Hello everyone! I am now officially back from my mission. Yesterday was one of the hardest days but happiest days of my life. Leaving behind Salt Lake City and the people I served was so hard for me but I will be back often to visit them. I have now started a new chapter in my life and I want to thank everyone for their support and prayers during my mission. It was the best time and I learned so much about myself, others, and my Savior, Jesus Christ.

My homecoming talk is July 19, 2015 at 11am. The building is Thayer Drive building in Richland. All are welcome to come!

Surprise! New P-day

Hola familia! My pday got changed to Monday! We are now officially in the new mission. My new mission president is President Everhart. 

 

Last Tuesday, I had an exit interview with President Moffat and we went to his house and ate dinner and talked about the "life hereafter"......

 

On Wednesday we had district meeting and we were learning about family history. I signed into family search and i started to look at all of our families and the people that we still need to find! I am so excited to do family history work when I go home! I want to help my recent converts to find a name and to take it to the temple to do baptisms for the dead,

 

On Friday, I got sick :( I had a horrible cold with a sore throat and fever and I was inside all day. The temperatures have been in the hundreds and I knew that I couldn't make it on a bike. Sister alcala had to do weeping planning by herself haha while I slept. I am still not over it but I feel a lot better. 

We had a farewell fireside last night. I was crying like a baby! Because we are all splitting up in different missions and there are a lot of missionaries that I won't be able to see anymore. President and sister Moffat gave farewell testimonies and I sang "I know that my Redeemer Lives". Elder Valdez, the assistant from Guatemala, played the piano for me. He is an awesome missionary, and an awesome piano player. I will send a picture of him :)

We had a baptism this last weekend! I was so happy to end this mission with a baptism. But we got a call he this morning from the Wisharts, saying that our convert was ALREADY BAPTIZED IN  MEXICO! I just started to laugh....of course this would happen my last week in the mission! But whatever, I still count her as my baptism :) 

 

I had my last district meeting this week. I had my last mission meeting this week. I saw President Moffat for the last time. I had my last baptism. I am now having my "lasts" in the mission. Today is my last normal pday. I was crying this morning, thinking about the last day that I wear my plaque, and how hard that time will be when I have to take it off. I don't want that day to come.

 

It doesn't seem real still.......it kind of hit me last night, especially when we were singing, God be with you til we meet again. I don't know why people choose to sing that song, no one gets through it. 

 

BTw: Jess, I have some boxes for you :) sorry......I am still not sure about the bike situation. We will be meeting with the new mission president tomorrow so I will ask him about that. You can keep this boxes with the bike, for when I come back down to school. Hopefully, they will let me get in contact with you about how to get the bike.....they might even let me stay the night with you before I go home.....who knows! I will keep you posted.

 

That is pretty much it for now. I am saving all of my stories for when I come home. I hope that everyone is doing well. Email me when you can, I will have my iPad with me all day. I love you all!

See you next week!!!

 

SLY 

HERMANA WARREN

Two more weeks!

Hello!

So this is going to be short.....I have to be at the mission office
today at 3:30 for a farewell dinner and testimony meeting with
President Moffat. I will be there all day......I am basically doing
what I would have done if i went home with President Moffat still as
my president, I should be fun.

Thanks for the emails. I hope the girls have fun at camp. I love and
miss girls camp.

That is a crazy story about Jenna and Sammie, I didn't know that that
happened! God is always aware and wants to help us.

We had two baptisms on Saturday. I am trying to leave this area better
than I found it. We have another baptism on Saturday. I love helping
people get baptized.....there is no better thing in the world. I am so
blessed to have served here in Utah, serving the Spanish people.

I am just trying to focus these last few weeks, taking it a day at a
time. Sometimes it gets distracting, with going home and I definitely
need to think about it but I want to give everything that I have for
the next two weeks, bearing my testimony whenever I can and inviting
everyone to be baptized. Thanks for taking care of school stuff for
me, that makes me feel a lot better. I still need to figure out
housing stuff. People said that there is an apartment catalog that
talks about all of the apartments and the cost and quality. Can you
find one of those? I will pray for Heavenly Father to help me find
something.....
These are my "daughters"  I trained them.
I am very excited to see everyone, I bought a dress today, sister
Alcala is very good at shopping and so she helped me a lot....you know
how I LOVE to shop!, hehe.....it was weird being in a mall again. I
love not being in the world :)

Well, I need to do my hair for this dinner thing tonight, I love you
all and can't wait to see you in two weeks. These next two weeks will
just fly by.........and then I will be flying home :)
SLY!
Hermana Warren

P.s. I will save all my stories for when I come home. My emails will
just be super short haha

Last Month in Midvale 6/9

Hola Familia!

