Week 31

It looks and feels fantastic outside! All the trees are different colors and we are currently experiencing some warmer temperatures. Its around 70 degrees outside. Hopefully we will be able to go outside and enjoy it. 

Last night we had another music night. The Nashville Tribute came to perform for the youth in the area and we got to go with out investigators and watch too. They even had all the missionaries stand up there and sing with them. The Nashville Tribute for those who don't know is a group of singers who are members of the church who got together to make some really cool music about what they believe in. They have four CDs out right now: Called to Serve, Trek, The Work, and Joseph and they are currently working on another CD called Redeemer that is coming out next month. As missionaries we are allowed to listen to some music and TND is one of the groups we can listen to so we all know their songs pretty well:)

This week we also had exchanges. That is when we go on a 24 hour change with another pair of missionaries usually the Sister Trainer Leaders and we get to learn from how they teach and they get to see how out area is going. I got to go over to Mt. Juliet (supper close to Nashville) for a day with Hermana Smith while Hermana Eastwood received Hermana Holman here in Murfreesboro. I met some awesome people and also got to eat pupusas:D 

The other day we also ate some seviche:)

...I cant remember the things we did but we had a pretty nice week:)

This week was bike week and I have been practicing ridding without using my hands and its comming allong pretty well!

We had Juan Carlos and his little daughter come to church with us! Hopefully we will convince his lady to marry him and then we will have a baptism party!:D

Enjoy your Halloween!:) Love ya'll

        Hermana Julia Orellana

PS sorry for taking so long to answer the person emails... im a little behind:)

pps I only have ipad photos this week:P

Week 30

David Archuleta

YES! David came to do some recording work in Nashville and passed by to sing to my mission! He answered some questions and shared with us his testimony and it was so amazing:) I guess some people knew he was coming but everyone else had no idea because they had kept it hush hush. He is definitely as cute as can be and seriously has an amazing voice and such a strong testimony of this gospel! His story of how he decided and was able to go on a mission is truly inspiring.

I wasn't able to send a letter last week, forgive me, but it has been a good couple of weeks. I have a new area and a new companion who is supper sweet and a cool area next to Middle Tennessee University! I met some pretty crazy people.

There are a lot of Hispanics here and many progressing investigators. The member families are still the same ones I worked with in Smyrna, kind of, but now I get to see them much more often because I am closer to them.

Here are some random things that have happened.

-A member randomly took us out to eat at a place where they threw shrimp at my face.

-My apartment complex has a GYM!

-We got permission to use the "Seven" app for exercising and it is killing me:P

-I found out that there are many Orellanas in Bolivia and I met a couple people with my last name! (I took a picture of it for proof! Also we might be related:)

-I found a love for cake pops

-I found more love at Waffle House! #betterthanihop #tryitforyourself

-Saturdays are the days to talk to crazy drunk men

-We walked into a party of drunk Hispanics and invited them to church

-one of the drunk Hispanics asked me to marry him after my mission #atleastherespectedTHEMISH #awesomejournalstory

-Bought ugly sweaters at goodwill:)

-Survived a tornado warning

-Carved pumpkins

-Met a man with a snake and my companion touched it

-mom sent me new clothes:)

-Got to listen to David Archuleta;)

*There will be a lot of pictures! and a video or two of David;)

I have a testimony of the power of the Atonement. It has been on my mind lately and I am just so thankful that Heavenly Father has made if possible for us to have a Savior. It seams impossible but it is real. There is no reason for anyone to be holding in pain of any kind. There is something powerful about being able to say I am sorry and having all those regrets, inadequacies, and sadness be lifted of ones shoulders. Thought the atonement we can all be made completely clean and be able to stand in front of our God and say that we don't regret a thing and that we are worthy to be with him.

Love y'all

    Hermana Orellana

Week 29

I have never missed a transfer meeting

I was really hoping to be missing this transfer meeting for various reasons but of course Heavenly Fathers plan is much more wise and important than mine. When Hermana Capener and I got the call we were both extremely shocked. We are being whitewashed by Elders! We both burst out in tears and just hugged each other. I then realized that I wouldn't be going very far though. The ward that I serve for had two sets of Hermanas because the area was so large. One set in Murfreesboro and us in Smyrna. So now I get to move 20 min away to Murfreesboro and serve with Hermana Eastwood who I know very well:) I can't say the same for Hermana Capener though... She gets to move all the way out to Kentucky to a college town named Hopkinsville or we call it Hoptown. She is exited...:)

Oh man will I miss her! She has stretched me more than I ever knew I could go. I wanted to be able to serve together much longer, but we are both hoping that we get to become companions again... no it is not too uncommon! It will happen!... If I pray hard enough.

This week was full of unforgettable moments as well as stressful ones. First of all on Tuesday Hna Capener lost her ipad! We have been trying to search for it all week and now that we are both leaving we really don't know what to do but we are not giving up! We will be posting "missing ipad" all over town today.

