News! (4/20/15)

Hola a todos!! I cant believe it is already monday! This past week marked one month back in Beautiful Tina. I cant believe HOW FAST the time goes. 

Happy (late) BIRTHDAY NENA!!! 

So, I have good news and I have bad news. Good news, I will be serving a 19 month mission. Bad news, I will not be home for christmas. I found out this week my release date is January 25th 2016. Yeah, I am sad I wont be home for christmas but, I will be home right after. There is a reason. I went home for a reason and there is a reason I am staying until January. We can just celebrate Christmas one month late family!!

More bad news. haha I have an ingrown toenail. But like, wayyy bad. On saturday I have to get the surgery that I got when I was little. YAYYYY! So for 2 weeks I will be preaching the gospel, but in my hawaiian sandals because I cant wear close toed shoes! Mom loves my cute sandals ;)

This week was SO great. It started out and we had a zone activity and zone meeting. We learned about how our studies affect our investigators and it is so true. I am here to help other people and what I do from 6:30-10:30 AM is CRUCIAL! On the way home we were in the train and one of my zone leaders shared with me an experience he had on the train. He said how he saw all the people on the train as children of God and he started to talk to everyone. Right after he told me that, I felt the same way. All these people around me are children of God and I NEED to let them know that. This week we talked to so many people and yes, like everyone rejected us but that doesnt matter! Everyone deserves the opportuntity to hear the message we have. 

Fun fact. This week for lunch, the members gave us spagetti EVERY DAY and the plate was like bigger than our heads! SO MANY CARBS. This is the COUNTRY OF CARBS! I hate carbs. 

My companion is like AMAZING. She is from santa cruz bolivia and this week we didnt have too many lessons. We were walking and trying to contact the last few old investigators that are in the area book so we had lots of time to chat. She told me her life story and it forever changed my perspective. She looks like an average girl, shes hilarious, but she comes from the worst of the worst. She never has had a relationship with her father and has lived in complete poverty her entire life. She told me that she has never had a bathroom. The just dug holes outside of the house. She lived with out electricity months on end. Whenever she would get sick, she had to cure herself naturally because they couldnt afford to go to the doctor. As she shared this with me the question came into my mind of why I was so blessed to be born where I was. In the states, we have no idea. NO IDEA what other people go through. I started crying right in the street. She asked me what was wrong and all I could say was tell her that I love her and that I am so sorry she had to go through that. She is seriously the sweetest girl I have ever met and I love her so much. I would do anything for her. 

I cannot express how blessed I am so be here in the mission. These experiences change us. I am changed and will continue to change. Mom shared with me how she is sharing the gospel and each and every one of us  need to share this gospel with others. Those of you who aren´t members, learn about the church. I testify that it is true and that it is of God and that someday we can be families forever. And that is why I am here. That is why I will walk each day 15 miles or more and have every door in Luis Guillon slammed in my face because I know its true and I know that people need this.

I love you all!

Chau!!

Hermana Root

1. My latina daughters! The two hermanas that I trained. Hermana Cóncenes y Hermana Ato. 

2. My not so great zone photo

3. CHIPA! haha my companions favorite food! 

4. Happy Birthday Nena! 

Training! (4/13/15)

Hola mis amores! Wow, what a week! 

So my new companion, or my hija (daughter) is here and she is WONDERFUL! Her name is Hermana Ato from Santa Cruz Bolivia. She is seriously the latin version of me and we get along SO well! She is so sweet and humble and just wants to learn and work so hard. We have seen so many miracles in this week.

