FELIZ NAVIDAD

Dear all,

I hope that in these next few days you can all take a little more time to think about others, a little more time to be with your family, and a little more time to learn more about and share with somebody the life of Christ.

In the mission I have come to learn so much more about my Brother and Savior Jesus Christ! His love is unconditional. He knows exactly what we need, and when we need it. He is more patient than we could ever hope for. He served everyone, without regard to status, race, health, or age. He is the noblest of all the nobles, the kindest of all the kind, the greatest of all the greats, and the most humble of all the humbles.

The best Christmas gift that I could ever receive is to be able to give to know to other people the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings thereof.

I hope that this Christmas, you can all learn a little bit more about the Atonement, make your relationship with Heavenly Father a little stronger, and be a little bit better. Forgive others, forgive yourself, accept the gift of our Savior and His Atonement.

We are still planning Margarita's baptism for December 30th! There is nothing that makes a missionary happier than seeing an investigator start to change their lives and accept Christ as their Savior. There is nothing that makes me happier than knowing that other people are finding true and lasting happiness through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the Light, the Life, and the Way.

Merry Christmas!
Hermana Cheever

ps we had a zone conference the other day and our mission president showed us the music video "Glorious" by David Archuleta from Meet the Mormons. It was almost the best Christmas present ever. I also got to play the violin with the sisters in our zone singing "Noche de luz", commonly known in English as "Silent Night". It felt good to play. Develop your talents and share them with other people.

pps we also got a picture with Santa Claus, but lamentably I will not be able to send it this week.

Valle del Sol

Dear all, 

This week quite possibly has been the best week of my mission so far. So yes, my companion and I both were transferred out of our area. We left the house sparkly clean and ready for the next sisters (or elders) that were to come. Our bishop was nice enough to take us to the transfer meeting in Puebla (the city. Puebla City is the capital of Puebla State). There, it was announced that the areas Atexcac and its neighbor, Ixtacíhuatl, would be combined. I was a little sad to hear that, but it’s really for the best because Atexcac is SUPER small.

My new companion is Hermana Villa, from Hermosillo, Sonora (it's right underneath Arizona). I am happy to be with her, we met in my first area, Atlixco, and after that we were in the same zone in Nealtican. And now we are companions in the ward Valle del Sol in the Valsequillo stake in the city of Puebla! My area is just about 100 times the size of Atexcac, and there is SO much work to be done here!

For those of you who hadn't already figured it out, Valle del Sol means Valley of the Sun. And boy, is it bright here! To start off, we had super great results in not even one week of work. I just want to tell you about Adrian and his mom, Margarita. They are golden investigators! They were a reference from the North mission, (that's another thing. Basically across the street from our house begins the Puebla North mission. Sometimes we end up out of mission boundaries when we take the bus...) but have accepted the change very well. They are so easy to teach because they understand everything we tell them. They are both reading the Book of Mormon and this Sunday was their third church attendance! They came to the dedication of our new church building last night and were both really impressed. Adrian tells us that he has found that he is happier than he ever has been, but he can't find out why. Sometimes he just has an urge to read the Book of Mormon, and he feels really great in the church and with all the teachings. His mom feels the same.

Last night after the dedication, we had a little chat and invited Margarita to be baptized. She accepted, without a doubt. She was baptized four years ago with the Christian Church, but she would like to be baptized again with us. Before we could even challenge her to a date, she said that she would like to be baptized on a day very special for her, her birthday. I was a little disappointed because who knows when her birthday is, but then she said "December 30th!" So we have a baptismal date for December 30th. Adrian is a little bit harder. He's stubborn and a little egoistic; he's having a hard time with the commitment. But he told us that he knows that it's imminent, but he doesn't want to put a date. When he's ready he'll let us know. I am hoping it's sometime soon. Observing them while teaching, I know that they know that it's true and that they feel the Spirit.

I am so grateful for these two wonderful people! Another interesting thing is that last night after the lesson, they went with us to drop us off at our house because it was late. We grabbed a bus, and after a few minutes, we realized it was the wrong bus! Margarita talked the bus driver into changing his route, and off we went towards home! The driver was a little angry, but even though it wasn't his normal route, he had a ton of passengers! Now you see? Help the missionaries, the Lord will bless you. One of the passengers was a clown. Yes, a clown. I have a chronic fear of clowns and tried to ignore him, but since I am white he singled me out of the crowd and I had to answer some questions in front of the busload of people. It wasn't too traumatic, but I'll let you all know what the psychologist diagnoses me with.

So that was fun.

There are so many other grand and fantastic things that I want to tell you all about, but I will save some other people's stories for next week.

Share the Gift with everyone this Christmas by helping them know the Restored Gospel! The greatest of all the gifts of God is eternal life, which can only be obtained by sacred priesthood ordinances in the holy temple and by our strict obedience to God and His commandments. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

If I don't get a chance to tell you next week, ¡Feliz Navidad!

Hermana Cheever

This is a girl in Atexcac that we were teaching.
She sells apples covered in a candy tamarindo.
She taught us how to make them.
She's wonderful,
I will miss teaching her and I hope that she progresses
with the other sister missionaries who will be working there.
Her name is Esperanza.

This is la familia Lozano.
They are all less active and
we worked really hard with them in Atexcac.
One Sunday they all came to church and
my companion told me it was the first time
in over a year that they had attended.
Some people just need love. Do your part.
The blurry girl behind me is Maleny,
our investigator with a baptismal date. 

DECEMBER!

Dear all,

Happy December! Time has been flying by so incredibly fast, there's hardly time for anything! Last week I passed the 8 month mark on my mission, which means in just one more month I will have hit the halfway point. That is so crazy. I don't ever want this mission to end!

