HELLLLLOOOOOOO PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HELLLLOOOO PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!!!

UM OK DID EVERYONE JUST LOVE CONFERENCE AS MUCH AS I DID??!!! I love missionary superbowl!!! Ok, before I talk about conference, I need to cover some other bases that happened earlier in the semana. (**week)

- We had lunch with the Elders early this week and the member lied and said there was a woman at the house and there WASN'T. Aka, we (sisters) couldn't be there! E. Gravelle was freaking out. He was like Que haría Nefi??? (What would Nephi do?) and Elder Cruz was like Matalo. (Kill him). We all died laughing. Everything turned out just fine... we just all ate outside. Hilarious. 

- So I must say I've been seeing some miracles working in Villa Mitre 2 with Hermana Batista. She's a great missionary! Really great! She is SO VERY SENSITIVE to the Spirit. We'll leave a house and she'll be like "wow, did you feel that special feeling in that house?" And I'm like... "ummmm sure".... then I'm like "DANG IT!! Why am I not that sensitive to the Spirit?"  There is ALWAYS something I can work on. 

- On Wednesday we went to see Paula. This woman is so great. She already knows that the LDM (**Book of Mormon) is true. I'm sure she's just afraid to leave her church. We asked if she needed anything, and she said "ummm yeah, but I´m just going to ask my kids." And I just said "Hermana, we are here to SERVE you. Tell us what you need." And it turns out the woman had no food. If someone in worse condition asks HER for food, she gives what she has. She is a pure Mormon already. So we went off the the grocery store and bought her some food. As we trudged down the muddy hill (it was raining) my heart was full to the brim. I LOVE when people let us serve them. It doesn't happen very often but to see the look on her face as we pulled out bread, crackers, fideo, rice and everything, her eyes full of gratitude, my heart was truly full. Paula also read 16 chapters of the LDM!! AHHHHH. She's so ready. PRAY HARD FOR HER! She leaves for TWO MONTHS on the 21st. PRAY WE CAN GET HER IN THE WATER BEFORE THEN!!! She already has 2 asistencias.(attendances to church) One more!

- OK TIME FOR MY CONFERENCE SPEEL. First off, we had THREE investigators that came to the sessions. WOOOOOO!!! We had Natalia and her son there and at first we didn't think they could come because we passed by for the morning session and her mom had gotten there and she said "well I can go at 5 and we're like "BUENO, we´ll come back to get you!" So we did! She came with her 9 year old son who is a future investigator and her little 10 month old. They talked about families that session and she loved it! She needs to get married, but for now, we can start teaching her son. Then we had Luis, who came with Ines. He looked really content and happy to be there. Then we had Joel. A reference from the ZLs and he already had 2 asistencias to the church. Now 3. Totally BAPTIZABLE! We went to pick him up and he was in a cute corduroy suit! He's 50 years old, MARRIED, and SO SWEET! He is SO addicted to smoking, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! We know we can get him baptized this month! Pray for him! We are hoping to have a lesson with him and Presidente and La Hermana. 2 misioneras and THE POWERHOUSE OF THE PRESIDENT! So nice that we can do that... since they are soo close to us! It was such a miracle to have THREE investigators come to conference. I thanked my Heavenly Father for the miracles that we have been able to see here in Villa Mitre. I am very, very happy. 

- Ok so the cable wasn't working for the English missionaries, but luckily we had the office with computers so it was me, and yup, you guessed it, NINE Elders crammed by one computer watching conference. Me and all the Elders. Yup. 

-HOW BOUT THAT MISSION AGE!!!!! I was stoked! I know that I was supposed to come at 21, but HOW GREAT FOR YOU FUTURE SISTERS! MEGAN, Jake, Gavin and Hunter!!! ARE YOU SO STOKED?!!!!  Such history! And now my grandkids will by like, "yeah, my grandma was one of the last sisters to leave at 21 on her mission..."  I have no doubt we will get a stronger Army of missionaries with MORE SISTERS!!! WOO! 

