeting with him outside and at that time the sun was just at the spot of beating down on Bro. Ruiz at the table we were sitting. He is so sweet and eager to learn more he just contently listened but seeing his discomfort Sister Jesperson said a silent personal prayer for a cloud to help him out from the sun and sooner than a minute later a huge cloud appeared and shaded the table and for that next 30 minutes it dropped almost like 10 degrees.. amazing! Heavenly Father does answer prayers and it still continues.. so after this experience she told me about we were at another lesson with Fred, outside. Once again just that time of night the sun was beating down on all of us and as we were trying to listen to him and focus on the lesson we were just dying. Remembering the miracle from a few days earilier I decided to say my own silent prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ and waited. Five minutes passes.. Seven.. nothing was happening. As I so badly wanted to listen and focus on the lesson I struggled and thought "well i guess i just don't have enough faith like my companion, i am just defective and he's not going to listen to me" as these thoughts were going through my head I humbled myself and thought of God's will and instead corrected myself and said "no, God did hear me but for some reason He needs the sun out right now, someone in uvalde needs it more than i do and so i can just listen and have this lesson and be okay in the sun and heat"  once i got to this point I felt at peace and continued to try and focus and a few minutes after that the clouds did arrive and they shadded us all! The temp dropped, we had a great lesson and felt the spirit! I was so excited! Not just that He had answered Sister Jesperson's prayer, or my prayer.. but at that moment I realized just how amazing prayer is and as long as we are in line with God's will, are patient and faithful in his timing of our blessings everything is amazing! God wants his work to move forward, He wants his children to know how much He loves them and He will answer their prayers! So amazing! This week we saw miracles with Jean, this woman is facing MAJOR opposition from her husband, she has no support but her love and trust in her Savior is amazing she has no fear and just wants to do what God wants of her! And to add to the power of that lesson we also got to do it at a recent convert's house that bore beautiful testimony of the amazingness of the gospel! I love it so much! We got to have a fun missionary fireside with all the youth on wednesday for their activity and they are so great! It was at one of the ward missionary's houses complete with a real stuffed lion, bear, and giraffe head no biggie :) I wanted it to go so well so I was a little nervous right before and to add to the stress before we were about to start the Bishop comes in to drop off his kids and tells me that i'll be speaking on Sunday in Sacrament meeting and just to kind of wing it talk about missionary work.. well the rest of that week was insane with president interviews and zone conference I had no time to think or plan out what I was going to do till the morning of.. pulling random things together I was able to survive and was so grateful for the power of the spirit and knew that even if I didn't do good no one would know it was me cause on the ward bulletin it said "Sister Camgrella" was the speaker :) haha i love it and so does the whole ward now.. it is my alias as sister ingerson told me! The work is good! I love the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ! Yall are amazing! I love you and hope yall are well! Keep smiling!

with love

Sister Camarella

August 6, 2012

It is insane how fast time flies! Can barely believe it is already August but we are enjoying it even as it get hotter :) This week was so good! Started out with a trip to Del Rio for a surprise P day activity compliments of the elders.. and it was an adventure. We piled into our truck all six of us and they took us to this random old cemetery that ended up not being the right place so they gave us the right directions and we end up just at this huge hill with a cross on top. It was hilarious there we are six missionaries, skirts, ties, and dress pants and we hike up this steep slop hill thing.. the top paid off it was cool to see all around del rio and I got to see Mexico!! woo hoo! we made it down safely thank goodness and then headed back to work.. fun to have a little road trip and the elders are so funny in our district it is awesome.. two of them from round rock got put together and are down here with me on the border and don't worry the tradition of sending awesome made up songs and messages is still alive :) The leg fire ant bite quickly healed at the beginning of the week with the help of some benadryl goodness that stuff is STRONG, thankful I have an awesome companion that takes care of me and helped me just in time to get another bite right on my toe haha it was contained on my toe thankfully! We had a wonderful miracle of knocking into a woman who had been to church before with some of the members in our ward and has a lot of questions.. i love those little miracles because it shows just how aware God is of his children! He makes sure they get they things they need by using the instruments he has and I get to be one it is awesome! Like with Fred, Fred was just prepped and ready to go and so amazing this week the Lord truly showed him just what he needed to hear about a story from the bible from a preacher on a random TV show. He came to church this week and dressed up and just LOVED it! Oh it was so good to see and to hear him talk about the joy and peace he is receiving in his life it was just so true! Jean is doing really well we were able to see her this week and her pure heart she is concerned with some aspects of leaving her catholic traditions but as we spoke with her and explained to her that these things were not to take away anything and that she could still have her "our father" to comfort her in times of need it was like peace and understanding just washed over her and she was relieved! She is so genuine and the power of repentance and the fullness of the gospel are working miracles in her heart! And then Tom! Tom is continuing to do so good.. he has some concerns and is a very meta physical thinker and he's bee struggling a little to stick with the basics, at one of our lessons with him this week he brought an article that had some "out there so called beliefs" of the church he started talking about these questions and doubts and just simply and powerfully Sister Jesperson just looks at him and says.."Tom, what are you expecting out of meeting with us" it was such a simple question but it allowed the spirit to hit his heart and as he pondered and started to explain his true real concerns just surfaced, how he is just in fear of being decieved and just so desirous to have a personal connection with God. It was beautiful and he is amazing! We got to serve Sister Ingerson this week, a sister in our ward and mowed her lawn twice since she had surgery this week.. she is an 80 year old firecracker and I just love her! I love serving the older sisters, it is such a wonderful calling for us as sister missionaries to be able to do that and i am positive one of the reasons we need sister missionaries in the missionary field and not just 19 year old boys :) what a fun calling.. it warms my heart :) Then I can't forget the miracles with Bro. Ruiz a less active brother.. We taught him once with my last companion here and he just wasn't ready he wanted to stick with his other church he had started to attend, we respected that and after about 3 weeks had passed i just felt prompted to stop by and see how he was just to let him know we cared and that was all it took. God knew he needed that time and had prepared him to be ready for the change.. he is so sincere and has lots to work through and learn again since it has been awhile for him since he was baptized and learned everything about the church but he has now been to church twice and is getting involved and that is it.. one major thing that has stuck out to me this week is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer to everything! everything! and if we work with it and do what Christ has established for our help we can get through it.. faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure.. endure one of the most crucial parts.. we are guaranteed happiness :) it is wonderful! ah the gospel is amazing the work is amazing I am learning so much and yes feel a little dumb sometimes for the things i never got before but that is the beauty of it.. it's just a progressive learning process and finding joy and enjoying the ride :) life is beautiful.. hope y'all are smiling, staying happy, and saying your prayers :)
with love
sister camarella

