Sister Macey Gates // Week Forty-Nine // "I'M A MOM!"

     This week has been absolutely amazing. We picked up our little sprout on tuesday:) Her name is Hermana Ashby and she is from South Carolina, waiting for her visa to go to Argentina. She has the most amazing attitude and is so ready to work. Its been amazing to see how far i have come since i first started. We have seen some awesome miracle this week. One day we went to go visit a less active, Hermana Ortencia and she was doing Zumba cause she is a Zumba instructor, so i told her to show us some dances. And so she said she would but we have to do it with her. I was like of course you don't have to ask me twice! So we totally did some Zumba dances right before our lesson with her hahaha we did quite the moves guys it was awesome. So Yesterday when i got to church i said hi to some people that looked really familiar, and i asked if they remember me from somewhere. It ended up being some people that i found and taught in corona, a grandma her grandson and her daughter all got baptized a couple weeks ago!! It truly was a testimony to me that even tho we don't think we are making a difference in our areas, our work doesn't go to waste. Corona was a hard area, and i did feel like i didn't do anything, but when you see that your work actually pays off, its the best feeling ever. So i get to go to church with them in Moreno valley now:) We also had a cute little family we have been teaching be baptized. I have never seen a more prepared family in my entire life. It was the greatest feeling ever to be at that baptism, to see that family come together and take one of the most important steps in their life together. Their dad couldn't get baptized with them cause he hasn't been to church enough times or had all the lessons but he will be baptized soon:) Its been an amazing week being a trainer. Its helped me to focus on what matters most, help my little sprout grow, and help my heavenly father bring about his amazing work. This mission is not at all about yourself.  In lessons i have had the opportunity to just kinda sit there and listen to Hermana Pfeil and Ashby teach the lessons, and to see Ashby just go for it. I know its so scary especially when you don't know the language, but the gift of tongues is real. Its awesome to just be her little mommy having her back when she doesn't have the words to say. haha GUYS IM A MOM:) I loved the General Women's Conference when Uchtdorf asked this question:Do we really need to obey all Gods commandments? Answer: God must know something we don't. I know God has a plan for every single one of us, as we read the scriptures and really feast upon his words, that plan will become ever so clear. I love the Book of Mormon with all my heart. Its so hard to stop reading it. 

      I hope everyone else is doing good! Cali says HI:) I love this place. I don't care what anyone says, but this mission is the BEST mission in the whole entire universe. I miss and love everyone so much:)!!

Love Hermanita Gates:)

Goodbyes:(

Right before we picked up our sprout. 

annnddddd our sprout:) She is amazing!!

This is Bob and his wife... Elder king haha he was in charge of all the cars and i was pretty much his favorite cause he called me by my first and last name "WELL IF ITS NOT THE ONE AND ONLY MACEY GATES" haha they just went home:(

Sister Macey Gates // Week Forty-Eight // "ME VOY"