There have been a lot of hard things, a lot of challenges and trials in the mission, but the few really good things that happen balance it all out. Take this story for example:

Yesterday we had the first lesson with a new investigator. Her name is Maleny. Her boyfriend is a member and she is living with him and his family (note: do not try this at home, live the law of chastity). She has come to church the past two Sundays, and we started the lesson by asking her if there are any doubts or questions that she has. She asked us a few things about what happens after this life (author's note: yes we really can become like Heavenly Father and enjoy the glory that He enjoys if we obey in this life). We helped her clear up a few doubts and then taught about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong and I could just feel that this girl (she's only 16 years old) really needs more of God and the Gospel in her life! It was a great lesson. so great that she even accepted a baptismal date! If all goes well, she will be baptized January 7th, Yes that is a Wednesday, but it's the date that came to my mind and I would like to think that it's inspired. This was somewhat of a miracle for my companion and me, seeing as how in the area in which we are serving it is really hard to find investigators, almost impossible that they come to church, and just amazing that she has agreed on a date to be baptized.

The downer is that tomorrow are transfers, Both my companion and I will be leaving the area to be serving somewhere else, so we won't be able to see Maleny progress and be baptized. To some it is given to sow, others to reap.

I hope that all of you are busy sowing seeds of the gospel in all aspects of your life. The best way to do that is by your example. We as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are a covenant people. We are different. We have the light, we have the truth, LIVE LIKE IT! Reach your potential. Live worthy of the blessings of the temple. Show others what it means to be a part of the Restored Gospel and when your non-member friends want to know why you're different than others, invite them to meet the missionaries.

Plant your seeds and then read Alma 32:41. With patience, faith, diligence, and hope that seed will grow into a tree that will bring forth fruit for Eternal Life, the greatest of all the gifts of God.

Hermana Cheever

This is one of the first members in Atexcac. Look, he's still going strong, studying Doctrine and Covenants!

Fotos and more fotos - just in case you were worried Rachael has changed

The Lord's Work

Dear all,

I don't have much to say this week. Just that this truly is the Lord's work, and I am so privileged to be a part of it. I want to testify to you all that He loves us so much, He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be able to return to live with Him.

Remember that this life is a test. God is watching us and He's just a prayer away to help us. Sometimes we suffer, but it's all for our good. In Doctrine and Covenants somewhere it says that "all things work together for them that love God". Or maybe it's in Romans. Well, it's in the scriptures. And it's true.

Love God, serve Him, bear your afflictions with patience, as did the sons of Mosiah, and everything will turn out great.

CELESTIAL GLORY OR BUST.

It's worth the effort; remember to keep an eternal perspective.
Hermana Cheever

NOVEMBER

Dear all,

Well it's well into Fall here in Atexcac, and I don't know if I have told you before, but IT'S COLD. We are close to the mountains and so it gets cold around this time of year. But nothing compared to good old Utah.

The most exciting things that have been happening are with an investigator named Belém. She was pregnant, but she had her baby. ON MY BIRTHDAY. They asked me for a list of American names, so I gave them some that I could remember, and they chose Meredith. Awww. I was hoping they'd name her Rachael. But, win some lose some. Belém has been progressing a lot. This Sunday she came to church! We weren't expecting her for some time, about a month, because of the baby, but she came! She's really close to baptism, there's just a slight problem with her family and letting her get married. But we are hoping and praying that God will soften their hearts so that Belém can be baptized and start on the path that will lead her family to exaltation!

I don't remember when the last email I sent was, but we spent part of my birthday with some members, and that weekend we ended up eating three cakes! There's also a tradition here to take a bite of the cake and everyone smashes your face in it, so that also happened three times. I've learned the Mexican birthday song "las mañanitas" pretty well by now.

We are working hard to help people progress toward baptism, but it's difficult in this small town. Almost all of the members are somehow related and people outside the family don't see why they should change their religion. But we've just got to trust in the Lord and His timing and keep working hard and being obedient and faithful.

As always, have a great week and get involved in the work of salvation!

Hermana Cheever

 

A Birthday Cake

I found the Spider on Halloween. Happy Halloween!

Livin la vida loca...

Dear all,

So the most exciting thing this week was that two of the investigators we committed to come to church this week CAME!!! I almost cried when I saw one investigator walk in. I just know that their weeks will be so blessed for the righteous decision they have made.

Since conference, my companion and I have felt that we should start teaching people about the sacrament; the importance of this sacred opportunity and the meaning of it. I want to share a little bit of what I have learned with all of you. The sacrament is a time and a means to remember Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He made. It is a time to reflect. It is a time of renovation, dedication, and forgiveness. We have the promise that each time we partake of the sacrament we can be clean from our sins. We can start the week with a clean slate. We can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

That brings me to another point. So our area is a little pueblo, a very small town. But it also covers a colonia (which just means it's an even smaller town). We try to go over there about once a week, because it's a little far away. We had an appointment there yesterday, and we decided on Saturday night that we would not leave la colonia without teaching somebody, so our efforts would not have been in vain. Our appointment was not at home, so we set out to look for a few other people that we know that live there. We headed up the street, and two dogs started barking. I have never been scared of dogs in my life, but life as a missionary is different. My companion insisted that we go back to Atexcac, but I was determined to teach. I was not going to let our time in la colonia be wasted. Fortunately right then some people that lived a little further up the street were passing by, so we went with them and the dogs left us alone. Then Juana wasn't home, Dolores neither. We had made various street contacts, but no one was interested. There are very few people who live in la colonia, and I didn't know who we could find to have a lesson. Just then, a man walked by and we greeted him and started talking. Turns out the missionaries had taught him once before, and he wasn't busy right then. So we went to his house.

When we arrived he invited us to come into the dining room. We told him we couldn't enter unless there was also a female. He told us nobody else wanted to listen to us because they are Evangelical Christians. I realize this sounds a bit sketchy, but don't worry, the rest of his family was next door in the kitchen. We ended up teaching him inside his dining room from outside. We stood outside on the sidewalk and he was standing in his doorway. He told us that he wants to change. He has started smoking, drinking, and going to the dances (that's not okay to do if you're an Evangelical Christian). He told us that he's been having dreams with God and the Devil and he knows he needs help soon. We taught him about, well, Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and baptism. Included in baptism is the Holy Ghost. He was really worried that after repenting, he would just fall into his vices another time. We explained that through baptism, he would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which would help him to make decisions and avoid temptation. But we can only have the Holy Ghost when we are doing what God wants us to do. That made me realize the importance of the Holy Ghost.

