Sister Macey Gates // Week Twenty-Seven

This week was another most amazing week of my life. Oh and yayyy for 6th months:) freaky crazy. I think about going home and i don't want to haha i'm scared for mothers day. It will be weird talking to all of you. So last monday we had FHE con la familia Aceves, y le invitamos Juan Carlos Aceves a ser bautizado, y el dijo "no se" PERO el tiene un fecha de bautismo! 4 de mayo:) Estamos trabajando duro con el. Entonces yo y Santoyo tuvimos un discucion profundo acerca de la caida de adan y eva, amo dicuciones profundos!!!!!!!!! Awe estoy aprendiendo mucho!!!! Un nocho, tuvimos cena con la familia Hernandez, ellos nos invitaron a un buffet. Hay MUCHO BISTEAK!!!!!!!!!! yummmmmm:) Y obtuve un galleto de fortuna que dice" Passionate new romance apears in your life when you least expect it" JAJAJAJAJAJAJ Todos estaban riendo porque soy un misionera y obtuvia este galleto de fortuna jaja.  Edgar dejo de fumar por 11 dias, y un dia fue tentado entonces fumo 1 cigaro, PERO el esta bien y no va a fumar nunca jamas! Todo lo que hacemos es comer. Voy a BLOW UP. El Sabado, tuvimos 7 cenas.......................... llore. mucho. Estoy muy agradecida para comer bien pero estamos comiend bien bien bien bien bein. a little to much. Este viernes visitamos Antonio porque el tenia un entrevisto. Cuando llegamos el estaba vestido para ser bautizado este viernes. ROMPIO MI CORAZON. Pero el fue bautizado este domingo. I will never forget this experience. He had to be baptized on a chair cause he got knee surgery so he cant stand up by himself. They only had to do it once! I had to play the piano and i played As sisters in Zion/Armies of Helaman. It was a really cool experience. Then after the baptism, our ward clerk came up to me and santoyo and said he has been praying to find visiting teachers for antonios daughters who are less active to bring them back. Its been two years since they have been less active. He said that when he heard we were baptizing Antonio he got the chills and knew this was meant for those girls to come back to church. Antonio is so happy now. He's been ready to be baptized since the first day we talked to him. I love this work i love being a missionary, and i never want to leave this place. I love this people so much. So sosoosososos much. Its hard, the work is hard but its so worth it. I will never ever forget this experience. I hope you all have a good week. Keep being the missionaries you are okay??? I love all ya!!!

Hermania Geeetes:)

The baptism:)

Azucena just started cutting my hair without telling me hahahhahha oh my gosh freakin weirdy!!! I was just like whatever hahha

Ramirez have birds too!!

Mitzi's package!! I love her!

Edgar's nieces puppy:) Littlest thing ever!!!! He is so toot!!

Pictures from Lily at Helping Hands Event!

