Monday, July 27, 2015

Hello Family!

It has been another great week in Hayward! Yes there was an earthquake in the middle of the night. I think it was Wednesday? I thought it was the second coming for sure and then I was a little disappointed when it wasn't. I have been going to play tennis in the mornings for exercise and I get my trash kicked by my Congolese companion erdayy. 

Our investigators are doing about the same. We had a special fast yesterday with hopes and prayers for a baptism this transfer. We are praying that our investigators will get their butts in gear and stop smoking weed like a chimney :( All 3 of our progressing investigators have that problem. 

This week we found a new investigator named Mercy. We actually met her in the parking lot of our apartment complex. When we saw her she was a bawling mess. So we approached her and asked her what was wrong. She explained that she recently lost her only daughter and child to a heart disease just about a month ago. She agreed to have us come back to teach her. On Saturday we brought a sweet member with us and had a powerful lesson on the Plan of Salvation. She agreed to come to church sunday but when we went to get her yesterday morning she was having a bad time so she didn't come. She says she will this week so we hope so. I know that God answers every ones prayers and loves his children so much.

I am grateful for this opportunity that I have to share the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It has strengthened me as an individual in so many ways. Have a fantabulous week!

Love, Sister Leavitt

I love my bigger little brother :)

 

 

Monday, July 20, 2015

Hi!!!

I'm good too! I was on a bit of an emotional roller coaster myself on Wednesday thinking about Austin! It's unbelievable to me how they let such a young lad into the missionary training center. I am super proud of him though and I know he is very prepared. He's probably AP of the MTC by now. That's crazy you had to go back like 11 months later and drop off another child! At least you have a couple year break from that fun until Linds ;)

Anyways, my week was a good one. We are keepin busy between our area and the VC. I enjoy the vc here but sometimes miss the big scale of T2. Hayward 1st is the best though I am really loving it here. We had 2 investigators at church yesterday Rosa and Michael. Rosa is from El Salvador and she is living with her cousin Paola who is a less active member in the ward. We met her while visiting less actives my first week here. Those two have become our good friends and they are both really progressing in the gospel. We plan to invite Rosa to be baptized tonight! The other investigator is Michael. He has been to church four times now an is progressing pretty well. A few days ago we invited him to be baptized and he gave us a nah because he has some problems with the word of wisdom. We made a plan for him and we asked if he would fast with us and we are still waiting for his answer. Yesterday, after church, we went to stop by and check how he was doing. Well, he was smoking in the back yard and when he found out we were there he panicked big time and tried to smoke it really fast. I think he inhaled something or broke a lung! He came out to greet us a huge sweaty coughing mess. He was trying to act natural but it was just not working. I was honestly concerned for his life. Anyways, we rebuked him in a loving way and said we would be back. Soo we will go back today and hopefully we will not have to witness an episode like that again.

I don't know if I told you but I have been driving the whole time I've been in Hayward. Pray for me. California drivers show no mercy on you whatsoever and they are just all downright mean! My companion and I have become really familiar with the phrase "God....your children...." 

Yes, Elder Gubler is from hurricane so he's probably related to Lisa! I would ask him but he got transferred!

We are staying busy here and fasting and praying for a baptismal date soon. We know The Lord will bless us :) I'm grateful for all of your prayers. Love you!

Love, 

Sister Leav

 

A kind Samoan member gave us all this food :0

I love Sister Tshibola!

 

Monday, July 13, 2013

This letter will be short because there is a crotchety geezer with minimal teeth waiting to use this computer in the Hayward Public Library.

Basically, All is well.

On Saturday we had transfer calls and Sister Tshibola and I are staying together in Hayward and we are still called to VC! Can you believe it? My whole mission I will have only 3 full weeks of area proselyting. Unbelievable :) I love VC though it is a blessing to serve there. Only one more transfer to go til I go back to the promised land!

We had a great week with many many member present lessons. We have about 4 investigators that are progressing but they all have issues that are holding them back to committing to a baptismal date. The members in this ward are great and its so important having them in these lessons because their testimonies are powerful!

I don't even want to talk about myself cause I am just so proud of Aust! I was bummed yesterday thinking I missed his farewell but I know it was amazing. I love you all so much and miss you like the dickens. 

Love, 

Sister Leavitt

The best Congolese sister and I

Hayward 1st is always a party

Hayward district

Monday, July 6, 2015

HIIII!

