God Speaks Every Language

 Buenos días everyone! Just want to remind each of you and love and miss you! Thanks for your support as I serve my mission!

This week, as usual, we saw lots of miracles! Two of our friends, Jesus and Luis accepted a baptismal date! The Spirit was really strong in their lesson and I'm so grateful to get to be a part of this work! Pray for these two as they continue to progress toward their goal!

I just want to say that a huge blessing of being set apart as a missionary and teaching lessons to each of our friends is I feel like I get to know and see them in a way I never would in other circumstances. I get to feel the Spirit in the same room with these individuals and help them as they share personal life stories and demonstrate so much faith as they choose to seek out religion! And I truly feel like God has helped me feel such a deep love for each person we teach. I know that the love I feel for them is just the tiniest portion of what God feels for them. And I have a firm testimony that relationships grow to be SO much deeper when individuals feel the Holy Ghost together. That's why family prayers, church services, and sharing personal spiritual experiences with loved-ones is vital! If you're looking to strengthen a relationship in your life, the best advice I can give is find a way to feel the Spirit together!

I had two awesome exchanges this week. The first was with Sister Evans! She is one of the sweetest people ever and she's so chill about everything! We spent a lot of time knocking doors and talking to people, and we saw so many miracles. One thing that was fun about the neighborhood that we were in is that there were quite a few people who only spoke Spanish. When we started talking to them in English and they said they didn't speak, it felt so good to be able to switch over to Spanish and show them that we could still communicate! It's such a good feeling to be able to get to know someone who comes from a completely different culture and language. Learning the languages on my mission has really helped open me to a different perspective on people, and I'm so grateful for that.

I had an exchange with Sister Colletti on Saturday, and it was so fun! She is such a good example to me of a missionary who truly wants to grow and see progress every day! It was fun to be on exchanges again because we did exchanges back when I was in Paso Robles too. We had a day full of miracles and good lessons! For dinner, one of the members took us to a buffet so that was fun. And then we taught English class that night!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

Today I want to share my testimony that Heavenly Father hears and answers ALL of our prayers!

When I started off my mission and I could barely understand Spanish myself, I literally could not wrap my mind around the idea that God could understand what I was saying when I prayed to Him in this new language. I felt the same way as I've been learning Mixteco. Mixteco is so foreign to me that I honestly felt like it had to be fake the first few times I tried speaking to people in it haha. It's a shocking feeling to start recognizing that people are really communicating to each other in another language, when I initally only heard sounds without meaning.

Something I am coming to understand is that God DOES understand me! He understands me perfectly when I pray to Him in English or in any other language. I have felt love and answers come from prayers I've given in English, Spanish, or Mixteco. It really doesn't matter how we're saying something. Our Heavenly Father always does and always will understand us.

I wanted to share this because I know it doesn't just have to do with the language we're speaking! I know that there have been times I've gone to my Heavenly Father in prayer and felt like I didn't know how to express what I was feeling. I've wondered how He could possibly understand. But He doesn't just understand the things we're saying, he understands what we're feeling!

God wants us to pray to Him because He knows it will help US! He already knows us perfectly, and He's just so proud of us for putting in our effort to communicate with Him!

I know we can feel God's love in any language! My invitation for you all is to listen to a church-related song in a different language this week! The Spirit speaks in all tongues.

I love you all!

-Hermana DeMordaunt

Surprise Temple Trip

 Helloooo everyone!! I hope you all had the besst week ever! This week was really busy, but it was so good! AND happy Father's Day (yesterday) dad! Love you so much!

This week we had a TEMPLE TRIP which was awesome! We got to go to the LA temple, and that temple is absolutely gorgeous! It's also huge!! I am so grateful for the temple and the opportunity I had to remember the covenants I've made with my Heavenly Father. I know that temples are little gateways to Heaven and can help us feel closer to God and remember our potential. It was such a good temple session and we had an awesome devotional after with President and Hermana Rodriguez!