- Ok SO I LOVED CONFERENCE. LOVED IT. Is it just me or does it get BETTER EVERY YEAR! I loved how President Monson asked us to take an inventory on the blessings that we have in our lives, big and small. I AM SO VERY BLESSED!! SERIOUSLY!!! Did everyone notice the theme was mentioned about 2 times that we must DO and BECOME??? LOVE THAT! I also Loved Pres. Eyring's talk, how God will NEVER hide from us. We put up spiritual pavilions that hide us from Him. I testify that He NEVER stops caring, WE are the ones that have to reach out to HIM first. He will never take away that agency. I love Pres. Eyring. My favorite, of course was Elder Holland´s. I listened to the Feed my SHeep talk in the MTC and I was SO HAPPY TO HEAR IT AGAIN. All of us missionaries in the office were like... whoa. afterwards. HE´S SO POWERFUL. Everytime I don´t want to get out of bed, or I would rather throw the covers over my head and not go out to work because sometimes it's just really hard, the thought has always crossed my mind, a little, silent "Cydnee. Do you love me?" But now it's going to be Elder Holland's voice, "CYDNEE. DO. YOU. LOVE. ME?" Yes, Lord, I love thee. And I will get out of my bed and onto my knees and pray for the strength I need to take on the day." I LOVED that talk. Can't wait to listen to it again. I hope you all thought of me when you stood and sang "Called to Serve." I stood there in the office with 9 Elders, singing that song and thinking of y'all singing with me. Remember you don't have to wear a plaque to be a missionary.

SHOUTOUTS!!! Leah dear! I'm so sorry I forgot to say happy birthday! I hope that it was great! I miss you cutie pie! Happy birthday this week to REBECCA SERNA!!! And to Tía Jeni! And to Taci Fernuik! Hope you all have great days. Tay! I got your HP dear elder and I DIIEEEED! HP for life! Kris and Paige, I quite enjoyed your self portraits of me. Way to keep the roomie tradish going. HIATTS! Thanks for the JAM!! When I opened it, Hnas Vawdrey and Carsen were like IS THAT REAL JAM???  It's heaven!!! I splurged on sliced bread (um 18 pesos THANK YOU) and enjoyed myself a PB&J on my Bday. BEST MEAL EVER!!! Zander, thank you for the message! Send some pics of the kids through email! 


Hermana Squire
 pic 1: Vawdrey and Carsen saying THANKS DENNIS FOR THE BIRTHDAY LUNCH!!
pic 2: Me with Linco, Leguizamon, and Alvarez, Pixton and Israelsen in the background at zone conf..
pic 3. Vawdrey made me a bday cake!!!
pic 4. Zone conference

I'm OLD! I'm UGGGH Like the Crypt Keeper!!!!!!

Hey you people whom I love so DEARLY!

If you can guess what movie that´s from, we´re BFFs. WOW CAN I JUST SAY I FEEL SO LOVED!!???? Ok wow. I´m 22. I also completed 8 months in the mission TODAY! Way to kill two birds with one stone!! I FEEL SO DANG LOVED!

- Ok so this is what went down on my bday. WE HAD A ZONE CONFERENCE! What better could I have asked for!??  But first. I was a good girl and waited until this morning to open presents. I was so touched at the stack of cards I got! Seriously! Made my day, and it was more than I could have ever asked for. Just about cried, thanks. I got some sweet cards from my companion and from my companions de pension.(**apartment). THEN we left for zone conference. I got to see Hna Israelsen, Linco and Leguizamón and got some birthday wishes from them and a bunch of hugs. Mom, NO I did not wear the "Birthday Girl" badge to conference, because you know me and attention.... but it didn´t make any difference because I got a whole bunch anyway!! Right after lunch, we were all chatting and waiting for the conference to start back up again. I was up front, chatting with some Hermanas, when presidente was like "Attention! We have an Hermana here...." and that's when I was like "Shoot!!!!" and tried to sneak away, but I got trapped........ "...that has a birthday today!!!" And then the two zones sang happy birthday to me, or rather, "Se lo cumpla feliz", complete with clapping. I almost DIED of embarrassment!! But, I did feel loved. Now, I´m all spiritually uplifted and edified and I´ve got some ganas(motivation) to get out and teach some people!

