OINK! Splash~PINECONESSSS! 9/26/16

"PINE CONEESS Oh my Goodness they're my favorite!!"

.... Name that movie! ;)

SO This week I went on my FIRST EXCHANGE EVER!!!! I was so excited! I got to drive up a huge mountain to visit some sisters that are literally working in a town in the mountains that is tiny. Poor things are so far away from everything but they are definitely working in a BEAUTIFUL area. After seeing nothing but palm trees and dirt for a good year, I was like tourist at Disneyland! Here are some fun pictures of actual trees and water! 

We also found a really cute and embarrassed pig. WILBUR!

Well I definitely dont have much time to write to day but love to all!!

Have a great week!
Stay Safe&God Speed.

Love, Hermana Tobler

Its the little things 9/19/16

Howwwddeeeyy!

So! Life is good! The trio life rules and I am so happy/blessed/excited about all the people we are working with. They are are all so great. We had another lesson with Gloria this week and it was tough. She just had another round of chemo so she did NOT look well. She couldnt even talk so we prayed for her simply and returned two days later. We taught our lesson kneeling around her bed! Weird. yes. But she was still very weak. Her children joined us and we taught the Restoration again and all of them LOVED it. They all the have their Book of Mormons so it is all going to be grand. We just gotta get those stinkers to church! My heavens I have never wanted to kick cancer and nasty divorces in the pants this badly! Yeet... opposition man. 

TENDER MERCY!!

Our dinner canceled on us after a lonnnggg... slightly tiring, and not super successful walk in the Hemet heat. No that isnt the tender mercy. Lol. But we stopped by at a restaurant for a quick dinner before going back out to "seek with faith" (which is what our mission calls contacting). As I was paying for our meal, the young lady ringing me up asked me what my name tag meant. I explained that we are missionaries and that our purpose is to invite people to come unto Jesus Christ. She smiled really big when I said that. 

"Wow that is really cool!" She said.

A little shocked I responded: "Is that something that we could share with you sometime when youre not working?"

"Actually... Yes!! I will bring my friend as well!"

OHhh my word she was so darling!! She is so prepared!!! Elect! I cant wait to see how things go. Unfortunately she prefers English over Spanish and doesn't live in our area. :p But still!

I walked out of there feeling like I was on could 9! I know that after the trial of our faith, come the blessings. They may not be what we expected but she was really and truly what I needed this day. God is just so Good.

Other news... Hmm... We had a Cultural Celebration for a Ward Party this week and my my these members sure know how to party! Food is a must. Loud music and dancing follow closely behind. It was very enjoyable and I absolutely love serving all the Latin cultures. What a blessing.

Por fin, I know the Gospel is true. One thing that I learned this week is that we are truly and literally God's children. It is crazy because I have "known" this all my life but now that knowlege has turned into understanding. Currently it is growing into TESTIMONY. Gosh I love the Gospel. It is so perfect. Anyway. I love you all! I hope each of you have a spectatcular week! 

Be Safe&God Speed.

Love, Hermana Tobler

"...and my cup runneth over.." 9/12/16

Bah!! AHhh.. sighhh....

I am so humbled, grateful and happy. Yup. I am. It's true!!

Why? 

First of all, we had the mos bomb-diggity lesson with Gloria EVER... Literally I was in a cloud of joy for at least and hour after. 

SO.  It has taken a little time to get to this point because our lessons with Gloria are usually very emotional  so it took a little time to get around to teaching the doctrine. But this Tuesday, we stopped by in the middle of the day to see if she was home. She was, and she was not doing well at all, having received chemo therapy last week. Thankfully she let us in and we sat down to one of the most spiritual lessons of my life.

We started by singing her some hymns of comfort and testifying of Christ's love for her. (The Spirit whooshed right in!!) Then we began to explain the beautiful message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She stared intently at us as we told her about modern day prophets, revelation, and the Priesthood authority of God. 

