Mon, Mar 14, 2016 1:57 pm "Our message, which is centered in Jesus Christ, is of great value and importance."

                                                   Dear family and friends,

I love my mission. This week, I gained a stronger testimony that literally all we do as missionaries and all we should do as members of God's church upon the earth is centered in Jesus Christ. We are His disciples. We are the light and the example to the world. I have realized this week, that I am so much like Peter in the Bible. President Uchtdorf gave a talk on how Peter is a great example of the missionaries today. Both fearful and fearless. Peter was a fisherman, but was called to the great work of the Lord...he was probably the last one to think that he would be the chief apostle to Jesus Christ. As we read about his life, we see that he had many moments of weakness and being fearful, but as he gained his witness of the resurrected Christ, he was fearless. He shared his testimony and conversion with all until the end of his days. I, like him, have so many weaknesses, like we all do. But we are called to this great work. And as we gain testimonies of Jesus Christ, we cannot help but sharing and testifying boldly to others. This week, as I have walked the streets of Surrey, I have often compared myself to Peter...I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I wear His name on my heart for the whole world to see. I declare His everlasting truth and proclaim my witness. What a sacred and special calling it is to be a representative of Jesus Christ, our Savior. 

PDay Visit to Dentist in White Rock

I want to show you that really everything we do is centered in Jesus Christ. Here in the mission....AND at home. All of these lessons that we learn here, we MUST take home. We MUST live forever. The mission is the time for us to learn these great things that God has given us, and then the life after is when we apply it. We can never forget that. We can never forget who we represent.

Our Stake Pres. in Surrey stake made these shirts for Pres. Burt and us because Pres. Burt always says  we are so good. Our new slogan!

We had the most incredible Zone Conference this week, here in Surrey. President Burt and Sister Burt are truly so inspired. I know that they receive direction straight from Heavenly Father to lead this mission. We talked a lot about our morning studies. Our morning routine and being exactly obedient in the hours of 6:20am to 10:00am. I learned so much, and more importantly I have noticed that what I learned is written on my heart. I have applied it and am living it! We were committed to talk about our studies throughout the entire day with our companions! Well that was good motivation to have amazing studies if we are going to talk about it all day long. Let me tell you, this meeting literally changed my life and the way I do missionary work. As we fill our mornings with the Spirit, the mood for our day is set. We are on the right track and then we have a whole day given from God to apply those things! The Spirit has been so strong with Sister Cendreda and me! We have been so inspired and have been lead countless times by the Spirit!! Also, quick side note, God committed me during this meeting to get out of my comfort zone more. It has been amazing to see my comfort zone grow and grow on my mission, but I realize that if I am so comfortable with teaching and talking to people now, I'm not growing. "There's no growth in the comfort zone, and there's no comfort in the growth zone." This is so true. So I've been stretching so that God can help me grow! I love it! You should all try that as you talk to people about the gospel!

I want to share my favorite miracle with you from this week. So Saturdays are our walking days. It was POURING RAIN! Seriously so much rain. We were walking by Surrey Mall and weren't really feeling it there. We said a prayer and the Spirit told us to go to Bear Creek park which was only like a mile a way..in the pouring rain. Haha so we started walking over there, and miraculously a member picked us up half way and took us to the park. So when we got there....um...there was no one...except for 5 people walking around the running track in the rain. So we are like, "Have you ever contacted people on the track?" We said nope at the same time and started walking toward the track. We decided to walk the opposite way as everyone so we could talk to them. And the first person we meet was Juan. He is 18 years old and has had a hard life so far. He was so cool and we just started explaining what we did as missionaries. He just looked at us and was like, "Why are you here?" meaning "What in the world are you doing here in the rain, in this park, on the track???" We testified to him that God knows him and so he sent us to him because God knew that Juan needed Him. We talked to him a bit longer and we could tell he was so touched that God would send us to him. We left him with our number and invited him to church and then that was it. I wrote in my journal that night, "I love how God is aware of all of His children, and He uses us (his missionaries) to help His children know that." But wait...this miracle gets better. We were passing some potential investigators off to our zone leaders yesterday right before our church started and theirs was ending. They looked at us with huge smiles and asked, "Do you remember Juan that you met yesterday?" Haha!!! Juan showed up at church yesterday! The elders set up a time to meet with him this week! They said he really liked it. My heart is so happy to be an instrument in the hands of God. That was such a special miracle for me.