We are still LOOKING EVERYWHERE for investigators! Ive been here for 4 weeks and have contacted every single one of the old investigators and so we are at a point where we HAVE to talk to every person in the street, beg the members for references, and COMPLETELY rely on the lord. This week we had a HUGE miracle happen. It was hermanas 3rd day and we had yet to have a lesson with anyone other than less actives. Our goal for the week was to have lessons with members but every time we brought a member, the investigator wasnt home. We both felt very stressed and irritated. So we prayed and started to knock doors. Every door slammed in our face, a woman yelled at us, and a man told us that we are wasting our time no one will ever listen. I looked and saw tears in my companions eyes and I just felt horrible. These were her first days in the mission and I wanted her to have success. I prayed so hard. Out of no where my companion was like hermana, I really want popcorn. Can we go buy some to eat during Language study tonight? And I remembered that there was a plaza across from the grocery store where we oculd talk to people so we went. We talked with every person we could on the way to the store and nothing. All of a sudden it started to rain, SOO hard. She said hermana I dont want popcorn anymore lets just go home. But for some reason I felt strongly that we needed to go. So we went. Right outside the store was a woman who works in a fruit stand. Without even thinking we started talking to her, it was raining so hard and she said come back tomorrow at 3! We were in shock! We went in the store and came out and another woman was waiting for the bus. We talked to her and she immediately gave us her address. We easily could have went home when it started to rain and called it a night, but we kept going. I learned that we cant just do things halfway, we have to do things all the way and thats when the blessings come. We now have 2 new investigators and it was ALL because our heavenly father. We got home that night COMPLETELY soaked but it didnt matter, finally we had someone to teach!!

That was the main miracle of the week. My companion told me she never knew what she was signing up for when he came on the mission haha. She said she didnt know her little legs could walk as much as we do. I am wearing her out but she is such a good sport. Shes teaching me so much and we are learning and growing together. She told me that her last sunday in the MTC she fasted that she would good a good trainer and she told me her prayers were answered. Its hard to train, its a lot of pressure but I am doing my best and she in honestly teaching me more than I am teaching her. 

And BTW, this week I had my first hot dog in over 10 years. I vowed with Grandma Root that I would never eat other one again after she told me what was in it and one of the members gave us hotdogs for lunch. I was crying on the inside haha. 

Thats about it!

I love the mission and I am so grateful to be here. Now to find the people God is preparing!

Hermana Root

1. Hermana Ato and I 

2. Hermana Villarel, we got here on the same day! Shes from Salta Argentina

3. Hermana Ato and I with Presidente and Hermana Thurgood

4. Hermana Del Pino from Uruguay! She goes home this transfer :(

5. Her first facturas! The best thing in Argentina!!

6. Soaking wet from the rain

7. Happy Gotcha Day Shaylee!!!

I'm going to be a Mom again! (4/6/15)

Happy easter and happy gotcha day shay. Your a cool asian and Im glad your my sister!!!

WOW, what a WONDERFUL week. It was SOO hot and I am getting a little more tan, or red, whatever you would like to call it. 

FIRST off, we found 2 AMAZING investigators this week. This first one is named Rosa and she was a reference from Hermana Vasquez, the seminary teacher. Shes like 30 and seriously has been looking for the gospel for years and WE FOUND HER. She has a baptism date for 25 of April and LETS HOPE WE CAN DO THIS! She is so great!!

We also are teaching a boy named Rodrigo. He is 14 and gay but literally the sweetest boy! Seriously, I love him and he trying so hard to become a better person. My companion and I prayed so hard this week that we could find some people to teach that were really willing to change for the lord and our prayers were answered. I gained a huge testimony of the power of prayer this week. Even when he doesnt answer, he still listens. 

On thursday we made the goal that we were going to talk to 20 people in that day. It just happenes that everyone literally RAN from us. It was almost 9pmand we had to get back to the apartment but I told my companion, we arent going until we have these 20! We had been walking for 7 hours. Every appointment fell through, everyone we contacted didnt want anything to do with us and we were wore out. So, we said a prayer, right in the middle of the street that we could meet our goal. We walked for 15 more minutes and were able to meet our goal. I learned a huge lesson that day. Once we get done praying, we go to work, and then god makes the miracles happen. 

President called on friday and IM GOING TO BE A MOM, again. haha I will be training and my companion gets here tomorrow. I am nervous, I barely know what I am doing, but I know its a calling from the lord and he will help me. Today we were informed that our mission will be split in July and I will finish the mission in Buenos Aires Sur. A lot of my friends and companions are going to the Buens Aires East and it makes me so sad :( 

Conference was AMAZING. Wow, the family is so important. They made it super clear that I need to get married once I finish haha. All the did was talk about marriage the first day! i LOVE when the talks were in spanish. I got to watch in english but we watched in spanish when the two gave their talks. No matter the language, the gospel is the same. 

I just want to share my testimony that I know that Jesus Christ lives. This easter was way different than any other in my life and I was able to really think about the importance of his resurrection. Because of him, we will live again, we can be forgiven, and we can have a family that lasts forever. 

