Pete

Hey family! :)
Oh I love P-days. I love getting on here and getting to read your emails and then write and tell you about the week I've had. And let me tell you it has been a good one! :)
So first of all---humidity is gross. its like sweaty man. just gross. and then because of the humidity it brings out some....creatures. that I'm not to fond of. mosquitoes. centipedes. pincher bugs. spiders. see the common theme here? all gross things. things that bite. whether your sleeping or not. in your bed or even in the toilet. and all of the sudden you end up with red itchy bumps all over your skin.  that's been the arch enemy this week----bugs.

BUT!!!!! one thing that Illinois does have that is cool......
so its like 9pm getting home from a long day of work~ and its starting to get dark outside you think you cant see and then oh wait. flash of light. is someone taking a picture? another flash of light. does my dress have static? another flash...no wait. just a second......its a firefly!!!! :) I saw my first firefly! and you know what else i did? I caught it! and put it in a jar and his name is Pete. but then we remembered the missionary white handbook states that we cant have pets, so we let Pete go. and i think i know why its in the book. because when you have one pet--every other bug wants to be your pet. hence. the  Suzy centipede in the toilet later that night. and Jeff the pincher bug in our sink the next morning.

So enough with the bugs--missionary work.
Lupita now has a date to be baptized! July 30th. :) she is seriously so asombrosa. She loves reading the Book of Mormon like no one else that I know. She is starving for the words in the book. and she recognizes how this gospel has been blessing her life and is making her a better person. I love teaching Lupita. She's pregnant and waiting to find out if its gonna be a nino o nina. :) estamos muy animada por ella.
Fransisco is getting stronger and better every time we teach him. He likes going to church now and has even started reading the Book of Mormon to one of his workmates during their lunch break. :)

On Sunday at church I had two different members tell me that I have the face of a Mexican. I just have to think its from eating all those tortillas. hahahaha. and you know what I think is gonna be weird?... having church in English.
Um we have just really been pounding the streets this week looking for some new investigators who are ready to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. :) We have just taught some really awesome lessons this week and even had Jackie a young woman come with us on Monday. it was a lot of fun :)

So that's the update this week! hope all is well! :) sure miss you!

Couple shout outs this week:

Happy birthday to Libby and Brother! :)
Congrats Celine on your baptism!  I'm so happy for you:)

Now I have to go home and pack!

Random thought of today:

         I don’t like it when I can see the air because of how humid it is…

        So this week has been a good one just a lot more biking and trying to find people, but there was some interesting things that happened this week. One thing is I'm leaving my Roxboro family and going some where different on Tuesday and I don’t really know what to think since I have been out for a year and this is only my second transfer. I've really enjoyed being here for 6 month and wish I could have stayed for my birthday but I know the Lord has a work for me somewhere new In North Carolina, but I just have no idea where…. Aaaaaaa haha I have really come to love this little town and small branch (my first time in a branch) and I'm hoping that I will only have two more areas in my mission because I really enjoy the fact that I have become a part of the branch and it feels like a home.

            But for my last p-day I went golfing for about 4 ½ hours (18 holes) and it was really fun. And as the morning went on I got better but I did loose a few balls and knocked down a few branches, and I tell you what there was so many water hazards, bunkers, and trees. It was nothing like dead Arizona but in the end I won (because I had the most points) but it was only by one. So maybe when I get home I'll have to invest into some extra long clubs.

           Then on Saturday we did service all day. We helped plant a garden and did lots of lawn work. I have decided that the south is smart In at least one thing, dad do you remember that old lawn mower you gave me to use? The one that just had blades and no engine? Well here you have one of two things a riding mower (there really nice because its like driving a car and you never brake a sweat) or self propelled mowers that move by them self’s and all you have to do is stand behind it and let it pull you haha. It was like magic and it was so fast, but I would never give up those memories of those long days in the yard.

            Now I have to go home and pack………. Not so fun hahaha

So that’s my week and I'll be telling you where I am next week! I hope I don’t have a car even though driving a golf cart was a lot of fun! Well I care about all of you and am so grateful for all that you do!!

            ELDER MAUGHAN!!          