It's something that we need. And to have it, we need to be clean. To be clean, we have to be baptized, and then keep the commandments and be able to partake of the sacrament regularly so that we can stay clean.

I hope you have all realized or remembered the importance of weekly church attendance. Yes it is important. Yes you have other things to do. But what matters most to you and what do you want to have achieved at the end of your life? I want to be able to enter into the presence of my Heavenly Father and thank my Savior Jesus Christ for what He has done for me. I want to appear spotless before God at the last day. And believe you me that going to church every week will help me to do that.

Do good things, be good people, live like you believe!

Hermana Cheever :)

Corn, corn, corn, nothing but corn.

Dear all. Welcome to Atexcac

This is called a milpa. I have no idea what it would be in English becuase hey, I pretty much grew up in the city. But there is a ton of corn. And right now, if you didn't know, is pea-harvesting time.

I love it here, it is so pretty, I am astounded every day by the creations of our God!

The people here are pretty great, as well. There is one sister that we visited this week whose name is Gabina. She has had a hard life. She married young and had a lot of kids. Her husband left her a widow, also at a young age and she remarried. For many years her husband didn't allow her to go to church because he was Catholic. Three years ago he died and she was free to go to church again. She is having a really hard time financially, she still has young girls at home to take care of. But her faith in God is amazing. We were asking her about Joseph Smith, and she said, "actually, I don't even know very well who Joseph Smith is" (well, in Spanish). She knew that the Church was true and had a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and the Restoration without even understanding everything. She doesn't know how to read, either.

That just goes to show that when we open our hearts and trust in God, He will give us to know the truth of all things through the Holy Spirit. Gabina is an example to me because she is so trusting, and she believes everything that God tells her, or makes her feel. It would do us good to let go of our pride and our doubts and just believe.

It's amazing all the things that God is teaching me here on the mission. This truly is the greatest blessing of my life. I am so happy and so filled with the Spirit. Even in the face of rejection and opposition, we can find much to be grateful for.

I hope you all have a great week and take some time to notice the great things around you. Don't let your big head get in the way of the little miracles God sends you every day.

Love,
Hermana Cheever

CONFERENCE!

Dear all,

Conference was sweet like cherries, the mission life is great. you should all read the Book of Mormon and spend less time with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube and more time reviewing the conference messages.

Hermana Cheever
 

Hermana Cheever celebrates 6 months of service. 

 Go here to watch or listen to conference messages:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014

ATEXCAC!

Dear all,

So I have been transferred from Atlixco, after being there for five months! I was a little sad and apprehensive to leave my first area, but I love it here and I know that the Lord wants me here. My companion is Hermana Terrones, from Tamaulipas, Mexico. She is great!

Atexcac (se dice ah-tes-ka if you're lazy or like it's written if you're not) is a super small town with two main streets. Everyone here is family. All the residents either go to:

• La capilla (chapel)-that's us
• El templo (temple)-Evangelical Christians
• La iglesia (church)-Catholics

Everyone has heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints before, so that makes things a little easier in one way, a little harder in another. There are 600 members in this little town, but only about 120 come to church every week. This shows us the importance of being truly converted. If we are not converted to Christ, if we don't have a testimony of Him, His Atonement, and His Restored Gospel, we will not have the strength nor the means necessary to endure to the end.

What do you need to do to be converted? Have you read the Book of Mormon? Have you prayed about it? Have you prayed about Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the gospel? How do you show God that you have faith? Are you just a Sunday member, or do you strive daily to improve yourself and keep God's commandments?

Another thought I want to leave you with is that this week is....GENERAL CONFERENCE. I have never been so excited in my life. I have always liked listening to General Conference, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to listen to a living prophet. I am so excited for other people to be able to experience the Restored Church in action. I hope you will all make time this weekend to listen to all 4 (or 5) sessions of General Conference. Pray that you will be able to receive solutions to problems, pray that our church leaders will be able to help you.

I know that this church is true. I know that God and His Son live and love us. I know that They have given us prophets that we might be able to know how to live Their gospel and receive a fullness of joy by returning to live in Their presence with our families. Forever.

Be an example to all those around you. Rid yourself of fear and doubt and live by faith.

Hermana Cheever

 

The volcanoes! Or volcanos. I never knew. Mosquitoes either. Quién sabe.

Cambios!!!!

¡Buenos días!

Or tardes, or noches, or whatever time it is while you are reading this. Fun fact about Mexican culture: if you say buenas tardes when really it should be buenas noches, the other person promptly corrects you, "Buenas noches".

So I am going to be transferred, adios Atlixco! I am both sad and happy. I am . . .sappy! (I will think very highly of you if you can tell me what tv show and what character that is from). Last night we received the call and I will be leavingtomorrow. I won't know until tomorrow where I am going to be serving for the next while, but you can rest assured that it is where the Lord wants me.

This week something great happened! We were walking in the street, leaving an appointment when a man called out to us and wanted to talk with us. Naturally I was a bit apprehensive, but he was very respectful and told us that he wanted to quit drinking. Okay, that's great. He told us that he wanted to have a smile on his face and be happy like we were. We gave him a pamphlet about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and took his address. Unfortunately, he doesn't live in our area. We also invited him to church on Sunday. That was Tuesday, I think. A day or two later we saw him again en la calle (street) and he asked if we had anything else to read. We gave him the pamphlet of The Restoration. The next day, we found him again (he has like 3 jobs selling food in the street), and he surprised us by telling us that since the day he met us, he has not drunk alcohol at all, and he feels so much happier. The words in the pamphlets had made a difference in his life, in merely 3 days. We left him the pamphlet that teaches about the Plan of Salvation. Saturday we saw him again, and asked about what he has been learning, and he told us about what he had read in the pamphlets, what an amazing experience Joseph Smith had, and how he was excited to see what could happen in three months, or a year, if just a few days of knowing the gospel had made such a huge difference in his life. We gave him a Book of Mormon and briefly explained its history. He told us he was excited to come to church the next day. When we arrived at the church building Sunday morning, he was there waiting for us. He thoroughly enjoyed the church services. The bad thing is that he works all the time, all day, and we don't know how he is going to be taught and prepared for baptism, but the moral of the story is that the gospel changes life damas y caballeros.