- Zone conference was AMAZING!! We learned more ways how to better ourselves as missionaries through planning better, and having more desires to work. Sometimes it´s hard to have desire when you get so many rejections, especially when you leave the house thinking, "well, here we go. Let´´s get some more rejections."  BUT I've been trying to be better. I'm trying to leave the house with more faith, and a vision for miracles. Our area is TINY TINY TINY, and I feel like all these people have already had their chance. But there is always that ONE person that you haven't talked to. One person who is ready. ALL you have to do is LOOK. All you have to do is have faith that God will put them in your path. That's why it´s important to talk to EVERYONE! Experience time. So on Thursday, we combed our area book, praying about old investigators. We felt good about 3-4 in every sector of our area. Friday and Saturday, we passed by the majority and eliminated a few, and than the rest, we couldn´t find. I was struggling with the lack of success we've seen here in Villa Mitre II. On Saturday, I read through my letter book of all the letters y´all wrote me before the mission (I didn't read ahead mom, don´t worry :-)). Then I prayed more fervently than I ever have before. I prayed for strength, for courage, and the faith to see miracles. Then I wiped the tears off my face and we headed to work. Nothing happened on Saturday, but the miracles came on Sunday. We went to look for an investigator at church and guess what? She didn´t answer. So we trudged up our dusty hill ( I swear, it is SO DUSTY HERE! It´s ridiculous. It´s like sand in some areas) and made it to church. That´s when the miracles happened. Luis, our investigator, came with his girlfriend who is menos activo. THEY STAYED THE WHOLE TIME! He needs to get divorced and they need to get married, but there is progression. Hernan, a menos activo and x missionary came too!! We've passed by there two times, and he came to church, after about a year of inactivity. WOOO! Miracles. Then. That night, we passed by another x investigator, one that was on our "feel good list" and she was there! SHE IS A MEMBER WITHOUT KNOWING IT! Her name is Paula. She had investigated a little bit with her husband before he died. She LOVES the Book of Mormon and still reads it. She goes to a evangelica church and her pastor was giving her beef about the LDM,(Book of Mormon) and she said, "If you would just READ it you'd find out that it's true, and that it's similar to the Bible. I understand the Bible better because of the Book of Mormon. And I was like "IS THIS REAL LIFE????" She said, "I've seen you chicas walking by my house and I wondered, why haven't they stopped by me yet? Just before you came, I was praying. I told God I felt alone, and that I needed someone or something. I looked out the window and I saw you." And she pointed to me. "I thought you came alone because I only saw your head over my fence, but then I saw this bajita (short one)  with you when I came outside". This woman already has such a strong testimony of the LDM. She knows what we teach is true. She´s just afraid to leave her church, and I know that her pastor is going to hound her. SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray SO HARD for Paula. That her pastor will leave her alone and will not influence her decision. I cannot believe this miracle. I am sitting here, full of love and the Spirit, grateful that God has blessed me with this miracle. I know that the Lord will put us right where we need to be. I know that if we are worthy of His Spirit, He will guide us to where we need to be.

-We almost got eaten by two dogs this week. Freakin perros. (**dogs)

Shoutouts: TO ALL OF YOU WHO SENT ME BDAY CARDS!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I felt so much love today (and a little trunkiness) BUT THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! Flip, I have the best family and friends IN THE WORLD. Ty Ty, Corb and Steven... WHEN DID YOU BECOME MEN??! Ha! I love you guys! Grandpa and Grandma Squire thank you for the card and such! Wow, I can´t thank every SINGLE one of you but I WISH I could!  THANK YOU! Venice, Haddy, Paige, Kris... your pics are gorgeous. You're all tan and such! Tyler W. Standifird!!!! Bout time you wrote me you goober. I expect better from YOU these next few months!! Peterson family! Thank you for the package! HAVEN'T OPENED IT YET!! Grandpa Serna, Muchisimas gracias! Tio Hector & Alice, Thank you! Grandma Hobson- I have become the popular sister missionary here through your cookies. Just look at the picture below. Elders offer me FAVORS in exchange for your cookies. When I brought them to the office last week, Elder Costanzi (glasses in front) looked like a kid on Christmas day. They took this picture and it is now the desktop of Elder Costanzi´s computer. Thanks for making me extra popular! EVERYONE!!!!!!! WOW!!!! Thank you for EVERYTHING. Thank you for loving me so much!!! I love you allllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!  Work hard, and pray harder!

Hermana 22-year-old Squire

FOTOS:

1. Bday decor. Thanks mom!

2. I´m twenty twooooo.... and my hair has never been so blondeeee

3. Hna Vawdrey and I... with our cool party favors!

4. MY CARDS! THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

5. Office elders and their cookies. Almost cried laughing.

Twenty-One

On Saturday, I woke up to a lovely breakfast and the first session of conference. It was a great way to start my birthday. After the first session, I opened presents. I got some cute, missionary perfect skirts and this baby:

A Michael Kors watch. Oh. My. Word. I have been coveting over one of these babies for about 7 months.

My mom didn't tell me the activities she had planned for the day, so I had no idea what was next. After presents, she took me to American Fork. We got out of the car and walked towards the spa. I thought 'a mani/pedi with my mom!' But then, my friend Summer popped out. My mom had set up mani/pedis for me and four of my friends!

We left after that, planning on seeing each other again at 9pm for a sleepover. Later that night, my parents and I left to go to dinner. I thought it was just going to be the three of us, but I got a lovely surprise. All my close girl friends were already there!

Best card I've ever seen.

I also got a little present from my brother...

See the double one in the right corner??

I don't think he forgot this special day. He knows how much I love rainbows!

After dinner, we went back to my house and had a for a sleepover that included "Ten Things I Hate About You". I love that movie!! We woke up on Sunday to a great breakfast of waffles with all the fixings and some more general conference. I seriously have the greatest friends and parents.

Birthday weekend was one for the books.