Goodbyes & Valentines

Picture this, it's 9PM, a dark Saturday night and the rain is pouring. Hermana Doyle and I are running to our car and driving (safely and not making right hand turns on lights with signs that read "No turn on red") to our apartment. We get to the apartment, it's 9:15PM and we are sprinting to the leasing office. 9:20PM, we are now soaking wet and sitting in the leasing office loading our emails for the transfer board. Every Saturday before a transfer around 9:20-9:30 we get an email of a document with pictures of all the missionaries in our mission with the transfer changes. Investigators and members are waiting for texts from us letting them know if I am leaving Little River or not. We see the email, open it, it's loading... Hermana Doyle and I gasp. Hermana Tapia and Hermana Dolye get one more round together in Little Rio!!! That's right, no transfers for us! We both freaked out and hugged. I am so relieved!

It was a fun week, Valentine's Day we went around heart attacking doors or ward members and investigators and visited people we knew would be lonely on that day. It was funny cause all of our married investigators canceled on us that day when they realized it was Valentines and we had two lessons that night with people that were both.. well... single. I felt so happy and so much love that day as I got to feel and testify of the Savior and his perfect love and sacrifice. I have found on my mission that I only want to love the way Christ does. In a way that is selfless, perfect and asks for nothing in return. I want to testify to you all about His love and the love of our Heavenly Father. They love us so much that they gave us the fullness of the gospel to bless us and help us love others and to more profoundly feel their love. The essence of the gospel really is love. This was my favorite Valentine's Day ever!

Speaking of selfless love, our investigator Banana is getting baptized March 3rd so this week we had a Noche de Hogar with her family and the family in our ward that basically adopted her. It was such a great time. We played a Plan de Salvacion board game and explained about what happens after death. I am so attached to that family. They are so kind and loving towards me and I feel so at home with them. They really are such a great example to Banana and love her like family and took her in even though they aren't related. Having been in that position before I can really say I have so much love and respect for people that do that. Just love and accept people in need. That is Christlike love!

Sad news, Queen is going back to Mexico this week so we had one last dinner with her and her roommate we are also teaching. It was sad but we really enjoyed our time with her and are so grateful for her. We were all very emotional saying bye but we all agreed to have a reunion in Mexico some day! I am grateful for the friendships I have made and for the impact others have had on my life. 

Minnie and Mickey's baby got blessed in Sacrament Meeting yesterday and it was such a beautiful blessing. I thought about all the blessings that baby boy is going to receive being born into the church and having parents with a testimony of it. It reminded me of something my teacher in the MTC said, he said "Your most important investigators in your life will be your children". That really impacted me because I totally agree. To know that I am responsible for helping my children understand and gain a personal testimony of the gospel is really overwhelming but that I can take what I learned here on my mission and be able to love them with the Christlike love I learn about here.

I love the gospel so much and learn so much every week. I'm grateful for my Savior and the love He has for me that helps me love and understand others. I am going to the temple again this week cause my favorite former less-active that we found my second transfer is going to get her endowments (I will explain more next week about that) and she asked us to come since we helped her come back to church and prepare her to enter so I will share more next week but I will still be emailing on Monday!

Los quiero mucho! Chau!

Hermana Tapia

The "Boo-Joint" Transfer 🚔

¡Hola queridos!

Let's start with an explination of the weird subject line. Shall we? A few weeks ago we were teaching with a great young man in our ward who is also probably the funniest person I have ever met. He tells us about his plans for the next few years and mentions a young woman in our ward. We ask if he has a crush on her to which he responds, "Yeah, she's my boo-joint." My comp and I were like UH your WHAT?!?!? Turns out its a nickname for girlfriend or boyfriend the youth say now a days. I don't know if it's an east coast thing but I died! Also kinda made me feel like I live under a rock and am so old and out of the loop haha!