Have a great week and do great things! The Lord loves you and wants you to succeed!

Hermana Cheever :)

ps VIVA MÉXICO y feliz día de Independencia. Y que bueno que nos toca escuchar el grito hoy en la noche. We have the privilege of living near the site where the President of Atlixco will be directing "el grito" at midnight tonight. All of Atlixco will be gathered in one place and will be shouting "viva!" all night long in honor of the Mexican Independence Day, which is el 16 de Septiembre, y not the 5 de mayo. Just to clear that up. Fun fact, September 16 is also the birthday of Nick Jonas.

paz fuera.

Hot Cakes!

Dear all,

First of all, desayunamos con una hermana del barrio. Hicimos hot cakes. Oh pancakes how I have missed you. This is a picture of the wonderful creation that I made.

​Pancake with peanut butter, apple, and cajeta (caramel). It was delicious. 
And after I took the picture I wanted to make a joke about instagram, buuuut, I didn't think it would translate. 

This is the sweet sister with whom we spent the day. 

Now that we got that out of the way, I want to share with all of you what I learned yesterday studying. Maybe first that Sunday afternoons are not the most prime times to study. But secondly that the message in the August Liahona by Dennis C. Gaunt, "Act Upon This Land As If For Years" is a masterpiece. I read it for the first time yesterday, and there is so much good stuff! He mentions that we should not wait around for our seemingly unpleasant, inconvenient, or temporary circumstances to change. We must instead look for opportunities for spiritual growth. I can't even begin to tell you the wealth of knowledge and testimony that I gained from this article. Please read it if you haven't already, and if you have read it, read it again.

This week we visited two investigators, Juan Carlos and Janeth. They are a young couple with two babies. They are very receptive to the gospel, and they are progressing very well. They ask questions when we teach, they read the things we leave them, and they pray and ask God if this is the path their family should take. I have high hopes for them. We had a great lesson on Saturday night about the Plan of Salvation, and they were very excited to be able to go to church the following day. We arranged everything so that a member could stop by and take them to la capilla. On Sunday we arrived and were anxiously waiting to see them walk in the door and have the best experience of their life! We waited. And waited. And waited. The meeting started and shortly after the member that was going to bring the family entered and told us that they weren't ready when he passed by, but that they were coming. So we hoped, prayed, and waited some more. And the chiste es que nunca llegaron. They didn't come.

The moral of the story is that people have agency. Sometimes you do a lot of things and you just don't see the results. But does this mean that you have failed? Does this mean that they are never going to progress? No. The Lord works on His own timetable. Our deber, or our responsibility is to share the gospel and work as hard as we can to live what we know. "He that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store, that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to HIS soul" (See Doctrine and Covenants 4. It's a great section). We work hard and we have "faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God" and we do all that is within our power, that "we might be the means of saving some", as Ammon and his brethren. But each individual has the choice to accept or reject the restored gospel, and we can't make them progress any faster than is prudent for the Lord.

Your job is to work, and you will bring salvation to your own soul.

Never give up hope. For every person that doesn't come to church, for every person that doesn't want to listen to the missionaries, for every person that tells you "no", you're one step closer to the one that will say "yes".

Hermana Cheever :)

My first Mexican haircut

Yes folks that's right! I got a haircut today. And since it's so hot here in Atlixco, I asked them to cut it ALL OFF.

Just kidding, It was just a trim. You can't even tell.

But what did happen this week is that we helped the members clean the chapel. On Saturday we had no set appointments, so we decided it would be a good use of our time to help with the weekly church cleaning. It was a lot of fun. We just cleaned some windows, but it was nice to be there with the members and serve them. I think that we are going to have to keep doing stuff like that to be able to build a strong relationship with the ward, because our success depends on not only our efforts, but theirs.

Here's a secret about missionaries: we are not here to bring people to your church building, to your sacrament meeting on Sundays, to activities during the week. No. We are here to TEACH the people that YOU bring, that you invite into your church and your home. Yes we find people to teach on our own, but it's more effective if you introduce us to the people you already know.

I encourage all of you to obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel, or read the one that you already possess. Make it a part of your daily study. Read chapter 1, which teaches us our purpose as a missionary. But it's also your responsibility as a person. Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

We are ALL enlisted 'til the conflict is o'er. All of you as members have a responsibility to share the gospel. In a lesson this week with an investigator, I was teaching about our modern day prophet. She asked us "If this prophet is not just for your church, but for the whole world, why haven't I heard of him before?" Well that made me think. But I remembered the end of the New Testament, and Paul's missionary work among the Gentiles. He had a duty to preach Christ to those who didn't know Him, who had no knowledge of His coming. We are doing the same. Making the gospel known to those who don't know.

This church is a missionary church. It started in a farm house in the Eastern United States in 1830, and now I am in Mexico preaching the gospel. There are missionaries in all parts of the world, but we will not rest until every soul has had the opportunity to accept the Restored Gospel.

And that simply is not possible without the help of the members.

• How many people have you invited to church?
• How many people have you invited to take the missionary lessons? 
• How many hours have you dedicated to accompanying the missionaries on their teaching visits?

Remember that you can always do more. In fact, the Lord expects you to always do more, to always be improving. Do many good things of your own free will. FOR THE POWER IS IN YOU. (D&C 58:26-27) The fight is not over, the Lord is not done. He has just barely started hastening His work, but without your obedience and dedication. it will go nowhere.

