LAST EMAIL

Dear all,

So I would like to write an extremely powerful and inspiring letter, but it will have to be very condensed. This is my last email that I will send you all as a missionary. This Wednesday I will return to Utah and be released as a full-time missionary.

I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams as I have served here in Puebla. I have loved so many people, taught so many lessons, and grown so much closer to my Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I have a testimony stronger than ever. Although I will no longer be able to wear my missionary name tag, it will be forever engraved upon my heart.

I know this Church is true, I know God lives and that He loves us. We can return to live with Him and we will live Happily Ever After!

Goodbye Puebla, hello home!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

Happy Fall!

Dear all,

I don't know if you've noticed, but it's Fall now! I love this season and I am so excited to be here still in Mexico to enjoy one more week of it!

We didn't end up having the baptism yesterday that we planned, but hopefully it will be this upcoming weekend.

I am also looking forward to the women's conference this Saturday, and then the next Saturday, General Conference! What great opportunities we have.

My spiritual thought for you this week comes from 3 Nephi 22:10-17. Read it if you have a chance. I love the part that says "my kindness shall not depart from thee". The Lord always wants to bless us. He wants to help us. He loves us. He knows that no matter what trial or challenge we are having, if we trust in Him, we will be able to overcome it. Everything we do here on the earth prepares us to be celestial beings, fit to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and enjoy all Their blessings. So heads up, smiles on, we can get over anything with our Friends on our side.

Love,
Hermana Cheever

Temple Dedication!

Mexico City LDS Temple

Dear all, 

For those of you who don't know, the Mexico City, Mexico temple was rededicated yesterday, and from Puebla we were able to see the dedicatory session. It was so great and spiritual and probably the highlight of my week. Elder Holland spoke about the prophecy about Elijah turning the hearts of the children to the father. It was a good reminder that not only should we be doing our family history work, but we made a promise in the pre-existence to all our friends and family that wouldn't be born in the time when the gospel is here in its fullness to be their saviors. We can do the work for them in the Holy Temples and thereby become a key part in their salvation. In Doctrine and Covenants 128:15 it also says that the salvation of our dead is essential to our salvation. In short--do your family history work or you can't be saved.

We are planning a baptism for Jose this Sunday. Prayers on his behalf would be greatly appreciated.

Well, I hope you all have a fantastic week filled with spiritual experiences and lots of missionary work!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

SEPTEMBER

Dear all,
It is now September. Crazy how the time flies.

Things are going great here in Puebla. The food is great, the people are great, and I am great, too.

We are working with 4 people that we hope can be baptized this month, it's going to be a struggle, but we are going to see miracles with José, Martha, Felix, and Carlos!

On Sunday, my companion and I had a special experience. We were going to have a family night with a less-active family, and another family was going to go with us. When we got to their house, the other family was already there, and the dad of the family was the only one home, and he was just about to leave. We asked if we could just sing him a hymn and say a prayer. He accepted, and we sang "Nearer, My God, To Thee" and shared a simple scripture. He said the prayer, and started to cry and to thank God that He had sent us to share a simple message with him. He said it was just what he needed to hear.

I know that God uses us to answer others' prayers. I know that if we follow the promptings of the Spirit and show other people our love, we can make a difference in their lives. No matter how small, it counts!

Another great experience is that I could go and visit a convert from a past ward where I served. It was so great to see her and the progress she has made in the gospel, and the change the gospel has made in her life. I love being a missionary and I love serving the Lord. 

I hope that this week you can all find ways to be the answer to a prayer, a friend to someone in need, and get just that much closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

ps if you ever wondered what I do for fun on Mondays....WALMART

The wonderful world of a missionary

Dear all,

This week I have a little bit more time to write. I am doing just really super great! Something that I have learned here in Mexico on the mission is that the Lord is great and good and grand and all things wonderful. So many times he blesses us in ways that we may not even recognize. There's so many small miracles that we see each week, there's not even time to write them. But let me tell you about one young man named José.

José is a student at the BUAP (a university). He is from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Currently he rents a room in a complex that the bishop's wife runs for the students. We met him one day when we were helping her paint. He saw our nametags, and asked "are you guys elders?" Close, but no cigar. Well, cigars no. Close, but no....watermelon. Anyway, he said he wanted to go to church with us, that elders had taught him in his house in Merida. So of course we invited him to be baptized. Okay, that's not quite how it happened, we waited for the baptismal invitation until our first appointment with him. But he accepted and he really has desires to change and be a better person. He is reading the Book of Mormon and he went to church yesterday. He is so going to be baptized this month.