SO, time to start this new adventure and get to training! 

Love you all!

Hermana Root

1. The americans watching conference in english!

2. I made my companion pancakes cut into Happy Easter

3. The missionaries of Luis Guillon.

Its a wonderful day to be an Hermana! (3/30/15)

HOLA MIS AMORES!

Wow, what a wonderful week!! Seriously we have seen so many miracles that I don´t even know where to start. We started sharing little cards that say gracias a que el vive, (thanks that he lives) Its a video for the church for easter and we are talking to SO many people each day. We still don´t have many investigators but we are working so hard. 

This week we had exchanges and I was with Hermana Adama from Peru. She finishes up her mission in a week and we had so much fun. We had to go to the Elder´s area to visit an hermana that lives alone. We had no idea how to use the bus so we just got on one and next thing we knew we were in the villa (ghetto) and scared for our lives! haha But, nothing happened other than a DRUNK MAN PROPOSED TO ME! He said, take me to your country, marry me! And i was like umm, here is a card, go to this website and find out more about the church, I then walked away and HUGGED ME AND KISSED MY CHEEK! AHHHHHH! Drunk argentine men. Yuck. 

We are really focused on working with the members and so many of them are willing to help. We really have won over their confidence and we are all on the same page. 

My companion and I are doing wayy better. I love her, she is such a great girl. Its just getting used to each other that is hard! haha But, we have learned so many wonderful things together. 

Another awkward story, today we were going to buy vegtables and fruits for the week at the fruit stand. The owner asked me where I was from and we started talking to them about the church. Then out of nowhere he says, See that man back there. Hes single and has always wanted to marry an american. Imagine how cute that would be! I turned beet red and we bought the vegtables and left!! haha

I was thinking this week and I really am thankful that I went home for the time I did. I am a completely different missionary now than I was before. I am more focused, I am working way harder, and I now realize just what a privelage it is to be here. 

I was reading in Mark this week and it says No temas, cree solamente. (Dont fear, just believe) And my companion and I are doing this. We are trusting in the spirit and trying our hardest to do what the Lord needs here. I am so excited for conference and we are inviting everyone to come and see. The rejections we get every day are MILLIONS but our job is to invite! 

Riv, congrats on being married!! YOUR SO BEAUTIFUL!

MADISON, VA A SER UNA HERMANA! Vamos ecuador!! 

This is my last week with Hermana Espinola and we will see what happens next!!

Its a wonderful day to be an Hermana!

Chaucitos!!

Hermana Root

Una Feliz Hermanita! (3/24/15)

Oh my word, what a week or 10 days or whatever it has been. I am still alive! Opening an area is hard, extremely hard! I am exhausted but I am so happy. Basically I have been placed in the BEST word Argentina has to offer. Lunch every single day, the members want to work, and everyone loves us! 

So we spent the first part of the week basically in the pention just organizing everything, making a plan, and trying to find where all the old investigators and everyone lived. It drains you mentally!! haha and it was SOO hot! But now its super cold so i am not complaining. 

We had zone conference this week and it was AWESOME. I SAW HERMANA CONCENES! (the girl I trained!) We hugged for like 10 minutes and just cried. She just kept telling everyone, this is my mom and she resurrected! haha¨ President Thurgood is such an inspired man. PREACH MY GOSPEL IS KEY! He was talking about how we all need to be driven and have desire and he said ¨When I had to send Hermana Root home, she almost killed me. But never before have I seen anyone with such a desire to get back¨ I did have such a desire to get back because I love it. Sometimes I wonder why because my feet are covered in blisters, im exhausted, and just want to sleep, but the spiritual blessings that come from this is UNREAL. I could not have given up this opportunity to serve my heavenly father these remaining 10 months. 

We found an investigator named Stella (yes, that is my dogs name jaja) and she is AWESOME. She accepted to be baptized too!! Whooo! Also, I met a man in the streets thats from the states, we spoke english, and he wants the elders to come teach him! There are just SOO many miracles happening here. I am so blessed to be apart of it. 