I am emailing earlier today....we are having a mission p- day again! Do you remember when we did that last year? Me and sister Gonzalez wore the superman shirts. Today we will be wearing red shirts so we will buy some cool shirts today and take a picture of us and send it to you. I love the mission p day....it is the only day, other than Christmas, that we don't proselyte at all. Sometimes you need a day like that. 

This week was a great week. We had two baptisms this weekend and they went great. These are my first two baptisms here in the Midvale 9th ward. We are planning on having three more on the 20th and probably one on the 27th. I am still looking for my family of six to put on date for the 4th of July. Even thought I won't be home to celebrate that with you, the best thing to do on that day would be to baptize a family. I fasted for that and we are going to work hard this week to find them and help them. 

We hit the Standard of Excellence for the mission and that means........CHEESECAKE FACTORY! Sister alcala was pretty excited to get it her first week in the mission field. 

We are getting along pretty good. It has been a little bit harder for me this time because she is already so into the work and loves to lead....usually missionaries aren't like that when they first come out. Sometimes I forget that I am training her, because she doesn't act like it. And sometimes it gets a little frustrating because she tries to tell me how to do missionary work when she has only been out in the field for two weeks.....and I have been out for 17 months. She doesn't know that I am going home after this. She only knows that I have been out for a year or so. I am trying to help her and we get along pretty well so no worries. It has also been hard because I don't have anyone to talk to when i start to freak out about going home. I have to keep it all in and sometimes I panic at night. It is really weird. I will probably ask for a blessing from President today. But at the same time, it helps me to stop thinking about it and to focus on what I am doing right now.

My back has been hurting really bad....and my allergies have still been a problem. Satan just keeps throwing things at me! I shouldn't be surprised though....it is my last transfer. I am not sure what to do about my neck, it hasn't hurt me until now....I don't think I am doing anything different so I am not sure what is causing it. I will buy some icy hot stuff today.

Our investigator bore his testimony in church on Sunday! He shared the experience about how the bishop came over and have him a blessing for his foot and how his foot healed the next day! The whole room was silent and the spirit was so strong. I have grown so much as I have taught this man. He has a very special spirit.  We taught him last night at our stake mission leader's house and there was a young man there that is going to Mexico on his mission. That lesson was awesome and the investigator even asked us if he could be baptized sooner! I have never had an investigator ask me that before. He is so prepared and we first met him on the street and we talked to him and opened our mouths. The lord will put people in our path of he knows that we will talk to everyone. 

There are so many miracles in the mission.....I don't have time to write them all down. I am excited to share more stories with you when I come home. 

I will contact sister

harteluis today and coordinate a time when she can get my stuff. 

I think that is it for now, I will send pictures from the baptisms we had this weekend. 

I love you all and miss you! Can believe that I will see you in about 4 weeks! Yeah...four weeks from now, I will be on a plane home:) be ready for lots of hugs

Love, Hermana Warren 

"Put me in Summer and I'll be a .........Happy Missionary"

Hola Familia!

Summer has now arrived! it was 93 degrees yesterday and it was beautiful! I love the summertime on my bike, getting a SWEET watch tan and sock tan. I am going to look pretty dark when I get home....you might not recognize me haha

Thanks for the emails....yes, I got the stuff from Jess. I heard that is should rain pretty soon so I am really grateful for the poncho. 

So we had transfers on Wednesday and my new companion is Hermana Alcala (accent on last "a"). She is from Los Angeles, California and she speaks PERFECT spanish. She is so cute and loves to work hard and want to be super obedient in EVERYTHING! I am really glad that I am training for my last transfer. I love working with new missionaries, they have an excitement that a lot of other missionaries lose after awhile. She participates in the lessons....I almost feel that I am not training her...just on the rules and schedule and things like that. She is a great missionary. A great way to end my mission :) She doesn't know that this is my last transfer....SSHHH! :)

We will get a picture to you :) We don't look too cute today but we will take a nice one and send it. 

I didn't change areas, I am still in Midvale :) I love this area, there are so many different people to work with and slowly, the ward is getting excited about missionary work. We invite members to help us and sit with investigators. 

I can feel myself getting warn out though.....missionary sundays are getting more and more tiring and I am trying to keep the energy up for Sister Alcala, but sometimes it is hard. The heat does make me a little bit more tired. I remember when one of my companions went home, she would sleep a lot and I can see why...your body starts to give out! Hahaha but I am doing ok. My allergies are coming back again but I still have medicine.

