September 28, 2015

Hello!! 
It's good to hear from y'all :) This week was a good one- minus the fact that my companion and I caught a bug and were sick throughout the week! We shake so many hands! Germs are a' spreadin'! 

It rained a bit this week- we walked to the temple grounds ( I love living so close to the temple!!) and walked down the alley. We heard that when it rains, you can find some broken temple granite in the alley by the dumpsters! True story!! Apparently when they were building the temple (in 2004/2005ish) a shipment of granite came in that was cracked, so they had to throw it out. So... I got my own piece of the Lubbock Texas Temple! #pumped! 

I got a fall package from Kenzie this week- Thanks!! So fun! 

I went to the ChiroCracker this week too... Mom and Dad- they figured out what is wrong with my hips! yay! I will send you another message and tell you what they said... basically... it's just dancer probs! Anywho- We got to help a sweet less active family of ours this week- they are so giving and decided to give up the "luxury" things they own (like a bed, TV, extra microwave, ect.) to another family in need that the Spanish Elders are teaching. It was a good time getting to help them serve another family! 

I LOVED the General Women's Broadcast, didn't you?! It was so powerful! Something that really stood out to me was the topic of purity and virtue. Satan is working so hard today to bring us down to his level of misery and to destroy us. I know that we are all precious souls to our Father in Heaven and he wants us to return back home to him more than anything else in the world! ...And we can! The Savior has prepared the way! I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My testimony has really been strengthened this week and I have a greater appreciation for the knowledge which we have been blessed with. 

I am stoked for General Conference this weekend!! Time for the "SUPERBOWL!" Oh! This week we had dinner with our Stake President, President Kimball and his family! They are such a powerhouse family when it comes to sharing the gospel! They had 3 friends, not of our faith, who joined us! It was great! Thanks for all of your love and support! Keep sharing the good news with our dear friends! I love y'all! Have a blessed week! 

Love, 

Sister Evans

Sister Manning goes home next week! Crazy! Cheers to our last week together!

The sign on this building says, "Church Without Religion" uhh...ok

Our Friends

Sister Manning takes random pictures of me :)

Snow Cone Anyone?

September 21, 2015

Hey Y'all!

Hello!! It's so good to hear from many of y'all :) I love Mondays and being able to communicate with those that I love so much! 

This week was great- first off, I have to tell y'all some exciting news!! I got a letter and pictures from my last companion, Sister LaBare this week with great news about the Pendley family from one of my last areas- Tucumcari, NM! Jake received the Aaronic Priesthood and was able to baptize his wife, Misty! I jumped for joy when I found out it all happened over Labor Day weekend!! Woot Woot! They were so excited and kept expressing how happy they were and how excited they are about raising their family with the fulness of the gospel! That's what it's all about people!!!! MULTI-GENERATIONAL CONVERTS :) I am so grateful for the changes I've seen the gospel of Jesus Christ have in my life and in the lives of those whom I am blessed to work with and serve! 

So this week... we had a really neat service opportunity! We got to help out with a giant community event- Free Dental Care for everyone in and around the city of Lubbock, Texas! It was sweet! 42 Dentists from all over the state came and offered free services for the weekend! They said last time they held the event, they had anywhere from 700-1,000 people come! It was crazy! I got to help register people, take their vitals, and then assist the dentists with exams! I loved it :) 

We also were able to attend the temple this weekend and it was beautiful! I love every opportunity I am given to go to the Lord's house! We had stake conference this weekend for the Texas Lubbock North Stake and had Elder Stoddard- area 70 from Las Vegas come. He is a funny guy and put me on the spot in the adult session of conference asking me to give my input of how the members can help us full-time missionaries to do the Lord's work! no pressure...!! Then we were part of the stake choir for the Sunday General Session. I ran into a sweet member, Sister Doncouse from one of my first areas this week (Caprock Ward) and she introduced me to her recently- baptized friend Dusti! Dusti and her hubby have one of the coolest conversion stories I've ever heard! I'll fill you in on it later when I have more time, but the moral of the story is be a strong example of gospel living! The Lord is preparing his children and oftentimes we are the instruments in His hands that He chooses to use! 