     ME VOY ULTRAVEZ. We are getting trippled out of our area. haha there are too many sisters going home, and finishing their missions than coming in so they had to close some areas. Glenn is going back to Menifee, Baumgart is going home, its the best for her, and im going to Moreno Valley with Hna Pfeil and we will be training a visa waiter together! Im SOO excited!! I love Pfeil so it will be awesome!! When President called me he told me he was sorry he is going to put me into a trio again hahaha he feels so bad for everything weve gone through but its only helped us grow! This week we went and taught a potential, and we shared the first lesson with them. It was probably the strongest, most spiritual first lesson we have ever taught. Their names are Maricella and Martin. We told them that other sisters will be teaching them from now on and they told us that theyve only known us for a little and only want us to teach them. BUT they are excited to learn more and it will be good for them to have another witness of what we have taught them. I absolutely love teaching in spanish. Spanish is the best thing ever. We finally got the Pereidas to come to church, our part member family and it was awesome. They loved it. Last night we had dinner with them and so we walked out to the back yard and they yelled SUPRISE!!! They had it all decorated and the whole family was there. We had CARNE ASADA:) They asked us what our favorite foods were so they cooked us all the things we liked. And they are actually my ride to moreno valley so that will be fun:) It was very hard to say goodbye to them. I hate that i come to love these people so fast and then they take me away. We had the chance to sing a special musical number at Farahs baptism, she is the APs investigator. They have church right after us so we had the chance to get to know her and go out to lunch with her. She told me i was her best friend;) haha they also had me lead at the baptism. I suck. She chose the too hardest songs to lead and i havent heard the end of it haha I need some practice. This week i had the chance to go out with Celia, she is an awesome member, we tried at least 20 houses that day and got rejected everytime. That was a great day haha the best part, is to know we never gave up and we tried till it was time to go home. It was hard but its okay when we have those kind of days:) Baumgart got the call she was going home and tried finding peace about it. She actually kind of made the decision herself. I asked her if she was praying and she said she hadnt been. This is at 12:00 at night right? So i told her to get on her knees and we are praying together.  Her prayer was 30 min long... and i fell asleep halfway through.... hahahh im the worst companion. I was so tired. So when she ended she said amen right? I didnt wake up. She was like Amen?....AAAAAMEN.....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN! So finally they accidently shut the door hard and i woke up. The circulation on my legs was cut off from kneeling haha it hurt so bad. And apparently i told her i was awake for the whole prayer... how embarassing cause she prayer about how she was thankful we stayed up with her and i totally fell asleep. She still loves me. I have such a love for this gospel and these people. It changes lives. It has changed mine. I love the Book of Mormom, one of my favorite books. This church is true, this gospel i perfect. I love you all so much!!:)

Love Gates:)

Farah's baptism:)

Mama Yokshas came to visit!!!

Sometimes you just gotta hug it out. Wanna hug it out??

Celia came out with me a lot this week, she is amazing. 

our district

The Vasquez:)

The Pereidas had a suprise party for us. It was so hard to say bye;(

Jocelyn our gator:(

Sister Macey Gates // Week Forty-Seven

This week we saw some improvements:) paso a paso! I feel sorry that i cant feel much sympathy for Hermana Baumgart because i know the real person she is, the real way she can work, but what i can do is feel so much love for her.  This week got a little better:) She did good with only getting super upset about everything a couple times and not everyday, yayy!! I know she is trying. I wish she would tell us the truth, and and i wish i knew what was going on inside of her head but i don't. But what i do know is don't try and control the things i cant. I have to do everything i can to change myself because that is the thing that i can control. I feel like i am changing everyday. I love Hermana Glenn. She everyday teaches me new things and i make her write them down after she says them. She is such a great companion. We help each other out:) This week we saw lots of crashes. I think someone was killed on their bike... so sad:( And then the next day we tried visiting a former and all of a sudden we heard this skid and this guys slammed right into this little car. It didn't really damage the little car but it did to his little truck. The people in the little car were freaking out so we stayed and did our best to comfort them. We were actually able to pray with them. I feel like we were put there for a reason. I may not know why but thats okay. We had this awesome lesson with the Pereidas, our part member family. Mom and Dad thank you for setting the standards for us. For putting your foot down, we knew what you expected of us. I was always scared to do anything wrong. Thats a good thing! I was able to teach Yolanda, the only member in that family about putting her foot down and setting the expectations for her family. She bore the strongest testimony and she said i will put my foot down. And her sister n law was there so it was powerful. Thank you for your example and for everything you have taught us. Yesterday we had a fireside and President Mullen and the new MTC President in the philippines spoke to us. The thing that touched me the most was, saying you cant means saying god cant. It doesn't work. We can do anything when we are on the lords side! A couple of us were chosen to sing come thou fount also in that fireside, it was super fun, i don't know why i got chosen cause i totally rock at singing but it turned out great. President called us yesterday before the fireside and said Hermana Glenn was going back to Menifee at transfers. Then at the fireside he pulled me aside and asked how everything was going. I said i have been trying my best, but it hasn't gotten much better. He said thats all i need to hear haha its just out of control but thats okay. She is going to be getting lots of help, and please pray for her. Don't ever think bad about anyone. We have no idea what they are going through even if they throw ya under the bus haha just learn an be grateful in every situation:) Love you all. Pray pray pray!!! 

