"We wish you a Merry Christmas!"

Can you believe it is almost Christmas?!? I guess I can't believe it because it is still 70 degrees and there is no snow on the ground. It is kind of sad actually but I know that this Christmas will be a good one.

This week was great! I was able to go to the temple with my companion on Friday, and then to also go caroling with my zone. Transfer calls were last night and Hermana Merrell and I are staying together! WOOHOO!! We are excited because we love the ward and our investigators are great. The area is really progressing and it is just a fun environment to serve in! The weird thought is that I will most likely end my mission here in Rowlett. CRAZY!

We continue to knock and find people it is amazing and such a testimony builder. Even if we don't get a return appointment with them, it just makes me happy to have the opportunity to testify to everyone about the restored gospel. The "He is the Gift," is working out great. A lot of people have been sharing it with their friends and less active members of the ward. As missionaries in the ward, we decided to do an activity with each of the members so that they can really experience and accept the gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas season. It has been a lot of fun to get close to these members and to feel of their love and to help them have their own missionary experiences!

Tomorrow we are having a mission wide Christmas party/ goodbye party for the missionaries that are leaving! It is going to be a good break from the normal missionary days. We continue to go caroling with our zone and at every door we always try to sing new songs but "We wish you a Merry Christmas" is the only song that ever comes out! Oh well! I love you all so much and good luck with those that have finals this week!

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

Rain will make the flowers grow!

Well family, it has been a rainy and snowy week here in the Texas Dallas Mission. I am in some need of some good ole sunshine, but I don't think that is going to happen for awhile. My week was great, kind of long, but sometimes you have those weeks and they just push you and stretch you to be a little bit better, so in the end I am grateful for them.

We had exchanges this week and Hermana Maxfield came here. We were in a trio for about a day and a half. It was so fun to be with her and Hermana Watts (she trained Hermana Watts) so I know that she was really excited too. We had a good day, knocking in the rain and teaching a few lessons. It is also fun to have a "missionary sleep over" as well, it gives you a little break from the normal missionary schedule. We also had an AMAZING zone meeting on Friday. The last Zone Meeting of my mission. (It is weird, I am now starting all these "lasts" of my mission!) I can't even comprehend time anymore. Our zone leaders gave awesome trainings! Elder Nish read the book "You are special" about the Wimmicks and the stickers. He talked about how we are all children of God and that it doesn't matter what anyone thinks but us! Elder James trained on being superhero missionaries. It was a good "pump up" meeting which I think is what everyone needed after these 2 weeks of just awful weather. I had to give my final training too, it was hard to make it through it, but I think it went pretty well.

We had an amazing lesson with Lupe! She is so prepared! I am sad I won't be here to watch her continue to grow in the gospel, but I already made her add me as a friend of Facebook, so we can keep in touch. We talked to her about the Word of Wisdom and then ended up talking about baptisms for the dead. It was kind of random, but it worked out really well. She loves the idea of Family History and giving her family that has passed away another chance at accepting the gospel. Our other investigator Hector is not doing well at all\. He is just in and out of the hospital all the time and we haven't been able to meet with him. It was a hard week because of that. We pretty much spent a good part of Saturday trying to hunt him down. We aren't sure what to do in this situation, so we have talked to President Taylor and he has given us some good advice. It just makes me sad the whole situation but I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone.

This Saturday we have a baptism of a part member family, so I am excited to spend my last Saturday on my mission with a baptism. I am so excited for this family, the are truly making the best changes to their lives. The gospel is amazing and changes lives, I have a strong testimony of that. I am so excited for the last week I have to be a missionary. I never want this week to end! I love you all so much!

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

"It's like a symphony, just keep listening, and pretty soon you'll start, to figure out your part!"

Well family and friends, this week was a little bit harder than the past few because we were stuck inside a lot with the crazy weather that we have been having. All of Texas shuts down when they even start to see snow flurries, so it has been a slow week. There were ice storms as well and it just has been so cold and wet! My companion and I had a lot of time to clean the apartment, read our scriptures, read just about every Ensign from the past 2 years and watch some good old church movies! It was kind of a slow week and I could tell that my companion was just getting restless, but we are out now and working. This week is going to be a good one, I can just feel it.

This week taught us a lot of patience in the Lord's timing! Our investigator cancelled his baptism because he couldn't leave his house and receive his chemo so he was feeling very weak. Last night we went over and he told us that he just wants to pass away. It was so hard to hear. We are most likely going to have his baptism this week and it won't be anything big, but he just really wants to get baptized and he doesn't know how long he is going to live for. It breaks my heart but we are keeping him in our prayers. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us!