But this little story also serves to teach us that we must be examples of the believers in every moment, you never know when someone is watching. We also always need to wear a figurative nametag as Mormons. We were painting, so of course we weren't in our normal missionary uniform. When we changed, I thought for a brief moment "should I put on my nametag? We're just here with the bishop's wife..." but of course! We always need to be prepared, willing, and able to teach the gospel.

In this often dark world, the Lord uses His covenant people as a lighthouse to those souls that are searching for the light. Let your light shine, be an example, and go get 'em!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

NEW AREA!

Dear all,

It is really hard to write on this keyboard and it is also complicated to send pictures. So this email will be short.

I am in a new area called Universidad. It is in Puebla City and we are close to Universidad. (The University). I am also a neighbor to one of my areas, Valle del Sol. That makes me very happy!

My new companion is Hermana Rojas, de Chihuahua. México. She's great and we are having a great time! We have seen many miracles this week, but I will have to tell you about them when I can write with less difficulty!

Have a great week!
Hermana Cheever

Transfers!

Adios Metepec!

Dear all,

So I was informed last night that I would once more be transferred! I wonder when the Lord will let me have a companion for more than 6 weeks. . . but I am getting to know a lot of wonderful sister missionaries! Metepec has been great, and now I am ready for whatever else the Lord has in store for me.

I know that God has a hand in all of our lives. Sometimes the problem is that we cannot recognize it or we are slow to see it. But He watches out and cares for each and every one of us. As President Monson said in the general women's conference in September 2013, the love that He has for us is simply always there.

We have been able to see how God's hand has influenced one special family this week. A few weeks ago, my companion, a returned sister missionary, and I contacted a lady in the street. She told us we could visit and told us where she lived. A few days later, we passed by to set up an appointment. When we returned for the appointment, she enthusiastically welcomed us in and we had a fantastic lesson! The next lesson we put a baptismal date, and the next week (yesterday Sunday) she and her daughter came to church! She told us that she is looking for a change in her life, and she is starting to feel that change as she listens to our message, reads the Book of Mormon, and attends church. Sadly, I will not be here to see her progress, but I know that the Lord is preparing the hearts of His children to be converted.

I hope you all have a great week and can take some time to recognize the hand of the Lord in your lives!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

AUGUST!

Wow! I can't believe it's August already! This year is just flying by!

This week was a great week for us! We have been finding a lot of new investigators. It's great to tell people how the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can change and bless and enhance their lives. And what a blessing when we can share that every day of our lives.

Rosa and Miguel are getting excited for a trip to the open house of the Mexico City Temple! They would be baptized already, but every Sunday is a new problem for the which they cannot attend church! It's been hard. But we are really hoping that this Sunday they can finally attend!

I am so blessed to be able to be here in this time, serving a mission. I know that the Lord can make more out of our lives than we ever could! Let's give ourselves over to Him so that His perfect plan and His perfect love can mold us and shape us into eternal and celestial beings!

Have a great week! And notice all the small miracles that God sends us every day. They really are great!

Hermana Cheever

Today we had the opportunity to go visit my first area and 

I visited Antonia, a sweet sister that was baptized a year ago, 

and her daughter-in-law, Lulu. It was great 

to be able to see them again and feel the love! 

Happy Pioneer Day!

So Friday (I think...) was Pioneer Day! And you know what we did to celebrate? Almost nothing. But I was grateful to think that people existed that walked more than I do. Because sometimes we walk a lot. Haha But now for real. I was reading in Our Heritage about the sacrifices the pioneers made and I am just so impacted every time. They gave up so many things and passed through so many hardships. But the Lord needed them to pass that trial by fire to sanctify them and make them worthy, able, and willing to build up the Church when they reached the Salt Lake valley.

And in every one of our lives, the Lord does the same for us. We are each pioneers in our own way. We all have to cross our personal plains of pain and progression to be able to reach the peace and pleasantness of eternal life. (How's that for alliteration?) SO...where are you on your plains? In your wilderness? Do you trust in God? Do you remain happy and celebrate the good things with your loved ones? Do you press forward with faith or do you go backwards in doubt? Is there anything that will keep you from reaching Zion, or will you give it your all?

So that's the inspirational part of my letter.

Something exciting that's going on in Mexico is that the Mexico City Temple is going to be re-dedicated after it's remodelation. But first, they're going to open it up to the public for an open house! We are so excited and are inviting everybody to go and feel the Spirit of the Lord's house. We have two investigators, Rosa and Miguel, who are excited to go! Rosa is blind, and she worries about not being able to see the beautiful temple. but we have told her that it is something that is more felt than seen. I know that if she goes with the right mind-set, it will be an amazing and life-changing experience for her! The temple changes lives! The gospel changes lives! Let's be pioneers and change the world! One life at a time.