We sticky noted our less active--she Loves Us!

Our dinner with Alex and Carolyn. We love them!!! 

I wish I had time to tell you about all of the amazing things we get to see here!

This week, I learned about the power of the Spirit. I am so grateful that we can not only have the Spirit as a Comforter, but also as our protector. I have learned that God truly leads us as His missionaries. God always provides a way!:):)

We had a great lesson with Carolyn and Alex! I really love them so much! Carolyn is so sincere and just wants to follow God! We were able to teach her about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are planning on getting married next year, so I'm excited to come back to BC when she gets baptized! I love the people I have met here in BC. They have changed my life so much! They are so special and have definitely become a part of me!

I hope you all have a great week and really take my commitment to get out of your comfort zone and live the gospel out loud..not so others can see you! But so others can see the goodness that God has blessed you with! I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Hoth

Mon, Mar 7, 2016 1:26 pm We feel so alive.

Dear family and friends,

We feel so alive!!! I am loving every second of serving here in Surrey with Sister Cendreda!! We worked so hard this week, and saw so many miracles come  from it. While everyone else was changing areas and companions, the only thing we were doing was changing our car. It's so sad. We had to change our Chevy Cruze, Estafano, for a Subaro. We are so sad. Haha, but we are living with it and moving on. 

So we got to see Karla again this week, and we had such a powerful lesson with her! We taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is simply...faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Karla really wants to change her life, and I feel so blessed to share the very thing that can do that for her. we asked her if she was happy with her life and without a second hesitation she said, "NO!". We testified to her that if she wants to change her life, she has to change herself. She has to change her natures...and we can do that through the gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can become new people. We have that promise. (Mosiah 5:7-8) Karla told us that she can't be baptized now because she just doesn't feel ready...we told her that the way to feel ready is reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church! SHE CAME TO CHURCH...and she brought her boyfriend, Joel and two of her kids. They left after the first hour because the kids were crazy. But she came, and it was really so neat. All of the testimonies that were shared were about their conversion stories and how grateful they were to be baptized and how they couldn't have made it without the gospel. I think it really touched Karla!

Oh my goodness, Carolyn also came to church yesterday. I mentioned her before, but she is the girlfriend of one of our less active members, Alex. She is seriously the cutest little Filipino I've ever seen, apart from Sister Cendreda. ;) She learned from the missionaries before, but now feels like she really wants to learn. She is pregnant and so she really wants to know about the gospel so she can teach her baby. After church we were able to teach her again. She has read the first part of 1st Nephi and feels like God is telling her to keep learning and keep moving forward. We taught her the plan of salvation and she LOVED it. She feels that it is true. I love her so much and really just want the best for her!! She is so special to God!

We were able to see Rosa this week and spend some time with her. Raul has been so worried about her because she is still pretty weak and has even fainted. We are praying so much for her! The little Emily is doing so good, and is such a little angel. 

So every Saturday is our walking day. So we park the car at home and get to walk everywhere. It's hard sometimes, but usually the members are really good at giving us rides. Well our Bishop and his wife picked us up and took us to their house in Coquitlam to have lunch and to share the gospel. I was so grateful that they were able to pick us up and help us out because I was feeling so sick that day. I was so exhausted and really had no strength. My legs were shaking and all that stuff. Well, I was able to get a blessing from the Bishop. It was so special and I felt better after. I am so grateful for the Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am so grateful that the gospel and the priesthood have been restored! I know that it has been. I am so incredibly  grateful to share the gospel with these wonderful people in Canada. It is such a blessing! God is truly so good to each and every one of us. His love is so real. Don't forget that! 

Love,

Hermana Hoth

Rosa & baby Emily

Hermana Torrez with Gomez kids

Sister Missionaries: Hemenway, Hoth, Yonk, Cendreda

Cendreda's "going home papers"

Too Cool for Sunday School ;)