This transfer has been filled with awesome members bringing their "boo-joints" to church that we get the privilege of teaching! Nefi, Kat, Minnie & Mickey, and we met MORE this week. An amazing young couple! I'll call them Candice and Jeremy. Candice is a member but has been inactive for many years and Jeremy is her boyfriend who is from El Salvador and is interested and in the church. We are teaching him and they are just incredible. They have made mistakes, just like we all do but are looking to change their lives. I really respect and have come to love them so much and we have built such a strong bond in just one week of knowing each other. We met with them twice this week and they are so great and so ready for the gospel! During correlation meeting the elders talked about how they too have been finding lots of couples as Valentine's Day approaches so we officially named this the "Boo-joint month" hahaha! We are really feeling the love this Valentine's Day!

I have never talked about a particular investigator that has just been on fire this transfer, we will call her Gualtemalteca (she's from Guatemala, I'm very creative... lol). I have been teaching her since my 1st transfer but this transfer she has been so awesome! She has been coming to church with her family, coming to the activities, reading and praying. She is actually ALSO a boo-joint. Hahaha! Her husband was a less active (I say "was" cause he's not anymore, he has come back since Guatemalteca started coming and he's also SO great). Gualtemalteca has made a big impact in my time here in Little River. She is such a special person. Her father passed away Wednesday morning. SO after my wisdom tooth check up (everything is great!) We rushed over to her house. Some hermanos gave Guatemalteca a blessing and we got to sing her a hymn, "Más Cerca Dios de Tí". I will never forget holding her in my arms as she cried and we sung it to her. It's been a emotional few days because President Huntsman's father passed away last week so I have been thinking a lot about life after death and the Plan of Salvation. It reminded me of the death of my family member a couple months ago that was so hard on me. That experience really helps me testify with power of the Plan of Salvation and I swear I feel my family member there with me when I testify of it. I know it's real. If any of you have questions about it, PLEASE email me about it! 

DJ's son is here from Bolivia!!! They took us out for donuts one morning and he is so great and is really a huge motivation for DJ we are so excited! I am just so glad he has his son. I added a picture of us!

Also a WONDERFUL investigator was baptized this week. He was in our area but then we split the area with the Elders and we had to pass him over to them :( But I love him and his wife so much, she is also Hermana Tapia except from Bolivia. His baptism was so spiritual and I am so glad we got to attend. Hermana Tapia is also a members to there you have it, ANOTHER Boo-joint. They are everywhere. I'll include a picture of us at his baptism!

I got to translate at stake conference this week. It was raining so much this week that the power went out and so conference got postponed from 10AM to 12PM. We got news that the power came back on and minutes before the conference started and we were all seated the power goes out AGAIN! Our stake president got up and said conference would still go on. So we all squeezed together and sat as close to the front as possible so we could hear the speakers. Picture this, no microphone, in the darkness sitting in the sacrament room and now, no translation! It was hilarious! Our stake president was the first speaker and guess what his talk was on, light and darkness in our lives! Hahahaha! It was perfect for his talk because he talked about how we can literally feel the darkness when we aren't close to the savior. Then he read 

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

And guess what, right after reading that THE POWER COMES BACK ON AND THE LIGHTS TURN BACK ON!!! Everyone gasped and even the stake president jumped a little haha! So there you have it, He is literally the light of the world (and of our stake center).

WOW this is the last week of the transfer with Hermana Doyle... IT FLEW BY. We have seen an infinite amount of Miracles and my testimony has been so strengthened because of lessons and people this week that I can truly say I cannot ever deny this gospel. I absolutely know it is all true. I know it with all my heart. That confirmation first came to me as a 14 year old when I kneeled after reading the Book of Mormon for the first time and praying to know if it was true but has constantly been confirmed throughout my life.

Transfer board comes out Saturday and I have NO IDEA what is going to happen. I'm also terrified and NOT ready to leave Little River so please pray for me. News on that will be next week!