Have an amazing week, and sigan adelante (keep pressing forward) on your personal plains! Because if you do, there's a really salty lake awaiting you. Oh, and other things like temple blessings :)

Love,
Hermana Cheever

BEING A MISSIONARY IS FUN!

Dear all,

I can't even remember very well what I wrote the last time I wrote, so I will just write everything that is new! To start off with, I am currently in Metepec, Atlixco with Hermana Chauque! She's from Argentina! My first companion that's not Mexicana or from the US (only one from the US). So basically I have had a lot of Mexican companions. So, I don't know how well I can speak Spanish, but I am pretty fluent in Mexicano, which makes it hard sometimes to understand someone from Argentina! (All of the countries that speak Spanish speak it differently. Maybe like the difference between the US and Great Britain and Australia, etc.)

But we are having a great time! The best thing that anyone can do with their life is serve the Lord. Wherever you are and however you can. I love being a missionary, and sometimes I think I would just like to stay here forever.

Right now we are working with a few different people, hoping to help them accept and live the Restored Gospel. There's one couple that I especially love, Miguel and Rosa. Rosa is in a wheelchair, she can't walk very well and she has lost her sight. Sometimes she gets really depressed and it's hard for her husband and her son to help her. But Miguel is a very good man, and he treats her really well. Five years ago they knew some missionaries and they taught them for a bit, but the missionaries were transferred, and, as is wont to happen, they stopped investigating the church. But we have found them again and they are accepting the lessons really well. They have a lot of trust in us as missionaries, and they love it when we visit. Rosa says that every time we leave she feels as if a big weight is lifted from her shoulders! I am excited to invite them to the temple open house in August, for the rededication of the Mexico City Temple. We are going to hopefully set a baptismal date with them today, even though it's going to be hard for them to attend church because they work Sundays. But I know that if they start to experience more of the blessings, they will be more willing to sacrifice. It is so important that we make sacrifices to be able to open up the windows of heaven.

In other things, today is Friend Day in Argentina! To celebrate, we ate popsicles. When we went to go do our shopping, we ran into a sweet girl we are teaching named Verónica! See attached photos.

I hope that everyone is having a great week and is taking advantage of opportunities to serve others and share the gospel!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

ps I found Carmen and Melina in Atlixco! They are people that I knew one year ago when I was here for the first time!

Hermana Chauque! She's from Argentina! 

We went out to eat today!
Burger King isn't any better here than in the US.
 But....a missionary's got to eat.

With some awesome Elders in the transfer meeting.

Elder Sánchez, on the left, was my zone leader for 3 transfers

and then he invaded my area in Valle del Sol,

Elder Sosa was in my district for one transfer, he is a super happy person.

And the other is Elder Ortega, he was my district leader for one transfer,

 and then he was a secretary and we were in the same one for about 3 transfers.

Elders Sanchez and Ortega went home this last transfer. 

Other missionaries 

Hermana Campos, my first companion, finished
her mission and also went home. 

with Hermana Estrada, the last day together. 

Today is Friend Day in Argentina!
To celebrate, we ate popsicles

Quick report

Dear all,

I am doing great here in the mission! I just love being a servant of the Lord, there are so many blessings here, and I know that many blessings will come after.

It is such a blessing to be able to be involved in the work of the Lord, no matter how we do it! I hope you can all find opportunities this week to make a new friend, talk about the gospel with everybody, go to the temple, and maybe give away a Book of Mormon. That book has so much power and it is the greatest missionary tool ever!

I hope you all have a great, fun- and spirit-filled week! Remember always that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father and He will help us to overcome challenges and trials every time we ask Him!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

JUNE!

Dear all,

I can't believe it's June already! Time flies when you're having fun. I feel like it's been a long time since the last time I wrote everyone, so I'll try to include everything new.

First of all, I was transferred out of my area two weeks ago! After 6 months I left Valle Del Sol Ward. It's a great place and I learned a lot of things and saw a lot of miracles, but now the Lord has called me to another area. Currently I am in Metepec. It's part of Atlixco, which is where I started my mission, and I am so happy to be back here! It's a beautiful place. Metepec is actually known for being a popular tourism spot. You should look it up on Google, I'm sure there's some pretty pictures there. The work here is also great! We have been finding a lot of new investigators and getting to know the members. It's a pretty small ward; I don't think more than 80 or 90 people attend each week. So there's lots of work to do here.

My new companion is Hermana Estrada, from Durango, Mexico! She's great and we're working really well together and having lots of fun!
(See attached photo) 

Hermana Cheever y Hermana Estrada
Having lots of fun!

Hmmm what else is new? I feel like the mission is a great opportunity that we have to prepare for life. You have to apply ALL the Christlike attributes and love ALL the people. You have to keep going when you don't want to, be there for other people, be responsible, follow the guidance of the Spirit, be worthy of the Spirit, be a good person, and well, there's just a lot of things and if you want to know all of them you should serve a mission.

