18 +++

This week went by way too fast, but we were able to baptize one of our investigators, Levi Alejandro, a week early due to the fact that we had his interview with the district leader 2 weeks in advance, because we knew he was ready. He was just mentally prepared for the following week. Jose Rafael is 24 and he was prepared to receive the Gospel way before we found him. he follows every commandment, and right after his baptism we were looking for him and finally found out that he had asked to talk with the bishop right then and there, telling him he wanted to prepare to serve a full time mission. the bishop gave him a pamphlet from the offices of the church, and he read the whole thing and came to church the next day asking to talk with the bishop again so he could ask him who his home teachers were going to be. I think he will play a huge part in making this ward strong! in the second hour yesterday one of the stake counselors was teaching the lesson about how we have to accept the gospel and receive an answer for ourselves, not just get baptized because the missionaries are cute and have blue eyes, but Jose says "well they're going to leave anyway." haha we are not involved, just playing our part in the Lord´s work. And Levi Alejandro was baptized the same day, just as excited. Good things are happening! I continue to see progression and changes in myself, but there is still so much that i have to learn and change. the other sisters are getting better igual, trying to be more obedient so that they can receive blessings. I will be doing a couple different divisions with them this week to see how i can help them extend commitments with more authority. Thank you for all you do! Saludos a su familia!!

hermana zimmerman

love you all!! 

ALSO looked up the definition of mother in the guide of the book of mormon. translated into english it says "mother-the sacred title given to women who give birth to or adopt children. Mothers help bring to pass the plan of God by providing mortal bodies for the spirit children of God." cool right!!!! i have the best mom in the world!!! 

loovee you!! see you soon!!

Huge baptism party!!! Best last baptism ever. It was a bigger hit that the ward activity!

Jose Rafael, Levi and Yashara!!!

24 yrs old, 19 yrs old, and 18 yrs old!!! Yay!!! More future missionaries!!!

Not being able to do the ordinance gives all the elders loads of opportunities haha. 

Levi

Levi and his Mom

All Levis books of Mormon from allll the missionaries that have passed through to teach him over the last 4 years. He doesn't even use them, haha he reads on his phone!!!

An awesome picture that makes me happy even though its blurry!!

Levi and his family

Hermana Wonacott

Our Apartment. One room.

Trip to Cabana

All the Solteras

Yashara is the cute girl in white that got baptized!!

Zone

18++

I'm out of time but i love you all! 2 of our investigators were baptized this weekend!

Angel AND Karla! she only had the chance to come to church one time but she was so anxious and ready and passed through her interview super prepared and the elder said she was ready so all we had to do was call president morales and good to go!

Karla's Baptism.  She was soooo happy all day!!!!!

She was so excited, the baptisms were awesome and super spiritual, there are so many people so ready to hear this gospel.

Secret to missionary work: it is ALWAYS time for harvesting. dont tell yourself that its yout time to plant seeds. we are living in the last dispensation!! our Heavenly Father has been planting seeds since year 1!! the field is white, and ridiculously ready to harvest. so press forward. trust in the Lord, and allow Him to guide you to those that are ready to receive the gospel in its plenitud!

Jose Rafael will be baptized on saturday! he is super stoked and inviting all of his neighbors. and always searching to learn more. he has definitely been prepared since birth with a tender heart and contrite spirit, and hes gona start playing piano in sacrament meeting!!! yay!! that way when im gona theyll have a pianist! 

Also, Levi has been prepared since birth, but in other ways. hes been throuigh many tough and trying experiences but he has accepted that they come from God and that now he can use them to help other people. hes awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ah!!!! his baptism is on the 29th!!! yayyyy!!!! and theyre gona give us special permission to confirm him that same night cuz stake conference will be bhappening, my last sunday!!!

love everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!! see you soon, everybody just hang in there a little longer!!

and read 2 nephi 8, i love the teachings of isaiah right along with nephi!

also, ether 12:13-18... PREACH THE GOSPEL NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE!!!

love you all..

hermana zimmerman

18+

I love you all so much. being able to see you all yesterday was the coolest. it feels like i was right there with you all! im sorry i failed to express how much i really love you all. but please know at least one thing; that all of the success i am receiving, is thanks to YOU and YOUR obedience and faithfulness and prayers. a missionary is nothing without the support of his heavenly father and his earthly family. i am absolutely positive that the Lord is allowing me to be an instrument and allowing me to receive blessings because my family is acting in such a manner that i deserve to be happy. i dont know if that makes sense really haha but yea. 

