Time is a weird thing...

Man, oh man, I love it here.

Interviews with President Sweeney went really well. He is the best!

Keep in mind that transfers are coming up. On the 13th of May. So be prepared. I really don't know what to expect from the transfer. We will find out in a few weeks though!

I'm pretty excited to see all you people at Mothers Day! It seems like it has been forever since Christmas, but then again it seems like I just left home... Time is a weird thing!!! 

How is everyone doing? I bet all the kiddos are excited to be done with school for a while! What are the fun summer plans? 

It is getting hot here. Its so nice! It is such a different spring than I am use to. Its still pretty though. 

We heard a rattle snake the other day! Didn't see it but heard it and ran!!! 

Did you get my package I sent home a few weeks ago. It had meds and skirts in it? I don't remember if you said you got it. 

Also I didn't write any letters last week because I am lame. I will write some today though!!!

Life is great. Don't forget that. Stop getting caught up in the little dumb things of life and just live. Enjoy the world we have been given. Enjoy the blessings you have and share them with everyone! Share the gospel with everyone and I promise your life will be blessed!!! Just have fun! Be yourself! 

I love you all! 
 Sister Bresia Yates

Zoo, Singing, and Meetings with President Sweeney!

This morning we went to the Phoenix Zoo. It was so hot!!! But it was really fun! The zoo is not the best I've seen, but it was fun to do something different! I got to feed stingrays :)

Mom and dad, I got the packages from you! Dad, thank you for the music!!! Mom, thank you for the skirts!!! I really love the orange one!!! 

I am working on getting in better shape. We have a sister in our ward who is a personal trainer and she is going to help me get my butt and legs looking great!!! 

Life is good! 

I am so happy that Elder Molinaro got his visa! Only, it is going to make transfer meetings a little less exciting! Qh well, I know he is so excited! 

The mission is great! We had 3 investigators at church Sunday! It was great, and Sister Baham and I sang in the ward choir! I love singing, I really do! I wish life was a musical and we all just broke out in song randomly!!! 

Easter was great! Only one dinner, which was so nice! It was really fun, but totally didn't feel like Easter, which is actually kind of sad considering it is one of the most important holidays. 

We have interviews and inspections this week. We get to meet with President Sweeney, and our car guy will come look at our cars. I love this day! I am so excited to see President again! He is so great! He is a Poppy type of person! Just so kind and loving. 

I love pineapple. I use to hate it, but now I love it! The only bad thing is I eat it until my mouth is raw. That is not so fun, but I can't get enough of it! I also think that I have a gluten intolerance anytime I eat wheat I feel SO sick! SO I am trying to cut back on my gluten intake, but that is hard to do when members feed you! All the pasta is gonna kill me! Oh well, at least we don't have to feed ourselves!

The weather is nice, just hot :) I am so thankful for sunblock! The sun really does just beat here!!! 

Missionary work is going to get weird here soon! No one is outside during the day! If we were in a foreign mission we would maybe get siestas but not here... its still fun though!! 

Question for Stewart: Where did you find the song you had me sing in gospel doctrine before I left? I want it and I have some friends that want it. 

I love you all :) I miss you and hope you are all doing well!!! 

Be safe and smart! 

Go to church and love the gospel!!!! 

Love,   
Sister Yates


PS!!! I also got to help at the Easter Pageant! I saw people I knew from my last area and so many missionaries I knew. I also got to see it once! I was so happy to see it! It was so great!!!!

Easter Excitement!

This one will be short because I took to long responding to other messages!!!

I am doing very well!!! 

Happy Birthday Jenny and Joanna!!! I hope you have a great birthdays later this week!!!

There was a case of measles in our ward. A family went out of the country and one of them came back with measles. I guess thats what you get when you don't get your kids vaccinated!!!! But of course that isn't helpful to the missionary work!!! Oh well, what can you do!!! 

Work is picking up here. I can see the prayers working! It is amazing to see!!! We are actually teaching people and people are interested!!! The ward is helping too, so work will be getting better and better! so excited! 

I am also excited for Easter! This week we get to go help with the Easter Pageant!!!! I am so excited! 

People have asked how I spent my 9 month mark. Well, we worked out, studied, ate lunch, went to work, and that was our day! Nothing too exciting, but it was a great day! Super hot and sunny, but fun!!!! 

Our time has come to an end! Happy Easter!!! I love you all!!!! 

Love,

Sister Yates

Things learned and NEED to learn

Sunrise over Phoenix

Hello family and friends!

Congratulations Austin! (Her cousin who was called to serve a mission in Mexico) Go through the temple ASAP!!! And go as often as you can!!!

I have a package in the mail, it should be there by Thursday. Nothing too exciting in it.