So I have some boxes that I need to give to someone....some boxes with winter stuff for BYU and a box for me to go home. Maybe I can leave these boxes at a member's house and Jess can come and pick them up? She can leave the BYU boxes at her house and bring the other box with her when she goes back up to Washington, along with the other boxes I gave her a few transfers ago. I will coordinate with a  member and let you know. But I am trying to send a many clothes home through boxes as I can because I want to put other things in my suitcases. I hate packing....-_-

About schooling, Sister Merrill emailed me and told me that I should get an apartment, that all the young freshman use the dorms. I can barely stand being around young, immarture missionaries....I think I might freak out if I have to deal with 18 year old freshman. Maybe I will try and get married really fast when I get home, that way I know who my roommate will be hahhaha just kidding :) I am sure there is an apartment that isn't bad that I can get, right? ......I hate dealing with school stuff.......I am sure I have a friend that I can room with. I will email around and see who I can find.

this week was a really good week....our numbers were pretty good and we are planning on two baptisms this weekend. We were so busy last week, we taught a lot of lessons and our nights were very busy. Being a bored missionary is the WORST! I always need to be busy and when I work hard each day, I feel great! I feel like I am doing my job. 

I really love teaching...it is my favorite part about being a missionary. I love seeing my investigators progress. When they receive an answer for themselves, it is the best feeling EVER! It just shows that I am nothing because I CAN'T convert people, I am just an instrument for the Spirit, he does all the work.

this week, the assistants gave us a referral for a woman who I taught in Union Fort. She moved to my current area and she knows Irene, a recent convert who got baptized right after I left union Fort. We set up an appointment with her and we went by and saw her. Then there was a knock on the door and Irene was there with her family. She came to be part of the lesson and she bore her testimony to her friend on how the gospel has blessed her and her family. I almost wanted to cry because I could see the change that had occurred in my recent convert. I was so overwhelmed and wanted to cry but I controlled myself haha. I LOVE seeing the change in people. As David Archuleta said in my lesson with his grandpa, "The Gospel is about change, we are supposed to change!" That is so true. If we aren't changing, we aren't LIVING the Gospel.

Yesterday, I had my last Mission Leadership council and it was really sad. The Moffats are in their last month......he feels like my mission dad, someone who loves you but isn't afraid to correct you and even yell at you. But it is all based off of love for you, the Lord, and missionary work.

I love you all so much. I always pray for you :) Thanks for your prayers. I can't wait to see you all....but I don't want to leave my mission. Change is hard and I can't even IMAGINE the change that I will experience when I go home. Be patient with me :) 

Keep sharing the Gospel! Enjoy your last week of school :)

SLY

Hermana Warren

Mojadas En Midvale

Hola Familia!

 Yep! It is still raining....... -_-

ok....ready?

I am STAYING! I am dying in Midvale WOOT WOOT! I am also training a new sister missionary so I am really excited. I will have 3 "girls" :) Sister Uelese is going to Murray, where I was born. I told her to get the Roman Family to the temple to get sealed....that way I can go with them to the temple. That is my goal.

Thanks for the updates on everyone....sounds pretty busy there! Being busy is the best! It makes time fly so fast and you feel so satisfied each day. I hate days in the mission where you feel like you did absolutely NOTHING! Some days, it is raining so no one is outside and no one lets you in...those days are hard for me. But it helps to appreciate the good days. like yesterday. 

Yesterday was a really good day. We contacted some referrals, we taught our investigators who are progressing for baptism and we had our bishop give one of our investigators a blessing. That experience was so sweet for me. Our investigator is an older man and he has had a lot of hard things happen in his life and when we knocked on his door, he just started crying about everything that has been happening and our bishop came over 15 minutes later and gave him a blessing. I know that the Priesthood has been restored to the earth and that we can receive so much peace and comfort through the Priesthood. A lot of people ask me if I am mad that I can't hold the Priesthood but I just tell them that we all receive the same blessings from the Priesthood, I don't need to hold it to receive those blessings. Some people still don't understand but they will someday.