On Saturday night we met a man knocking who was a Baptist preacher and he called us the devil church. That really hurt my feelings, but all is well. We invited him to conference and he declined. My purpose is to invite!

Conference was phenomenal! I specially loved Elder Lynn G. Robbins who talked about the way we face and how we should search for praises from God instead of mans. This talk really helped me in making goals to be more valiant when testifying and teaching. Others that I loved were Elder Jorg Klebingat, Elder Bednar's, Elder Holland's and of course my dear prophet's President Monson. I will definetly be re-listening to them:)

Well, here I go off to another transfer! I hope y'all have a wonderful week!

     Hermana Julia Orellana

Week 28

Reading my Bible

I don't know why it never occurred to me to read my Bible more. Specially because I am currently trying to share the gospel to people who live in the "Bible belt". I feel like ever week has its theme and this week was people who really knew their Bible. All I heard this week was "show me where it says that in the Bible". Halfway though the week Hna Capener and I caught on and we studied the Bible more that I have ever done in my life. We saw some really cool miracles but most importantly I understood the fact that all we teach is backed up in scripture, but is not any more important that testifying by the spirit. It doesn't matter how much I tell you and show you that the Bible says that we need prophets and apostles because the only way that you will get it is if the spirit tells you that what I say is true.

This last Saturday was the Relief Society broadcast and wow was it amazing! I absolutely loved it. Hna Capener and I were actually able to get a ride to the stake center from an amazing member who is currently less active. It was amazing how the talked were able to work in her and by the time we got home she had convinced herself that she needed to go back. If your are going to put your money on anyone one but it on the prophet!;)

Its been a fantastic week. We got a lot of new investigators that we have to follow up with this week. Jovita, an investigator who we have been working with has accepted to be baptized. We haven't set a date which her because she is also having her second baby on Sunday and is not sure when she will be able to make it to church but we have high hopes for her.

Yesterday we taught Erick's brother (Erick is 21 year old guy who was baptized a month ago). Erick shared a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the organization and unity of the church. It was a proud moment for both Hna Capener and I; we shed a tear or two:)

This week I have also been working on patience. Something cool that Hna Capener shared with me this morning is that patience is something that naturally comes when we exercise hope and faith. My companion is awesome!

Enjoy conference week! I know I sure will:)

Love always,

    Hermana Orellana

 From my compas ipad!

- random stuff we find on people's porches.

- The scenery in Tennesse:)

 I pad pictures!

-Showing off my hair

-The kind of food Erick gives us... he loves us

-I did my companions hair to calm my nerves;)

Week 27

Biking Week!

Biking weeks are always the longest! This week was tough full of ups and downs... haha the hills as I rode my bike across city.

On Wednesday Erick, a recent convert, took us out to a Chinese buffet. It was delicious but the next day I woke up with a stomach ache and threw up all morning. We spent most of the afternoon trying to recover and finally had to call the Elders that live closest to us to give me a blessing. We decided to take it easy that day since we were ridding bikes so we took it hour by hour working mostly on Facebook and staying close to home in case I had an emergency. It was painful and one of the most tiring days of my life but we saw so many miracles! We were able to help an investigator who's name is Jovita. She had been trying to get a hold of us because she is pregnant and needed a ride to the hospital on Monday and her husband couldn't get it off at work. We showed up even though we hadn't planned to that day but had to because we had to stay close to home and she lives relatively close. If I hadn't of gotten sick or hadn't of chosen to go out and do work even though I was sick we would have never known.

That night after our dinner break we decided to knock some apartments near by. We didn't find many Hispanics but we found a community of people from India who came to work at the giant Nissan factory in town. They say they have a mile long assembly line! And it makes since they probably need a bunch of workers to run it. Someone told me yesterday that they have three shifts and run all through the night; poor people! Anyways it was fun getting to know their story. Hermana Capener and I came out with a new found love for that culture. We also met Key and Ruby a "black American" (as they call themselves) couple who were supper friendly and supper prepared for the gospel! They are the funniest pair I have ever met. They sit there and argue about everything and anything. I thought I was in a comedy show and I just kept laughing and laughing! It made me feel a whole lot better!:) We were able to share with them a copy of the Book of Mormon and they said they would read it. We then ran back home with I don't know what kind of energy, since I hadn't eaten anything that day, and were able to make it home safely. What a day!

This week I will be finishing the Book of Mormon for the first time on my mission and WOW has it been amazing! It really is book of God. I decided this time to really ponder its message. I studied and compared it to the Bible and studied the words of the prophets as they spoke about the individual doctrines and I know without a doubt in my mind that it is true. Every single word in that book is true! I would give my life for it! What a blessing it is to have it.

Love,

    Hermana Orellana

PS these are some old photos my compa had on her camera