Training is going well. My comp is awesome!!! She is 19 and so fun! She loves working hard, which is awesome! We have seen so many miracles.

Funny story. We were street contacting and we went up to this lady who was getting out of her car. We do the typical, "hi were the missionaries..." thing and she starts saying "No,no NO!!" and backing up... She then exclaimed that she was greek orthodox and wouldn't change for anyone! Honestly you would have thought we were trying to hurt her!!!

The next house we went to the lady opened the door saw our name tags, said "NO",  and slammed the door. Seriously people, we are just trying to help you. Oh well, that is missionary work. This is why members are the best!

We really are finding success!!! Things are picking up and really moving forward!!! I am really excited to see what happens next!!

How was conference for you? Its actually kind of weird watching conference with people who aren't my family. They have some weird traditions. Some of them I might try when I'm a mom, but others are just weird!!! Also, strangely enough, conference time is a big home-sick time for missionaries, at least the ones I've met. I'm okay. I got a little homesick Saturday, but not bad.

I'm getting tan!!! Its weird! My arms and face are dark. My legs aren't though. I have actually been using a spray tan. I know pathetic, but my legs are SO scary white. The spray actually looks pretty good!

I have a question for all of my family members!!! WHY DID YOU LET ME COME ON A MISSION NOT KNOWING HOW TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE?!?!?!?  I had to have some random guy help me do it today!!! I know how to now, but really when I get home you are teaching me how to do all this car stuff. At least I know how to change a tire, just in case anything happens (other than the first time I had to change a tire here.)

I am doing great. I'm loving Arizona and the people I am serving. I am learning a lot about myself and the gospel. For example the atonement is truly infinite and I am slightly OCD. I have also learned that I do want 5 kids (mostly boys, maybe 2 girls) but either way I think I'll be fine. I just want kids eventually. I will always be a temple recommend holder. I would die if I had to live gluten free (those of you who do it are amazing). I just learn lots of random but awesome things.

This week I reach my 9 month mark. Half way. Talk about bitter sweet. I think I might extend though. Of course I don't know yet. It isnt really 100% my choice, but in 9 months we will see.

I hope you are all doing well. Look for the miracles in your life!

Ask yourselves these questions:

• Who do I know that is not a member of the church? 
• What have you done to help them learn more? 
• What is your next step to help them learn more? 
• Are you doing it? 

Be good member missionaries!!! Sharing the gospel is as easy as just telling people you went to church sunday, or that you are excited to go to the temple. Anyone can do it!!! Get going!  With the increase of missionaries you would think that the work is exploding and that more convert baptisms are happening, but this past year they went way down!!! There is a BIG problem with that!!! Are you doing your part to help??? Food for thought!

I love you all!!  I hope you don't think I'm chastising you. I just want you to know how important you are!

Have a wonderful week! write me! be safe!

Love,

Sister Bresia Yates

Same Area!!! New GREEN Companion!!!

I am still at the same address!!! I have a brand new greenie companion!!! Sister B! She is from Utah. She is awesome! Also, they redrew the ward boundaries so we are the only sisters in the ward, and we cover the other sisters area! We are like half white washing, kinda...  I'm excited though!

I was invited to go to a special Mission Leadership Counsel the other day. Some of the people in the mission department were here and did special trainings on mission stuff. In the meeting we learned that we won't have iPads until the Brethren review reports from the 30 trial run missions. Pray they get those soon! I really think missionary work will explode when that takes off. Mostly because of Facebook! We also are tracting again. Not full on door to door, but if we have dead time or if something falls  through we can knock on some doors! That makes me SO excited! It isn't the most effective way to do it, but until the members step up and give names for more people, we have to do something. Also kind of along with that we have to find people on our own...

FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!  GIVE THE MISSIONARIES REFERRALS!!! We need your help. You all know nonmembers who would benefit from the gospel!!! Just give there name(s) to the missionaries!!!

Really, I have just been learning a lot this week! Its been great!

What's new at home? Any fun stories!?!

It has actually been really cold here the past few hours! Before that it was really hot though... I used a lot my spf 100 awesome sunscreen, so I will need to buy more today! That stuff works and its the sheer kind so I'm not a greasy mess. Its pretty great! The sun is scary here though! You can feel yourself being cooked out here, but I love it! It is a great place!

With the ward boundary change, we got new investigators and less active members to work with. One of our investigators flashed us. It was weird. (No  my new comp wasn't there). She has a gross rash, that she thinks is from diabetes, on her stomach and she showed us. Lets just say Grandma Judy would NOT  be impressed with what she wasn't wearing! It was scary! She is an interesting lady!!!

Soon I will be a pepper spray carrier! I'm excited. It is mostly for dogs, but I'm excited to have some form of defense.

