TRANSFERS!

Well, it finally happened! I got transferred to FRONTERA! It's in between Carmen and Villahermosa. It's really tiny! I am excited to be here and I really felt like it was my time to leave. I started telling everyone that I was going to be leaving on Wednesday and they all cooked me tacos! Taco count for the week: 33! and every single one of them was worth it!

My companion is Hermana Suazo! She is really great so far! We met this morning in the bus station! She is Mexicana! She is also a convert to the church as well as 2 of her sisters and 1 brother. She has a sister serving in Mexico City right now too! How cool!

Last night was really hard! I said goodbye to my converts and to a few families in the ward,  I cried so hard. Carmen really has a part of my heart. I can't wait come back again one day! I became really good friends with our Stake Presidents family, I didn't even have to say anything and they all started crying. La mama, Hermana Letty dijo Tu eres mi hija! Tienes un parte de mi corazón. They told me that I really am a part of their family, and that they have only cried once before saying goodbye to a missionary. I couldn't believe it. They even showed me a piggy bank they have, they call it "oro por la boda de Hermana Riedelbach" ( The gold for Hermana Riedelbach's wedding.) I am going to miss them so much, along with all of the other wonderful people of Carmen!

I am so grateful for all of the experiences that I had in Carmen and for the people that are there. They are so wonderful and I can't wait to meet new people, and find those who want to hear the gospel here in Frontera!

I don't really have much more to say as we just got here today! We live above a funeral home..so that's good! and we don't have a fridge..oh the missionary life!

Love to all!

Hermana Riedelbach 

Semana Santa

My oh my! This week is the Holy week here (Semana Santa), which means EVERYONE and their dog is on vacation. So, we basically walked and walked and walked and only taught members! This is their Easter and it lasts 2 weeks.

We have two new investigators! Hermano Jorge and Hermano Josè! Hermano Jorge is the husband of an inactive lady. He is so great! He has a lot of questions but, is really interested in learning more about the Gospel! He even went to church yesterday! I was so surprised. He said that our Church is so different but that's what makes it beautiful! I couldn't agree more.

Hermano Josè is Hermano Pedro's brother in-law and Hermana Deysi's Brother (she is a recent convert.) He is great! We have been teaching his wife and I am excited to see what will happen with them!

None of our other investigators were home this week, hopefully I will have more news about them next Monday! AHHH! Monday is transfers. I am really nervous! I don't think I am going but, who knows! I have been in this area for 3 transfers and I have a weird feeling.

Horror Story:  Last night at 3 in the morning I woke up and felt something on my leg, I looked down saw something HUGE AND BLACK was crawling up my leg!  I hurried and flicked it off of me and then I saw it on my arm, AHHHH!  I jumped up out of my bed and squealed! Hermana Gonzalez jumped out of her bed and yelled QUE PASO!!!!  Then I accidentially flicked it on her, not on purpose I promise, and she started screaming so, I started screaming, she started running so, I followed her into Hermana Pasley and Herrmana Aguirre's room and they jumped up and yelled QUE PASO!! and all I could say was CUCARACHA! (COCKROACH!) and then I almost cried. :(   I jumped into bed with Hermana Pasley and Hermana Gonzalez  jumped in bed with Hermana Aguirre we just laid there and started laughing. It was horrible! We finally got up the guts to go back in our room and kill it.  It took us 1 whole HOUR!! The stupid cockroaches here don't die. I am not even kidding you. We smash them like 5 times with our feet and they still move! It was very traumatic. :)

Another Horror story in the words of Hermana Pasley: Also two nights ago...Steven our salamander returned right above me on the ceiling (we have a bunk bed and I`m lucky enough to sleep on top) and there was no way I was sleeping with him looking at me. So Hermana Aguirre  had a genius plan to chase him all around the room with MY running shoe. My shoe was flying every which way for about an hour till she finally hit him...but only his tail fell off..and it kept wiggling around for like 10 minutes after it was detached from the body....it was SO SO SO SO gross. So great, it`s butt is bleeding and blood is spewing everywhere all over our floor...barf!! So Hermana Aguirre A throws the shoe as hard as she can and finally kills the dang thing. Needless to say...we didn`t have a funeral for Steven...I`m done with that salamander. Oh man we have too many animals running wild and free in our house. Never again will I complain about our vermin. Yuck!

This photo is from our Relief Society activity this week!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-00-1420-because-of-him?category=topics/easter&lang=eng

This is my Easter thought! Enjoy!

 Love y'all bunches!
Hermana Riedelbach

Howdy Y'All!