It is important to be doing the things that make us spiritually full all the time

Good Morning Peeps! :)
Adam and Steve--good one. hahahahahahahaha Chris never ceases to crack me up laughing.

So down to buisness this week-- well we have this investigator-Lupita and she is seriously so amazing. we have taught her 3 times and oh my gosh. I love her. on our second visit with her we taught her the plan of salvation and left her with a book of mormon and 3 nephi chapter 11 to read. we came back and asked her if she read. She said un poco (a little) and when someone says...oh i read a little...its like key for "no i didnt read but i dont want to tell you that i didnt read cause I know I should have...." So the next question that comes is how much is a little? what did you read? and she goes on to tell us perfectly what happened in the chapter and that she loved it and all the things she learned from it and then she said that in the first verse it talks about the people of Nefi and she was like "who are the people of Nefi?" so she told us that she looked in the summary to see if there was any explanation and nothing so she started the book from the beginning and proceeded to tell us the story of lehi and his family with nefi the son--turns out she read the first 3 chapters...and she only read a little. Hermana Reyes and I sat there with our jaws probably on the floor...took a while to pick em back up and remember how to speak spanish again. She is seriously someone who is white already to harvest. we taught her about baptism and she loves learning from us and is preparing for her baptism. shes coming to church this Sunday and she had no idea why she came to America....well i have a very good idea as to why..... its called the church is true anyone?

Then we had a crazy day on Thursday---we went to a come back apt which is where when you contact someone and they tell you to come back and they ll listen to you. and most of you are thinking well that means that they wont be home, and most of the time its true but we went back to this apt and they were hardcore evangelicalism's and their pastor from their church "just happened to be there" at the same time our apt was. Let me just tell you I have never had to defend the church so strong before and we refrained from bible bashing because that just gets you no where, but they wouldn't let us pray and so there was just some major testimony bearing going. It never ceases to amaze me at how I have these experiences where I have no thoughts in my head, I have no idea what I'm going to say and yet I open my mouth and its filled. with perfect spanish and the people understand with more than just their ears. We then went contacting and no ones letting us in door after door slammed in our face. We go to the next door and you know what happened? nothin. You see where I'm goin with this? I hadn't asked Hermana Reyes where she wanted to go. and you know what she said? The gro-cher-ery store. just kidding but we go to this last door and they let us in...start talking to us and asking us a lot of the same questions that the last apt we had were asking all over again and more strong testimonies and man. Can I just tell you by the end of the day I was plain exhausted. I know that I am not a priesthood holder but I think how completely wiped I felt was something like how priesthood holders do after using their awesome power.... what a spiritually full feeling. My mission is sure teaching me how to be spiritually full so much so that I can notice the days when I'm not as full as others. when i haven't been as focused in my studies, or done those things that make you spiritually prepared for the day. with how crazy this world is becoming it is important to be doing the things that make us spiritually full all the time.

Yesterday we had an awesome zone conference! man I love those. we have em every other transfer and this time it was focused a lot on the inspiration we receive from prayer and the importance of it. It was very uplifting and spiritually filling. :) SO prayer=important. if you want to receive inspiration then you have to pray for it! :)

Then last night there was a huge gigantic storm here as I'm sure that mike already knows all about :) but there were winds of over 75miles an hour and just like huge raindrops...tornado and all. So like last night we got out of our cita and it was just pouring! in running from the door to the car (which is seriously only like  47seconds away) we were completely soaked. through all the layers of our clothing... So adventure today is that Hermana Reyes and I were sitting here doing our emails when we both stopped and looked at each other and said I'm having the strongest feeling we need to go to the airport. There is someone there who needs us... So we packed up our stuff and drove to the airport...terminal 3 arrivals.......walk into the arrivals and wala Hermana missionary just sitting there all alone stranded in the airport.... OK so maybe it wasn't inspiration and more like a phone call from president telling us to go get her but none the less we have a trio for the day! :)

Today for preparation day we are going to the stake center and playing some broom hockey :) should be fun...oh and i think you would be happy to know my foot is in a shoe! :) I have a doctor apt tomorrow and it should be my last one. my toe is alright..just the heat and humidity sure are not my friends when it comes to having slim and slender feet and ankles and having silky smooth hair...:) gotta love Chicago weather! :)

Well that's the update! :) sure love you family!
oh and p.s. Vicki Adair! I sent you a letter like 3 weeks ago and I just got it back in the mail because it said that you didn't live there anymore. and so i don't know what your new address is so that you can get the letter :)
sure love you all!
paz y amor, Hermana Maughan

well I only know like 1% of anything compared to God....

