M I N N E S O T A

On December 7th, 2011, I got home from my mission. Exactly six months later, I went back. :) It was SOOO good to be there! It was such a busy weekend that I felt the same exhaustion from all of our visits that I did as a missionary. It was a familiar feeling and that made my spirits happy!

This was my weekend in a nutshell:

Read on if you want more details. :)

I did my best to take as many pictures as I could without being obnoxious...I still wish I had more but the ones I have will have to do. On Thursday Ruben picked me up from the airport and we went to the Mall of America for lunch at this stirfry place. I got to choose my own vegetables, meat, and sauce and then I watched them make it right in front of me! It was so fun. :)

My first visit was with Hna Giselle Veliz. It was great to catch up with her and to hear how her son is now taking interest in the Gospel and even wants to be baptized! 

I was super excited to see Angelica Campos and her family. :) She was a golden investigator and I had the privilege and blessing of teaching her. It's amazing how much a missionary can learn from the example of his/her investigators. 

I stayed with the Olesen family and they were very kind and gracious to me. When I first showed up at their apartment I was greeted by this lovely sign. It was so sweet and thoughtful. :)

On Friday morning we drove down to Faribault to visit some families. First we went to Sister Young's house and visited with her, her daughter DeAnn and husband Andy, Sister Voelker, and Kendra Odd. They gave us the juicy scoops on pretty much everyone in the ward. :P

During that visit Sister Voelker informed me that Eric Hehr got a new job nearby and I really wanted to see him! I decided to stop by and say hello; fortunately he was there but it was just a quick visit because he was on the clock. I was so happy to run into him. 

Then we went to visit the Gonzalez family. We were supposed to watch their four kids for them; every time my companion and I would ask them what we could do for their family they would say, "babysit the kids." I promised them that the next time I was in MN I would do that! They totally said we could but when we got there they didn't end up letting us do that...so we just sat on the patio and chatted while the kids played with the water and jumped on the trampoline. 

About an hour before we had to leave Faribault I got a text from Hna Yciano--she was at home!!! That was a miracle/sunshine/tender mercy because I wasn't expecting to see her during this trip. She is one of those people that I went on my mission for. :) I feel a strong bond and a close connection with her and it was so great to visit with her for a little bit. I wish we had more time so I promised to go back and visit her the next time I'm in MN.

Nancy and Cesar Pineda were married back in November and recently moved to a new apartment. They invited us over to see their new place. I didn't get a picture with them before Cesar left for work but I enjoyed listening to their stories and watching them interact. 

Then we went back to Angelica's house for dinner.

Saturday was another busy day. First I got to see the Alas family. They were never baptized but they were the first investigator family that I ever taught. She made us pupusas for breakfast and right after we ate we had to run off to the next visit. I still have hope that someday they will join the church.

Benito Frausto. Of course he shared some watermelon with us, just like old times. That was one of his traditions. :) He is a man of such great faith! I admire his diligence in the Gospel and dedication to the Lord.

From there we went to Oakdale for the Minneapolis Ward Temple Trip. I was able to see so many ward members and familiar faces--I was in heaven! It's nice that I've only been gone for six months because people still remember me and recognize who I am. I really appreciated the warm greetings and happy welcomes that I was given. 

I had a little bit of time to visit Elisa Becerra after the temple. She is awesome. She was baptized a little over a year ago and she has so much faith! It was fun to hear about her excitement for her new calling, and share some encouragement to stay strong.

The last activity of the evening was a carne asada with the Mejias and the Amayas. That made for an evening full of yummy food, great company, and lots of laughs... :)

 We went to two sacrament meetings on Sunday and I was asked to share my testimony at both. :) I didn't take very many pictures because I didn't want to be irreverent but I talked to as many people as I could! Being with the members again felt so good. 

I felt right at home. I felt like I belonged. I felt appreciated. And I felt loved. :) 

One pleasant surprise from Sunday was seeing Hna Harding! We were companions for five weeks in Faribault and she comes home in two weeks!

I loved Hna Rodriguez's dress...she matched with her mom! :P I thought it was cute. 

After church we visited Carmen Portocarrero in the hospital. It was a sweet visit and I promised to write to her when I got back. I didn't take a picture with her because I wasn't sure how she'd feel about being in her hospital gown so here's a picture of us from the mission.

We had dinner with Ana and Fernando. They had just come home from an appointment with the Patriarch and had barely received their Patriarchal Blessings so they were glowing! It was great to hear about their experiences.

Monday was a lot more chill. Ruben and I ate breakfast with Hna Rodriguez and she told us about the miracle of her son returning to church. She got emotional just talking about it and I can only imagine how much joy she must have felt to see her son come back. 

That was our very last visit. It was such a quick trip that there just wasn't enough time to see everyone. That aside, I'm so happy with the things we did do and content with the people we were able to see. I loved being back in Minnesota and it felt so so good to be with the people of my mission again. It was definitely a successful trip...on multiple levels. ;) 

 THANK YOU for making this happen! :D