So I am with a mini missionary, so she is just a normal girl that has not gone to the MTC and basically knows nothing about the mission. I teach basically all alone in the lessons and she shares her testimony, I do all the planning and she falls asleep haha I keep trying to motivate her and share all the responsibility but she seems to have no confidence in herself. Also she is always talking about boys. Like ALL the time. And I have told her like 100 times, I am single ( more than ever before) and I am not here to get married, we are here to find the people who God is preparing, so focus haha. She´s a wonderful girl! But we sure have some differences. 

Funny story of the week. We were planning one night after we had got home and we hear this noise. We turn around and a HUGE cockroach is on the ground. FELL FROM THE CEILING! I started to scream, Oh my gosh Oh my gosh! And stood on the desk haha Hermana Espinola killed it and then we got back to work. About 20 minutes later, someone knocks on the door. I go to answer it and it was the neighbor. She asked if we were okay because she heard screaming. I explained what had happened. And she had her phone in her hands READY TO CALL THE POLICE! She thought someone had broke it and was about to call the police. I was SO embarassed. Can you imagine if the argentine police showed up to our apartment??! 

In our district meeting this week we learned about the power of prayer and so as we left the apartment yesterday morning we prayed fervently that we would be able to find someone who has been looking for this gospel. Not one minute after we left the apartment, a woman yells, Hermanas Hermanas, vengan! We went over and she was a girl about in her 30s and she explained that she had been looking for missionaries for years. She has gone inactive but she wanted to come back and her husband wants to hear the lessons. As we walked away, I just started to cry. I am so grateful I am permitted to know these people and to be an instrument in God´s hands. I am imperfect and just a normal girl but just when we are willing God use us just in the way he needs. 

ALSO found a wonderful quote: Pray like everything depends on god, work like everything depends on you!

Well, back to another week full of work. I am loving Luis Guillon and I am so blessed to be here. AMO LA MISION! 

Love you all!! 

Chaucitos!

Hermana Root

-- Fotos:

1. Hermana Espinola and I 

2. Hermana CONCENES!

3. Already getting my super hot tan line back. Mom, I walked in the house with these dirty feet. 

Greetings from Tina!! (3/16/15)

Well, HOLA HOLA HOLA..

I am back and I am soooo soooo sooo happy! The flights were LONG so LONG but finally I got here, made it through customs, and President and Sister Thurgood and the assistance picked me up and we came to the mission offices. I was then interviewed with President Thurgood and he informed me I was going to do a whitewash (where 2 missionaries do not know ANYTHING about the area) and I was going to be with a mini missionary. This means she is just a normal girl that lives about an hour from here and is voluntering as a missionary till the transfer ends. I actually met her in my first area so we will get along great. 

I am in Luis Guillon. Google it and you´ll see how it is.  Its a city and the area is pretty small. It looks to be very safe and peaceful. We shall see, all I know is the apartment and the grociery store. The apartment was used by elders last, so we have been spending our time cleaning today... oh elders... 

Other than that I don´t have to much else to say! I am well, I am happy, and I am just glad to be a missionary again. The spanish has come back already and the knees are feeling great, what more can I ask for?

Love you all! 

CHAU CHAU!

Hola! (1/18/15)

Hola! 

Wow, okay for the past 8 months I have wrote my "monday emails" and this monday I am in a different part of the world with a little different circumstances.

I am home for those who do not know. I received news from my mission president last week that I was getting sent home. It was hands down the hardest experience of my life. I didnt want to leave, but I did it because I knew that that is what needed to be done. I dont understand why, but God does. 

I want you all to read a talk. Come What May and Love It. Here is the link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng

It sucks that this happened, I cried a lot, and really did not want things to turn out like this BUT whatever. It happened, theres a reason, I dont know it, but oh well. I am going to do what heavenly father needs me to do and I will go back and finish the 10 months I have left. Theres just a little road block, but that wont get in the way of the big picture. 

What happened they think is that my femur bone went out of place and then went back into place but because of the movement and the fact that I kept working after my fall, my bone is bruised and inflamed. SO, they gave me three weeks of physical therapy and told me that probably I will be back in the mission in 3 weeks. In this week that i have been home, I have improved TREMENDOUSLY. I can walk almost perfectly and almost am pain free. I am so blessed. 

So, there will be a little hault on the weekly emails, but I will be back in the mission field real soon and get back to doing what I love most, serving the lord. 

Chau!