relying on Christ

 yo yo yooo made it through my first transfer on the mission 😻

So far its been lit lit, I was trained in a trio by Sister Smith and Sister Barrett (mi MEJOR amigas) in Sumter, SC. Sumter is basically ghetto Brigham City with lots of forests/swamps and trailer parks, it was actually SO much fun - might be addicted to nicotine now tho by the amount of smoke I been inhaling... 

It was definitely an adjustment coming into missionary life but its a good life, basically wake up and then go talk to people about Jesus everyday all day🤑 met LOTS of the weirdest people Ive ever met and can't wait to meet more now that I'm in Simpsonville with Sister Price. I can already tell Simpsonville might be a lil more chill compared to janky Sumter tho... there are significantly less trailer parks here haha

I think the biggest lesson I've learned so far is that hard times don't happen because of God loving us less or wanting to punish us, they happen to give us the opportunity to choose him again and grow our faith stronger than before. I heard the saying "you don't really have faith until faith is all you've got." (or something along those lines heheh) So imma just keep relying on Christ and getting lit everyday☝️🤑

But ya overall good times, pray for me - we agreed to buzz some random guy's alpacas next week and I have a feeling it aint gonna be as cute as we think...

love you all so much, lemme know how things have been 😛

here's some random pics to give you a good idea of what the mission is like lol:

lady named Lashawnda

 what is uppppp

crazy week, kinda feels like a dream (prolly cuz I slept so much this week) 

I got a lil sick on Wednesday heheh (I threw up like four times) but i got a blessing and felt pretty good the next day and got some hefty naps in and was basically completely better by friday😻

ill include a video of me sleeping to safety zone- a true missionary 🥲

but ya we saw lots of blessings this week despite all of us feeling pretty garbage, we were able to put our homegirl lakyshia on date this week we also had a few training meetings so that was goody - and we still reached our finding goal despite being mega sicky 😀

cutie moments from the week: 

• we got a media referral from a lady named Lashawnda (kip's girlfriend??!) 

• I found a cutie song recording in family search memories I think it was great grampa Harry Hicks singing? Scott you'd eat it up

• we talked to lots of good, hurting but humble people looking for some peace from Jesus

• found a man who loves all three of us more than anyone ever will😻 brigham take notes☝️ (ill include a screenshot) 

• celebrated sista Barretts bday this week (we have four cakes in our fridge rn) (no i dont think thats what got me sick) (prolly) + the little old lady in that cake Pic is from Brooklyn NY and worked in a bar her whole life - she also has like 10 kids and has THE best accent and stories ive ever heard in my life 😌

• Roaul the maintenance guy serenaded us and cut out a square of moldy carpet in our apartment😻

apparently the roof collapsed in the room above ours so that closet is leaking mega water (we have to change the pot that its dripping into like three times a day)

welp love yall a bunch hope things are good, lemme know whats happenin back home - wwIII happen yet?!?!?!

- sista seffka

holy best testimony

 hello hello 

what is up fam, happy march ! 🍀☘️

lets see what even happened this week...

We are currently apartment sharing with another companionship so the housing guy told us we're moving into the elders old apartment... we spent too long scrubbing eggs off those walls this week to get it ready for paint lol but painting it was fun😛

we had lots of good lessons and meals this week. we got 5 PEOPLE to church yesterday - praise Jesus for that🙌 it was also my first southern testimony meeting and

holy best testimony meeting ive ever heard?! there was one guy who got up there and was just like YA GOD WON THE WAR AGAINST SATAN RAHHHH🦅🦅🦅 but one of our friends has a 7year old who marched up and bore her testimony (5 year old emmie style) and then her mom eventually came and shared hers too. the ward loves them already🤭. but ya def lots of fire and brimstone preacher vibes but lots of tender powerful testimonies- and the accents just make it a million times better.

its also a crazy time for the ward right now because so many of them are military and from what ive heard things are getting kinda crazy... (someone should update me on that i cant watch the news) 

heres a rapid fire of random crap that happened this week:

- possum looked us directly in the eyes as we ran over it

- theres this guy that tells us hes not interested and to stop calling (Indian accent) but responds to our text messages and scriptures with very thoughtful answers...??

- lady answered the door and said sorry im busy unclogging a toilet (with her bare hands) (they were dripping wet) (shart on her hands) but she pushed her nephew out to talk and hes interested! 😛

- we have a bag of vapes✨️ on our coffee table that was recently confiscated from the other sisters friend - they flushed his meth down the toilet. (he's also a she)

- one of our friends at church signed up for a random singles ward potluck (shes had a boyfriend for 12 years) she said shes "mad at him" 

- talked to the most gracious basher anyone's ever met 🩷 she was very kind but also didn't wanna hear anything new she just wanted to ask us her random reddit questions and read us some bible🙏🙏

- random recent convert 8 year old is obsessed with the book of judges and recited the entire Christmas story by memory (she goes to a Bible school???)