So the random idea I have to day is that biking up hills both ways in the 99 degree weather with the air so thick that it its raining without a cloud in the sky, is what life is all about haha (its really not that bad)

But this week has been full of lots of biking and not to much really happened, it was a slow week but still a lot of fun. I'm trying to think what happened but all that really comes to mind is we were invited over to this less active members home for dinner and when we got to our surprise they had made……Spaghetti!!!! Right after dinner the father just disappeared to his little “man room” to watch a movie  and we started to talk to the 25 year old daughter and she started asking us about where the churches stand on gays….. so we told her, and talked about what the bible says and she said something to the effect of “well I'm right 99% of the time and I feel that they should be able to do what they want to and even if god came down right now and told me that it was wrong I would have a hard time believing him.”

………………………………………………………..needless to say we didn’t say to much about it after that except elder butts said “well I only know like 1% of anything compared to God so that’s why I trust him” then I just had to throw in a joke and said “well God did make Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” then we just invited her to pray about it. Then they signed up to feed us on my birthday. They still don’t want to come to church…….

We also talked to a man as we walked (he walks all day every day just around down town.) This week we were talking to another man on the street that we had talked to before when this man we had walked with came up to us and said come with me to my house I have something to show you……..o and he is very southern so you all would have heard something like this jkahdskfj jklasdhfjl kkdfioeo llfncdjye da bjfdashkl home……… and what do we do? We go. His house is all run down and he invites us to sit down on the bed and he sits on a little chair with a fan blowing right at us and he pulls out 3 packs of smokes and just starts puffing away. We taught a little about the doctrine of Christ, we don’t know how much sunk in but he invited us over tomorrow for lunch and we will see how that goes….. we might invite him to go to a a fast food place with us and we will get him something to eat, but non the less its going to be way fun!

Well I got to do go I care about all of you so stay safe and strong

ELDER MAUGHAN

PS transfers are this week...           

Trust in the Lord

Bloom Where we are Planted

~There was a lot going on last week with transfers and everything and my mind was elsewhere but I wanted to say Thank You for the "mystery" person who had flowers sent to Hermana Hoer and I last week, telling us to Bloom Where we are Planted. We had quite the day that day and getting those flowers sure made our night! :) So THANK YOU!!! They were beautiful!

So from this last transfer I was really sad to leave the city. I love it there, the people, the work, the ward, the bike, the rain, like every aspect of my last area but I know that I have moved to Arlington Heights for a reason. and that Hermana Reyes is supposed to be my companion again. Basically its really a cool feeling to know that we can just work. no greenie, no training, no senior junior comp feeling since we've been out to same amount of time, its just like a go and do and work work work! :) Our area is pretty big-not as big as Rockford but still pretty big....we live 5 minutes away from the temple. and so we drive everywhere. You know how big of a fan I am about driving. And I feel like the state of Illinois makes up the craziest things with driving...express ways, tollways, no lanes, fit where you can, no speed limits, do what you want when you want, random round abouts kind of driving skills going on here. The cops have seriously so much other stuff to worry about that driving and speeding isn't one of them.

So this past Friday I get out of the shower and look down at my unstitched toe and it looks kind of funny so i bend down and look a bit closer.....hmm you know why it looks kind of funny and {{}}different? well its split open! ahhh!! call sister doll and get to drive our little car down to the city to see the doctor and guess what? he's out of town. so this rep came in and bleh adventure with the dumb toe yet again. its still pretty swollen I cant wear shoes for too long before I start to look like an oompa loompa but i didn't have to get it restitched thank goodness. no more needles please. but i get to go back next week and that should be my LAST doctor apt!