Sounds like everything is going good and crazy as ever. Hope everyone had a happy forth. This week was great in Hayward! I feel like I was just starting to remember the families in Alamo and then I got transferred so I am starting over again. I love it here the people are super nice and friendly we get fed too much! Polynesian food is so bomb though. I really wish I was Polynesian. They are fun, they know how to cook, they sing like beasts, and just everything. We have been street contacting a lot which I love so much. My companion gets upset cause I always contact people who look the most unstable and sketch. They are the most fun to talk to and they give me a good laugh. God has some funny children. For example on 4th of July we were just BBQ hopping to all the parks and we walked by a Sikh Temple. There were like 4 Sikh priests just chillin outside of it so I went to go talk to them. My companion was scared and she would not follow me cause honestly they do look a little scary with their turbans and hecka long beards cause they never cut their hair but they were SUPER nice. They invited us into their temple so of course I accepted. My comp was super hasty about the idea but I trusted them. We had to take off our shoes and wear a bandanna thing. It was like a Sikh visitors center! You could definitely tell the difference between our temple grounds and those though aka it was missing the spirit big time. We talked about our different beliefs and our common belief in God. It was way fun we are going to go back and baptize them. My companion is so funny I can't tell you how many times a day she says to me "You're not serious, right companion?" in a French accent. We get along really well but we are so similar that we know how to bug each other too its great :) Coincidentally my district leader asked if I would give a training on companionship unity tomorrow so we have been studying that and having fun with it. I am glad I don't get super nervous talking in front of people anymore. VC taught me not to worry about that for sure. There are only like 20 visitor center sisters in this mission so is way small compared to 200 but I still love being at vc. I am way more comfortable around sisters I can't even talk to elders because I'm so awkward now haha. We had a small 4th of July party on our balcony and I scared Sister Tshibola to death with the fire crackers so thanks for that mom. We broke open the glow sticks and I got some of the glow stick juice in my eye then the party was over haha. We met our new mission president on Wednesday and he reminds me a lot of Pres Poulsen. He was in the military and stuff so he don't mess around. It will be good for this mission though cause some people here are knuckle heads for lack of a better word. OOh, yesterday we saw a miracle! A man named Mario strolled into our church and said he was prompted to come by the spirit. Just straight up strolled in and demanded to be baptized pretty much. He is really religious and he is looking for truth and I said we have that for you sir. We were fasting yesterday for baptismal dates and we feel we will get 3 this week. Its real exciting! I hope and pray that I will stay here transfers are the day Aust goes to the MTC. I really think that I will stay. Everything is good here. I feel blessed to do this work! 

love,

Sister leavitt 

 

Selfie with a Sykh!

 Sykh temple. Is this allowed? Not sure.

 

Monday, June 29, 2015

HEY!

So much has happened since the last time we talked I cant believe it! Shortly after I got done emailing last Monday we got a call from President Meredith asking if I would be willing to go back to the Visitors Center cause there was an emergency transfer. Long story short some sisters be cray. Not me of course :) I said "I'll go where you want me to go, dear President" and low and behold Sister Erin Leavitt was destined to be a visitors center Sister Missionary even in her outbound. On Wednesday afternoon I said goodbye to Alamo 1st and second ward and hello to Hayward 1st ward. I am here at the VC only half days 4 days a week and I love it! I got transferred to downtown Hayward. It's the best I love my new area. There are so many interesting people to talk to and there are people that are actually out ad about. My new companion is Sister Tshibola from Congo!!!! She's one of the most hilarious and Christ like people I have ever met. This is a companionship made in heaven for sure we are having so much fun and teaching like crazy. She likes to get out and work just as much as I do so it works well. She is constantly messing with me though that's the only problem, haha but I can deal!

My recent convert Mary lives in Oakland area so I called her as soon as I could and told her to stop by the visitors center to see me sometime. We met up on Friday afternoon and it was a beautiful moment when I saw her walk in the visitors center :) She was on her way to work so we didn't have much time and we didn't even get a picture but she is going to come back and visit me a lot! It was so incredible to meet her! She has been less active for a couple months because of her work but we were able to have a short lesson about it and she attended church in Oakland yesterday! I love being back in the VC and serving on Temple grounds again. It's the greatest thing ever and the sisters here are amazing too. Sure its kind of a bummer I did not get much of the "full proselyting" experience but I might go back to that next transfer, who knows. I am just praying that I stay with Sister Tshibola the rest of the time I'm here. Seriously, its the best! We had a Luau ward party yesterday and I ate some of the best Polynesian food in my life. The members are super Polynesian and fun. The bishop is Samoan and so is like half the ward. Mary actually lived in this ward for a bit so they know her. Such a small world for sure.

We actually got a new mission President today. His name is President Frandsen and he's from Utah. That's about all I know about that but it should be good.

The house sounds like its going insane in the membrane with everything going on. The other night I had a mini heart attack when I realized Aust only has about 2 weeks left until he leaves. That's so unreal! I'm so proud it makes me cry. How it is possible to only have 3 kids at home though?? That is not the Leavitt family. We are getting old and its weird. I'm not sure if I like it.

I'm doing great here and definitely feel blessed to be where I am at. I love you all and miss you. Take care!

Love,

Sister Erin Celeste Leavitt

My new comp. Sister Tshibola from Congo!...and the elders...

 

 

Some ward members of Hayward first at the ward luau!