plleeeaase dont think that i am not at home because i dont want to be. i cant be home just yet because the Lord has continued preparing people that need to hear my testimony. please know that i adore you all and miss you so so much!!! im doing my best to stay focused, its going to be such a short time till im back i promise. not even a full month! im so lucky to be able to know of the restored gospel and to be able to share it with all people!! even on pday!

on saturday this guy stopped us in the street, desperate to know the truth. i say desperate because her approached us as someone dying of thirst, and im not exaggerating. we gave him a pamphlet and our number so we could teach him later on. its always about a 50/50 chance that those people return the call or ask for more info, but this morning he called us and asked to meet with us. so we told him to go to the church and we would meet him there. we took one of our investigators with us that will be baptized next weekend, and it was the coolest lesson ever!!! he was amazed that there are people that actually know what the bible is saying. and he felt the spirit so strongly, and our investigator Karla bore her testimony and told him that she knows this is all true and that he is right where he needs to be. it was so awesome!!! he just wanted to know everything!! we invited him to pray to know if its true but he said, "well yes ill pray and ask, but i already know that what you have told me today is true." and he accepted to be baptized!! what!! he doesnt live in our area but how awesome! we just called up the sisters to pass him along and hes going to church on sunday. he got it. he understood. he was starving for the truth, like amos 8:11-12 states, (dont know how it translates in english) but there is no feeling like being an instrument for another person to feel the spirit.

also, i am so grateful for every teacher in sunday school that prepares their lessons with the spirit and teaches by it! the lesson manuals are perfect! our investigator Angel whos getting baptized this friday had every last doubt answered in the 3rd hour! he is so excited!! the church is true. still. and forever. 

if you really love our Father in Heaven, you will be obedient to his every commandment. so be strong. dont leave your room in the morning without praying for the strength to overcome every temptation and be guided in every step that you take. be an instrument in the Lord's hands. if you show him your willingness, He will give you lots to do!! i testify of all these things and leave you by saying that miracles are real and faith is necessary in order to experience them, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

love, hermana zimmerman.

p.s. hna morales says im officially a ghost is this mission haha. 

17+++

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Gaby has a mom named Imelda. who we put a goal for her to be baptized on May 2nd. but this week, our district leader asked us "well why doesnt she just get baptized this saturday instead of wait a week?" and we were like.. hmm good question. wait here elder we're gona go ask her. so we ran to her house (close to the chapel thankfully) and said "hermana! we have great news! you can get baptized this saturday and we can do your interview this afternoon!!" and she said "well sure why not!" some people are more prepared to receive the gospel than we are to share it! dont waste any time that you have here on earth to share it with everyone you know! at LEAST one of all your friends is going to understand and accept it, if not all of them! play your part! 

there ya have it. we had a goal to baptize 4 people this month, even though there were only 3 weekends in which we could hold baptismal services. but the good thing is, we make goals under the influence of our heavenly father. we felt like we could complete it, and we did. you can honestly do anything with you faith. you FUTURE is as bright as your faith. my faith has grown like crazy i cant even describe it. 

Jonathan  was super excited that we had to move up his baptismal date cuz he was too prepared. hes reading his scriptures, and he said to his mom "too bad, mom, youre going have to buy me my white shirt and tie now that im getting baptized!" and he made her buy him white everything for the baptism. EVERYthing hahahaha. so adorable. and his mom is listening and changing and she needs even more help, and we are so amazed and grateful that her kids are giving her a good example. after the baptism Jonathan said he felt great and that when he went back into the service he didnt even feel cold, that he didnt feel anything but good things. 

This week, I was reading in 2nd Corinthians 5. and its incredible. you have to read it. and you have to remember, just like Dallin H. Oaks said in july 1994 (like you all remember bc you study all general conference talks) he said the first principle of the gospel isnt faith. its faith IN Jesus Christ. you have to put your faith to action. how? by repenting. by using the atonement in your life to be made clean each day, and again each week as you take the sacrament. Faith in Christ is what allows us to make correct decisions, its what strengthens our testimony so that in times of trial or distractions or temptations or people making fun of you for what you believe, you have something to rely on. YOUR FAITH and testimony in Jesus Christ. hello! He's just the only person thats never going let you down! 