We had our first Missionary ACTIVITY! We had a movie night and we watched Meet the Mormons in Spanish. We had 3 investigators there and some ward members. Not a lot of people came but we will do another activity and get more people there. Ward activities is what keeps a ward alive,,,,and we've seen the bad side of not holding ward activities. I miss going to ward activities were EVERYONE is there. That will be my other goal for this transfer: bring back the ward, find a family of 6 (thanks for praying for my family, we will find them)

 

I can't believe that I have now arrived to my last 6 weeks in the mission field. It makes me want to cry when I think about it. I never thought that I would get to this point. And the thing that makes it harder is that this is the last month of the Salt Lake City Central Mission and the last month for President Moffat. This is going to be a really hard transfer but I am going to make it my BEST TRANSFER EVER! I am excited to still be here in Midvale because there is so much potential and I am learning to being SUPER BOLD with people. We can be really bold with Latinos. You find some amazingly prepared people here.....people who the Lord brought so they could be taught the Gospel and help their families at home. I love serving in SPanish and I don't plan on losing it so be ready to speak in spanish all day :)

I might need a rain poncho to be sent to me. WalMart is ALL OUT! iit has been raining so much this last week....it is really annoying. Those glove-mittens I have are about to die and pretty much everything else I have but I will endure to the end. Perseverar hasta el fin!

I also want to buy a cute dress for when I come home....I will probably hit up DI for that but I don't know how much money I have.

I am doing great, feeling good, really excited for an awesome transfer. Sister Wishart said that she will let you know as soon as she knows about my release date. She is assuming that it will still be the 8th of July.....but still not sure. 

How is school stuff coming? I will ask Sister Merrill about housing, she is there right now. Just let me know if I can help with anything. Thank you so much for all of your help with this. 

I love you all! Keep sharing the Gospel! Help the Sisters. That is really weird that they came to the house and did personal and comp study....I don't know if that is a mission rule for them but don't be afraid to question anything that you think is disobedient. We had 3 missionaries go home this last week from disobedience :( 

I love you and miss you and pray for you. Only 6 more emails until I see you all ;)

SLY!

Hermana Warren

Missionaries can only use the bathroom on "P-Day"

Hola Familia!

Thanks for the email. You make we all excited to come home and help the Sister Missionaries there! They sound great and keep helping them. The member helping us today told us that when members help the missionaries, the members receive so many blessings. 

I love the Jason Lee food stand, that was really fun when I helped. That is weird that it is your last year. 

I am glad that Jenna is doing ok. We were in a lesson last night and this investigator was explaining how he sometimes doesn't understand why things happen in his life. He always asks "where is God?". I explained my experiences in the mission field, where I have had to learn that God is in control and I shared Mosiah 4:9. I love using the scriptures to help answer people's questions because I can say "God is saying this....not me!" It brings more authority to our words. I am so glad that I get to study the scriptures every day.....I heard that the study schedule is the hardest thing to continue after the mission. Keep studying the scriptures every day. I am going to use scriptures with my kids when I have a family. They will basically be my eternal investigators :) haha

I can't believe that the Hunts are moving! I hope they are still there when I go home....that way I can finally give Becca a hug :)

This week was busy! it has been raining a ton and I look like an idiot with my poncho while riding my bike. I always hear Mom in my head saying "It is better to stay dry than to look cute!" haha On the mission you really don't care what you look like....you just want to stay dry! Hopefully the rain dies down a little bit. 

The work is progressing here...we had 4 investigators at church!! YAY! That was an improvement. Sundays are CRAZY! I won't miss missionary sundays......I need my day of rest back. :)

So we have transfers next week.....I will give you updates next week on where I will "die" haha........sorry to use that word :) I hope I go back to Murray, that would be awesome! But I could stay here though. This area is awesome! I could be training next transfer. If I am training, I want her to believe that I have been out about 9 months......then she will be really surprised when I have to get up and give my departing testimony. That would be so funny! But I will let you know next week!

Tomorrow we are going to the TEMPLE! Salt Lake CITY! YAY! I love going to the temple so much...I really miss it a lot. WE will have a chapel session with the temple president after the session. I need a lot of help. I have so many goals for the last part of my mission that I want to achieve and I really need God's help. The Temple is the best place to go.

Let me know if you get any emails from the Wisharts about departure dates. I haven't heard anything I would like to know when I leaving so I can know how long I have left to lose weight haha :) I am sure that I will hear something soon. 

I can't believe that school will be out soon! I can't believe that it is P-day again! Time goes by SO FAST...sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach. 

But I am having fun here in old town Midvale with my Polynesian companion.....we are going to tear it up here this last week. I am going to baptize EVERYONE! We should have  a baptism this saturday. Please pray for Hermelinda. 

I love you all! Sorry no pictures right now. I will take one at the Zone activity and send it later today. Love you and miss you. Keep sharing the Gospel!

SLY

Hermana Warren