I just want to encourage all of you to take some time this week to come closer to Christ. This week we had a lesson with some members about the Atonement. They shared some experiences that they had had with the Atonement, and their testimonies of its reality. I also want to testify of its reality and its power. And say that we NEVER stop learning about this marvelous gift our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us. I know that God will always forgive us, every time we are willing to change. He will always love us, even when we're too stubborn to change. He will always give us another opportunity, because He wants us to CHANGE. Changing is something that we should and need to do, every day. As children of God we have inherited the ability to do so. If you don't believe me, study about conversion and how and why people are converted. God wants us to be our best selves, so let's not get in His way of making us what He knows we can be. Keep the commandments, be righteous, pray and read often, and take the Sacrament every week. So we can one day be united in the Celestial Kingdom, to enjoy God's love and His glory FOREVER!

Have a great week, and I will strive to write more often!

Love,

Hermana Cheever

saying goodbye to Janett

saying goodbye to Elias and his grandma

 saying goodbye to Stephanía and Leticia

ice cream that we ate last week. 

it's a cool place called friso where they 

make your ice cream right there, 

with the flavor of your choice 

(including nutella. Yumm!)

last picture with Hermana Palmer (my previous companion)

Feliz Mother's Day!

First of all, to all the mothers that read this, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Now,
Things have been going well here in Puebla. Right now it gets really hot during the day and then in the afternoon it sometimes rains. But when it rains, it RAINS. Like flooding the streets-, outside for two seconds and you're soaked-, umbrellas don't help-kind of rain. But it's beautiful.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about and learning about the Christlike attribute of faith. Christ really is our best example of faith--He never doubted and always trusted in His mission and the mission of the Father. Faith is something that maybe we will never get to completely understand here in this earth, because it requires believing and trusting in unearthly things. But it is something that we need to study and exercise daily in order to live.

A few weeks ago we had interviews with our mission president, and we talked about faith. I'd like to share with all of you something that he shared with me. He says he's got this vision of faith. And it looks like this: Moses leading the children of Israel into the Red Sea. Maybe he didn't understand exactly what was going to happen, but he trusted in the Lord that He would provide a way for the children of Israel to leave Egypt, so even when he encountered the great, un-passable sea, Moses knew that the Lord was going to follow through on His promises that He would free His chidren. So he took one step in the water and...nothing. Another step...still nothing. But he trusted in the Lord. He had faith. So maybe he kept walking until the water was up to his neck, saying "Lord, I don't know how you're going to do it, but I know that you will. I am going to save these people or die trying". And maybe when Moses takes the last step and the water covers his head, that's when the Lord parts the sea. Faith requires action, and if we never act, we very well may never see the blessings.

So this week I invite you all to have a little more faith, work a little more, take one more step, and trust that the Lord will do what He's said He'll do.

I know that we are all imperfect, and we have an imperfect faith, but even like that, God loves us. Because He sees us as we really are and as who we can become.

Have a great week, and PRESS FORWARD WITH FAITH.

Love,
Hermana Cheever

The week in which Sister Cheever learned lots of important things

Dear all,

This week I learned a lot of important things. Or maybe that's just one really big thing. I know we hear it a lot, but our Heavenly Father loves us. Even when we fall, even when we don't reach our potential, even when we feel like we've failed, that love never leaves us. He is always there to help us. He always loves us. And that love gives us power.

This was a little bit of a hard week, I know you've all had 'em like that. Sometimes things just don't go the way we'd like. Sometimes we just don't know how to keep going forward. Sometimes we just feel a lot of pressure. Sometimes it's just hard to want to try again the next day. Sometimes we just need to ask for help.

Don't wait, don't delay, don't hold out. Use the power of prayer to talk to your Heavenly Father. He wants to hear us, He wants to help us, He will never leave us. We are His children.

Also remember that there is someone that understands and knows you perfectly. He is our Savior Jesus Christ. When you feel like giving up, when you feel like you don't have strength, remember His journey through life. Was it easy? No. But was it possible? Yes. And your journey is possible as well. If you feel lost, remember that your map is the words of our prophets, the ancient and modern-day ones. Look there for direction. I know that the scriptures help us to find meaning and direction to our lives, if we can only be attentive to the voice of the Holy Ghost.

So remember that our Heavenly Father loves you, our Savior suffered so that you don't have to, and the Holy Ghost will teach and inspire us so we can understand and complete this mortal journey.

Lots of love,
Hermana Cheever

APRIL!