July 23, 2012

This week has officially been insane! So much is going on and so many miracles i have just loved it! Had to say goodbye to Sis. Erickson which was sad. She is so wonderful! Glad we got to see all of our investigators before she left and had some miracle contacts as well! The border run came Wednesday and brought me my new companion Sister Jesperson and I was so excited!! And also two of my favorite elders are also now going to be in our district! Sister Jesperson is from riverside cali and is just so fun! Studying to be and esl teacher and is just an inspiring missionary as well! I love her have loved her since i met her and have always wanted to serve with her.. this entire week we just couldn't get over that we get to be.. scratch that, that we are companions! We have already just had so much fun! First night she was here we hurry off to a first appointment with this sweet woman, with so much faith that just LOVES to talk!! I love those lessons and her cute little daughter and grandson made us all these random prizes.. left there with a necklace, 2 rings, a sticker and a coloring page, and a painted cross for the two of us :) so cute i love kids!! Then at our dinner appointment a hail storm hits us and it was crazy! The hail was the size of golf balls and and such crazy wind and water! The streets just looked destroyed with leaves and branches and luckily we got out with only a few little dents to the truck! The next day we had this amazing first lesson with a dad and daughter i had knocked into last week.. the member we brought was also a little chatty but it totally brought all walls down, we started teaching and as we began to talk about baptism and finding out if these things are true he stops us and tells us that he has been praying and wanting something and just knows that what we have to share is true, that he knows we were sent by God and knows this is right for his family! and then.. in his prayer at the end he thanked Heavenly Father for enlarging his family and oh it was just so sincere and he was so happy! Amazing!! Stopped by Helen's again that night because we were near by.. the kids announced our coming as the " It's the Christ women!" :) Love being a missionary! Tom is doing so well! We taught him about the gospel and just where his faith is at. He has just so much trust it is wonderful and he is really starting to open up to the ward and now just fits in! Then Jean, she is still just on fire and is so ready and wanting to be baptized! At our lesson Thursday she just kept telling us how much this all means to her and how much she wants her family to be able to feel all that she feels and knows. She is simply wonderful! We had the funnest pioneer day activity on Saturday with the ward! Tug of war and chili and just mingling.. i LOVE this ward! So cute and southern.. and oh yes some other funny happenings this week.. dont worry got five more fire ant bites on my hands, who knew they could also live in your kitchen!! :) so had a big puffy hand and achey arm for a few days and then got bit by a dog on the other hand the day after all the bites.. haha i was a mess and to top it off Sister Jesperson is just recovering from some crazy sickness so we were all over the place but it was hilarious and we are excited for what adventures we have yet to have! This week I have just been overwhelmed with the LOVE that God has for us! It is so immense and truly life is just so great! The gospel is so real! It is the way THE way to the promised land.. HEAVEN! ..alma 37last few verses.. The atonement truly covers all we are just here to do our best and to trust in him for the rest! I also got a huge blessing, one of our investigators is going through something insanely difficult.. I have so much love for this man and to see bad things happen to good people it can be so hard, i am grateful to be put in a situation where, even with many tears i can just trust in Christ's mercy and justice and it is so real, so very real! I love being a missionary and sharing that with people and just loving them! All is well! Time is flying! Enjoy it loved ones! Keep smiling and reading your scriptures!
with love
Sister C