It's November!

Hi Everyone!

Man, this time at the Library goes by fast. Sorry! I know, I write so little. But don't worry, we'll just stay up and talk for a few days in a row when I'm home and I'll tell you everything and that will all make up for my horribly short emails. If it makes you feel better, I write everyone else short emails too. Brudder finally wrote me! yay! Though I just got it so I'll have to respond next week.

I'm so stoked for Wesley! I will actually be sending him a card today (shhh, don't tell, it's a surprise) so hopefully he gets that before he leaves Texas. Oh, before I forget! Next week we'll email on Tuesday because Monday is Veteran's day. Yeah, just so you know. No, I have never hiked up to those hot springs before (just the muddy ones over by Lehi) but they look beautiful and maybe we can go together some day :)

Oh, another "before I forget": Grandma - I received the information from my friend, but that is not in my area. In fact, it's in another zone, so I can send some missionaries over there, but I don't know who it would be because I would just have to send the referral through the system. Are you okay with that? Just let me know. Thanks. Love you! And way to be missionary minded! You're great Grandma and Grandpa! Love you loads and thanks for the letters!

Also, Mama, I think in that random box I sent home from the MTC (if you still know where it is) I had some headphones. I sent them home because we can't listen to music with headphones or anything, but at this library, there are no headphones and we come online usually once a week to be able to do training videos, watch conference talks, become familiar with Mormon.org, etc. and it would be nice to have my own again. Could you send them to me? That'd be great. I know, I could just buy more, but I'm cheap, okay?  

That is so exciting that Ariana and Chris are both on TV shows (either acting or their music)! Man! I have such a talented and soon to be famous family! I love it! I brag about you all, all the time. Seriously.

How is having the dog? Will that work with you out of town? Well, I guess Emily and Sharron are there. How are they? Are they living together again?

I LOVED the pictures! Man! Cute people and cute kids! Our Halloween was pretty great. We were in by 6:00 and it was the most productive night of my mission. Everyone in the apartment went to bed early, but I stayed up til 10:30 like usual, getting everything done - phone calls and referrals, updating P.I.s and the area book in general, writing in my journal, color-coding and coordinating the area book, maps, and whiteboard, cleaning, and organizing. It was fantastic. We put up a sign on our door so we wouldn't get trick-or-treaters, but only 1 or 2 came up to our apartment anyway. It's kind of an unsafe area for kids.

Did I tell you we have good size group of Satanists, as well as a drug rehab program in our apartment complex? It keeps things interesting. It's probably the most dangerous part of Temecula...but it's still Temecula, which is the 2nd safest city in the states (or so I've heard), so it's still not nearly as sketchy as Escondido was haha. 

We are gaining more trust with the ward as we bring investigators to church every week and I think that is helping them to reach out of their comfort zones and strive to help in the work (which is something they don't really do here much in this ward). They are great, just very comfortable, which is why this area has struggled for a great while. Things continue to go well though, and we're getting used to contacting into all the Bashers and Satanists.

We found and have been teaching an inactive woman named Lineth recently and she just warms my heart so much. Our lessons are so passionate and spiritual and I just can't get enough of them. Last time we were talking about why she has such a great hesitation to pray and it stemmed back to her misunderstand of her true relationship with her Heavenly Father. Have you read the talk The Grandeur of God by Elder Holland? Well, I love it. We read in Moses 7 as well (28-37 are great) and it was just fantastic. I love that we have the blessing of understanding the true nature of our Heavenly Father. It's so hard for so many that we teach to grasp that God could have a body of flesh and bone, and yet, for me it's the opposite. I couldn't imagine feeling such love from a massive, unknown spirit without form or affection. How grateful I am for the Restored Gospel. 

Our investigators are doing well! We are still focusing on finding more, but the few we have are great (or most of them are, for the most part). We set a baptismal date with Brandon this week, but then found out that he is 28 (not over 30 like we thought) so we will be passing him off to the YSA Elders on Wednesday. He came to church with us on Sunday though (because the YSA branch wasn't meeting) as well as a baptism on Saturday and he just loved it! He says that everything we teach is what he believes, it just fills in the gaps. And after the baptismal service that it was really nice, and it all felt so familiar. He is just steller and we will be sad to pass him off, but excited for him to be involved with the YSA branch.