Sister Macey Gates // Week Twenty-Six

This week was AMAZING. So Vicente... we visited with Vicente this week, just to see how he was doing and he made Santoyo rub alcohol on his back HAHAHA i don't think i have ever laughed so hard in my life. Im dying saying this right now hahah. Edgar... Edgar stopped smoking, he hasn't smoked for 8 days now. He sent us a text this week that was the sweetest thing ever: "Si estan con alguien saludenlo de mi parte no se olviden q necesito de ustedes. Ustedes son una bendicion para cualquier persona q las conozco amen." Edgar has completely changed his life around and told us he will do anything for us. This week we were on our way home and i had this feeling to go see this family we got as a referral from the Elders. He have tried so many times to visit them but they have never been home. BUT i didn't wanna no act on a prompting. So we went and they were home. We left a harvest blessing with them and invited them to be baptized. They are the most amazing family and WANT to learn more and said they would be baptized when they know that what we have taught is true. I specifically prayed that morning to find a family that would want to get baptized. I know God answers our prayers, especially when they are specific. We talked this week with a lady in the parking lot, she was a former member, she was having a hard time with prophets. I hate bible bashing but for some reason i felt to keep doing it haha then a couple min. later this member just walked up and told her the first vision exactly what we had done right before. She said she sent in a letter to take away her member ship but she is willing to gain a testimony again. It was amazing the courage that member had to come be another witness of what we had to say. I challenge you all to do that. To be that other witness of jesus christ. We are teaching this cousin of two less active members and he is a single dad with two kids, his name is Oliver. We have been trying to work with him but he just wouldn't do anything. He told us he was fine. Saturday morning we felt to go over there. We were so specific with our questions and helped him to really know that this is something good and this will change his life. He agreed to come to church and pray before. If he got his answer that this church is true at church then he agreed to be baptized. After church he said" Yes, we need to talk" Im so excited, i know he got his answer. When we left his house on saturday, the two boys said to each me and Santoyo " bye mom" the poor kids don't have a mom. They love us to death. It broke my heart. Im grateful to have the parents that i do. Antonio is so awesome!! He is going to be baptized next week!!! We had to say goodbye to one of our investigators, one of the hardest things cause she was moving. She told us how much we have changed her life. Even tho we had only met with her a couple times, i love her to death. This week we got money to go to dinner and so we went to KFC, the worker there was a member, and he gave us half off. It was the sweetest miracle!! I love all the members of this church, they really take care of us. Saturday was el sabado de gloria, and we were teaching Antonia, Santoyo got the hose and soaked me...... haha it was so funny, guys i'm freakin' hanging out with a 33 year old hahhahaha it kills me but i love her so much. Her mom sent me some earrings she made and a cute little wallet from mexico. I feel like half the time here i'm just helping Santoyo, its hard and its frustrating but if i can keep her up and going, staying on her mission thats what i want because she is amazing. SHELSEA GOT BAPTIZED!!! It was such a great easters!!! I had to play the piano.... i was so nervous but it was good. When Hno Ruiz was welcoming Shelsea into the ward, he focused on her dad. Her dad Juan Carlos isn't a member, He said " Juan now is your time to be baptized, to choose this path, and etc" It was a shock to everyone. I know its this families time to all be baptized and be sealed. I love la familia Aceves. We had the mom Lupita give the talk on baptism and she has been less active cause of work, but she said she knows its time to change to come back. We had Juan her son give the one on the holy ghost. Honestly i think Shelseas records got lost so this family could have this day, to truly recognize whats important in life. It was absolutely amazing. Then we went and had tacos, egg and rice, dang good and we had an easter egg hunt with them. We hit standard again!!! So many people called us this week cause they didn't believe our numbers. I didn't even believe them ahhaha i know my savior and my heavenly father love me so much!!!  I hope you all had a great week:)

Hermanitititita Gates:)

FHE with the Nalvartes, me and hna nalvarte always say to each other ES CIERTO hahah love her!!

We made soup at the ramirez house! yum:)

yup kool-aid jammers, taught them well

My new Mexicana stuffs:)

Easters

Shelseas baptism:)

After the easter egg hunt, me and my homie Shelsea:)

Sister Macey Gates // Week Twenty-Five

This week was one of the most amazing weeks ever. Last monday i dyed my hair, the other sisters were at the store and i told them to just pick out some color for me, talk about TRUST, nahhh i knew it would be fine and then Sis Nelson dyed my hair:) its a little darker but its cute! So Edgar bought his own set of scriptures at the CTR store and loves to mark every scripture we share with him. One day we were teaching him and my scriptures just open to this page and i felt prompted to read a certain verse, i read it in my head, had no clue what it said but i knew i needed to read it. Edgar and Santoyo were in shock haha i thought it was totally off subject, and im like i know this is true, like you just make it up right? It was Alma 42:29. I know God loves us so much and we are guided by the spirit. It was the coolest experience for me. For the transfer we only switched zones, its exciting! Our investigator Antonio, he is in a wheelchair, he works out in his yard every single day! He wants to get baptized so bad. He knows everything is true, and everyday he always asks if we are going to forget him when we go to church and we always say we will be by to get him:) Yesterday we went to pick him up and he had his change of clothes packed already for his baptism in 2 weeks. He is the cutest thing ever. We will have a baptism on Easters, Shelsea is getting baptized! My first baptism will be on easters:) Im really excited! So one day we went to visit some less active members and we found this little old lady. She would barely open the door, but we asked if we could share a blessing with her. So she let us, still with the door barely open, then after the prayer it completely changed her. She came outside and talked with us for 45 min! My favorite part was kneeling by her side, showing her a picture of jesus and telling her how much he loves her. I love these people here with all my heart. We found 2 girls, Vianey and ali, they are so elect, we put them on date, and they said they are moving before that...... It made me so sad so we are praying something happens so they can be baptized. We teach them in english, santoyo hates it hahah but its been cool helping Santoyo change her attitude completely about learning english. I love that girl with my whole heart. We went to visit Adolfo and Rafa recent converts/less actives and i felt prompted to ask them if they could come be fellowshippers, even tho it was the craziest question, but it changed their attitude and said they would come to church too. Santoyo thought i was crazy but it worked:) Saturday someone called Santoyo ghetto and it made her feel so bad. I dont know what to say in those type of situations haha so i just call her Hermana Ghetto now. hahaha We visited Isidra this week! The one that always says "es cierto" hahah and i asked her "Isidras, este es cierto verdad?" y ella me dijo " Si es cierto" HAHAHAH its seriously kills me but she was so excited to see us! We went to Jamba Juice with the Ramirez fam, it was super fun! We had a noche de talentos with our ward and an easter party so that was super fun! One night during oyms, this little girl gave me her change hahhaha and im like no you keep it, the moms like just take it, she's doing a good deed... i'm just like OKAY! so i earned 31 cents this week haha. Yesterday for dinner i had Pig freakin sicky skin. Yep. I really just enjoyed that ya know, what a great experience. Yesterday in church it was all about temples and families, I love my family so much and it made me miss all of you! SO MUCH!! Im grateful i have a forever family. I love you all so much and you are always in my prayers. I hope you have a great week okay?:)