Love 

Hermanita Gates:)

We got donuts this week before DDM:)

they were too scared to go and knock on the door with the big dog. Sometimes i have to be a woMAN haha

The AP's investigator ahha she loves to go out to lunch with us! 

El dia de Espanidad!! We had this ward party, it was so fun!!!

This is Jocelyn our investigator. She was able to participate in it:)

We hike mnt Rudbidoux today!

we're lovers haha

our favorite family:)

Sister Macey Gates // Week Forty-Six // "lessons to learn"

MISSIONS ARE AWESOME.

Things didn't get much better hahaha its got worse! It was awesome. So i finally called president and he met with us for about 3 hours, which the companion having trouble was in there for 2. He kinda got mad at her and she didn't think it was right...she needed it but i think he may have gotten a little too upset with her. BUT she got even worse after that haha i tried talking with her and she either mimicked me or ignored me. So i stopped trying to talk to her. It made me sad but there was nothing i could do. Yesterday at church she sat outside and didn't even take the sacrament. She was super mad and not very nice to the member, it was just sad but Hermana Glenn and I didn't wanna mess with her to we went to class. After church she left with a member without telling us. But luckily we knew which member so at 6 i picked her up, and Hermana Glenn went to a baptism. So i made sure we had a member with us hahaha i was scared!! She said she was going to have an anxiety attack so we went to the church and saw the AP's and she was on her way to chew them out... i had to hold her pack and push her into the primary room. I had the opportunity to talk with her, i just listened for about an hour on how she felt, and then i told her where i was coming from. She felt so bad she didn't even give us a chance to tell her where we were coming from or what we thought. I talked to her about forgiveness. She called president and luckily he didn't answer cause she was going to chew him out. That was not right. I talked to her about forgiving her family, we talked about the good things that happened between her family, and with the AP's and everyone else that she feels has hurt her. She finally decided to forgive them. She said that she is to blame for this too. I found out how much she has been lying to me haha that kinda hurt. But after she called president and apologized. I don't know if this is going to get better or keep getting worse but i know i was put with her for a reason. If we have to talk it out everyday we will. Poor girl. It has been really hard for me cause i love her and want to help her. But it has made me stronger in so many ways, taught me lots of patience, and never assume something about someone. So we don't find out what or when the changes are going to be, BUT we know there are going to be some. 

I was told this week by an elder i had bushy eyebrows. SO i'm going to get them threaded today, fix em up a bit haha how embarrassing!!!  Its fine i just laughed and agreed. My testimony is growing so much stronger in the atonement, i have felt the spirit stronger than ever before. I know this church is true, christ is with us every step of the way. We just have to forgive everyone that does wrong to us, I got yelled at pretty bad in the parking lot this week haha but i forgave that lady. We must be grateful in whatever circumstances we are in. Please don't judge anyone. Don't give anyone unfair expectations. LOVE EVERYONE:) 

I love you all so much. Thank you for your support. Don't ever stop sharing the gospel!!:)

Hermana Gates:)

We decorated a room and made a cake for this greenies birthday!! super fun:)

This is the elder that told me my brows were bushy. He is going home today.

Me and Glenn:)