So yea. read Corinthians. and the whole bible if you get the chance.

Levi tried to fast after we showed him a video about a guy that was basically athiest and someone told him about fasting, so he tried it and asked God to show him a sign that He was real, and he got his answer later than expected, but he GOT it. haha but Levi said he didnt last even 7 hours cuz its SO HOT HERE. but he just got back from visiting his sick grandma after he disappeared mid-april. we arent going leave him behind though, dont worry. 

Love you all so much. I'm not ready to come home juuussstt yet haha ive got more to do. but love you all for being excited for me! but be more excited that im in mexico preaching to the people from the Book of Mormon. how cool is that!? cooler than life itself....

loooove, hermana zimmerman

Jonathan is the little head in the middle of all the family. Everyone is related! 

His little sister is in the pink dress and his mom is behind him. 

...then theres Imelda! she's tiny!

Rosario!!! 63 years old! and he loves going to visit all the members!

17++

Miracles. Everywhere...

soooo NEWS FLASH. GABY GOT BAPTIZED A WEEK EARLY. she couldnt wait any longer!! she had a dream that her son Angel was all dressed up in a suit and completely reverent and calm in the church, and she was up at the podium bearing her own testimony!! saying that she knows that all these things are true and she knows that God is with us and that Jesus Christ truly lives. And that after reading the book of mormon she has seen herself and her family change drastically. and she said she woke up crying and that it was her answer and we quickly planned her baptism and it was gorgeous and her son sat almost completley stil the whole time and it was just so incredible. such a miracle. she was so giddy and smiley all week and just a completley different person than the exhausted and helpless Gaby that i met almost 2 months ago. incredible!!!! its seriously unbelievable to be a part of this work. there arent enough words to describe it because you have to live it...

and theres a 10 year old named Jonathan that is so stoked the first time we met him and invited him to be baptized he said "oh yes i would like that very much." and so he is reading his book of mormon and dragging his mom to church and learning all that he can!! its so adorable, and we showed up late to one of our appointments with him and he was all freaked out and his mom said he didnt want to go out to play with any of his friends and basically waited in the house all day for us.

also we moved!! and its another miraculous unbelievable story that ill tell when im home. BUT BASICALLY, God is not going to tell us what to do!! we have to start doing things and making decisions so he can guide us, while living the commandments of course. that is something that i have had to learn on my mission. theres  not one perfect answer or perfect path that everyone is going to pass the same things in life. you have to do what He wants you to do. and you have got to be strong in all things!!

love you gotta go!!

hna zimmerman

17+

Cant believe i forgot to talk about my new companion. well first of all, shes white!!! hermana wonnacott. ya basically nobody even tries to say our names haha poor things. but its awesome!! shes from California too. shes got 14 months in her mission and her and i will shortly be returning to byu-idaho. by the way, theres like 6 sister missionaries here in my mission that were up at byu idaho the same time as me and i had never seen any of them before haha. new roommates? yes. 

Anyway, shes awesome and im so glad that she is here because we have SO much work to do. and now we are trying to move closer to our area and really get things in order!!! 

Rosario was baptized! he was super stoked and he just wants to keep learning.

Cool experience. Gaby came to church with us with Angel. she was so scared she told us, she was 90% wanting to stay home, but she DID it, she left the house and they came to church. and guess what, they stayed all 3 hours!!! and angel was quiet throughout the sacrament!! and she stayed with him in primary for both hours, and she told us after that she was terrified, because everywhere she takes him, people make fun of him or judge him, and she didnt want to be an inconvenience for anyone. 

She even said that the primary kids learned about the plates and how Joseph Smith discovered them and that was one of her biggest questions haha so they answered it right there!! and everyone was sooo helpful the whole time. she took him out during the first hour cuz he started to get antsy, and like 4 members followed her out to find a way to help her. so great. and she said she felt at home. we are planning her baptism for this month, but she is still scared because she has had so many let downs in her life. she works full time, studies on the weekends, and comes home every afternoon to take care of her son every second having to keep a close eye on him. but how great. really just another example of how we are a very small part of this work. 

ALSO cool stuff, we got a phone call from SAN DIEGO with a reference of some cousins of a member there. and we found them! and they came with us to the baptism. when you are willing and able to work, God will keep piling it on and then proceed to give you the strength to support it all and complete it successfully. and that is whats happening here. we have so many investigators and so many people to help in just a short amount of time. i think i might love the mission too much. once you know how to serve in one area, your time always ends there! but i still feel like i have lots of time left, so dont worry haha im not coming home just yet. 