- met NY Italian version of Cheryl Taylor - her house is FULL of precious moments figurines, the owner made her a custom figurine of her because she has so many. she genuinely says "forget about it" and "are you kiddin me?" in her Boston accent

but ya good times, I'll probably have lung cancer by the time i get home from all these random lessons we do... but its good times, I feel the spirit everyday all day and God is definitely hastening his work. we have lots to do everyday, people are seeking God like crazy. that's one thing about the south, even if theyre not interested they'll never turn down a scripture- and then they often feel the spirit and wanna hear more after that?! 

but good times, love yall 

also we studied the urim and thummim footnotes and guide to the scriptures this week and Holy lit? I didn't realize prophets have used them throughout the entire scriptures?? and the brother of Jared stones that God touched are the urim and thummim?? 

OK bye love you‼️

- Sister seffka 

The top of the mountain

 WUENAS

Quick update on the missionary work here in Gaira, Colombia:

a I got a new comp (like two weeks ago): Elder Romero a Hna Tricias got baptized last Saturday

a we teach a guy that lives on the top of some mountain

a dog bit me

a l've felt my testimony grow SO much

These last few weeks have been super great, we had emergency transfers and Elder Romero became my new companion. He's a really good missionary, I love how direct he is with the people we interact with.

We started teaching someone named Tricias that we met through a member a couple weeks ago. She's such a sweet lady, and has a strong testimony. We invited her to stop drinking coffee and she was able to quit cold turkey

This last Saturday she was baptized and now she's going to help her family do the same!

We also teach someone named Angel that ironically lives on the top of a mountain us he's got TONS of questions and we love helping him to understand them.

I want to testify of the living Christ, and the power he offers us through his commandments. It is part of God's plan for us to have agency, and for the blessings that come in our lives to be from our choice to follow righteousness.

As children of a loving Heavenly Father, we can become instruments in his beautifuly orchestrated

plan.

I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice, to offer himself up as the Lamb of God and be the Good Pastor.

God no longer requires an animal sacrifice, but rather a broken heart that desires to be perfected through Christ's blood. I testify that through Him, we can realize and achieve our divine potential.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Riohacha

 HEY I figured after a few months I'd better throw in an update:

So I'm in a new area again- it's called Riohacha- its a super cool area because it's right on the border of Colombia and Venezuela

My companion is a dope Brazilian named ELDER C he's a really funny guy

Here in Riohacha there's a lot of indigenous people and they speak a language called Waünakee. I'm trying learn it but there's not like any books on it so it's a slower process than I would like👍

It's a smaller branch but the members are AWESOME so the work is much smoother.

They eat a lot more lamb/goat (chivo) here and it literally tastes like beef jerky so I can't complain

This last month of March has been really good for our mission as well, we had 147 baptisms which apparently is the most in the last like 15 years so that's a fun fact.

I want to share my testimony of the Savior:

I know Jesus Christ is the Son of the God and his mercy extends to all people. I know that our efforts will be magnified by Him as we have a faith in Him. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple enough for a small child to understand but the most educated and intelligent minds can have difficulty applying it. As we become as small children, we can access God's power in our lives. Covenants make our relationship with Heavenly Father stronger, I love this Gospel and love spreading it. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amén. 

I love it

 HEY EVERYONE heres a reminder that im still alive

I've been doing good here in my area, it's called Gaira 😎 Gaira is this pueblo and i LOVE it. Its such a cool place and a nice break from the big city in Barranquilla.

The little branch here is awesome- we've been trying to really work harder with the members here 💪

These past few weeks have been good, we found this super awesome family, the Blanco family. They're from Venezuela and to get baptized the parents gotta get married 🤠 its not easy but definitely worth helping them, they really look forward to progressing in the gospel. We were about to stop teaching them a couple weeks ago then the mom told us she got a couple dreams with her being dressed in all white and some guy in a church telling her to get baptized on the 16th of December 😶 we kinda sat there in awe for a sec and then set the date for her- so far she can still get baptized that day!!

Plz pray for them!!

here in the Colombian coast its especially hot right now so it doesnt feel like christmas apart from everyone painting all the trees white. 😐 yup.  I guess when your country is incapable of producing snow you just PAINT THE TREES WHITE to imagine that it might actually seem like snow or something. Looks cool i guess🤷‍♂️

Anyways, hope everyone is doing alright- love you all!!!

chou pescau' 🐟🐠

also i hit 17/18 months (cant remeber) this month 

Jesus loves you!

 HEY! I had a good few weeks!

This last week was pretty busy but good😎 we've been looking at houses for señor misioneries! It'll be fun to get to know them!! 

This last week we contacted like CRAZY and plowed through some inactive member lists. While contacting we talked to this lady named Ruth and she's really interested! We also put a couple people on date for baptism but they then proceeded not to go to church so that's an L....

We had an exchange with our LZ's and I went with Elder Del Sero from Argentina 🇦🇷(shoutout a los gauchos allá) he talks goofy BUT he's super sick and it felt good to be able to work on the normal schedule. 

It's rainy season right now so we've been absolutely DUMPED ON by the rain this last week🤗😊 the roads turn into rivers its kinda sick

Jesus loves you! If you wanna know if the church is true then just ask God in prayer and you'll receive an answer! 

Love you all Chau Chau