Redheads Biking

First Bike, stolen after one day of use

New Comp, fellow Redhead, Hermana Escabar 

Jose and Rebekah

Service River Clean up

Second Bike with Camo tires, stolen after second day 

Hola Hola todos!

Welcome to #BikeLife ! :) 

I got a super sweet bike from the previous sister missionary when she was transferred out. I love to stand and ride and coast, the church is about 3 miles away.

…However…

the next morning, my bike was STOLEN FROM THE FLIPPIN GARAGE and it has NEVER happened here before!

So we went and I bought a cheap $90 bike with blue camouflage tires! I duct-taped it up, put grocery bags on it etc. We kept them in the apartment. Saturday night we chained--literally CHAINED--them to the post, quickly heading off to stake conference. There were 4 other bikes down there......

Sunday morning; woke up; went down to the garage; AND ONLY MY BIKE WAS STOLEN AGAIN …they cut the chain, AND ONLY TOOK MINE AGAIN! Ahhhhhh!! I'm using an Elder's old, junko bike for now.  AND we are hiking our bikes up 3 flights of stairs to our apartment.

My new companion is Hermana Escobar! She's a fellow redhead and is from Texas/Mexico! She's super sweet and loves to laugh too, so we get along, and she is really helping me out with my Spanish!

On Saturday we had a service activity for the valley, cleaning up a river. It was pretty fun! A lot of us missionaries were there and some of my Burbank family as well :) We really just got to pick up a bunch of trash from the park! We all had shopping carts -- literally, people just have shopping carts everywhere here as their bags/homes/junk drawers-- full of trash! 

In my new area we speak Spanish about 99% of the time and it's soooooooooo sweet!

One convert we visit is Hermana Adriana Rodriguez. We went over for a of beans and rice, and she has these adorable and very energetic 3 young daughters.  Hna Rodriguez swears she knows me from somewhere! We couldn't decide where, so decided on the fact that we had to have known each other and meet each other here in this life! :) She's too adorable! I love her tons!

I looooooove horchata, to the point where i have about 6 recipes of it and make it in the apartment and live off of it! sooo good! 

  

Thank you for all your prayers and all your love! I love you all so much and hope you all have an amazing week!

Con carino,

Hermana Day

#BikeLife

Happy Rebekah at Fiesta

WHAT? Yeah, that's right mis amigos, just ​got transfer calls and . . . I'm outta Burbank 5to! All I know for now, until tomorrow at transfer meeting, is that I am going to a bike area! Yep, in the middle of the heat, dry summer of California I'll be biking down Sherman Way all the Day :)

In all honesty, I think the scariest part about this transfer is the fact that I have to go bike in a skirt! Don't worry, I'm prepared with lots of sunscreen and searching for water bottles, and the hna's transferring out leave their bikes for us :) miracles come! It might just be rainy this week as well and hey, I have been praying to continue learning a healthy lifestyle! Not exactly what I had in mind, but the Lord knows what he is doing and I'm excited for this new adventure! :) It's a little tough leaving Burbank 5to, I mean come on, it's literally been my home the past 6 months! But I also know it very well and I also know that the Lord is pleased with my service here and trusts me in another area coming up! I've made some amazing eternal friendships here and have learned so much and really come to love this missionary work and the gospel, Burbank will forever have a place in my heart <3

Sorry this email is short, but it's just a quick update :) I'm sure you'll all love next weeks a thousand times more, especially photos of me on bike and the legit news of where i'm at, who i'm with, and what at the Milagros are in the new area :)

I loooove this work, there's nothing like it and there are so many miracles all throughout every day! This gospel is so true and there is truly the only way for happiness in this life or eternal joy in the next! :)

I thank you all for your wonderful prayers and support and love! And I hope you all have a wonderful week, full of many miracles! Say your prayers and read your scriptures and keep living as an example and sharing your testimonies! Keep being amazing! <3

Con carino,

Hermana Day

My Adventure Continues

At Ward Party

Hermanas Rodriguez and Day

Exchanges

Fun Dinner Appointment at Ruedas

Hola Hola familia!

This week has been pretty awesome! And, as usual, a roller coaster of adventures!  Being a missionary is super awesome and I looove all the experience and all these times! :) If I could savor every moment of every day and always remember it, I would! :)

We finally "finished" the yard work service we've been doing with the Elders and Hna. Guevara for the little viejita lady on the corner! After machete-ing away and pulling weeds  we were told to stop and we were "only making it worse" and there was nowhere for their inside trash to go because we were using the bins for the yard work! Ay ay ay!  The little viejita lady came over and complained to us how we weren't even working, and once we explained it to her she went from saying "I'm the boss, don't listen to them they don't know what I want with my yard"  to  "oh I am NOT the boss, don't ask me!" 

Service this week at the food bank went really well and they always give us some cheesecake and snacks! #missionarybudget

Thanks mom and dad for always letting the missionaries come over and for playing games like Trains and Catch Phrase because, boy is it fun! :) We had an appointment with the Rueda family and we played dominos with the little girls! They are too cute!

After 2 days on Dayquil, turns out, I don't have a cold, but allergies! We picked up some allergy medicine and I think it's starting to work! I still have a crazy loud sneeze that scares people and a really funny from my stuffy nose, but it's all just part of the adventure :) #havingfunwithit

Had some fun contacts this week! Ran into a cute young woman around her 20s who was walking back from work at Pollo Loco, she was super adorable and loved hearing about the message we were sharing, she took a photo with us and put it on FB, eso! My first fan! :)

 Missions are amazing and so is this wonderful gospel and all the joy that it brings!

Con carino,

Hermana Day 

Happy Easter!

My Comp Hermana Rodriguez

This Machete is sharp!

Happy Easter to ME!