I love this gospel. It truly brings us so much joy and true and lasting happiness. Have a great week! I love y'all! 

Love, Sister Evans

PB Crunchy all the way! (this one is for you Kamika) (Shelby comes from a "creamy only" household) 

September 14, 2015

Hey Y'all!!!
Hello! It's so good to hear from y'all. 

This week was great! We went on exchanges- I had lots of fun with Sister Carroll and Sister Beesley! They are two of my good friends and are both so funny! 

We had a neat experience on Tuesday. We were trying to find an open library to work on our "My Plan" stuff for preparing to go home and ended up at the Wolfforth Library- right as we walked in, we saw that an ambulance had just pulled up and they were strapping an infant into a car seat and into the back of the ambulance. Apparently the baby had a really high fever and stopped breathing- The Lord definitely put us where he needed us because we were able to render service to this young, panicked mom! I love being led by the spirit and seeing and recognizing that the Lord works in mysterious ways! 

We also got to help out this Saturday with our combined stake youth activity- we had a Mini MTC Day and all the full-time missionaries got to teach the seminar! We taught (along with the elders in the Frenship Mesa Ward) about Door Approaches... basically what to say and what not to say when you knock on someone's door! I led the role play and we all had a good time! Man, I have come a LOOOOONG way since last June when I was in the MTC! haha... but I still have plenty to work on :) 

Yesterday at church, our ward had the primary program! Those little kids were so cute! It amazes me to see the confidence and knowledge these children have in the Savior. I love how teachable and humble kids are- no wonder the scriptures teach us to be as little children. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission and to be learning the valuable things that I am! I love y'all :) Have a blessed week! 

Love, 

Sister Evans 

[There's only one way HOME- through Christ.]

Deep In the Heart of Texas

Random...

September 7, 2015

Happy Labor Day!

Hello!! How are y'all doing!? Ah! This week has definitely been a good one :) We started off the week by having a "district meeting" except... it wasn't really a district meeting! haha- President Heap and the 4 AP's came to meet with the missionaries at the district level. It was great! President is so inspired- he is trying to help us become better teachers of the Fall and the Atonement. As members of the church, we are stuck living the carnal commandments, when really we need to step it up and start living the higher, Celestial law. I love how his big push lately has been teaching us to let our missions change us. I definitely feel and have seen my mission change me thus far, and continue to see it change me each day. I love my mission. 

I was able to put my small amount of Spanish into action this week as we taught a new investigator in Spanglish! We also taught a new lady who is from India and is awesome! She has 3 young children- twins and a baby- and a husband who is Buddhist! 

We attempted to take our bike day on Thursday, but ended up having to replace our tubes in our tires, so we ended up on foot :/ We walked for 3 1/2 hours to Wolfforth (a town outside of Lubbock city limits) because that's where practically everyone in our ward lives! Gotta love those county roads! 

For ESL (English as a Second Language) class this week, we had a potluck! I ate all kinds of food- Chinese, Iranian, and American! haha then I was paired up to teach "L" from China! He cracks me up! He wants to know EVERYTHING about the Bible and why Christ taught in Parables... uhhh- It was a good time! I ended up trying to teach him the Restoration (in the simplest terms possible!) and taught him about the Book of Mormon for further clarification! 

I love the scriptures so much. We taught the L Family last night- now, they are sweet!! They have a catholic background and LOVE the Plan of Salvation and are so receptive to the Spirit! I am sure that someday all 8(?) of them will be baptized! They will be strong members! The Lord is definitely hearing our cries and is blessing us with people to teach! I am so grateful! 

I have a testimony that THIS is the Church of Christ. THIS is HIS work. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fulness and Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today, President Thomas S. Monson. I am grateful to be a missionary and to be sharing the most important message in the world with my brothers and sisters! 

Thanks for all of y'all's love and support! I sure do love each and every one of you. Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Evans

(just for you dad! thanks for naming me after a car haha!)

ESL (English as a Second Language) Potluck