This week was really good! We finally had a meeting with our Bishop and talked about how things are going with the ward! We told him how we felt about our ward mission leader and some of our frustrations with him and the work.  He listened to us, and understood our feelings. Our prayers were answered and our Bishop has already called a new mission leader! It's such a blessing to have a good Bishop!

The work here is so good! We haven't really found a lot of new investigators but, we are working hard with the ones we have! One of them, Hermano Pedro is so close, he knows it's true but, isn't ready to change his ways. Sometimes it's frustrating but, last night he said he would pray and ask if April 26th is the right day! PRAY. It's the last Saturday before transfers and I want to see him baptized. I have been teaching him since day one!

Hermana Rafaela and Carlos are slowing progressing! Hermana Rafaela found a good job so, hopefully they will get some money saved up to have a wedding soon!

Hermano Rodrigo is at EFY this week and we are all praying that he will come back changed and ready to be baptized! He is so great, I truly love his family. He has such a desire to learn more and I am so glad that I get the chance to teach him!

We started teaching English classes at the church on Wednesdays. They aren't really helping us accomplish our goals to find new investigators but, we have fun teaching it and it has definitely helped my Spanish! The other day I invited a Combi (like a bus) full of people to come! We'll see what happens on Wednesday!

We walked into the bathroom at the church after we spent TWO hours cleaning the church for conference with the Elders, and what do we find?  The toilet was full of brown poop and toilet paper but, the best part was that it had been sitting there for TWO days so, it was basically cardboard. YUCK!   I was the only one that had the guts to clean it. HOW GROSS! hahaha. Sorry…not the best story.  J

Thank you all for the support!  I feel very blessed!  I am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends!

Hermana Riedelbach 

CONFERENCE!!!

I am sure you have all heard this a billion times but, conference is so much better than Christmas for missionaries. Well, at least that's what I think!

We got to watch/ listen to conference at the Stake center in English! It was such a blessing! I am so amazed with the church and everything it does! Did you know that conference comes in 95 languages? WOW. It was so great to hear all of the wonderful talks and hang out with all the Americans.

I absolutley loved all of the messages! I really felt like each and every one was directed at me and my investigators. Too bad none of them came. :(  That was a let down but, I am so grateful I was able to listen. I took 13 pages of notes! I learned so much and now I have to work on a lot of things. But that's ok because we are all here on the earth to progress!

I don't think I have a favorite talk but, I loved what Elder Hales said about eternal consequences for our decisions. I know that all of our decisions DO  have eternal consequences, and as members of the Church we know what they are so,  why do we keep making bad choices? We know what our Heavenly Father wants and we know what happens if we break the commandments so, why do we do bad things? I really have a testimony of this, and think that if we think more about the big picture our decisions will be easier to make.

I also loved what Elder Ballard said about Preach My Gospel and I expect to receive lots of letters and emails about your studies! :)

I definitely received answers to my prayers this week! On Tuesday we were walking home from lunch and my watch broke, a little piece went flying. I was so upset and began to search for the missing piece. The other Hermana's helped me but it was on a dirt road and it seemed like it would be impossible to find. I prayed and kept looking. The other Hermanas said don't worry about it, I have another watch you can use. I said to them that I had faith that I could find the missing piece, and five minutes later I found it. I couldn't believe it! After that I yelled MY HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES ME. They all started laughing but, it's so true. Heavenly Father loves all of us so much, he helped me find something that isn't important when I think about it but, it was important to me at that time, and he knew that.  I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us!

I love you all and hope you know that your Father in Heaven truly loves you!

Hermana Riedelbach

Another Great Week in Mexico!

I guess our big news is that our investigators that need to get married are planning their wedding for this week or the next! They are so close! These two people are the biggest examples to me! Even though they can't be baptized they go to church EVERY Sunday. They are very humble and live in a tin shack, it's so sad but,  they have the greatest desire to be baptized. They are trying to save all of their money to pay for their wedding and because of that they sometimes go days without food. I have really grown to love them, and admire them.

I don't know if I told you guys about our newest investigator Hermano Irving! He is 15 years old and knows that this church is true but, hasn't gone to church yet. He is so smart, I can't believe it!  I am amazed every time we teach him! But, at the same time I am so sad when he doesn't come to church!

Also, the husband of a recent convert has started to come to church regularly! Hooray! We are so excited and are going to invite him to be baptized this week. I can't wait! he is so good! He knows a lot, and really wants to learn more. Before he was a little bit hesitant to be baptized but, I think now he is ready! Please pray for Hermano Pedro!