But just this past week we put 2 investigators on date to be baptized for July 16th! One of which is Fransisco and he is pretty cool. Every time we go teach him I feel like I'm teaching Irma all over again. Gang buster, 3 kids before the age of 20, sincere desire to change and repent and loves how the gospel makes em feel....I love teaching Fransisco. He told us yesterday that his goal is to be prepared to get baptized sooner than the date we have...mind you that for the past 3 months the sister missionaries have been working him and trying to teach him that there was even a God. So the fact that hes now praying (9 times a day he told us), reading every chance he can and telling us hes so excited to be baptized--basicamente un milagro. Just so so so awesome!

Funny story--So the other day we were going around and having all these citas and stuff and knocking doors and you know doing missionary work--WELL so we go visit this older sister in our area around like 2pm so just after lunch...were talking to her sitting on these very very comfy couches, theres a nice breeze coming in the window, and all of the sudden the spanish turns to mumble jumble and my eyelids start to weigh heavier than any other part of my body~~next thing I know Hermana Reyes is waking me up from missionary snooze land! I TOTALLY FELL ASLEEP! oh my gosh I was SO embarrassed!! Cannot believe I did that.

But a REALLY cool thing happened after that! We went to one of our investigators house and had the plan to teach him the importance of coming to church and instead it ended up being recognizing the spirit. It was a really good lesson and then it kind of started turning into a battle of words with the investigator and the member and I just had the prompting to open my mouth. I did not know what I was going to say. no thoughts. and yet i did just that and opened my mouth. and you know what? it was filled. with spanish words. and it felt just awesome. Sister Reyes is from Mexico and so she speaks spanish really well and she knows all the things that i have problems with in my speaking skills and she sat there completely stunned because the words coming out my mouth were perfect spanish! It was a very spiritual moment and I completely felt like I was being a mouth piece for what the lord wanted me to say. Love love love it. :)

My allergies are having party days here let me tell ya! there's like pollen that just floats in the air, it looks like um borbujas--bubbles and yet its the deadly enemy of my nose and eyes... weeeeeeee

Gourmet dishes Ive had this week: Cow tongue tacos with rice and beans, and Cow feet tostadas with chile and platano. yummmm you know you want some! :)

I sure love all of you so much! Trust in God because when you do great things happen. :)
paz y amor, Hermana Maughan
 

 

Swimming without being in a pool

So this week was interesting there was a lot of biking and walking…and yesterday at church I looked down and it turns out one of my legs is bigger than the other… so that was kind of weird.. that’s my random thought for today haha

            O the story of the week! On Saturday we got up and went to the house we have been building and they had told us it only going to be a meeting so we came in our normal clothing (white shirt, tie dress pants and shoes) and the meeting only lasted about 10 minutes then we started shoveling rocks, which lasted for about 4 hours J o and it was about 95 plus how ever humid it was. By the time we got home (we had to bike) and cleaned up I looked at my shirt and it was really yellow, it was way funny and I was thinking of sending it home just for fun, but then I decided that might not be the best idea.

            After cleaning up we had our studies and as we where discussing each others studies we could hear a little thunder but it was still really sunny so we decide to go and try to talk to the Gaddy's whose phone number wasn’t working any more. As we left (walking) it was just drizzling but it was still to hot for our rain coats so we just brought our umbrellas, well this little drizzle turns into a really bad thunder storm, with hail and all that good stuff… Elder Butts and I were swimming without being in a pool, except for my head because of my umbrella J The thunder got really bad as this cop passes us on main street and a lightning bolt strikes right over our heads. It was so loud that Elder Butts made the commit that he thought he was dead. The cop stops and offer us a ride. We decided to keep on going to the Gaddy's even though they are both girls so we knew we wouldn’t be able to go into their house out of the rain and as we pull up (and you should have seen everyone looking out of there homes at us get out of this police car haha it was really funny) they were home but the boy friend was, so he let us in and in a little while one of them gets home and needs to go pick up her child from Durham, so we got the new number and then they give us a ride home…

Tender mercies!  I know the lord looks out for his missionaries.

This rain storm rained as much as a monsoon but a lot longer and the lightning was so crazy like it would strike really really close and just kind of hang in the air for a few seconds it was GREAT!!!

 Well I love you all and stay safe! And remember that god is good the church is true and people are crazy... haha that’s just truer every day.