Make the difference, be the light.

You are the salt of the earth, you have tasted of the fruit of the tree of life. And it's time to help others find salvation. Remember that many have not arrived at the truth simply because they know not where to find it. The Lord has placed great confidence in you in allowing you to have partaken of the gospel in its fulness. Don't let Him down. Often the way the Lord helps other people is through each and every one of us. We are His hands.

I invite all of you to dedicate yourselves to missionary work, to the work of the Lord. This truly is His work and His glory, as we help to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through prayer, scripture study, fasting, and church attendance, you will receive revelation as to how YOU personally can contribute to the hastening of the work of salvation.

Do not delay. Start today.

Hermana Cheever

No subject....

Dear all,

So. I have a new companion (not so new anymore that it is the fourth week of the transfer). Her name is Sister Hernandez, and she is from Saltillo, Coahuila. And yes it took me 6 days to be able to say Saltillo Coahuila. But I can say arrpentimiento ten times fast. Sorry, that was a lie. Sister Hernandez doesn't speak English, but I get to help her learn! So we'll see what damage I can do with that; in spite of being a missionary the teaching skillz todavía me falta. Did I ever tell you guys that one time I tried to hold a weekly English class in the church? That was fun.

Speaking of fun, today I did something awesome! Awesome enough to go down in the Cheever Book of Fame (mom don't read this part). So my companion and I got ready to leave para hacer some compras. Go shopping. I walked out of the house behind her, shut the door, and promptly remembered that I had conveniently left the keys inside. We frantically searched for an open window. Annnd yes! There was one. But I had to climb up on the roof/eave/algo/something to reach it. But it was easy and safe and not even very far off the ground. I was examining the opening of the window, and decided that thanks to the abundance of tortillas in Mexico I wouldn't be able to fit. My companion is smaller, and we both ended up trying to get ourselves inside the window. But because of the configuration of the window, Sister Hernandez's short legs couldn't breach the bottom part of the window (I know this is complicated and you probably can't even picture this in your mind so it doesn't make sense and I didn't take pictures, disculpame. But hang in there). So I decided (this is when the Cheever part of my genes kicked in, I just know it) that I could do it. I squeezed myself in through the window and dropped down into the stairs of our house, almost without injury. I minorly bruised my hand on the window sill. It was awesome.

Okay mother, you may resume reading :) So yes, my first adventure.

On another note, we found a new investigator this week named Diego! He is thirteen years old and ready to be baptized! Almost. He had been attending another ward with a friend, and he is really interested in the gospel. So we started teaching him and hopefully he will be able to make his first covenant with God in two or three weeks! When we asked him what he wanted us to teach him, what he was interested in, he told us "the gospel!" And we asked what he liked about going to church with his friend, and he told us "the scriptures!" We have a lesson with him later tonight, I'm excited to teach him because he learns really well and quickly!

And to close, I would just like to remind all of you that God loves you and He wants you to be happy. When you're feeling blue, just remember that you didn't lock your keys in your house. Unless you did. But even then, remember that God loves you.

Romans 8:35-39
Mucho amor,
Hermana Cheever :)

This is chile en nogada. Es delicioso. Google it, I can't even remember what all was inside. Like the whole world. 

New Shoes :)

Sister Hernandez, from Saltillo, Coahuila

Here we go again!

Dear all,

So this is going to be short because I have not a lot of time to write this week! But I love you all, and thank you so much for the letters you have all sent me this week! And thank you for your prayers! They are felt, that I can promise you. I don't have time to write back to everyone this week, but know that I love you and appreciate you taking the time to write me!

Something I learned this week: I am not humble. I am going to work on that. I encourage all of you to obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel, read chapter 6, and choose one attribute to work on that will help you to become more like Jesus Christ. Something I learned about humility, it is recognizing your dependence on God, but also learning to recognize your dependence on others. God has placed all the people with whom we associate in our life for a reason, and we need to learn from all of them.

Look for missionary opportunities. Well, do more than look. FIND THEM! I promise you they are there.

Hermana Cheever :)

ATLIXCO!

Dear family and friends,

I will be staying in Atlixco for at least another 6 weeks! But Hermana Campos is being transferred. I am a little nervous to be getting a new companion (I will find out who tomorrow at los cambios), I feel like I just barely figured out how to work well with Hermana Campos! But it's all good, I know that the Lord sends us the people we need when we need them.

I am so grateful to be a missionary! Everyday, well everyday that I darme cuenta, or take notice, I am amazed at how much the Lord answers prayers and how merciful his tender mercies really are. I want to share my experience with the ayuno, fasting, this week. On Saturday I started my fast, and I was praying that the Lord would help Antonia to keep having spiritual experiences, so that she could have a lasting conversion. My thoughts turned to her son, Ricardo, and his wife Lulu, who were inactive but have been reactivating themselves whilst (yes I used that word) we were teaching Antonia. So I was praying and fasting for all the less active members of our ward. On Sunday after church, I was thinking about my fast, and the less active members, and I realized that we had 7 members at church that day that don't usually come. That number is on the higher side of success. This is only one example of the many ways that the Lord has showed me His hand while I am here serving Him.

Well, that's about it for this week! I am excited to keep working here en el barrio Independencia, a ver que pasa :)

Siempre fiel,
Hermana Cheever

fotos!

Our district!

A lady in our ward that is like our grandma

Last Week of transfers!

Hello!

Well this week is week 6 of our tranfer cycle, and who knows if I will be here in Barrio Independencia or even Atlixco next week!

So I would like to take the opportunity to share with you all some things that I have learned from the members, less-actives, investigators, missionaries, and people in general here in the first four months of my mission! (Yes, I have been gone four months. If you were wondering why you missed me, that's why).