Yesterday was my final fast and testimony meeting as a missionary, so I decided to bear my testimony and I didn't even get through the first sentence before I started to cry. It was rough! I love this ward so much and so many of them are like my family. I am really grateful for this area and for all the support that we have from the members. Also, one of the less actives that we have been working with came to sacrament meeting and bore her testimony as well. Her son is going to get baptized my last Saturday in the mission and I am so excited!

This upcoming week is just going to be wonderful! I am excited for all the work I still need to do here in Rowlett. Thanks for all the love and support!

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

A Fresh Start!

Well transfers were almost a week ago and Hermana Merrell got the call that she was leaving. Sitting in transfer meeting on Tuesday morning was  the most stressful thing, just waiting for your name to pop up on the screen with your new companion, I swear I have an anxiety attack every time. My new companion is Hermana Watts. She is from a tiny tiny town in COLORADO! We are representing Colorado here in Rowlett, Texas. She came out with Hermana Walton, the Hermana that I trained, so she has been out for about 7 months now. It has been different adjusting, but with every new companion it always takes a few days! I love her though and we are working hard and having fun! She has such a desire to work hard and have fun and also have no regrets so we are just running around crazy busy! It is awesome!

We had a great week! Practically our whole zone got transferred, so there will be some more new people to meet at Zone meeting. We had a great week as far as teaching lessons. We found an amazing woman named Sara, and she told us that she has such a desire to learn what is right. Then we met a lady from Peru who is just broken because she is fighting with her ex-husband. She is so humble and just so sweet! She also invited us to her son's birthday party this next weekend. She met some members in our ward that are also from Peru and she loved them. We also have this amazing family, the mom is just amazing and so friendly to us. I love just having the opportunity to teach lessons to people and seeing their faith grow and their lives change.

Last month, President Taylor has focus on The Book of Mormon, and this month he is having us focus on inviting people to church and family history. It has been so fun contacting people with an "invite to church." Most of them are willing to accept, whether they come or not that is their decision, but most of them are super nice about it. Family history is amazing too. We are planning a temple trip with the youth on February 21st and they are all preparing names to go. We are bringing some of our recent converts and re-activated less actives with us!

I hope everyone has a fabulous week and I hope everyone knows that I love them. Thanks for all the prayers, emails and letters! I love this gospel and I know that living it truly brings joy to our lives. Thanks for everything, have a great week!

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

Our Bishop's family! They are the best!

Goodbye Elder "Summertime!"

My old companion and my new! Hermana Merrell and Hermana Watts!

My good mission friend Elder Day that was going home the next day!

One of my favorites! We came out together and now she is with Hermana Merrell!

"Success is going from failure to failure without loosing any enthusiasm!"

Hello everyone, this week was one to remember in the Texas Dallas Mission, I mean the Texas Dallas Heaven. Life is just so good right now. First of all, we received transfer calls this morning and Hermana Merrell is leaving, we won't find out where until tomorrow morning at the transfer meeting. It is going to be weird that I am now starting my last 6 weeks/transfers of my mission....okay I am not going to talk about it anymore!

This week we had the privilege to hear from Elder Nelson and he was accompanied by Elder Lynn G. Robbins. We had to be at the meeting house at 6am because we drove with the Casalinda Hermanas and they were in the choir so they had to practice. Well we were the first ones there, we even beat the seminary students. When everyone in the mission arrived we all split up and took turns taking group pictures with both of them. We were out in the hall waiting for our turn and then when they told me to go into the gym I saw Elder Nelson, it was almost a surreal experience but it was awesome. They had us all lined up and we all got to shake his hand.

Elder Robbins talked about taking up our "cross daily" and becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. He used a lot of cross references in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. It was really cool and uplifting. He also talked about enduring to the end. He used the quote that "Success if going from failure to failure without loosing any enthusiasm." That is so true especially in life. We will each have our struggles but we can overcome them all, and we just need to realize that success is not always something that we can physically see but it is something that we can feel. Also, how partaking of the sacrament is an ordinance of enduring to the end and failing but never loosing enthusiasm. Every week, we have all made mistakes and "failed" a little bit but we always renew our baptismal covenants with a hope and a knowledge that the atonement will help us all through our life.

Elder Nelson talked about the 12 tribes of Israel and our inheritance. He talked about having a vision for our lives and if we have a vision we need to know where we came from. He went on to talk about the 12 tribes and how each of us have a responsibility in this life and that we were all sent here in this time for a reason. What he said was a little different then what I thought he would say, but I know that it was inspired. I actually learned some really cool things and now I have a strong desire to read and study the Pearl of Great Price and also really work in the temples after my mission and do work for my family. The meeting was great and of course it was amazing to be in the presence of a member of the 12 apostles. Life is just oh so good.