Shoot, out of time. Well, Don is our other fantastic investigator and he doesn't have a date quite yet, but we had a great experience fasting with him about it on Sunday and it's sounding like Thanksgiving weekend will be the date. He is so amazing! Remind me to write more about him next week, okay? Sorry I'm out of time, but I think I did write more this week, no? LOVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS!! You're amazingly wonderful!!

Con amor,

Hermana Alyssa Nicole Escalante

The Zone

No Tricks or Treats here.

Halloween Week

Hi Mama, and Family, and Friends!

Sorry! Don't be mad but I'm out of time again this week. I love you though! I hope you got the pictures! And yes, I got the pictures from you without it jamming up the emails. Ariana has not written me, but I noticed she has two different emails so I forwarded my last email to her other email, in hopes that she would see it and respond, since I haven't heard from her in a few weeks.

I spent a lot of this week writing Karla, who is still struggling, but is still great. Don is doing just wonderfully! He knows he needs and WANTS to be baptized and is so happy and peaceful with the gospel in his life now! But he's still hesitant to pick a date for baptism. Keep him in your prayers. Thanks! 

Our ward had a trunk or treat this week, which was fun, and we got to judge the chili contest and cornbread contest, so that was fun. We are still trying to figure out how to help the members get out of their bubbles. It's not that they won’t share the gospel; it's just that all their friends are members, except maybe one or two who they have already invited before. It's a challenge in a comfortable place like Temecula, but it's still going well. We found a couple of new investigators this week with interesting situations, but we'll see how it goes. 

I have been a little bit sick, but I think it's just with the changing of weather, so hopefully it will pass soon, and I don't keep Sister Johnson up with my coughing. Tell Papi I got the package! Though I still haven't gotten anything from Grandma and Grandpa. I think mail is still being a little weird.

Oh, we had dinner this week with these two member ladies that reminded me so much of you mama, they were so great. I just wanted to hang out with them all night! Anyway, the work is good, and we're learning lots. The common theme we are finding this week is all these Christians we run into who think Jesus and Heavenly Father are the same being. They just quote John 1:1 at us and then think they're right. I just feel so bad for them because that would be so confusing to not understand our true relationship with our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ.

One of the new investigators we found this week though was so relieved when we told him that that is what we believed. He was just overjoyed! He still claims Christian, but knows that Jesus and Heavenly Father can't be the same Being, so he was so thrilled to hear someone else tell him what he recognized as truth.

I have been having some wonderful studies in the Bible as of late, and wish I had more time to write more, but all the scriptures are wonderful. All of them. I love them all because they all testify of Christ and of the true nature of our Father in Heaven.

I love you loads and loads mama and I wish I had more time, but I don't. I'll try to write Wes...but we'll see if that actually happens. Where are MJ&D moving to again? SLC? Tell Chris to write me. I miss my brudder!

Ok, love you all. You're amazing. The gospel's true. It's all true. It's true, it's true, it's true! Love you!

Hermana Alyssa Nicole Escalante

P.s. It's ridiculous how many people I run into that I know here in Temecula, either old members or in-actives or former investigators, or simply people I talked to before. It's funny and a little ridiculous. 

The Ladies of the Apartment!

Sister Villaseñor and me

Playing Volleyball at Zone Activity (Sister Johnson, Hermana Sheffield, and Hermana Woodruff)

 "Hermana Sheffer"and me...I lover her!

Sister Johnson and I are so cute!

Drake with his Plan of Salvation drawing...that you can't really see :( the drawing spells out LOVE actually, it's pretty fun!

October 21, 2013

Hi Everybody!

How are you all doing? Sorry I'm a little late today. We had a really fun Zone Activity and didn't get to the library until recently. We played Kickball and Volleyball at a member's house (not in our ward) who was quite...hmm, I think "well-off" is an understatement, but then again we are in Temecula. It was fun though. We also had ribs and chicken by the pool and explored the kid house, saw the turtles, pet the dogs and pony, played ping pong, and enjoyed drinks at their outside (Mormon) bar. It was a kick! J It was really fun to hang out with Hermana Sheffield too! I love having her and Elder Herrera in my Zone! I know I say that all the time, but it's true. They're awesome. I adore Hermana Villaseñor as well, but we live with her, so that's old news. 