I'm adding this at the end for those of you that read my whole email or at least scan through it. (All 4 of you) I have a confession to make... I got pulled over by a cop this week. FOR MY FIRST TIME AND AS A MISSIONARY!!!! Hahaha let me explain why I'm innocent! Se were just cruising probably jamming to Vocal Point when out of NOWHERE a cop comes up behind me and flashes his lights. Confused I check my speed and am going the speed limit! Also, may I add that every single missionary car has a device called TIWI that records our driving and annoyingly says, "Check your speed" every time we go like 5 over the speed limit. TIWI didn't say anything. So I of course, pull over and the cop kindly tells me that he watched me make a right hand turn on a red let that had a sign that read "No right hand turn on red". I apologize of course and I promise you all I did not see that sign and it was like 8:10 and its pitch black here at that time and street lights are nonexistent in 60% of Alexandria... SOOOO... But anyways, the cop was so funny and cool and got my license and registration and told me people miss the sign all the time and let me go without a ticket. He actually caught Hermana Doyle and I taking selfies with the lights and asked if he could be in our snapchat... I forgot snapchat was a thing hahaha! I was all, "NO, this is for my weekly email" and we talked about how we are missionaries and he thought it was so cool! 

Well, another week has come and gone. On the 16th it will be my 6 month mark so I am already 1/3 of the way done and I feel like i just got here last month... I'm trying to soak up every minute of it like its my last transfer! Love you people, que tengan una semana súper linda and enjoy Valentines Day even if you don't have a boo-joint. ;) Jajaja!

Con amor,

Hermana Tapia

A Few Words of "Wisdom"

Hello people! It's Hermana Tapia again -4 teeth!

I have to apologize, I'm too embarrassed to send you any videos Hermana Doyle took of me after I woke up from surgery Wednesday cause I was very strange and emotional. But here's a couple things I did shortly after waking up from my wisdom teeth removal. I have zero memory of any of this:

• I asked Sister Huntsman if she was rich.
• Woke up and asked if I could call Taggart so he could pick me up.
• Got emotional as I was asked about my testimony of Joseph Smith. And described him as a "really wonderful and brave guy". 
• Sung a lot of hymns.
• Cried about one of our recent converts who is struggling.
• Confessed who my favorite investigator is. (Nefi) 
• Cried when Sister Huntsman talked about the new mission president coming in July and I told her how much I would miss her. She held my arm as I cried the whole way home hahaha! She's so sweet.
• Cried some more, cried a lot.
• Told Hermana Doyle to get over her crush.
• Walked out of the car as we were waiting for my prescription. Hermana Doyle may or may not have had to run after me.
• Tried to "preach the gospel" to the workers at subway when I went in to go to the bathroom. Hermana Doyle had to pull me away and explain to them that I had just gotten out of surgery.
• Recorded a video of myself describing my experience ending in "the name of Jesus Christ" and took selfies.

That was an adventure I don't mind having no memory of! Hahaha! But honestly I healed SO quickly and I felt zero pain the whole week, there was no swelling, not much bleeding and Hermana Doyle is an angel and took such good care of me. Love her. Really though, the Lord blessed me with amazing people I was back out working hard by Friday. We were also working so hard the time we were indoors, we got to organize a lot and call people we haven't been able to hear from in a while and it brought so many miracles! We ended up finding the record of a man who was taught in 2015 and he was so excited to hear from us. He said he had lost contact with the missionaries a while ago and missed the lessons, we are meeting him this week!

Here's a few random lessons I learned this week:

• Getting your wisdom teeth out is not that bad! Worst part by far was the IV, I almost passed out when they mentioned the IV. I don't do shots.
• The best time to get them out is when you're surrounded by amazing people that love you and take care of you till you get better. (Bless Hermana Doyle, Aunt Karry, Sister Huntsman and my ward's hearts.) 
• Focus on Christ and you will never fall. 

Here's a little more on that last one, Tuesday night I started dance classes for the primary girls. I love children, the gospel and dance so much so all 3 combined was great! We had the girls bring friends and it was such a fun class! One of the visitors volunteered to say the opening prayer and asked us to visit her parents so she could come back to church Sunday so... EXITÓ! But as I was preparing for the class I was thinking of ways to tie gospel principles in. I was preparing basic turns for the across the floor sequence. Dance hack: the secret for not getting dizzy when doing turns and pirouettes is spotting. If you keep your eyes on one object it's prevents dizziness and loss of balance. So to teach this I taped pictures of Jesus Christ onto the wall and had the girls keep their eyes on Jesus as they turned! They loved It! I later tied in the scripture where Peter is walking on the water with Christ and starts to fall when he looks away from him and explained how we need to always focus on Jesus Christ so we don't fall; literally and metaphorically. It was fun to get to be a dance teacher again for a day. The primary presidency and the mom's were so excited about it that they asked if this could become a regular activity so I am PUMPED! It's so fun to think of creative ways of sharing my testimony of Jesus Christ and all He has done for me. Here's some cute pictures from dance class! (I'm prepared for the jokes about me being the size of a primary girl.)

