I'm Losing My Companion

Hi everyone!
To answer really quickly your question about the birthday present, I'm cool with just the music cds. I really feel like the luckiest person in the world right now and I'd be selfish to ask for anything else. I LOVE the camera and the 8GB memory card. That's great! I think for my birthday if you could just help me be more financially secure so that when I go home, I can afford school, that'd be the BEST present ever.

I got Camille's email and yours as well, mom. Thank you for re-admitting me. I'll be content with whatever you decide as far as classes go. Tell the person there at the school that I want to go into teaching and I also want to finish art. See what kind of weird look she gives you after that.

This week has been so great. So stressful at times but also so great. Both Sister Roundy and I have felt that we haven't kept our heads in the game as much as we were doing in the first two weeks and for that reason, we did more on Sunday morning than we've ever done to get our investigators to church. We woke up at 5:30 and got ready early. Then we drove to three different houses. At the first one, we decorated Mayra's truck and put a sign on it that said, "How great shall be your joy" in spanish. Then we knocked on the door and woke her up. She was actually excited to see us. Then we went to another's house. She wouldn't answer but we called them and the husband was at work. He actually got a job! And he's been living the Word of Wisdom. Then we went to Hilaria's house and sang outside her bedroom window. She called our cellphone and told us she didn't want to wake up and that she was just going to go to her church at 1.00. Hna Roundy sweet talked her on the phone and we were let into the door. We waited while she bathed and got ready. It was such a satisfying time in church. Mayra was so thrilled that she got her own wake up call and made sure the people in the ward knew what we did. She also was a lot more friendlier. She has a baptismal date but we want to get her attached to the ward before she gets baptized. It's a slow-going process but the incident at church helped.

As for the others we're teaching, their great! Daniel Fuentes is still getting ready for baptism. We taught him a lesson this week and he brought up marriage. Apparently one of the teachers in Sunday school told him that to get into heaven he'd have to be married and after a couple of weeks of meditating it, daniel told us what he concluded. He said he's finally ready to settle down. He's like 40 years old now. He said that he used to imagine himself driving a speed boat with lots of women in it but now the mountain of women is replaced by just one woman and lots of kids. He's a sport. He's driven. He said to us that we need to use our brains to the fullest capacity. We're supposed to come up with new ideas and be innovative. As long as he's obedient, he says anything is possible.

Tonight Hna Roundy is going to the Mission Home. I'm going to miss her so much. I can't express all that she's taught me and all that I admire in her. She really loves me and I love her too. She's taught me a lot about love. After tonight I'll be able to tell you how its going with just me and sister Gibbs.
Ok I've gotta go. Thank you all for the letters and prayers. Keep me in your prayers as I strive to follow the advice of Daniel and use my brain to the fullest of its capacity. There HAS to be a way to get more genuine converts. Pray that I can continue working hard and smart.
I love you all! Send my love to the 5th ward too. And tell Jordan I love and appreciate him. If he could just stay in South Africa, I know he'd find a lot of success and healing.

Love,Hermana Langston

What a Great Life!

Hermana Langston and Hermana Roundy.
Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite! OW!

Hello Everybody!

It really is a great life. I love hearing the good news of the gospel spreading throughout the world. I can feel that it's starting to touch the hearts of the people here in Texas. We've talked to quite a lot of people in these parts and we even met one old black guy who said that everytime he sees us running past him in his complex he says, "there goes my two most favorite gals in the world." Another guy stopped me and said he admires missionaries so much for the sacrifice we make to stay away from our family. He said he doesn't like to believe in God but there's something special about us that he admires and he always tells his friends to stop laughing at the elders on the bikes. It's interesting how many people notice us and have questions for us even though we don't stop to talk to them. I try to remember that every day as I go out the door.

Hna Roundy is still here with me as well as Sister Gibbs. We're thinking the visa should arrive this week. Sister Gibbs is great. It's hard sometimes to be patient with how slow she moves or how technologically impaired she is, but I would be so ungrateful to complain about that. She does a lot to fix us food, to buy us food, to drive us places in her own car so that we don't waste miles, and stuff like that. She's a sweet lady. We don't use her laptop much but we could if we wanted to. I'm sure going to miss Hna Roundy when she does go though. I have become such a better companion because of her. She loves me no matter what and makes me feel so good about myself that makes me want to communicate with her even when my pride prevents me. I love that girl.