Dear all,

Sorry for the lack of emails ultimamente. Things have been going really well and we are really busy! So earlier, our ward had been reduced to just one area, when it had been two. So my companion and I worked the whole ward instead of just half. And it's a big ward. It covers the area of about 4 Utah-sized stakes. But in these last transfers last week, they put more missionaries in our ward! So we're excited about that. And they're Elders! It's so weird because I was used to working with Hermanas. But it's all good. So that's one big news for this week.

The other is that our investigator Elías was baptized yesterday! Elías is a 12-year-old with a lot of family members who are Mormon. His dad is a member, but inactive. When Elías found out about the Church, he instantly wanted to learn more. Our first visit with him, he told us that he wanted to become a brother in the church. Teaching this young man was a truly incredible experience, I could really see that the Spirit teaches those who are ready to listen. It's not so much what we say, but the spirit with which we say it and how prepared the person is to listen. I know that Spirit will teach us and help us to know the "truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5).

He's the one in white without glasses and a wife. 

We are happy and healthy (more or less) here in Valle Del Sol! You should all do all you can to further the work wherever and whoever you are. There's a place for all of us in God's plan.

Love,
Hermana Cheever

I just haven't taken many pictures lately, but here are some of them.

 

my old district (half of them left in transfers last week)

a sister in our ward whose son was baptized last Fall. The first time he's been to church in a suit!

 

Feliz cumpleaños!

Dear all,

Things have been going just dandily! (Is that even a word? Sometimes I forget how to speak English). This week I will complete one year as a missionary! WOW! Time has flown by so quickly! But I just want to share with you all some things that I maybe already knew before but I understand better or realearned here. I am sure that you maybe also know these things, but I invite you all to understand better or relearn them as well.

• God loves us. That love never changes, and He always wants what is best for us. 

• God is in control. When things don't seem to go your way, take a breath, take a break, and ask yourself if maybe your way isn't God's way. 

• The Atonement is real. There is just so much to understand and comprehend about this topic that every single day of your entire life you can learn more about it. And that's a fact. The Atonement gives us power and reason to live each day. Also, as part of your Easter and Conference celebrations this week be sure to see the new church video Because He Lives. 

• Patience is a virtue. And virtue is a grace, Grace is a little girl who wouldn't wash her face. But for real, patience is a real and important thing that we could all use a little more of. 

• When we trust in God, we can do anything. I know this from experience because I have eaten goat stomach and cow liver and lo and behold, I am still living. But this applies in other areas as well. Like when you think you're so tired you can't take another step, or when an investigator just isn´t progressing, or when you think you just can't handle one more trial. Just hold on and remember the important three things mentioned above. 

• This life is a time of trial to prove to God that we love Him and want to return to live with Him. So prove it!

• Repentance is a necessary part of life. If God expected us to be perfect, He wouldn't have sent His Son to sacrifice His life for us. 

So that's my message for this week. Keep learning and remembering and applying gospel principles in your lives, and I know that you will find a way out of your darkest holes and your most painful trials. And trust me, I'm a missionary.

Love,
Hermana Cheever

Happy Spring!

Dear all,

All is well here in Puebla :) I am really loving everything. I had the neat experience to be a part of a trio for two weeks. I was always scared of being in a trio because I thought that it could never work out well, but it was such a great thing! Let me explain. Our ward, Valle del Sol, was split into two areas, that is, there were two companionships working in the ward. But in these last transfers, they united the areas so that there is only one area. And it is HUGE. So I moved to the other missionary house with my new companion, and the sister that was formerly in the other half of the ward stayed for two weeks to help us learn her half of the ward. But she has now finished her mission. We went to the bus station last Friday to drop her off. Sad moment. We had really learned to love each other and to work in harmony between the three of us. But I am happy that I no longer have to sleep on the floor.

Other things. They have been going very well. The past few months have just flown by. I am really learning that the secret to success in God's work is selflessness. We have to think about other people, be there for other people, and just do everything for other people. This Saturday we have a baptism planned for Minerva. She is a really special lady that is ready to make covenants with God.

Another thing that I have learned in these few weeks is that priorities really matter. Since the two areas were joined together, we had twice the work in half the time. It's been really hard trying to give all the investigators, converts, and less actives the time and attention that they need. We have been learning to set goals and make plans to achieve them and to put our priorities in order. I think that in normal life there are so many things to think about: the job, the school, the family, the church calling, the bills, the friends, the extended family, and many other things. The Lord knows that there's a lot of good things that we can do, but what is the best thing we can do? This has been a little bit of a challenge for me, but as we have really focused on the people that are willing and ready to progress we have seen many blessings from the Lord. I know that as you put priorities in your life that are in harmony with the Lord’s priorities for you, you will be blessed. Perhaps we can never do everything, but if we focus on the gospel and priorities, we will do the things that matter most, the things that will lead us to eternal life with our Father and our Savior.