On Friday, I had exchanges with Hermana Cox! We saw so many miracles. I went into that day a little nervous because we had so much to get done in our area, and it was my first time leading out this area. I tried to pray a lot for miracles, and they definitely do come! Partway through the day, I was wondering how everything was going to work out. We really needed members to join us in a lesson later that evening, and no one seemed available. It felt like we'd literally called every possible option. We were sitting in the church parking lot, and I just prayed to Heavenly Father that things could work out. There just so happened to be a family from the English ward fixing up their RV in the church parking-lot, and Hermana Cox said that they sometimes joined the Spanish missionaries for lessons. We felt like we should walk over and talk to them. It was really awkward because they looked like they were prepping to leave out of town, but when we asked, they said they could join us that night!

That night in the lesson, the members ended up being the PERFECT people for our friends. They helped the lesson run so smoothly and shared powerful, personal testimonies. These friends have been mourning the death of their daughter, who passed away just a few months ago from cancer. She was supposed to graduate high school right after she passed away. They talked to us about how they wondered why God would allow such an amazing person to leave this life so early. It led to such a powerful discussion. Their daughter, Evelyn, was an amazing influence while she was here on earth. She was a strong member of the church and brought her siblings to the church too. Even though her dad and grandpa weren't receptive to the gospel, now that she has passed on, they have been taking lessons with us! It's amazing to see how Evelyn is influencing their lives, even after she passed away. I wish I could explain how amazing that lesson was and how strong the Spirit felt! It was definitely a miracle that it worked out and that we were able to find members to join us just in time.

On Saturday, I had exchanges with Sister Williams! We had lots of fun together! She's amazing and such a hard worker. I love exchanges and getting to know so many incredible people here in this mission. :)

Santiago got the priesthood on Sunday! We're so excited for him! He's an amazing new member of the church, and he's already such a missionary!!

ALSO, shoutout to my comp, Hermana Van Brocklin! It's been so fun to serve with her and she's a huge Christlike example to me! She's the best:)

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT/MIXTECO FUN FACT:

Okay, this week, you get to learn a little more Mixteco.

In Mixteco, the way you say "repentance" is "nda ndiko ini yoo."

The word "nda ndiko" means "to return."

The word "ini" means "inside (of yourself)," so you often use it after you express an emotion or feeling in Mixteco.

I love this word so much in Mixteco, because in the translation basically means you're "returning inside of yourself," or "returning to who you truly are."

I think this is powerful. When we repent, we are asking for forgiveness for the things we do wrong. But it's more than just that! We're being true to our REAL identities! Each of us are children of a Heavenly Father. God loves us and knows us perfectly! We have SO MUCH potential!

When we repent, we're remembering who we are. In this life, there are so many distractions and deviations from our true purpose. But as we continue to correct ourselves and grow closer to the Lord, we "return" and remember our true identities.

My invitation for you all is to make your repentance more meaningful this week! Pray with a desire to change and be TRUE to yourself!

I love you all!

-Hermana DeMordaunt

Miracle Week

 Hey everyone! This week was so good! Full of blessings and miracles!!

On Wednesday, we had an amazing lesson with a friend named Julian! He is the kindest person ever and he seemed a little timid at first with learning, telling us he's never done anything like this before but he wants to grow closer to Christ. The lesson was SO powerful, and it was one of those lessons where I could feel the Spirit working through us. We ended up feeling inspired to invite him to be baptized, and he accepted! I am so grateful because I know that the words that came to Hermana Van Brocklin and I in that lesson came straight from the Lord. He had the words Julian needed to hear, and He was doing His work through us.

On Thursday, we had MLC and it was sooo good! I'm used to having to wake up crazy early and drive 3 hours to get there haha, so it's nice being so close in Oxnard now.

On Saturday, we had an amazing Zone Conference! We talked about how vital it is that we have our own personal conversion. We need to gain a relationship with the Lord ourselves if we truly want to testify of Him.