Things are going good in the work. The ward has taken Luis under their wing. Daniel Fuentes, the guy with a baptismal date, finished reading the book of Mormon last Tuesday and called us afterward saying he wanted to make us porkchops. He said that we was "Bien contento" with us, meaning that he was just so pleased because we had actually found him. He said that after reading the Book of Mormon, it just all made sense. All the questions that he's had in his life were answered in the book. He got really serious and told us how amazed that we would sacrifice a year and a half of our lives and put ourselves into physical danger to go find the lost souls and save one soul. It made me think again about why I'm a missionary. I don't realize the impact the missionaries have on the lives of others I guess.

Thank you for sending the gifts for me! I don't know what they are yet cuz I haven't gotten them from the Paradas yet. But I'm now excited to see what camera i have!! Wooo! I'm glad that you were able to spend time with them.

What's the news with Jordan? Is he going to get knee surgery? I've been thinking about him a lot lately and I'm praying that what ever happens is what God wants to happen.

Camille, I really liked the picture of Caitlyn and Troy. I didn't get any email after that so if you sent one, you'll need to send it again. In fact, if you want to send it through the mail, I don't mind. I don't mind coconut either.

Well, we're going to the zoo today so I've gotta sign off. I love you all and am so estatic to be able to share the joy that I feel from serving others with you guys when I get home. Would you like me do some service for ya'll? What can I get you? A soda? Would you like me to serve you a soda? I love you all. This gospel is true. The atonement of Christ is real.

Love,

Hermana Langston

The Things Life Brings Us!

Hey Everyone!
So....let's talk about how things are going. You guys are interacting with the Parada family right about now I assume. You'll have to send me pictures and tell me all about it. Dad, I hear that you were able to use your amazing spanish skills in talking to them. How wonderful! Ooh I just wonder what's going on!
Mom, Dad, and Jacob, those Christmas-wrapped presents are for you. I was going to send them and others about six months ago but time never allowed it. The other item is for David for his birthday. Hopefully you can wrap it up before the 20th and give it to him with lots of love attached from me.
Things here in Texas are going well. The temperature dropped dramatically this week and it's been kind of nice to have to wrap up in a scarf and wear three or four socks with my tights. It's nice! Hermana Roundy is still here with me but it's looking like her visa is going to be coming any day now. On Friday morning, we got a new companion named Sister Gibbs. She's a lovely soul who is 68 years old. She makes us dinner and comes with us to some of our appointments. She knows a little bit of spanish but not enough to make any sense. She's fun to be around! But its crazy because as soon as Hermana Roundy leaves, Sister Gibbs will be my companion for a while. It's the first time I've had a senior sister! I'm so excited! We totally have a laptop in the house. A laptop! Anyway, it's been a growing experience with her around. God knows what to do to us to help us grow into less selfish and more patient people.
This week we've been working hard but maybe not as hard as the week before. We've been practicing being a lot more bold and its surprising how natural its become for me. I feel like it's not a big deal to ask people on the first visit, "What would prevent you from being baptized?" whereas before I couldn't bring myself to saying it. It's been fun this week not holding back. Because of that, we have a cute couple with a baptismal date for the 11th of april. The wife is pregnant and due at the end of April. But the husband has been reading the Book of Mormon and knows that its true. He wants to be ready for baptism and his wife says that her kids love church and she seemed excited to bring them. We'll have to work really faithful to help them reach their goals.
Luis Hernandez, our little new convert, is going strong. We went to a Fireside last night with him and he came in a pressed white shirt and tie. He looked slick. He's excited to serve a mission. He's also just loved by the ward so that's good news. Daniel Fuentes is a genius we found who also wants to be baptized. He analyzes the doctrine and explains it to us to make sure that he's understanding it correctly and he ends up teaching us something. We sit there looking at each other saying, "Yeah...actually that's exactly what it means....why didn't we think of it that way?" Etc. But we need to get the ward family involved with him. They're kind of scared of his genius remarks.
Man, I've learned so many life lessons that I wish I had time to write. It's amazing just how different the mission is today for me than it was a year ago. I know better how to be patient with others. I'm not as focused on myself. I understand the doctrine better. I just want to explain it to ya'll but there's no time! Only three minutes!
Thank you all for loving me and supporting me! Thank you for being alive still. Thanks for raising your kids with pictures of me and Jordan around so that we'll be remembered when we get home.
P.S. When does Jordan get home? Day? And um, mom, can you look into the whole school thing for me. Maybe talk to U of UOk I go!
Love,Hermana Langston

La Vida es Bonita!