• God loves us. All the time. This is something that I have a hard time remembering, and I keep learning it. I feel like when an appointment falls through or when a week, two weeks, or months pass without a baptism God is upset with me and disappointed. Not true. He loves us all the time. Even when we're disobedient, prideful, arrogant, and hard-headed. 
• The Lord lets us make our own decisions, sometimes. It is not meet that we should be commanded in all things. 
• When you expect the best from other people...it's not guaranteed (I have never known how to spell this word and nothing looks right). But at least you have high expectations for other people. 
• Some people don't like the USA. 
• Sometimes when Mexicans sound like they're mad, they're just telling you that they love you. 
• Mangoes are a real fruit and quite delicious. 
• God gives us lots of chances to mess up. 
• In the midst of a lot of trials, there are even more blessings. Every time that I have a hard moment, I think of Antonia, the lady who was baptized last week, and what a great and lasting change she has made in her life. And it shows. She looks so much happier all the time now, and she is so much more confident. In life, the total is always so much more than the sum of parts. If you don't understand that, ask a statistics or psychology teacher. Or better yet, Heavenly Father. 
• And lots of other things. 

I hope all is well with all the eyes that come into contact with this letter. And the bodies that are attached to them.

Peace, love, and happiness from Atlixco.

this is in front of a church on the top of Cerro de San Miguel (cerro means hill) that we climbed today.

And some more fotos:

Looking for investigators

 

¡INTERCAMBIOS, BAUTISMO, Y MÁS!

Querido familia y amigos,

El Sábado Antonia se bautizó! Y su nieto Kevin. Ellos son muy muy buenos, y estoy muy agradecida por poder haber sido un parte de su conversión. Él Señor nos ama mucho, el poder de la Expiación es real, y hay personas que están esperando para escuchar el evangelio.

On Saturday Antonia was baptized! And her grandson Kevin. They are so great! And I am very grateful to be able to have been a part of their conversion. The Lord loves us so very much, the power of the Atonement is real, and there are people waiting to hear the good news of the gospel.

El viernes tuvimos intercambios con las hermanas capacitadoras. Y aprendí algo muy importante que tiene que ver con la oración. Para poder experimentar la conversión real y participar completamente de la Expiación, debemos de arrodillarnos cada noche y, en voz alta, pedir perdón de nuestros pecados. Además, tenemos el derecho también a pedir por un testimonio del Espíritu Santo de que hemos sido perdonados, y por un sentimiento de pureza. Les desafío a todos a hacer esto, puede cambiar su vida. Y no solo una vez, pero cada día. Esto es lo que es la Expiación. Perdón, amor, y pureza. Y gracias a nuestro Redentor, por eso, podemos tener la vida eterna, a vivir con Dios y con nuestras familias para siempre!

On Friday, we had companion exchanges with the sister training leaders, and I learned something very important from Hermana Lara that has to do with prayer, In order to experience real conversion and partake completely of the Atonement, we should kneel and ask for forgiveness, vocally. from our sins. More than that, we have the right to ask for a witness from the Holy Ghost that we have been forgiven, and for a feeling of purity. I challenge all of you to do this, it can change your life. And not just one time, but every day. This is what the Atonement is. Forgiveness, love, and purity. And thanks to our Redeemer, because of this, we can have eternal life. We can live with God and our families forever.

I hope you are all serving God with all your heart, might, mind and strength.

Keep pressing forward and never give up!

Hermana Cheever

fotos!

Me cleaning the font antes del bautismo! 

The newest members of Barrio Independencia in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! 

Another Email

Dear all,

So the work is still going pretty great. We did not have a baptism last Saturday, but we will this Saturday! Antonia has been progressing so well, and she is so wonderful!

We are in a bit of a dry season, investigator-wise....we haven't had very many new ones and the old ones just won't come to church! We have tried a lot of things: teaching the importance of church attendance, how to keep the Sabbath Day Holy, leaving early Sunday morning to go look for them, having members stop by to take them to church. And, nothing. But on Saturday we had a lesson with a new investigator, a 19-year old named Carla. We taught about Joseph Smith and invited her to baptism. She told us if she got the answer within the next month that it was the thing to do, she would be baptized! We then proceeded to invite her to come to church with us the next day and she readily accepted! Well to accept the invitation is easy, but many investigators have told us that they will come to church and....nothing. Nevertheless, my companion and I left early Sunday morning to accompany Carla to church. And we knocked on the door, and waited, and waited....and waited! And then she answered! And she was ready to go! And she came with us to church! Just like that.

Entonces, a veces la vida es difícil. A veces la vida es fácil. A veces experimentamos desesperaciones, a veces experimentamos felicidades. Pero, todo es un don de Dios. Él sabe lo que podemos hacer, lo que podemos aguantar, y nunca nos probará más allá de lo que podemos sostener. Siempre nos da experiencias por nuestro beneficio y nunca estamos solos. Él siempre camina con nosotros, está allí en las tinieblas y en la luz, en la lucha y en el descanso. Siempre. Nunca nos va a dejar.

I want you all to remember that even though we experience difficulties, the Lord is still there and He still loves us. When we keep the commandments and live the gospel He will bless us. This does not mean we are free from trial. The Lord lets us be tried for our own growth and benefit. He knows that without opposition we cannot progress.

D&C 95:1  Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you—

Ánimo, therefore, and on to the victory! Remember that there is still life to live, still fights to be won, and still lives to be saved! Participate in la obra de salvación.

Mucho amor,
Hermana Cheever

and this is one of the reasons that I love Atlixco.

This. Is. Popocatéptl. 

But you can call him Popo. 

And yes, he is a volcano.

Weekly email!

Hola!

This week I just have one experience that I want to relate. There's an inactive young woman in our ward named Melina. We have been visiting her for the entire time that I have been here. Almost every week she promises us that she will come to church, but every week something comes up. Well, about a month ago we started leaving for church early in order to stop by and accompany her to church. And she never came with us.

UNTIL YESTERDAY! Melina came to church :) after about 3 years of inactivity. She is the sweetest soul ever, and just about my best friend here!