P.S if you go onto mormon.org  and search “maughanstar” my profile will come up so I invite you to and check it out J

ELDER MAUGHAN                         

BIG SUPRISE

Hey howdie hoe family!

Happy 9 Months! :) so crazy that I have now hit this part of my mission. It all seems to have happened so fast and I cant believe that its already here.....just crazy crazzzy. p.s. the things im sending is to help me not count the days but make the days count and let you two worry about the counting down days part ;)

Well yesterday I went to dr and you know what he did? removed my stiches! A shoe is now on my foot! mind you that its swollen...I look like I have prego cankels. but nonetheless, a shoe is on my foot! :)

And transfers happened this week. BIG SUPRISE. Ive been transfered. I am no longer working in the downtown city. Now Im in the suburbs of Chicago, Arlington Heights-right next to the temple. I am also no longer training. My companion is Sister Reyes---name ring a bell?? well it should. we were companions in the mtc the first week and then she moved up to the advanced class. But now we are serving together in the field and both celebrating our 9 months together. I really wonder what this transfer will hold. Im no longer on a bike which makes me really sad...but its good. there is a reason for the change. I may not know what it is but there is one. If the only reason I was in the city was to find Irma than it was worth it. This transfer will be full of adventures just a different kind-Hna Reyes has been in this area for 6 weeks and Im the senior companion and also the driver :/ well see how long THAT lasts.

Not gonna lie the change took me for a loop-no pun intended. but I really felt like I was just getting to know Hermana Hoer and we were doing some great things and talking to some cool people in the city. But there is something else to learn and someone else who needs me here. It will be good. Nothing like the life of a missionary. :)

The weather here is plain nuts! No building here in the city has a thing called aire conditional aka air conditioning. which I dont understand. houses in az have heat and ac and yet here chichage actually really needs the heat AND the ac and the buildings dont have ac. just crazy. So its been HOT these past couple days. hittin the 90's and just keeps climbing. This year Illinois skipped spring and went straight from winter to summer. weeeee for sweating. and sweating and sweating. :)

Thats all I've got to report this week- :) hope all is well! sure miss you all very much!

Paz y Amor Hermana Maughan

p.s. I finished the Libro De Mormon hoy en espanol! :) :)

Welcome to my small local congregation.

Well hello again! Once again I’m sitting in the library telling about the week I just had. I am just glad to be here in air conditioning, and grateful that I was able to fix my bike this morning.  I just installed a new inner tub and man a bike does goes so much faster then walking!

This has been a good week… a little long but a good one. 

Elder Butts and I have been working hard on going through our area book (which is the book that you write about all the people you meet and what you teach so when other missionaries come into the area they have an understanding of the people. Ours was in bad shape and there was a few former investigators that where not compiled and hard to read. We have been trying to go out and contact them, so we where able to teach two lessons because of it. We will be teaching them again this week. It was really good and a lot of fun to be able to teach about them about the gospel.

 I have found my new favorite bug (I never ever thought I could have one of those) but it’s the LIGHTING BUG! There really cool and really easy to catch then they just light up... how great is that? One of the best parts is that they don’t bite, sting, infect, eat, fly into your eye or even poop on you! They just fly and light up! I think I have a few pics of them.  I didn’t see any of them all last summer maybe it was to hot for them? I don’t know but any way there everywhere now and Elder Butts (who lived in Virginia for 6 years) thinks its funny that I'm so interested in them haha good times,  good times.

            So I have a funny story to tell.. ready? OK well we had this referral for a man that wanted a book of Mormon, so we went over there (which is in the middle of no where) and talked with him and his friend that he lives with where both very interested as we shared with them the gospel and they wanted to learn more. We invited them to church the next day. Oh and by the way we taught the lesson out side because they live in a really small trailer. The next day church started and they where not there but about half way through the testimonies both of them walked in, stayed for about ten minutes and then left after inviting us over to there house that night for dinner. We went and were and ready to share more about the gospel with them, but when we got there their crazy aunt was there and she would not stop talking about random things. And in the mean time these young men are just saying things like sorry they didn’t know she was going to be there. It was really funny when she started telling us random stuff about ourselves like; she was telling Elder Butts that his mom wants him to call her and come home, and the reason that he is out here is because he got in a fight with his older brother (Elder Butts is the oldest) and that’s why he ran away and that he now needs to go home. Then she started telling me that I'm not going to go home but that I'm going to go to school to be a preacher and its going to be hard but ill make it, and then I will start a small local congregation here in north Carolina, and how I should never give a girl a hand shake or a hug because girls feeling will travel… muhahahahahaha

so you'll all be welcome to my “small local congregation.” We are going to invite these men to take the lessons at the church or at a members home, where the spirit can be to help them to make changes in there lives. J