So yesterday, after church we decided that we were going to stop by and some of the less actives that live near the church. Sadly, none of them were home, so we decided that we would go out to Rockwall and knock a little bit. Well we got a little lost but we found a new apartment complex that looked really promising! We decided to knock there and after a few doors everyone was pretty much not interested! Well, the next door a lady opened the door and let us right in. She was talking about how her son needed help with homework because she didn't understand English and how we were an answer to her prayers. So we helped her little boy finish is project and started talking to her about the gospel! She is amazing and is a single mom of 2 little kids. I am so excited to work with them next week! We also had an awesome lesson with la Familia Castillo and we brought some members with us and we talked about the Book of Mormon. It was a great end to an awesome week!

Tomorrow morning we are going to transfer meeting and we will find out who our new companions are. I think everyone is a little nervous because practically the whole mission is getting transferred. I am excited to get one last companion for my last transfer! I love being a missionary and I love this gospel! Have a great week!

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

Elder Sasser and Elder Cotter, they both go home tomorrow!

Good ole mission buddies!

My "daughters," I trained both of them!

Carrollton Crew!

A gift from my zone leader that is going home tomorrow!

Happy Mirthday to Me!

Yesterday was my Mirthday in the mission and I am now officially 16 months old! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!? To celebrate my mirthday, tomorrow we are going to have interviews with President Taylor in Dallas! Interviews are the best becuase you just get 10 minutes to talk to President Taylor about everything that is going on in your life and with missionary work. He is so inspired by Heavenly Father, it is amazing talking to him and him giving you counsel and advice for your life and mission. I absolutely love it, sometimes I wish the interview could be all day!

The Book of Mormon Initiative is going great! We are getting a lot of positive responses from the ward about the challenge to read the Book of Mormon as a family in 4 months. It has brought a lot of strength to the ward and you can tell their testimony is being strengthened. Hermana Merrell and I are having a lot of fun knocking doors and testifying about the Book of Mormon and anyone that lets us in, that is what we teach! It has been a lot of fun because really a lot of people have heard about the Book of Mormon but really don't know anything about it. It is also crazy to hear all the weird things people have heard about it!

We had a really cool experience on Saturday night! Well Saturday was just a really really long day. Everything we had was cancelled and no one was home when we were knocking doors. So we decided to go to Rockwall, which is kind of far, and try some people out there (investigators and less actives) and no one was home! It was so discouraging! So at 8pm, we decided that we were just done knocking doors and trying to find people home, so we decided to just call EVERYONE! (Members, investigators, less actives) anyone we could and invite them to church and if they were members we would tell them that we were excited to see them at church! Well the next morning at 11 am, the chapel was full of people. We had 4 investigators in church and 2 of them were unplanned. It was full of members and less actives and the spirit was just so strong. I love this ward, they all feel like my family. 

Another cool experience, so there was a family that I was really close to in Carrollton and they have a son who wasn't sure if he wanted to go on a mission but he was leaning more towards the "no" side. Well anyways, us as missionaries always invited him to the missionary meetings and preparation day activities to try and excite him about possibly serving a mission. Well last week I got an email from him saying that he has just received his mission call and he is leaving in 3 weeks and then today I got an email from him saying that he went through the temple this past week with his family! SO COOL! I love being a missionary! 

Anyways, I love you all and thank you so much for you support and letters! I really do appreciate it! I hope you all have a great week filled with missionary moments and opportunities!

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

Life is just oh so good!

I love my mission. I don't have much time to write today, but I want you all to know that I love each and everyone of you and I am so grateful for you all in my life. This week was a little bit more challenging as the sun has not come out and it has been freezing cold, but hey when you are doing the Lord's work you will always be happy at the end of the day,

 

This past week we had to "give up" our baptismal date because it turns out that he doesn't live in our area. So yesterday night we had a lesson with him and the Elders that are going to be teaching him, and it was just like a really weird experience giving him up. But I know that he will continue to grow in this gospel and I am excited to attend his baptism when that day comes. We were really struggling with letting him go and then also, our other baptismal date had been ignoring us ever since he has been home from El Salvador. After the lesson with David, we decided to try Hector one more time. We were outside of his house and we decided to pray that he would open the door and let us in, and guess what?!? HE DID! It was a miracle! We had stopped by a few other times earlier this past week and he was completely ignoring us, but he finally let us in and we had a great lesson with him. We recommitted him to baptism and so hopefully he will be baptized before this transfer is over.

 

There was also a Mission Leadership Council and they announced that Elder Russell M. Nelson will be coming to our mission on January 30th, so we are all super excited. There are exciting things happening here in the Texas Dallas Mission, and I am so excited to be working here in this part of the Lord's vineyard. Love you all so much and thank you for all your emails! They really make my week! There is no work like missionary work!

 

Hermana Cattich

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT