No More Speaking English

Katelyn's Decorated Planner

Visit to Battleship Texas on Zone P-Day

Hey everyone!

So basically I am really mad at myself because I forgot my camera in the appartment and I have a lot of really good pictures to send you guys! So mad but it's okay.  You will have that to look forward to next week.

So guess what? I went on exchanges with Hermana Shannon this past week and I am going on exchanges with her again today! It is the weirdest thing ever teaching with her again but this time we actually know what we are doing haha. We were doing some reminiscing and it's amazing to think about how far we have come. It was so fun to see her again.

This past Thursday we had interviews with President Crawford. I have the best mission president in the world. He has one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard and has one of the biggest hearts. While in my interview with him he asked "How often do you and Hermana Flores speak Spanish with each other?" I told him that we speak it everywhere but in the car and in the apartment. Then he said, "Thats terrific! I want you two to speak Spanish from the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to sleep.  Can you do that?" So we don't speak English anymore! It has been one of the most challenging things of my mission but it has been such a blessing. I can already see that I have more confidence with my Spanish and it has already improved so much I can't even believe it...and it has only been 4 days!

So while we were knocking doors the other day we met this black man named Kevin. And we were having a little bit of a hard day, it was hot, we were knocking doors, 3 people canceled on us (you know usual missionary stuff). Kevin goes to the Baptist church down the street from his house. We bore our testimonies about the restoration and he just started tearing up and he said I am not interested in your message but thank you so so so much for coming by my house today. We then asked if there was anything that we could do for him and he said, "Actually yes.  Can we have a prayer?" So we held hands and said a prayer. I felt an overwhelming feeling of the love that God has for Kevin. 

Another miracle this week. We met an older lady named Lacy. She is from England.  You don't meet alot of people from there here in Texas! We met her as we were walking down the street. As we were saying goodbye to her she said, "You know, there is something different about you two. Thank you for sharing you light with me." It made me think a lot about the light of Christ and how I always want to have His light. It was such a testimony builder for me. The spirit confirmed to me many times this week that this is Christ's church and He loves us.

I'm so sorry I forgot my camera! Still can't believe it. I love you all so much you are always in my prayers. LOVE YOU, MISS YOU.

Love,

Hermana San Juan

Super nice couple took Hermanas Shannon, Flores & San Juan to dinner.

Katelyn & Hermana Flores in their apartment.

Katelyn & Hermana Flores

I Love Exuberant Missionaries!

Learning and Growing

Bueno!

The weather here in Texas is finally starting to cool down. It's about 70 degrees today and rainy.  It feels amazing. I am really ready for the cold weather. Today I broke out one of my long-sleeved shirts. Wahooo! Plus, cold weather means all the mosquitoes die!

I have decided that this transfer has really been one of learning and growing for me. This week was a really hard week in the sense that almost all of our appointments fell through. But Hermana Flores and I have not lost the faith! We are still going strong and I can honestly say I am SO happy. It is the weirdest thing in the world. I really believe you can get through anything if you put your trust in Heavenly Father. This scripture has really stuck out to me this past week and has been the theme of this transfer Hermana Flores and I have decided.  

2 Nephi 31:19-20:

 [And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.  

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father:  Ye shall have eternal life.]  

It's a classic.

Oh and also 1 Nephi 20:10 "He aqui, te he purificado; te he escogido en el horno de la afliccion." [For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.]  SO GOOD.

So we had stake conference this past weekend and all the missionaries in the stake and all the youth sang a medley of "We'll Bring the World His Truth" and "Called to Serve". It was so powerful I don't think there was a dry eye in the building. It's funny because there is this joke in the mission about how emotional President Crawford is becuase he cries all the time, like all the time. He even jokes about it himself, haha. But it was funny because he was there sitting on the stand and as we were walking past him back to our seats he was bawling and he said to us "Thanks alot Elders and Sisters, look what you did to me." LOVE President Crawford.

So good news.  I am feeling a lot more comfortable with Spanish and I am coming to really love it. I can't see myself serving around anyone else. Hispanics are the best. Nicest people you will ever meet. I love being able to communicate with them and I love being a part of their culture.

Sorry I don't have a lot of time but I just want you all to know that I love you with all my heart and I love this gospel with all my heart. I KNOW it's true. Seriously, love ya'll.

Love,

Hermana San Juan

IS JAZZY OKAY?!?!

Okay so what happened to my little Jazzy is the saddest thing ever. But honestly I didn't know whether to cry or laugh because I am just picturing Jazzy hobbling around the house. Okay no it's really sad. Every one please give her an extra hug for me. Man I just love that dog so much. She's a trooper.