So don't worry about doing everything and pleasing everybody. You will be happier if you do the things that matter most so that you can please God.

Have a great and prioritized week.
Hermana Cheever :)

More miracles and more happiness

  Dear all, 

Well last week I didn't have time to write, but almost the best thing ever happened! Adrian decided to be baptized on February 28th! We are all very happy, especially his mom, who was baptized in December. That was truly a miracle!

Adrian's Baptism Day!

Other things that have been happening: my companion finished her mission and went home last week! And there used to be two areas here in our ward, but the last transfer meeting we found out that Valle del Sol will only be one area for a time and I am here with Sister Palmer from Kaysville and Sister Robles from México DF. Sister Robles would have also finished her mission last week, but to accept a special assignment from our mission president, she is staying two weeks more to help us get to know the other half of the ward. SO. I am in a trio for the first time ever and I have my first ever American companion! It's been lots of fun so far. 

I know that God always gives us just what we need. Although I don't necessarily enjoy them, I am grateful for every one of the trials that I have experienced as a missionary (and as a person) because I have been able to come closer to God and to become a better person.

And now, to leave you with some other wise words of wisdom, but this time from a popular hymn, "all is well". 

Do something new and improved this week. 

Love, 
Hermana Cheever

One last photo with Hermana Arano

BAPTISM! :)

Dear all,

So I would say that the highlight of this week was our baptism. Janett! She is fantastic. We met her on January 19, had our first appointment on January 22, in the which she accepted to be baptized on February 21. Since then she has not missed one Sunday. She prayed about the Restoration, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon and guess what? SHE GOT A TESTIMONY. That's how it's done, folks. You read, you pray, you strive to get the answer, and God will give it to you.

Here is our wonderful star!

Janett is a testimony to me that there really are people prepared to receive the gospel. Our job as missionaries is just to be obedient, work hard, and the Lord will put them in our path.

Fun fact. The brother who baptized her is a recent convert that was baptized in November! That's what I call conversion!

This week we also experienced a miracle! We had dropped an investigator because he couldn't set a baptismal date and therefore was not progressing. For these last two weeks he kept coming to church, but we didn't teach him. On Thursday we received a call from him that he wanted to have his baptismal interview. So we called the elders and he had his interview. When they finished, he still hadn't set a baptismal date. So that was weird. But on Sunday he told us that he knew that now he needed to be baptized, he had the desire and the answer from God that it had to be. So later that day we sat down with him and his mom, and long story short, he accepted March 8th as a date! I know that this is an answer to all our prayers and fasts that we have done for him. It is the first time since he started receiving the lessons in November that he has accepted a date!

And my exhortation for all of you this week comes in the form of a quote from the world-renowned Jonas Brothers "hold on!" When you feel like giving up, take another step, when you want to quit, pray, and when it doesn't seem like there's a way out, remember that Jesus Christ has conquered death, physically and spiritually. Because of that we have every reason to hope. And I know that God never abandons us. 

Smile :) you´re on God´s camera.

the same day as Janett´s baptism,
two other sweet sister were also baptized.
We had a regular party. 

and don't judge too harshly, the sun was really bright. 

Hermana Cheever.

Another week in the mission

Dear all,

This week was a good week. We have been having lots of good things happening, namely that people accept baptismal dates! Janet, Alonso, Jovanny, Sebastian, Diana, Maria Auxilio, Jacqueline, Dulce, and Minerva all have a baptismal date. The trick is to get them to church.

I am oh so happy for Janet. She is progressing stupendously! We have not had even one problem with her. She is so ready to be baptized! This Saturday she will be able to make her first covenant! I will send pictures next week!

My invitation to you all this week is to evaluate your life, look at your patriarchal blessing, and ask yourself what you are doing to receive the blessings promised therein. What are you doing well? What do you need to change? What do you need to stop doing? How can you truly achieve your potential. But don't just think about these things, write them down, give yourself a follow-up, and keep changing and improving and becoming the person that God wants you to be.

Our Savior died for us that we might have the chance to live. His gift was selfless, incomparable, and infinite. But also supremely personal. Discover something new this week about what the Atonement means for you. Never settle for "okay", "good", or even "the best". Seek for the excellent way that our Redeemer has prepared especially for you.

Motivation and love,
Hermana Cheever

fotos!

the most beautiful flower ever! And a weird plant that I found.... ;)

my district

El día del amor y la amistad

Dear all,

Happy Valentine's Day this week! Although I like its name better in Spanish "Day of love and friendship".

