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.