Sister Macey Gates // Week Forty-Five

 Familia, i'm just going to be honest and say this week was absolute hell for me hahaha Im sorry how everything happened but i don't regret anything. To sum it down, one of my companions was super mad we were being put in a trio and didn't even give the other Hermana a chance.  She faked being sick every single day, like throw up sick. She would lock herself in our room and talk with our district leader for 2 hours about the real problems she had and the bad thing is, is that she is in love with our district leader. We tried everything to help her out and we would get yelled at and criticized for everything we did. We asked her if we could go buy some sprite for her and she said that was way to much pressure. We asked if we could get team-ups so that we could go out in work, and she said that was too much pressure. She would always talk with the STLs that were living with us, and then they would come criticize us. So we finally had to tell them they needed to stop getting involved cause we need to communicate in our companionship and work everything out, but we were so super nice about it and they agreed. We were told that the investigators in Jurupa are her investigators and not ours, we had no right to have a say in anything.  We went to a lesson without her cause she wanted to hang out with her best friend in the mission, so we found out this person that we visited had doubts about the book of mormon and so we told this companion that and she got so mad and said it wasn't true. We went and visited an 8 year old we were teaching and she didn't come cause she had to go on splits to hang out with someone else cause she couldn't handle it, and we and my other companion decided maybe we should drop him. So Sunday night we were doing our weekly planning and we told this companion our thoughts about dropping him and if she had any thoughts, and she started swearing at us, telling us we don't know anything, that these are her investigators not ours, she threatened my other companion to give her the phone or she would do something she shouldn't, it was so bad. So she marched out of the room(we were at her aunt and uncles house) And i don't even know who she called. We me and my other companion were trying to decide what we needed to do. So we went out and looked for her and she was sitting with another missionary that stays at her aunts house and said she needed to talk to my other companion by herself. I was so scared for her, i walked back inside with the other missionary and just started bawling, and all the other missionary said to me was talk it out. So i did and she just listened and then we said a prayer. I felt so comforted in that prayer. Then i decided that this missionary who was doing all this needs to handle it herself, she needs to call president and work all her problems out and we will back her up. She then came in the room with one of our AP's and he couldn't believe this was still happening, he told this companion that she needs to figure it out and all of us too. We then said how we felt, i told hermana that i feared not anything for me but her. I told her that what ever has happened in the past that she needs to forgive herself, or she wouldn't get better. She said she didn't know how and we decided she needed to go to therapy. She apologized to us and i think it was so easy to accept the apology because i love that girl so much and all it is is that she NEEDS help.  She had like 3 anxiety attacks, this week, it was just ridiculous. She told us she has no desire to follow the rules, thats a problem. Pray for her please!!!! We got home sunday night and made goals, we are turning everything we do to the lord. Monday morning was the first morning she has got up at 6:30 probably on her mission. We pray every hour together, and we are trying to be grateful for everything cause she hates when we are positive. I love this Hermana so much. I just want the best for her. And everything i've said isn't even half of it but i wanted to let you know somewhat how it was. BUT none of that even matters. The savior covered ALL of what happened, and he has allowed all three of us to change, to learn our weaknesses to become strong. To learn to trust in each other and our heavenly father and savior. We decided its unfair to give each other unfair expectations. Just because i'm positive all the time, and i expect this Hermana to be positive doesn't mean she can change that by tomorrow. This is a gospel of change but it takes time, we must be patient with one another and help each other reach their goals. BUT she is doing better, and i'm so willing to help his Hermana. I know i got put with her for a reason, to help me change. 

   Some other funny things that happened, this lady's daughter in our ward was having a baby and she would call us every day saying she was at a 10 and we needed to go to the hospital to pray with them, we did that so many times this week, and every time was a false alarm ahahahha they are both autistic the mom and the daughter to we got a kick out of that! Also in the night our air conditioning, something burned out so we had to go to the mission office at 2:00 in the morning to sleep, we totally thought the apartment was going to burn down. It was Hilarious!! 

   We had multizones this week and we learned about planning, i loved this quote, Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Never fail to plan!! Then after Multizones Sister Mullen sister Mullen came up to me and said president was reading my past emails to him and said to ask me about them. All this week i've just had grandpa on my mind, and all the other people that have passed away and its been so hard. I was going to just talk with president cause i was having a really hard time with it but i didn't, she was a miracle yesterday.and just let me talk it out about everything that has happened. It was a true testimony to me that my heavenly father is aware of me. I am doing so much better besides that fact that my companions wont let me go out today cause ill get everyone sick. Its like getting hurt in a soccer game and watching your team play without you even thought you want to bad to play and work. Im learning lots and lots, heavenly father is just throwing everything at me but i'm grateful for it. I would not trade this experience for anything in the whole world. Please please pray for us!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!:)

Hermanita Gates:)

Our companionship:)

These girls are from Espana and talk in the Vostros form in spanish, so they taught us:)

Our zone

We slept at presidents home hehe:)

We helped Hermana Vasquez clean out her garage, and she bawled she was so happy we came. I love service!!

I SAW MRS WOODS AT CHURCH!! she was our 3rd grade teacher!!

Our duckies:)