After Zone Conference, Santiago was baptized!!!! It was an incredible baptism! Setting up was a little stressful because some people had rented the church building for a wedding that we were unaware of So we were worried Santiago would be getting baptized with dance party music in the background. But it all ended up going really smoothly and we couldn't hear music so that was good! After his baptism and after his confirmation on Sunday, he shared a beautiful testimony. He talked about how he had felt like the lost sheep, the 1 out of 99, and how he had been found. He talked about how God brought him to the right church after lots of prayers and searching. He thanked the missionaries for all they do and testified of the difference they're making, and the difference that the missionaries he had met back in Guatemala made in his life, even though he wasn't baptized at that point. He even bore his testimony about how grateful he was that there was a wedding going on at the same time in the church. He said it was exciting because 2 super important events were happening in the same building! It was so sweet and I'm so grateful that as a missionary I get to meet people like Santiago.

On Sunday, one of our new friends, Jose Luis, came to church! I have to bring it up because even though it didn't seem like it would be too big of a deal for him, it was a huge step in his life! He said that he had never attended a church before and never wanted to, but that day he just knew he needed to. He didn't have a car and had to get a ride from one of the members, so he was nervous and said he had to trust us a lot, but once he was there, he said he felt so good and he was glad he came! It made me so thankful that he took that leap of courage and came to church for the first time!

Something really awesome about being companions again with Hermana Van Brocklin is that we've both been working at learning the Mixteco language, and we have been able to truly see the gift of tongues more manifest even just over this past week. Hermana Van Brocklin said she feels like so far this transfer we've had the chance to teach in Mixteco more than normal, and that it feels like God is allowing miracles as we work to use the language. It's been fun to be able to communicate with people who can't speak much spanish, and it was awesome because a lot of them said they understood us really well! One even asked how long we'd been learning the language and was shocked by the way we spoke. I know that the Lord is blessing us because He needs His children to feel His love and hear His message. As these people learn in their native tongue, I know the power of the Holy Ghost will bless their lives so much.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

This week I want to share another quote I love!

"Repentance is not just about stopping doing the wrong things, its about starting to do the right things!"

I love you all!

-Hermana DeMordaunt

included in the photos below are Santiago's baptism, English class, and museum and volleyball activities

Oxnarddd

 Buenos días everybody!! So much has changed this last week! I am now on Oxnard!!! With Hermana Van Brocklin again! We're sooo excited to be back together again! It's the second time I've gone back to an old comp, so I guess my comps just love me extra

I am definitely going to miss Paso Robles! I absolutely loved the people there and the area is so beautiful. I guess the one plus about leaving is that I heard it gets CRAZY hot there in the late summer, so at least I won't be burning up there. But WOW I love our friends there and I'll definitely miss them and Hermana Moon. Two of our friends, Fernanda and Nichole, decided to make a goal for a baptismal date this coming month in our lesson together! It was such a special experience because they've been taught for so long, and they're progressing so much! I'm gonna miss them and everyone lots.

But Oxnard is awesome too!!! There are a lot of spanish-speakers here and we have a big ward, which is great because they can help support the friends we're teaching! I'm still getting used to everything here but I'm so excited to be here!

One of our friends here, Santiago, just decided he wants to be baptized this Saturday! He's so cool!! He talks lots and is already so friendly with all the members in this area! There is a ward temple trip this coming Saturday, so he gets to go to the visitor's center with the ward and then after he'll have his baptism! We are sooo excited for him! Pray that all goes well!

We taught an English class on Saturday, and we didn't just have spanish-speakers there, we had french speakers too! It was really cool to teach them all, but honestly a little confusing since we don't speak their language, and we were switching between English and Spanish haha. I just wish I knew every language ever!

One evening, we were stopping by a friend's house, and there was a groups of hispanics having a birthday party in the apartment complex. They were serving tacos and offered for us to take some, which was so sweet! So we got a bunch of free tacos and it made my whole day:)

On Sunday, the testimony meeting was so good. The Spirit was so strong and I already love all the members. We had food with the ward after church and it was so fun!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

I just want to share a quick quote this week about why ordinances like baptism and the temple are so important!

"Some Christians say ordinances are unneccessary works because we are saved by grace, but ordinances are not acts of earning, qualifying, or meriting grace. They are acts of accepting and receiving it" (Brad Wilcox).

I love you all!

-Hermana DeMordaunt

Pics:

Mario

English class

last lesson with zoe and oscar in the park

District activity at the museum

Nichole & Fernanda

Saying goodbye to the King fam