So this week was a really great one! We are teaching this really amazing woman right now. Her name is Luz Silva. She was a referral from one of the Elders and she is golden. She is so prepared. The only thing is that she works on Sundays right when we have church.  But Heavenly Father will provide a way.

We are also teaching the Valencia family. They have 3 kids and are the best. How we met them is we were looking through a potential investigators' list and their name just kept poping out to us so we decided to go visit them. While we were talking to them they told us that their 5-year-old son just passed away from a brain tumor. I felt prompted to share about my Mom and how I know families are eternal. They told us that this touched their hearts and they felt something different inside. And we have been teaching them ever since. It's really amazing to me because as I was bearing my testimony to them I felt the Holy Ghost confirm to me that it is true.

We are still having a little bit of a hard time finding people to teach. We knock doors for almost 3 hours every day trying to find people. It's hard work but I have really come to love knocking doors. I never thought that I would say that but I really do. Everyone has their own story and I learn something from every person we talk to.

This week I have been thinking a lot about why we are given trials. Something I have learned on my mission is that every trial that is put in our paths is there to shape us and mold us into the person God wants us to become. Which is, like Him. If we put our faith in God we can come out of our trials victorious. Heavenly Father loves us SO much, it amazes me every day. If there is one thing I have learned it's how much my Heavenly Father loves me. He has testified this truth to my heart and it is just the most amazing feeling ever!

 "Though we are incomplete God loves us completely, though we are imperfect, he loves us perfectly, though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely."  --Dieter F. Uchtdorf  

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

I am so greatful for this gospel and for the knowledge that families are eternal and that I will see my Mom again and she will be healthy and perfected. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who we can turn to for anything. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and it answers questions of the soul. I know that this is the true church. I LOVE being a missionary. And I am so HAPPY.

I love you all so much you give me strength! Your faith gives me faith. I really hope you all know how much I love you. And I hope Jazzy is okay.  I'm going to be praying for her!

Love,
Hermana San Juan  :)

619 Rollingbrooke Dr #210

Baytown, TX 77521

MISSION OFFICE:

Hermana Katelyn St. John

Texas Houston East Mission

2815 W Lake Houston Pkwy Ste 109

Kingwood TX 77339 USA

katelyn.st.john@myldsmail.net

I'm in Baytown, TX

We got to go to the Houston Temple.

Hola!

Hello everyone.  I hope you all had a great week and I hope you LOVED General Conference just as much as I did. Watching General Conference as a missionary is such a neat experience. All the missionaries went to the chapel and watched it there along with a few members and investigators. The spirit was so strong. It's amazing to me just how inspired the leaders of the Church are. They are truly called of God. I thought one of the main themes of this Conference was to put your trust in God and you will have nothing to fear. I thought about you all so much during this Conference. Watching it made me a little homesick but I did appreciate it more than I ever have before. The talks brought new light into my life and I was uplifted. I can't wait until they come out in the Liahona so that I can read them again :)

So, as you all know I was transferred this week! It was really hard to leave Port Arthur and say goodbye to all those people I have grown to love so much there. I told them I am already planning a trip to come back and visit after my mission haha. And I already miss my mommy, Hermana Arcila. I decided that a mission is basically just one big goodbye! But it's okay because they aren't goodbyes forever, just goodbyes for now.

My Mommy, Hermana Arcila

Transfer Day: I saw Elder Davis who also went to Bountiful High School.

My new companion is Hermana Flores! She is from Compton, California and is the sweetest girl you will ever meet. She goes home in Feb., along with Hermana Arcila, so she has been out for a while now.  Her parents are both Mexican so she knows Spanish really well and has been helping me out a lot with mine!

My new companion is Hermana Flores.

I am in the city of Baytown which is about an hour away from Houston. They call it Baytown because there is water everywhere, its beautiful!  It's also very green and there are a lot of trees. So far I love it here and the people are SO sweet. I am excited to get to know this area and the people here better. The thing that we are struggling with the most right now is just finding more people to teach. Our teaching pool is really low right now but we are doing all we can to find more people. It's just a little hard because people have their agency and don't always want to listen......errrgg!  But we know as long as we are being obedient and doing our best the Lord will bless us! And we have already seen great blessings just this past week.

Well that's about it for me this week. I love you all so much I can't even put it into words. I think about you and pray for you every day. Thank you all for being such great examples to me. Being a missionary has changed me forever. I love this gospel and I know this is the true Church. I know that if you let Jesus Christ and his atonement carry you, there is nothing you can't get through.

Con mucho mucho mucho amor,

Hermana San Juan  

NEW PHOTOS FROM OLD AREA:

Hermana Arcila and Katelyn in their apartment in Port Arthur.

Port Arthur Apartment

Hermana San Juan with Alex and Alfonzo. They weren't excited about a photo.

Alex and Alfonzo's Home

Another birthday party photo.