Things are going very well here. Its warm and sunny most of the time. I love my new companion! The other sisters moved out as well so its just her and me in the apartment, which I love. Living with other sisters is fun, but as some of you know I really don't like being around girls a lot! I am actually glad they are gone! I love them, but four sister missionaries in one apartment is rough!!! I really hope I have a lot of boys when I have kids... Girls are scary!

I love all of you! Study Preach My Gospel as much as you can. Its not just for missionaries! 

Have an awesome week!!! Tell me where Austin is going as soon as you find out!!!! I am so excited!!! GO AUSTIN! Tell me about other cool family moments!!!

Love,

Sister Bresia Yates

PS- We got to hike Camelback Mountain!  (and there is one of us just goofing around)

Half Way Gone.

Now to add pink eye to the list, my body is falling apart. At least its warm and beautiful here.  

****TRANSFERS ARE APRIL 1!!!!  Send letters with that in mind! I don't have a clue if I'll be staying or going, but we will find out Saturday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!  I hope you have a great birthday!

How is everyone's temple attendance? What about your family history work? Are you reading the scriptures and praying? Are you reading Preach my Gospel? If not, start now!!!

This week has been good. It flew by. Really my whole mission is flying by. I'm coming up on 9 months out, 9 months left!!! Scary!!! This has been the best time though. It is so hard. You really do have nights where you just get home plan and fall asleep.  You really do spend all day knocking on doors (note: I don't even do tracting) to find no one home or that the person is really not interested. You really do get yelled at and made fun of. Its hard. Its hot. But it is so worth it. I am so glad I am here. I am learning things that will help me so much in life. Things that can only be learned through experience. Things that I would learn as I get married, have kids, and work, but am learning here and now. This is like a crazy role play of how to handle different situations of life. I am practicing now so it will be easier in the real world. It is so weird. Really missionaries bless and help in every phase of life. Seriously, everyone who can... GO ON A MISSION!!! Cousins and other youth of the church, you need this. Your current family and future family need it. The people in the places you serve need it. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ need you to serve!!!! Just do it. It is hard, but it is worth it. Trust me!

Well, I hope you all have a great week! Remember that I love you and am so proud of all of you!!

Love,

Sister Bresia Yates

Who can you refer?

Having medical issues is WAY easier at home! After blood tests, EKG, and chest x-rays, I still don't know why I'm not healthy and have no energy!!! Mom, don't be worried. I'm not dead or anything. We are just trying to figure out whats going on. Thankfully, mission medical should pay for this stuff... I hope!  They are thinking it is thyroid or valley fever, but I guess we are still waiting for blood work! Oh mom, I had 4 vials filled and didn't pass out or feel woozy at all. I am growing up. The tech who took my blood was really good. My veins were rolling a lot, but he was able to do it and I didn't end up with a gross bruise!!! again, don't worry about me.

I ask again, will some one ask Denise Swales if she went to Ricks with a man named Scott Neil? He was a trumpet player...

HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY SHELBY!!! 14 THAT IS CRAZY!!!

I hiked Camelback Mountain today. Not my kind of hiking, but other family members would love it! I just don't like hiking on cliffs!!! I know, weird I am fine jumping out of planes but not walking on cliffs... It was still a nice hike though! I love being outside.

I hope you are all doing well and loving life.

I have a favor to ask everyone!!! GIVE THE MISSIONARIES REFERRALS!!! We cannot do the work with out you!!! You know the people. Don't be afraid that they will say no. We aren't told to baptize everyone, we are just asked to invite everyone to hear the truth!!! JUST DO IT!!!  You all know someone who isn't a member, just ask them if they would like to learn more, or if you have the address just send the missionaries over! They would love you for it! Also, just help them. Feed them, have them over for FHE, go out with them. I know for us we don't get in to houses after 7 pm so we love it when members have us over for family scripture study or anything. Just help your missionaries!

Get working on more family history. That is another great way to do missionary work. Like that helps non-members on earth and in heaven!!! Its not hard! If you need help talk to the Family History consultant. They are awesome. Once you find work to do, GET IT DONE!!! Don't wait. You are slowing down the work if you aren't getting the temple work done in good time!!!

Go to the temple, whether you are a recommend holder or not go to the temple. Go walk around the grounds for FHE or date night. Do baptisms, sealings, or endowment sessions!!! You know what you need to do! Just do it! Not only will it help others, it will help you and your family! We have temples so close. Don't waste them. Arizona has what 5 or 6 temples because the Mesa temple was getting so much use! How are our temples doing?

I hope that didn't come off harsh, but really you have the freedom to go whenever(for the most part). What are you doing on your weekends. Make sure you are making good use of your time.

I love you all so much! And love the support you all have! Be safe in all that you do! I love you and God loves you! Read and pray!

Love,

Sister Bresia Yates