My favorite pink scooter!

LA Driving

Windy Hair

Hola Hola! :)

 

I've been here in Burbank so long, I officially have some "best friends" here at the library, who come up and tell me all about their week and how they've visited the Mormon.org website and watched the Easter video! I looooove the Easter video.

  

To fill you in, this week has been a tad tough. Now listen up, future missionaries, keep being awesome and putting your papers in and preparing for those missions, and keep being suuuuuuper stoked and excited to come out to the field--because it's really one of the best places on earth, doing missionary work, becoming closer to your Heavenly Father and Savior in ways you wouldn't even expect, and loving everyone around you! It's quite the adventure and so totally worth it for the rest of eternity!

There's just one little, itty bitty thing you should put into the back of your minds so you're not all shocked -- missions are stressful as well. Now, this sentence is cliché and overused, but trust me, it's true. There's times in the mission where the work is slooooooooooower than this LA traffic during rush hour, and sometimes as missionaries we like to get down on ourselves, because all we do as missionaries is teach, teach teach, and testify, testify, testify! so when you're not finding many people, but are doing your best and searching, it can be a little tough.

 

We just kept knocking, and knocking, and knocking. In fact, yesterday we knocked an entire apartment complex that was VACANT. Now why am I sooo excited telling you this? It's because I already know the outcome and let's face it, I can't make it sound as stressful or "blaaaaaaaah" as it was at the beginning of the week, because I am just waaaaay too grateful and happy for the miracle that came from the diligence, hope, and patience we've learned this week! Soooooooo, at the end of a long week, after contacting like crazy these streets, we had a 140 CONTACTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS!

We had just finished knocking a street, with one door left and not too much luck yet. The people inside instantly opened up the door, happened to speak Spanish only, and welcomed us in! They gave us some OJ and water, and we shared with them the El Vive Easter Video, which they soon opened up to us and expressed their love for the Savior and how he has changed their life. We instantly shared our Spiritual Bomb of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, bearing powerful testimony of our Savior, that He lives and that He is there for us. That there is MORE out there, there are promised blessings and eternal life with our families, that there is a love for all mankind and a grace that we can't even comprehend. That there is a plan for us and it's not just a plan for happiness right now, but happiness for forever.  I teared up a lot, as they called us their angels and commented to us about the spirit that they felt and how they needed us at this moment and know our message will continue to help them come onto Christ, making the promises to God to receive the blessings we had spoken of <3

 

That right there, that is missionary work. The joy that comes from the persistence. The smiles and tears of the spirit that fill your heart as the investigator points at you specifically and asks you how the Savior has changed your life because you're only a young, 19-year old girl. When you bear a powerful testimony, and not only can they not deny it, but their hearts accept it and they ask to hear more. When you share with them personal experiences and promise them blessings to come, full of faith and love, you feel as if the Spirit couldn't get any stronger, but you're always surprised when it does <3

 

I testify to you all that our Savior lives. That he loves us with an incredible love. That He is there for you, no matter where you are in life. That His arms of mercy are outstretched towards us all, He has prepared the way and He is guiding us along that path to eternal happiness. He is our wonderful Redeemer and Example. Come unto Him and Receive of the everlasting blessings! :)

 

I love you all and you are always in my prayers! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter and continue to grow in your sweet testimonies as well!

 

Con Carino,

Hermana Day 

♪ ♫ Las Hermanas sang as they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, annnnnnd walked ♪ ♫

Hola Hola mis amigos! :)

Apparently our Burbank library was closed yesterday thanks to Caeser Chavez Day I had no clue who that was until Mom googled it for me--- in 1962 he started a union to help migrant workers get more pay and better conditions.) It's been super hot this week, hitting 105 one day when we were walking. I just can't even imagine the summer! ah!

General Women's Conference was soooo good! If you haven't seen it, go look up some quotes on pinterest or something because I looooved it! Wanna know the coolest part?? I WATCHED IT IN SPANISH! I learned a few new words and got some awesome notes. My favorite talk was by Hermana Oscarsen, who talked about being defenders of the light and truth! I loved how she just straight up told us how to be great AND told us to be supporters and defenders of marriage, families, and motherhood :) I am soooooooo excited for General Conference this weekend -- and yes, ALL four sessions! It's going to be great! I am sooo excited to receive more revelation and guidance from our awesome prophet and his counselors and to feel the spirit testifying of our wonderful Savior, because it'll also be Easter!

We've been getting more cenas with the miembros this week, the amazing Hna. Castillo took a calendar around and had everyone in our area sign up! #FeedYourMissionaries!

She also treated us to some Porto's the other day, soooooooo delicious!!! She's not even in our area, but she sure does love us as much as we love her! I am loving this ward and area

 Hna Guevara is super cute. She always gives us a snack and some Fanta soda -- speaking of which the other day I got to have flan. It's like eggs and soggy bread mushed together into a "pudding" Some people like it, I am not yet one of them.... -- anyway, she and her son are very cute!

I ate watermelon this week, with chili salsa on it, because why not?  It was out for dinner and I ate it.

Here's some scriptures I liked this week, I've been reading through D&C:

"Ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of truth." D&C 50:40     

"Behold, I, the Lord . . . will crown the faithful with joy and rejoicing" D&C 52:43

(now that's just super happy, who wouldn't want that crown!:)

"Ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you..."

Now this one is very special to me and really touches my heart. It's very nice to know that after all these testimonies I am sharing that they will be remembered, that I will never forget this knowledge and that it means something to those around me. I invite you all to share your testimonies, even if it's as simple as "I know that Christ lives" or "I know that answers come through prayers," because this is what changes lives and this restored gospel is truly amazing! :)

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week! I know that Christ is our wonderful Savior.

con carino,

Hermana Day