            Now we are going to be looking for some new investigators and more people that want to know the truth. That might be a little hard since I think everyone that lives in Roxboro knows who we are but I know that there are thousands of people out there just waiting!

            Well I love you all and just remember that God is good.

The church is true and people are crazy! Haha take care and stay safe!

                        ELDER MAUGHAN!                  

Im just gonna trust in it and see what happens

hey hey hey!!! all you homies out there :) whats crack a lackin? shakin bakin? hows the life?
Things here--good. HOT. HUMIDDDDDDDD.... but good. weve had a car temporarily in our area so that means---air conditioning :) enjoy it while it lasts right? :)
This week has been pretty much the same as last week. A lot of not getting to do much work. BUT i went to the doctor yesterday and he told me one more week and then he'll be cuttin out those stiches! yipee!! he actually said that my healing process is faster than usual (fancy that eh? priesthood blessings do wonders) And so only one more week left with this boot on. and then as for the shoes idk...itll be fun none the less. and I do have to say that I am missing the bike tremendously. I love riding it and I really have missed it.
Today was an awesome pday! we went to the temple this morning and man oh man. one word. peace. what peace. I mean I may not have crazy strong spiritual experiances every time I go but I just feel so at peace. That my Heavenly Father loves me and is aware of me. there is such a closeness that I feel with my father and the plan that he has for me that I can not even explain. Then we went over to the Muesum of Science and Industry. SO COOL. There is really so much to see in those muesums that we are planning to go back next week. Just amazing. There is seriously SO MUCH TO DO HERE IN THE CITY! :) I wanna take it all in and I just hate to say but there is just plainly not enough time.
So I am proud to announce that I will be finishing the Libro De Mormon el proximo semana :) Seriously I know that the only reason that I can speak as much spainish and understand as much as I do now because of the Lord. No way would I be able to do any of this without him. no way at all. he is everything and I am finishing the LDM right in time for my 9 month mark! can you believe that?! half way done already?! gahhhhhhh My departure date is as of now scheduled for March 29/30 2012. And these weeks being a gimp and not being able to work to the ability that I know that I can-I have really been learning that you know the lord has a plan and sometimes he does things that may seem funny or not make to sense to us now or in the moment but later on well look back and see why those things happened the way they did. and I think that will be the same for this whole surgery with my foot. God has a plan and Im just gonna trust in it and see what happens. And it may sound silly but like seriously other missionaries might be able to testify to what i say next but like 1 week in missionary time is seriously like 2 days and yet like 4 months at the same time and so this whole surgery thing I really feel that I have been out for like a month and i cannot even begin to descirbe how ready I am to head out and hit the pavement riding! :) get me on the bike!!
One things that has happened this week is that we are preparing Marcelino for baptism. He has been an investigator since August when missionaries who were heading home from their missions in Mexico sat by him on the plane and started talking to him about the gospel...and hes takin the steps that he needs to enter those clean and pure waters of baptism! :) He has an awesome testimony in the Book of mormon and all that it contains and has such an ability to relate the scriptures to him that I love!
Me encanta este obra y nada puede replacer los experiencias aqui en la obra del señor. estoy agradecido a mi padre por este oportunidad de servir el. Se que Jose Smith fue en realidad un profeta de Dios y a traves el Dios restauró su evangelio aqui en la tierra otra vez. Y tenemos un profeta viviente, Tomás S. Monson, y el es un hombre de Dios. Me encata los escrituras. Son los palabras de Dios y son para nosotros. Gracias por su apoyo y amor a mi cuando estoy aqui in Chicago!
Paz y Amor,
Su Hermana, Hermana Maughan!