Quiet "wow"'s and "amen"s dotted the doctrine up until we started to explain about Joseph Smith. As I began to quote the First Vision, Gloria's sickly, blackened, and tired eyes began to widen and she gasped in surprise and amazement. The Spirit of God poured over us until it filled the room. It was so thick I could barely breathe, my heart wanted to burst. 

Gloria gobbled up the Book of Mormon and agreed wholeheartedly to baptism. When we asked her why she wanted to be baptized she said: "Because I want to be baptized by the RIGHT authority, I have been praying for the TRUE church for the longest time. I am so glad you're here because if I didn't feel like it was right, I would not ask you to keep coming back." 😍🙏🙌💓

She also told us that she and her children would be studying now out of the Book of Mormon as well as the Bible, and they would be baptized with her. 

I was literally dying. 

I am so grateful that Gloria has been prepared by the Lord to receive the gospel, I know that He is very aware of her. Her life is full of pain and suffering but I have faith that everything will change drastically with her budding testimony of the gospel. WHoo HOo!!

Other news!

I was very humbled to receive a calling! A calling within a calling! I will be serving as a Sister Training Leader here in Hemet! I will be participating in leadership conferences and going with Sisters on exchanges to help them progress. I am very excited and I sincerely hope that the Lord knows what he is doing. Good thing He qualifies whom He calls, otherwise I would be dead meat!

TRIO AGAIN! 

SO my new STL companion, Hermana Jensen, will be coming to join Hermana Godoy and me here in Hemet, we will be living the TRIO life and I am SO stoked. Trios literally are the best. We go on triple splits or "trips" and get 3 hours of work done in what we could normally do in 1. How sick is that? So it's pretty much the greatest. 

Well, I gotta get going but I hope you all have a great week. I am currently trying to calm my grief from the BYU vs. Utah game but I still believe the future is bright. Someday... Anyway, Thank you all for the support, love and care. 

Stay Safe&God Speed.

Love, Hermana Tobler

Pics:

1. Mission Leadership Conference round 1 with the other new STL, Sister Ogden! 

2. A darling little street in my area

3. Other STL buddies #white

Heart Throbs 9/5/16

Dearest family and friends,

This week was just so CrAzY! First of all, we had the Temple on Wednesday and that was just dreamy. It is so crazy how being a missionary and going to the temple give you the most spiritual experience ever. I enjoy the peace, comfort and recognition that I feel within those walls. I know that Temple covenants are the pinnacle of our life here on earth and I feel humbled and grateful to be a recipient of them. AHhhh *gushing over temple*

Also!! I had Soledad's Baptism this week in Jurupa!!! It was a small and quiet baptism and FULL of the Spirit. One thing I LOVE about Sole is that she is committed to God. Sole cant read or write but she faithfully listened to the Book of Mormon everyday while she cleaned her cactus. I know that her testimony took some time to sprout but after the seed was planted, she grew conditionally. It makes me sad because our relationships with these beloved people is so fleeting, but I know that this is how Heavenly Father intends it to be. I feel blessed to have been a part of her conversion experience.

Little tid-bit here... A big ole' BEE landed on my face yesterday. THANK HEAVENS it didn't sting but I sure flipped out for about 5 seconds. ewwwww...

Right now we are teaching the SWEETEST lady named Gloria. Amidst a myriad of other things, she is going through chemo for brain cancer. Every time  we meet, I am amazed at the strength this lady has. Her faith is strong, the seed is being planted, and I hope with my whole heart that she will accept the gospel at this time. I cant think of anything that would calm her troubled heart, soothe her fears and make the physical pain she is going through feel like a small moment. I know Our Savior tenderly cares for each one of us, and when I see some of our brothers and sister struggling like Gloria, I can feel the empathy that Jesus Christ has for her. As a missionary I sometimes feel just like a special witness to miracles in behalf of others, but yet one of the greatest miracles that I have seen is the exquisite love that is poured down from Heaven.

It's just beautiful.

Well,

that is all for this week everyone! Thank you all the support, love, and emails. You're so special to me.

Stay Safe&God Speed.