My advice to you is to never give up! Sometimes things require diligence. Lies. All the time things require diligence.

One other thing. Hopefully we will be able to baptize Antonia this week. She is amazing, I love her so much. The only things that would impede her from making a covenant with God this weekend is café. That, and she feels like she hasn't been putting forth enough effort in her prayers and scripture study. Which I know isn't true. She has had amazing experiences with the Book of Mormon. But if she isn't ready this week, another week. It's all in the Lord's timing, and I am so grateful to be able to be a part of His work because it brings me the greatest joy I have ever felt.

I hope you are all praying for, finding, and participating in many missionary activities!

Let us all press on!

Hermana Cheever

Melina is the one in the wheelchair, the other two girls sitting are some Laurels from the ward, 
the one standing on the left is my companion and 
the one of these things that isn't like the others is yours truly :)

My last week of Training

Dear family and friends and other random people who may see this,

Yes it is true, la última semana de las primeras 12 semanas ha llegado. A veces me siento como he estado aquí for a lifetime, a veces only for the blink of an eye. But I am in the last week of my 3 months of training. Because I got here in the middle of a transfer, I will still have another month here in Atlixco with my trainer, and who knows, perhaps more after that. I'll serve where the Lord wants me to serve.

This week I just want to remind you that God wants us to be happy. That's something I forget often here in the mission field. I get so preoccupied with being punctual, with doing everything exactly right, with whatever cosa, and I forget to take time to be happy and grateful.

Our Father's plan is called the Plan of Happiness for a reason. Living the commandments brings us joy in the midst of trials and peace during the storm. When we don't feel this happiness and peace, what can we do? Pray. Recently I read in Talmadge's (I hope I spelled that right, Spanish is messing with my English) Jesus the Christ about The Lord's Prayer. I wish I could write here everything he says about prayer, but it's pretty lengthy. One cosa muy importante que escribe es que God without prayer would still be God. We without prayer are nothing.

Prayer is a tool that God has given us to communicate with Him. The purpose of prayer is not to let God know our thoughts, desires, and needs. He knows all those things. It is an opportunity for us to exercise our faith and a gift from God to help us not only feel but be closer to Him.

Últimamente. quiero compartir una experiencia de un investigador se llama Antonia. Ella empezó a leer el Libro de Mormón hace un mes, más o menos. Ella normalmente no recuerda bien lo que lee, pero con el Libro de Mormón puede contarnos claramente lo que ha leído. Eso es un milagro. También ella nos dijo que al leer el Libro de Mormón tiene más paz en su vida en general. No se preocupe tanto, y se siente más tranquila en medio de sus desafíos. Yo sé que el Libro de Mormón es verdadero, y que estas cosas son bendiciones que Antonia ha recibido a ejercer su fe.

Hermana Cheever :)

Last paragraph according to Google translate: ** Lastly. I want to share an experience of an investigator called Antonia. She began to read the Book of Mormon a month or so ago. She normally does not remember well what she reads but with the Book of Mormon can clearly tell what she has read. That's a miracle. She also told us that when reading the Book of Mormon she has more peace in life in general. Do not worry so much, and feel more peaceful amid its challenges. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that these things are blessings Antonia has received to exercise their faith.**

A Continuation of the Adventures of Hermana Cheever in Atlixco!

Salutations!
So being a missionary is just about the greatest thing ever! This week we had a really special experience that I want to share with all of you!

The relief society president, Lolita, here in our ward was called to her position about 4 or 5 months ago. She feels very inadequate about her capabilities to fulfill her calling. She was recently re-baptized (she had been inactive for many years, so many years that no one could find her records, so they re-baptized her) and feels like she doesn't know enough or doesn't remember enough about the gospel to be able to lead the women of the ward. My companion and I have gone to talk with her a couple of times at the request from the bishop to animate her and encourage her. She has asked two times to be released because she feels like she can't accomplish what is necessary. Well, one day this week she accompanied us for about two hours. We had an appointment with a new investigator, a lesson with a 9 year old, and the next appointment fell through. I thought she would go home, but she turned to us and asked "¿A dónde vamos?" Pleased that she was going to continue with us, we headed to the house of a family of former investigators.

The dad is an inactive member of many years. His mother answered the door. The family was unavailable, so we decided to share a message with his 92 year old mother. Yes 92 years old. She is still very mentally stable, it's only her body that limits her. The lesson was really great, we all felt the spirit so strong! Lolita bore her testimony to the sister that God loves her and knows that she's doing all she can to be a good member although she can't attend church anymore. In that moment, I could feel the power of Lolita's calling. She was speaking with such care and love, and I knew it was from the power of her position as Relief Society President. She has charge over all the women in the ward, she has the responsibility, power, and authority to help and uplift each and every one of them. At the end we sang the hymn "¡Grande Eres Tu!" or, "How Great Thou Art". Alicia (the mom) can't see very well or read anymore, so she was just listening to us sing, but on the second verse she joined in singing with us! And Lolita began to cry, we were all so overwhelmed with the feeling of God's love.

On Sunday after ward council, Lolita told us that she feel much better now. I hope she has really gained a testimony of the principle that whom the Lord calls he qualifies. And that's the moral of the story, hermanos y hermanas. The Lord knows you, He knows the gifts with which He has blessed you. He knows what you're capable of. The trick, then, is to recognize that we need His help, but that we can accomplish all that He has sent us forth to do.

The second moral of the story is that you should accompany the missionaries in their proselyting, the Lord needs members and full-time missionaries to accomplish His purpose of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. There are also great benefits in store for you if you do so.

Did I mention that the Hermana Lolita is 74 years old?

Also, we have two baptismal dates for the 12th of July, Antonia and her grandson Kevin :) and for the 24th of July an hermanita se llama Cristian.

I love you all, que sigan fieles!

Hermana Cheever

2 meses en Atlixco!

Correctomundo!

I have been here in beautiful Atlixco for 2 months! Woot, 16 to go.