Things are going super well here in Valle del Sol! My companion and I are working super hard because this is her last transfer and she wants to go out with a bang. In this email, principally I would just like to communicate to you all the idea that Tim McGraw so wisely expressed one time through song "live like you were dyin'!" Every day do everything you can to keep God's commandments, love others, and keep commitments. Don't wait until tomorrow to do something that the spirit told you you should do right now.

Also, another wise quote from good ole Tim "stars go blue". You can all interpret that one for yourselves, if there's an interpretation to be found.,

Love,
Hermana Cheever

FEBRUARY!

Happy February everyone!

Today I turn 10 months in the mission! And my companions (my companion and the other sisters in our ward) gave me a flan pie!

 Something great that happened this week was that Janet went to a baptism and loved it. She also introduced us to her cousin, and now we're teaching them both! Things are going good in the teaching department.

We went to downtown Puebla today to see the Cathedral. It is beautiful! The architecture, of course. I just love art, and history. Here's a fun fact for you all: when the cathedral was being built, I imagine around the 15th century or thereabouts, they had it all done except for the placement of the giant bell that went in the very highest tower. It was super heavy and they just couldn't get it up there. So they left it overnight and when they came back the next day, it was in place in the tippy-toppest tower. And that's that.

But here are some super great pictures of the Cathedral.

Love you all, have a great week, keep being amazing!
Hermana Cheever

Missionaries!

We ate breakfast with Miriam. She made us chilaquiles verdes. Deliciosos.

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles!

Dear all,

This week has been a week of miracles! We are working hard here in Valle del Sol, Hermana Arano y yo. Hermana Arano is my new companion, she is from Tamaulipas! Yes, another Norteña. That is to say, from the North of Mexico. All of my companions except one have been from the North. The Norteños have a reputation of being frank, loud, and very opinionated. It's nice to know that God has a sense of humor. Haha no es cierto, all my companions have been great. 

So on to the great and marvelous things that have happened. We found a new investigator this week, Yanet. In the first lesson she expressed her belief that our message is true, accepted baptism, and we even set a baptismal date! Then she went to a ward activity on Saturday and all three hours of Church on Sunday.

Another miracle has to do with this fantastic lady, Miriam.

She was baptized 14 years ago and stopped going to church 13 years ago. She has moved out of state and back again, and it's pure "coincidence" that we found her. No, it's not coincidence, it's God. She is our neighbor. When we first started meeting with her and her sons, she told us that if her kids wanted to go to church, that was fine, but she was never going to go back. Well, we've been working on that, and thanks to some really hard things that have happened in the past few weeks, Miriam has started to think differently. We had a super great lesson on Saturday night about the blessings of church attendance. On Sunday, guess who came to Sacrament Meeting? That's right, Miriam. Sometimes you're so happy you cry, and other times, you're so happy that even tears can't express that kind of feeling. I know that the Lord has worked through us, His missionary servants, to touch Miriam's heart and help her to have an eternal family.

Being the missionary is just about the best thing ever. But every member is a missionary. So get out there, touch hearts, make friends, share the gospel, and spread the love!

Have a great week full of miracles!

Love,
Hermana Cheever

Otro cambio mas

Dear all,

Another transfer has ended. We were informed last night that my companion will be leaving the area :( and she only has one transfer left until she goes home. I will miss her a lot, but I trust that the Lord knows better than we do, and we are in His hands. I look forward to getting to know another fantastic sister missionary and working with her in Valle del Sol.

Things have been pretty normal, and nothing super out of the ordinary has happened. Something good is that the past two weeks a member, Hermana Velez, (the same sister that we spent Christmas with) has invited us to do a Family Night in her house and invite our investigators! Jovanny, our neighbor has come both times and his little brother Sebastian has come once. Tonight they will be joining us again, this time with their mom, Miriam, who is an inactive member. Slowly but surely we are activating her. I have great hopes for this family! They are fantastic, and there is so much waiting for them if they will just take the first steps.

I encourage you all, whoever you are and wherever you are, to be examples of the believers. You would never believe what a difference a good example can make in the lives of the investigators and less actives. Live the gospel to its fullest, let your testimony show in all your actions and words, and reach your potential! Our Heavenly Father is just a prayer away to help you!

Speaking of prayers, yesterday I had a really cool experience. We had a stake fireside and the Temple President of the Oaxaca Temple, President Atkinson spoke. It was a really great meeting and he left a really powerful message. But the greatest thing is that Margarita, our recent convert, and her son Adrian went! I was sitting there, waiting for the speaker to begin, I thought "I hope Adrian feels something so strong that he can't deny it and that he wants to be baptized. It would be great if President Atkinson could give a shout-out to the investigators". That thought was followed by another "I should make that thought a prayer..." so I expressed my desires quickly and silently to my Heavenly Father and as soon as I finished my little prayer, President Atkinson began to speak and said something like "I hope that if you have questions, you will ask them. I see a lot of members here, and hopefully we are visited by some friends tonight. Actually, if you are a friend visiting us, please raise your hand.” Boom. Prayers are answered. But Adrian didn't raise his hand. I hope that he was able to really feel and treasure the spirit that was there throughout the fireside.