Hello friends and family!

I just want to say that life becomes more beautiful after surviving trials. I am more grateful for trials now than ever because the blessings ALWAYS come after we endure the trials. This week Hna Roundy and I put more of our heart and energy into the work. Although the pictures I've attached don't really show it, we worked hard! And we sacrificed a lot to be able to find six people who were ready to have a baptismal date. I'm going to tell you a little about my own battle with hopelessness in hopes that it could help anyone out there going through the same thing.

We both felt that it was possible to get 6 with a baptismal date. And we felt confident that the number was inspired. At the end of the week, after fasting a lot, studying a lot, putting much faith into our planning and our communication with people, being more bold than we've been thus far with our investigators, Sunday came. We hadn't made any progress it seemed. No one new had a baptismal date. Saturday night, I was on my knees begging for the Lord to tell me what I was doing wrong and why I wasn't seeing the fruits of my labors. I wanted to give up and curse God, but all I could do really was cry. I just couldn't find it in me to blame God. But Sunday morning came and I was exhausted (maybe the time change had something to do with it). I had to use every last ounce of strength to make calls and still fight to be able to keep our investigators going, let alone myself as well. During church, Luis was confirmed with the Holy Ghost (oh did I tell you he got baptized on Saturday? The pictures are on Hna Roundy's camera) and the testimonies of the members confirmed that this work was something bigger than I could fathom. The spirit was so strong. I knew that God was telling me that my efforts weren't in vain this week. When we got back home, I just felt a sudden surge of energy and fierceness that wouldn't let me quit. Hna Roundy and I made calls like nobody's business. We planned exactly what we were going to teach and how we were going to extend baptismal dates. We made calls while we drove, we talked to people all around us, we said goodbye immediately to those who weren't receptive, we found the strength to call members to come out with us to our appointments and eventually found one. The day was a complete success and we didn't extend a single baptismal date. I thought on Saturday night that I'd be writing you very disappointed in myself but it turns out that I am so so proud. I'm so ready for this week and we KNOW that we'll be able to extend more dates. We've learned where are mistakes are and we're going to fix it. Even more important, in the moment when I wanted to give up the most and throw away what faith I had, I just kept going. I hoped for something better and that something better came. It's going to get even better and I know it.

One thing the Lord taught me was that I have my agency to choose. I can choose if I want to work hard. I can choose to be mad. I can choose to fix my problems rather than wait for that problem to be fixed. I didn't get what i asked for this week, but instead the Lord gave me something better.

Ok I love you all so much. I've gotta go so this thing doesn't shut down on me. Vili, do you know a Lola Maumau or a Tevit Maumau? They live in West Jordan. That's all for now.

Les quiero mucho!

Love,

Hermana Langston

Hello family and Friends,

I had a wonderfully written and slightly witty email ready to go but it turns out I wasn't fast enough in sending it. I apologize. Things are going really good this week. Hna Roundy and I are working hard to reach some pretty high goals and we're trying our best to take care of everyone in our teaching pool. The beautiful thing about the latino culture here in Houston is that they're very friendly and not at all bold about telling us not to come back even if that's what they're thinking. So we just have to teach really well on the streets to see if they're interested enough to listen to us and understand what we're trying to lead to.

People are still getting baptized. The ward is getting better. Hna Roundy and I went to the gym for the first time today and it was an amzing experience. Dad, thank you very much for the letter and the pamphlet on the draper temple. We taught a temple lesson to Mayra who has a baptismal date and gave her that pamphlet to read as homework. It's a very informative thing. Thank you for sending me that calendar and talk, too.

The church is true. The purpose of life is becoming more and more clear to me. My love for my family is becoming more and more alive and meaningful. Its amazing how many people live in broken families here. I'm so lucky to have you guys.

Love,
Hermana Langston