So, we unfortunately did not set 10 more baptismal dates, and of the four that we had only one is still valid due to a lack of attendance at church this Sunday. Being here on a mission for me is like a rollercoaster. There are ups, there are downs, sometimes I feel like laughing, sometimes I feel like crying, and sometimes I feel like I am going to throw up. But when all is said and done, I want to ride again. :)

Something profound that I learned this week is that it is not my own strength I am relying on, it is the Lord's. Sometimes I feel like it's all up to me. I feel like I am responsible for getting everything done and getting it done on time. I feel like I have to be perfect and when I am not perfect I have failed. That is wrong. The only result that brings is disappointment, discouragement, frustration, and a decrease in my ability to feel the Spirit. I'll tell you what's not wrong (I'm really good at that). Relying on the Savior. My strength, my confidence, and my faith are centered on Jesus Christ, not myself. Remember when you feel like you can't take one more step that there is someone there that you can lean on.

Algo en que yo pensé ésta semana es la alegoría del cuarto obscuro. Necesitamos ejercer nuestra fe en Jesucristo y tomar el primer paso en el obscuridad. No sabemos si hay un suelo allá, no sabemos que hay allá. Pero, sabemos que el Señor nos ha preguntado a poner nuestro fe y confianza en Él, y que Él nos soportará. Y encontramos que después de que hubiéramos tomado el primer paso, hay luz para guiarnos. The trick is to take the first step.

I encourage each of you to really take a look at your lives and what you are doing to further the work of salvation. Don't be afraid to take the first step into the darkness and share your testimony with a coworker, to invite a less active friend to attend church with you, or to give a pass-along card to a stranger on a bus. You will find that after you have taken the first few steps in darkness, the room becomes lighter and lighter, until we reach a perfect brightness at the day when the Lord will come to redeem His faithful disciples.

Oh, something interesting, our district leader told us that in the whole district, (6 companionships), we had the most lessons this week!
Love always,
Hermana Cheever :)


fotos!

Cool Giant Clock!

Hermana Cheever making tortillas, Mexican style!

Email Short

Hola!

The work is going here in Atlixco! We have 4 baptisms scheduled for July! That´s what I have been thinking about this week. We have a challenge from our zone leaders this week to have 10 more dates! 10 in one week! Luke 1:37.

Also, there has been a lot of focus here in our stake about the members working with the missionaries. We all need to open our mouths to share the gospel! I challenge each of you to meet with the missionaries in your area this week and ask for their help to know how to share the gospel with your neighbors and friends, or to present the missionaries to your neighbors and friends that aren´t members!

Also, our ward mission leader here is working with all of the members to help them form a family plan for missionary work! It´s a great idea, and I hope it will help us a lot in the coming months to receive references and help many other people to come unto Christ through the covenant of baptism.

Also, a note about member retention. Many of the less active or inactive members we have met with have stopped attending church because they feel alienated from the members or have had bad experiences. I encourage each of you to reach out to those in your wards and stakes who are less active. Invite them over for dinner. Invite them to family night. Put your differences aside and reach out, because no one is perfect, but we are all the children of a Perfect Father in Heaven.

If you feel scared about missionary work, read Romans 8:31.

Ánimo!

Hermana Cheever :)

La semana en que una misionera estuvo enferma

Dear all.
The sick missionary was not me! We went to the clinic early early Tuesday morning (2:00 am) because my companion was throwing up blood! Fun stuff. Before you start to worry, it was only a little bit, and she is perfectly fine now. But what an adventure that was! We were at the clinic all night, and all day Tuesday. I never want to be sick or have to sit with a sick person in a hospital ever again in my life. Mi compañera me dijo que tengo el estomago de una Mexicana porque no me he enfermado, jaja. Es chistoso porque ella realmente es Mexicana, pero se enfermó.

Despite all that, we had one investigator this week commit to a baptismal date! She's the mother of a less active young woman. Se llama Carmen. Ella quiso mucho a ser bautizada con su hija, pero no estaba casada a su pareja, entonces no pudo. Ahora todavía no está casada, pero queremos que puedo casarse a estar lista a ser bautizada el 14 de Julio. I love talking to her because she has an enthusiasm for the gospel and she loves the Lord so much. Every time we talk about baptism, her face lights up and she just looks so happy.

I really hope that this works out because all the other dates that we have set with other investigators have fallen through because they don't come to church. We're working on that.

Ésta semana quiero testificar a ustedes que el poder del sacerdocio de Dios es real, es potente. También, Él nos escucha cuando oramos, y que Él nos contesta. Dios nos ama mucho, y quiere que estemos felices. No quiere que estemos desanimados o tristes. Eso ne es parte de su plan. A veces fallamos, pero por eso no debemos sentir como hemos fallado en la vista del Señor. Él siempre ésta allí, esperándonos a pedir por su ayuda. Ésta semana me sentía un poco desanimada, y por eso yo pedí por una bendición, y me ayudó mucho. Estoy muy agradecida por el poder del sacerdocio en mi vida.

This week I want to testify to you that the power of the priesthood of God is real and powerful. Also, He listens to us when we pray and He answers us. God loves us a lot, and He wants us to be happy. He doesn't want us to be discouraged or sad. That's not part of His plan. Sometimes, we fall short, but that doesn't mean that we should feel like we have failed in the sight of the Lord. He is always there, waiting for us to ask for His help. This week I have felt a little discouraged, and because of that I asked for a blessing. That helped me a lot. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood in my life.

Also remember that God has given us weaknesses that we may be made strong. We are made strong by turning to Him in humble prayer and pleading for forgiveness of our faults and the strength and ability to do and become better in the future.

Paul, one of the greatest missionaries in scriptural history (in my opinion) said "When I am weak, then I am strong". I wish I could remember where that was in the Bible, and I hope that it really was Paul that said it. If not, I am very embarrassed. But it's okay.

Read Ether 12:27 and think of a weakness that this week you can start turning into a strength.

Que les vaya bonita!
Hermana Cheever