Winter: I said bye to my sweet Winter Friday night. We went over, played a card game Aunt Karry sent me, shared one last message, took some pictures and said goodbye. It was sad to say the least. I care so much about that little girl and was worried she wouldn't get the support she needed in California. Well, yesterday I texted her dad asking if he could send us their California address so we could send the missionaries ASAP. Turns out the missionaries had already knocked on their door! Without us sending over any information! Winter's dad could not believe it, he thought we had sent them. Phew, of course Winter is in good hands, she is in the hands of her loving Father in Heaven. I will miss that spiritual giant of a girl.

One last thing!!! I had my favorite Mexican soup in the world Tuesday before my surgery. Our less active from mexico (who is no longer less active!) Found out I love Pozole and was getting my wisdom teeth out so she invited us over for Pozole the day before my surgery and I had more bowls of it than I am willing to admit. If this isn't love I don't know what is. I was in heaven.

Wow this email was all over the place, sorry! Just glad to be back out and working hard! Love you all, have a wonderful week!

Hermana Tapia

Do You Even Lift Bro?

¡Hola!

This week was good but we are having lots of investigators flake on us, stop progressing and drop us so its been kind of hard. It got to the point that I became frustrated not knowing if I was doing all I could for these people. There are just not enough hours in the day and I seem to always fall short and don't do enough. We had exchanges on Wednesday and I was talking about this with my STL Sister Cook. She shared that often times she felt the same way and she was so hard on herself as well. She shared with me a motto she lives by. Its, "Do you even lift bro?" Because at the end of the day what truly matters is if we uplifted our investigators, members and companions. That's all we can really do, the rest is up to them. When we lift others it's kind of like lifting weight off of our own shoulders too. As I have focused on simply uplifting everyone I come in contact with I have found peace, simplicity and joy in the work. (This is also the subject line cause my arms are WAY soar still from our Spanish goal.)

I don't have much time and I wrote like 4 days ago so basically here's the 411:

• Wisdom teeth come out Wednesday morning so pray for me cause I am also sick with a cough and runny nose. 
• Investigators are progressing and I love them.
• Winter moves to California this week :(
• DJ's son is moving here from Bolivia and I am SO PUMPED cause he is also interested and we have a good feeling DJ's son is going to help him change and be better!
• Hna Doyle and I almost ran out of Target cause Despacito came on and we forgot how catchy it is.
• A less active from Mexico is making me pozole tomorrow (my favorite soup in the WORLD) and I am way too excited for it.
• My dance classes for the primary girls start tomorrow night and I am so excited.
• Hermana Doyle is the best compa in the world and also one of my best friends, she is the best example to me and so patient! Hoping that patience rubs off on me.
• Still love the Lord, Virgina and the people here.

¡EL TEMPLO!
Guys I love the DC temple with all my heart! I already miss it. We got to do an endowment session Thursday morning. A lot of Hermanas were there and we got to take Queen and two Hermanas from our ward. I really cannot compare the spirit felt in the temple to anything else. There is this peace and love that I feel that I just can't find anywhere else. Before coming on my mission I attended the temple every week and I definitely have missed it. I remember distinctly going to the temple for the first time when I was 15. I went with my best friends, young women's leader and the Elder's that taught me. As we were leaving one of the temple workers turned to me and asked me if it was my first time in the temple. I enthusiastically responded by nodding my head and smiling. He said, "Well come back soon because this is YOUR castle." As I went constantly and got my endowments in that very temple I quickly came to realize that it really is MY castle. I know that the temple is the house of the Lord and that as I strive to live worthy to enter I have felt this sense of belonging and joy. My wish is that all can enter and my goal is to be sealed for all eternity in there one day!

Love you all, adios!

Con amor,
Hermana Tapia