So, remember who you are, where you came from, and where you are going. each day of your life should begin and end with God. 

love you! do your part!

love, hna zimmerman

heres a pic of all the zone leaders and sister training leaders from the mish and our cute president and his wife!!! President and Sister Morales.

Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders for the whole Mission.

Look for us in the next Church Magazine.

Hermanas Wonnacott, Lazaro and Vega. 

Elders Fitzpatrick, Hernandez, Herrera and Hernandez. 

Hermana Wonnacott

17 Months

the first step to HAVING success is believing you can be successful. I can honestly say that i have come to understand this for myself. also, you better repent if you constantly cut yourself down or beat yourself up because youre not perfect. THAT is a lack of faith. and a lack of understanding of the word "grace". His grace is sufficient. sufficient enough to fill the other half that you are unable to accomplish. sufficient for all men so that they can become what He wants them to become. 

CONFERENCE. bomb as usual. even BETTER when 8 of your investigators show up!!!! all with a baptismal date!!!! including a family of 6!! that need to be married so here we go again. 

ROSARIO: mom asked for an update, well he is stoked about his baptism on saturday. he came to the last session of conference, and he loved it. he is 63, and wants to learn everything!! whenever we call him or show up to his house with the members, he gets so excited about everything we say or share from the scriptures. we just got back from teaching him about the law of chastity. awkward cuz last week he expressed to us that he wanted to marry me. we just kinda let that one slide and said not possible. anyways, when we asked him what he though about the commandment after the lesson, he said "hmmm ive been thinking about the law of chastity (in the same half hour we taught it haha) "and i think that its the best thing in the world." and he proceeded to bear his testimony about the importance of families to God and how much he wishes that everyone could know the things that we have been teaching. and in his prayer at the end he prays for strength to be ready for his baptism. and the members love him cuz his last name is Chanona. so once the bishop heard that, obviously thats his nickname haha classic. everyone here has a way to be remembered. 

LEVI: CAME TO CONFERENCE. even though his mom has to go so that he will go. but its okay! cuz now theyre getting closer to each other!! and it was PERFECT the sunday morning session cuz it talked all about technology (hes an addict) AND  about free agency. he is waiting for someone to receive his answer and make him change, but now hes starting to realize that hes gona have to get up and act. 

WILLIAMS: WELL he couldnt go to conference cuz he had to take care of his nephew, but he says that he is changing a lot. he is reading the book of mormon and praying. but he´s skeptical cuz before his accident he was all caught up in bad stuff (reallllly bad stuff) and he thinks that once hes able to walk again and everything, he will fall back into the same stuff. that is EXACTLY what satan wants us to think. that its better to not even try and change cuz it wont be possible. but first, you have to believe. 

COOLEST STORY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so our investigator Gaby is 25 and has a 7 year old with autism. he cant control his body and cant talk and cant do anything on his own. he cannot and hasnt ever sat still for more than 2 minutes and grabs everything in his path. Gaby and her mom Imelda came with us to the chapel a couple weeks ago to give them a quick tour inside so that Angel (7 yr old) would feel more comfortable. when we dropped them back off at their house, Angel shook our hands. NEVER happens. and you should have seen Gaby´s face, something i will never forget. turns out as well that every member that has visited them with us including the bishop, has had some part of their life teahcing or caring for children with disabilities. WOW miracles. AND THEY CAME TO CONFERENCE. and you wont BELIEVE it but when motab was singing, Angel sat perfectly still in his mothers arms, didnt yell or anything. wow miracle. and he held my hand. and then he wanted to walk around so this RM from the stake helped us set up the sound system and tv in the relief society room, and Angel was jumping around and walking and touching the walls and SMILING. something that he hardly evvveeerrr does. and his mom and his grandma learned so much. they have had their fair share of judgemental people and pastors lying to them, and to hear conference spoke so much peace and assurety to them. MIRACLES AHH i am so privileged to be a part of this. Gaby had a dream that Angel was about 10 yrs old dressed in white completely calm being baptized in a river. she didnt know what to think of it. but i believe that it was a way of him showing her an example, so that they can al be together in their perfect form.

THE CHURCH IS TRUE GOD IS REAL AND JESUS LIVES

love hermana zimmerman

read your scriptures