I am really loving being here in Ojai, CA.
My uncle Jaret leaves us fresh fruits at the door.
Grandad picks fresh roses for us.
And I read scriptures with Scott and Stacy at night.
Yes. I think I’ll be spending the fall here.
I love this place. Ojai, California.
I think I want to come back and stay a while.
I’m here with my sister and my new brother-in-law and my funny uncle and me dear grandparents.
It is very happy and very healthy.
I just love her so much.
[this lovely foto is of Mom back in the day]
And it is so nice to be home with her again, to lay in bed and talk with her, to eat her cookies, to get her hugs.
I gave my homecoming talk today about mothers and about my mission. On the mission, today is a most special day to call home!
My sista is quite the little momma too.
I love the Keintz family.
Took this picture of them outside with the baby chicks.
This was after it had started snowing again.
Mother Nature does things we don’t understand sometimes. Just trust her.
Happy Mothers Day to you and you and you.
Dad, Chris, and I went for a 3 day kayaking excursion in the lovely Kachemak Bay. It was grand communing with the sea again.
My last transfer was sweeeeet and I love Quissama and I love Sister Cunha and Sister Nicascio and and I love the gospel and I love everything and everyone. St. Luke 1:37
HOPPY EASTER!
I love Easter! I love all holidays. Woo hoo make everyday a holiday.
Sunday morning Sister Cunha and I woke up to a nice like Easter egg
hunt left by our Easter bunny Sister Nicascio. Yummo chocolates. :)
It’s my last week. Eeeeee I’m going a bit louco. :) Coo coo’s nest. I
have my sad desperate moments, when I realize I have no idea when I’ll
be able to see these beautiful souls again, and then I have my happy
alegria moments, when I realize that I’ll be in beautiful Alaska with
my beautiful family, moving on to my mission of life.
Tis a bittersweet time.
Life is wonderful as Sister Owens. And the end of my mission is so
glorious. I love it so much. We are having so many wonderful
adventures with our little bicicletas and helmets. And tis a good
thing we use helmets, because we may or may not have had some very
good falls. And everyone recognizes us crazy missionaries better too,
the 3 little fairies who use dresses and helmets and nametags.
I learn so much from the people here, everyone we teach. And Quissamã
is so beautiful. And I could talk forever about the fruit trees. But
it’s the people that I love the most. I just want to hug them all
forever and let them all know how much I love them and how they have
changed my life.
We may never know of the influences we have on people, but Quissamã,
Itaparica, Aracruz, Jardim da Penha, and Pennsylvania have a little
piece of my little heart forever. I haven’t started packing my bags
yet, and knowing me, I’ll probably stay up late finishing things on my
last night. :) This past year and a half I have changed a lot a lot,
but there’s some things of Chelsea that I just can’t take out yet. :)
I am so so grateful to have been a part of the miracles here in
Quissamã. Soon the chapel will be constructed and the church will grow
here. But it depends on each member and their spirituality and desire
to continue the work of the Lord.
This weekend we had another miracle and baptized and confirmed two of
the Lord’s most elect. Soon the rest of their children will become
members of the church of Jesus Christ too. So so many miracles that I
have seen here. So many changed hearts, so many improved lives. The
spirit works wonders and as we trust in the spirit, we will find
eternal happiness! Woo hoo! Felicidade sem fim pessoal, sem fim.
Love Sister Owens
Aloha! I just got back from a little buggy ride on the beach with our
elect investigator family! But we spent so much time playing that
we’ve got no time to write. :) And I’ve got about a bajillion lovely
fotos from these last three weeks but can’t send them yet. Oh well,
you’ll all be seeing them soon enough.
Some days I go a little crazy because I only have three weeks left. So
many different feelings that just don’t go together. Happy, sad,
anxious, excited, nervous, bdfjkahdasldk. Lots of things going on. But
it is all lovely and I remember Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. To everything
there is a season (turn turn turn)…
As I have said 500 times, I love Quissamã. The members help our little
trio de poder so much. They’re ready and willing to serve at every
moment. I love them muchly.
And they make excellentíssimo almoço too, aka lunch is delish. hehe
Quissamã is so beautiful and it is so fun with bikes! We go so many
more places and meet so many more peoples. Oh the places we go! The
natureza here is perfect, and how I will forever miss the divine fruit
trees.
And tis avocado season. One of our recent converts gave me a big giant
avocado and he gives us cows milk from the farm too. My lovely comps
made cheese with the cows milk and twas yum yum yummy.
I need to prepare to enter the cold because soon I will be back in the
snow land. But before that, I will be playing in Rio!! Woo hoo I am so
grateful for the many angels the Lord puts in my path. Life is good
and will get even better.
Sunday was grand. We had lots and lots of investigators at church. And
lots and lots of less actives too! The frequency was 100+!! We call
this… milagre. I believe in miracles. (and fairies, clap your
hands.)
Quissamã is in desperate need of a church building. And with these
members working so hard and with God sending so many angels here,
we’re hoping that they’ll announce chapel construction this year. I
hope Sister Cunha and Sister Nicascio stay here this next transfer to
continue this obra maravilhosa.
My sista sent me a lovely joke. A knee slapper.
Q. What did the buffalo say to his son when he left for college?
A. Bison.
I think I’ll end with that for today. Have a happy week and know that
we ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the
service of your God. (Mosiah 2:17). I love King Benjamin. Obrigada for
the letters and cards and birthday wishes and love and prayers! Tchau!
Com amor, Sister Owens
"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." -Mother Theresa