We learned a lot about the temple, and President Atkinson left with us a challenge that I would like to extend to all of you. Set a goal for how many times you would like to go to the temple this year. The goal should be realistic (maybe we won't be able to reasonably go to the temple every single day) but also something that should make you stretch and exercise your faith. There will be opposition, because of course Satan doesn't want you to reach that goal, but remember that God is ALWAYS stronger than Satan.

Set goals, run fast, achieve your dreams. Peace, love, happiness, and baptisms.

Hermana Cheever

Well that was an interesting week

 Dear all, 

Life is still great here in the Valley of the Sun. We had Margarita's baptism this week! My companion and I sang a special number accompanied by another sister missionary in our ward. Something disappointing is that we promised Margarita that we would have warm water for her baptism. Well turns out that there wasn't gas. So we resignedly filled the font with cold water. Then the bishop showed up, and it turns out that there was indeed gas. We then emptied a little bit of the water, turned on the faucet for hot water, and it turned out that now there wasn't water! Luckily we didn't empty too much, so there was still a sufficient amount to perform the ordinance. Margarita was so brave and valiant! We told her regretfully that there wasn't warm water, although we had promised it, and she told us "warm or cold, I will be baptized". 

This guy here above is the bishop, and the other is Adrian, Margarita's son

That was fun. We also celebrated her birthday with the ward members that came. Margarita is just really a testimony to me that as missionaries, we really are only instruments in the Lord's hands. His work progresses in His time and in His way. In the mission, we can't make anything happen that's not His will. If there are people to be baptized, they will be baptized. If it's not His will, it won't happen. Margarita's conversion has nothing to do with us, I feel like the Lord just gave us the opportunity to be a part of this experience. 

There is a talk by Elder Corbridge, of the Seventy, called "Be the Fourth Missionary". He explains that there are four types of missionaries, with the fourth being the only one that benefits personally from his mission. The Lord gives us 18 months or two years to serve Him and His children, and lots of people are helped. The trick is to learn, grow and be helped yourself from the service opportunity the Lord gives you. The way that we can do that is to give ourselves to the Lord; we have to give Him our heart, might, mind, and strength. What makes the difference is not just that we do the Lord's will, but that we want to do it. I encourage all of you, whether or not you are a full-time missionary, and whether or not you are currently serving in a calling, to give yourselves over to the Lord. Remember that the Lord said "he who loses His life for my sake shall find it" (that's somewhere in the Bible). 

So now for the cultural experiences that I have been having. 

Everybody here basically celebrates Christmas on the 24th with a dinner. A really nice family invited us to dine with them. It was delicious. Here they are 

​The young man is a very recent RM who served in Argentina! 

On New Year's everyone also celebrates with food. Another member invited us over to eat pizza. The mom is an RM and her oldest son is preparing to leave on the mission. 

So that's pretty much it for the holidays.

This week I finally ate something interesting, It's called mole de panza. Translated, that would be stomach soup. Yes, I ate some poor animal's stomach. The nice lady who fed us that day lovingly brought us our plates and cheerfully said (in Spanish, but I shall translate for convenience) "it's stomach soup! But it's not cow stomach, it's goat stomach!" Oh yay! Even better. I had a really hard time eating it, and that's the truth. At one point I almost cried, another I almost threw up, but I finished it all and thanked the lady for giving us food. The spaghetti that she made was really delicious. And goat stomach smells horrible. It should definitely not be a cologne.

One last thing. So today we had a district activity. We made something called discada which is basically many different kinds of meat fried in oil with onion and peppers, eaten in a tortilla. It was delicious. But we were going to play volleyball as well, so we were going to arrive in pants. Let me tell you, going from wearing a skirt all day, everyday to wearing pants is one dramatic and restricting change. But that's beside the point. In the morning I went to pull my jeans out of the drawer, and they weren't there! I looked everywhere in the house, in my suitcases, EVERYWHERE. And they were nowhere to be found. Yes, I lost my pants. So that made it so that I went looking for some new pants. Luckily, there's a market outside our apartment on Mondays, so we looked there for some jeans. A very nice salesman sold us some "Levi's", but we all know they're not really that brand, they just put the tag there to make it look better. The point is, on Saturday I ate goat stomach and today I may have bought black-market jeans. I really am starting to feel Mexican.


Much love and lots of ánimo,
Hermana Cheever

Hermana Cheever and her companion with a recent convert named Neri.

Hermana Cheever's District