Sounds like you had a great week! You're amazing mama, did you know that? I don't get homesick, well like ever, but the other day, somehow you came up (I think we were talking about beautiful women or something) and I thought about how I get to talk to you in 2 months! Fun! Can you believe how fast time flies? It's pretty disgusting actually. I can't believe I passed my year-mark the other week (did you remember?! You didn't say anything about it)! Anyway, I'm glad you're keeping busy and I love and miss you.

Anyway, back to your letter. (Sorri!) Sounds busy with the sobrinos! You didn't tell me you were going to Texas! Fun! And congrats to Wes! Man, that went by fast. I was going to write him a letter, but am I too late? If I don't get an email from you that week, I think I'll forgive you J so no worries.

I hadn't heard about the softball game actually. Kimi doesn't really write me, sadly. And yes I did write Zach, but I never heard back from him. He's probably pretty busy with life. Congrats to Kylie! I do get the ward banner actually and I like to skim through it, even though I don't have time to read it, so I did see that. Fun Stuff! Have you heard about how Christine (Prestgard) is doing? 

Well shoot, I was going to send more pics, but my camera just died. Sorry! Next week, for sure. Anyway, so you want to know more about Hma Johnson? Hmm, well what have I told you so far? She's darling. She's from Connecticut, and she is 19. Shocking...I'm convinced I will train my whole mission and only serve with 19 yr. olds. Oh well ;) She's so great though. She is very calm and quiet, but we find a good balance in our teaching, as well as our just getting along in general. She often wants to talk about the plans we’re going to have to hang out when she comes and visits me in Utah after her mission, ha-ha she's darling. I feel very blessed to have her as a companion. She's very on top of things, learns things quickly, and has a good attitude.

Hermana Johnson

Hma Villaseñor's companion is also very darling, but is having a really hard time and needless to say, they need to buy tissues every week to keep up with her ... emotions. So yeah, I feel so grateful for Hermana Johnson! J

We are working better with the ward and I am also so grateful to be able to learn how to work with an English, Ward Council (very different than a Spanish ward). They are great at fellow-shipping as well. Don, our AWESOME investigator came to church this week and they were so good at welcoming him, but not being overwhelming. He had a great time and is progressing very well! We've also been helping with some less-actives come back to church and so there is some trust being gained there with the ward. I've decided that even though I'm not necessarily thrilled with some of the attitudes of our leaders in the ward, we just need to smile and keep on working anyway. It's still the Lord's work, and like Pres. Uchtdorf said, the Lord works through imperfect people, including me! We have been finding new investigators, though we are working on finding some good, solid families, who can support each other in the gospel.

Remember Patricia? Well, her son was baptized after I left, he daughter will be baptized when she turns 8, and her husband is now taking the lessons! Oh! It's so wonderful! The thought of them being an eternal family just fills my heart with joy! I love it! J (D&C 18:10-17). 

So we had some great exchanges this week! I went to Murrieta with Hma Whicker and Hma Johnson stayed and led out in the area with Hma Whicker's trainee, Hma Painter. They actually did a great job! Hma Johnson is so great. Anyway, the funny story!?! So, we went out to eat with a part-member family named la familia Cuevas. They were great, and I was talking a lot with their daughter Daisy, the one that sent you the pic. (You should send it to me! I didn't even get to see it!) Anyway...so we were talking and she recently returned from her mission, due to medical problems, but she still loves the work. She served in Tampa, Florida! So, of course, I asked if she new my best friend over there, Elder Elliott. And hey! What do you know? He was her district leader! Small world, huh? The only thing is that she then continued on to talk about him for the rest of the dinner hour and how amazing he is. Jeez, talk about distracting. But anyway, it was great. She came with us to a lesson the next day too, so that was fun J I'll see if I can forward the picture from my last email to him, since my camera just died. 

Did you get the pic? Ok, so. Where was I? Oh yeah, the other pics I sent today were from Santiago's baptism. Did I mention he got baptized and that I love the Foxes? I forget. Tell me if I did or not. Thanks ;)

Santiago's Baptism

At the Baptism

Santiago

With Hermana Bennett

Hmmm, I felt like I had a lot more to say, but now I can't remember. I'm not sure if Grandma & Grandpa have started snail mailing me, but our mail got backed up and we haven't received any for a while, so we'll see if it ever comes. Well, I think I'll try to catch up on some other emails in these last few minutes. I love you and I know the gospel is true. LOVE YOU!

Con amor,

Hermana Escalante