Love Hermania GEEETES:) 

Yesterday this possum was running across the road so we chased it down. It was the funnies thing ever!!!

This sunset was AMAZING!!!

We went and got Jamba Juice con la familia Ramirez:)

me and edgar:)

me and andrea:)

This is isidras fam. the one that says "es cierto" hahhaha i asked her if este is cierto verdad? y ella me dijo " Si, es cierto" hahhahha

I got my koolaid jammers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mom are you proud??;)

I dyed my hair last monday!!!! hahha its was fun:)

Hermana Edwards left me:(

Dodanim and sandras fam:) we did a tree of life activity

Where i live.

Sister Macey Gates // Week Twenty-Four

General conference was SO good ehh?? But i had to watch it in spanish so i don't know if i understood all of it but thats okay haha. My favorite talk was all of them. Like i don't really know what half of them said but the spirit was there. I want you to all know that i will be able to read the talks and have the same testimony so don't worry! But i want you all to know that there are some people out there that believe this gospel is true, some people have doubts, but I KNOW that this church is true. I have such a strong testimony and there is no denying it with all the miracles i have seen, and the spirit that i have felt. I think thats one of the things i've learned this conference. Learning a language is hard, but you are not the teacher, the spirit is so its okay if you don't have the exact words that you want. The spirit testifies of the truth. I didn't save any dogs this week, so i didn't have the chance to advertise my religion, BUT i was nice and sick alllllllllllll week long:) Nice right?? Ive had a nice head cold, and bad cough. Yeah its been super hard having the desire to go out and not feel super sick, but being sick is no excuse. SO i've gone out every day except i stayed home two night with Hermana Edwards cause she was super sick. I didn't mind and i learned ALOT from her. She is an amazing missionary.  Im really sick of coughing tho, like this is how the lessons go. I(cough) know(cough) this(cough) church(cough) is (cough) true(cough) ENSERIO??? its ridiculous. Its fine tho. So Tuesday we went and visited Edgar and he said he had no more faith and smoked a pack of cigarettes.... So i read him this story of a guy who was hiking and a boulder fell on his arm, he wanted to just stay there and die but had a vision of picking up his little son with his left arm, this vision gave him the desire to cut off his arm and get help. I told Edgar that when he sees a vision of what he can become he will have a desire to stop smoking. We wrote a all the things he wants in his future on a piece of paper and stuck it on his front door so when he is going out to buy cigarettes he will see it and have a desire to stop. When we taped that paper on the door, he turned to me and gave me a fist pump with the biggest smile on his face and said "Thanks Hermana Gates" ohhhhh myyyyy goshhhhh i felt the spirit so strong!!! I know the lord is here for every one of his children. Its been hard with Santoyo, she just wants to be chill all the time, and really doesn't care. Its super hard cause i have such a desire to find teach and baptize, but we are going to change her:) Im excited for this transfer!! Ohh transfers are today but we are staying! We are just switching zones. The Goudy's are super happy!! haha we love them. I was talking to my old zone leader on monday and he said hermana nelson and her companion arent doing good at all, they are being transferred now but will you all please pray for her. Poor girl. I wrote her a letter, but please keep her in your prayers. I hope you all have a great week okay??:)

Love Hermana Gates:)

Chipotle during conference break.

Hermana Gates and Lily.