This week I have had some hard challenges but, the Lord helped me through them! I am so grateful for Our Father in Heaven and for the Atonement of Jesus Christ! With out them and their sacrifices this would be the hardest thing ever. I am so surprised when I kneel down and express EVERYTHNG I am feeling and he helps me. I have come to know a little bit more about what the atonement is, and how to use it in our lives.

I am so excited for this upcoming week! General Conference is the best! I challenge you all to listen with questions, to take notes, and to ponder the words of the speakers. I know that if you do, you will become closer to Our Heavenly Father. I know this church is true! I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that Jesus Christ lives. 

I love you all!

Hermana Elise Riedelbach

Me Encanta Este Obra!

This week was so good! The week started out really bad but, shortly after I experienced a Miracle. Never lack faith in our Heavenly Father! He will always bless us!

On Saturday Hermana María Luisa was baptized! By far the most stressful day of my life. When we got to the church we started cleaning and when we opened up the font it was FULL of LIME GREEN MOLDY WATER!!!! um, what!? There was no way someone was going to be baptized in that. So, my comp and I grabbed some brooms, hiked up our skirts, and started cleaning. The Elder's ran home and got some bleach and an hour and a half later it was clean. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever walked in and I have never sweated so much in my life! When we finally finished the Elder that was supposed to baptize her was no where to be found and no one else had clothes to do it. :(

I was so frustrated, everything seemed to be going wrong when I so badly wanted it to go well. After we contacted the Elder I realized that I had to give a talk and because I had to clean the font I hadn't prepared anything. Everyone said to rely on the spirit and in that moment I realized I didn't have the spirit with me. I asked my companion if we could go pray. After the prayer I felt a lot better and I wasn't stressed anymore, I knew my Heavenly Father would help me. I asked Hermana Pasley if she had a scripture I could share and she reminded me of what I shared that morning during our scripture study.

I shared Matthew 3:17 ( I think). After Jesus was baptized he heard a voice from the heavens saying this is my son whom I am well pleased. I shared a brief testimony about how the Lord was pleased with the decision that she had made. I expressed how grateful I am to know her family and how they have changed my life! My Heavenly Father saved me. I wasn't nervous, and I felt like my Spanish just flowed.

After the ordinance I was helping her get ready and she gave me the biggest hug and told me how she was grateful for me and how I needed to teach her husband more. I know without a doubt in my heart that they will all be baptized and that one day they will be an eternal family! After that, she kept saying that the water in the font was delicious. AHH, the spirit was so strong!

I didn't think it could get any stronger until Hermanita Vero shared her testimony! She said that when she was baptized she felt alone because no one else in her family got baptized with her. She said that she was so grateful her mom decided to get baptized. She said that one day she wants to have an eternal family and that she wants her dad and brother to get baptized too! WHAT!! I cried. OK, I think everyone cried. It was the best thing anyone could have ever said to them! The spirit was so so strong! Hermana María Luisa shared her testimony. It was PERFECT. I think this will be the best baptism I will ever have.

I love this family so much. They literally are my family here in México. They have changed my life in so many ways. I can't wait for them to continue to progress in the Church and one day have an eternal family!

Thank you all so much for what you have done for me! I love you all! I tried to send pictures of all of this but, this computer is being really strange and won't let me attach them. Next week!

 Love, 

Hermana Riedelbach

P.S. I got the funniest letters this week! I got a package of letters from the Eatough Family! Oh my heavens. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! They all drew me pictures of Hermana Castro and I in the back of a truck with a pooping dog!!! It was hilarious. I didn't quite know what it was at first but,  then an Elder or Hermana pointed at the 'poop' and I cracked up laughing in our District class. It was to good to be true! Thanks so much for thinking of me, and for making my day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I surrvived transfers and have a feeling I will be here for awhile! President Monson has asked that we stay in our areas as long as possible to build trust with the members! What a blessing because we have a baptisim this week!

Hermana Maria Lusia is so ready for baptisim! I am so proud of her and am so grateful for her example to me! Her Husband gave her permision to be baptized but, isn't happy about it. Yesterday she said that it didn't matter, she made her decision and she is going to stick with it! She is so strong especially with all of the adversity she is facing right now! Satan is trying to hit her with all he has because he knows she is going to a great instrument in the hands of our Savior!

On Saturday we had a Stake Relief Society activity and got to dress up like Pioneers, it was so funny! An Elder had to play the role of Joseph Smith, by far the funniest RS Activity of my life. It was the Birthday Party so, we re-enacted how RS came about!

I really don't have much more to share this week!  Other than it's extremely hot and I am working up a good tan!  :) By the time I come home I might not only sound native, I might look native as well.  :)  I will add a bunch of photos of my district, zone, and what we have been doing.

I hope all is well!

Love,

Hermana Riedelbach