Week 36!

June 23rd 2014

This week was good! monday we went to a Excommunicated members house for FHE she is awesome and is trying to return to be a member :) and OH MY GOODNESS we are having tacos SEVEN times in one week!!!! everyone just wanted to make us tacos haha :) so we had a wonderful lesson with Sister Chavez and Christie Smith. it was kind of a miracle actually because the original fellowshipper we had planned was busy so we went to sister Chavez as a back up temporary fellowshipper and she was EXACTLY what Christie needed!!! she ended up opening up to her more than she has any missionaries before!!! we have a lot of hope for her ;) Pray for Christie Smith! :) then after our lesson with her had had TACO SALAD at the relief society activity on Visiting Teaching. then Wednesday Sister Bell went to the dentists and it was Free just like mine was when i went!!!! that dentist is so awesome! :) and then we had a lesson and Dinner with Byron at the Roberts with them and Sister Barr as well! it was so awesome! :) it went so well and i really feel lik he is soooooo close to getting baptized!!!!! Please pray for him too to be able to know he needs to get BAPTIZED!!! :) then thursday we had a few lessons in the morning with Michelle Robinson and April Dewalt and then did weekly planning because we had Zone Conference Friday. but we also go to help Sister Archey with her baby shower as well thursday we helped her make games and make party favors. then friday was Zone Conference. I HAVE NEVER CRIED SO MUCH IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!! president Holm is leaving and we are getting a new mission president in july and this was really like his farewell... i didnt realize how much i have looked up to Sister Holm and how much President Holm has helped me grow....Saturday we went to Batesburg and Saluda..... HOLY COW!!!! our area is so huge haha... they took us to eat at Shealy's Bar-b q and i guess the President at there its so good, (which it is!) its like an all southern, way better, golden Corral :) and we went to see a referral ad the house was destroyed!!!!  like walls tore down and parts lying everywhere! so we went and knocked all the neighbors to see what happened and no one answered.... bummer.... but it was  really cool because we had members with us the whole time and we made it an adventure then Sunday was church :) it was good til a poor kid in primary puked all over half the kids in there and they had to clear out that half of the church to clean it haha... but then we went to the Baby shower and i got to basically run all the games and then we taught them a lesson :) it was a great last week with Sister Bell :) i will miss her but i am excited for a new companion to get this area moving oh! and we're getting new maps this week!!!! yay!!!! :) love you all!!!! :) 

~Sister Montoya

Week 35!

Hello Everyone! You'll never believe it! Sister Bell was sick this week!! We have literally been in all months!! Its awful! we did have some really great developments though :) I sang in church on Monday and Friday Sister Bell was still sick so we took a sick day at the Hallenbecks and we painted our toes sparkly and Sister Bell got to sleep without me being super bored and then we had a steak dinner that evening with them and a part member family which was really cool :) and Also, Wednesday it was sad because we had to cancel our appointment with Byron but when I called to cancel I had a lesson on the phone with him and He told us that he is going to start coming to at least sacrament every Sunday and trying to stay for all 3 hours every 3rd sunday! I am so excited! and we are having dinner with him and the old bishop and his wife Wednesday!!! ) its going to be great!!! Please pray that he will have a desire to be baptized and also that I don't get sick again!!! Blah....But we really do have a ton  of dinners this week!! We are booked with lunches and dinners all the way until transfers on th 25th!!!  haha... But im sad this next week is Transfers :( ive really gotten to like Sister Bell a lot and we are really good friends! In fact she asked me last night to come teach her Non-member dad the missionary lessons after I get off my mission :) and its been great switching off playing nurse for each other even though we cant go out. But I also got to sing in church a duet with Sister Hallenbeck on Sunday :) We sang a childs prayer :) that seems to be a favorite for me to sing in this ward :) haha not sure why but its ok cuz its a good song :) OH! And Yesterday for Fathers Day Sister Bell and I got to talk to our families :) We only had 15 minutes but I felt very lucky because the only reason we got to call was so sister bell could invite her dad to be baptized and I got to call cuz I am her companion so it would be fair :) it was really great :) But it was a good week!! Love you all!!!!! :)
<3 Sister Dominique Sage Montoya

Week 34!

June 9th, 2014

Well, this week has been rather insane.

I was sick most of the week, and then Tuesday they had the Sister Training Leaders do an emergency exchange so that we could get a little work done in our area instead of just sitting in the house all day. Which I still sat in the house all day and slept and was sick but at least Sister Bell could get some things done. Wednesday I was feeling well enough that we went and tried to do a little bit and rested when I needed it. And then Thursday I really started to feel better and we got to teach Byron, who the stinker is still attached o his Lutheran church friends so has only committed to come to our church every 3rd sunday... blah.... but he is still really close to baptism and I have full faith in him that we will come around. Friday we got to help someone not to drugs and he gave us his weed and his cigarettes and we got to destroy them!!! :) And then Saturday we got to see the Archey kids and then go over to the Reids in our ward and see their glow in the dark fish and hear this really cute story about their daughter, the husband went over to the daughter (Ta'a) while she was on the couch and video taped her as he told her to repeat after him. He said "I love my daddy and I will always love him even when I am a teenager", and she repeated It and then he said "And I will live with him forever and always be his girl" and she repeated it and then he said "And I will not like stinky boys!" and she WOULD NOT repeat it for ANYTHING they offered her! It was really funny :) Then Sunday we  put this really awesome guy on date- Travis :) we are so excited about him! He's the guy who called out "Joseph Smith right" that I ran down and talked to :) And are going to start teaching this Less actives daughter so that maybe they can both start coming to church together. :) But its been a good week. Happy Fathers day this week to all the dads out there and especially to the Men in my life who have made such an impact on me, friends, and family - dads or not :) Love you guys!

Love, Sister Dominique Sage Montoya

Week 33!

June 2nd, 2014, 8 MONTHS!!

Well the surprise party for sister Bell was a success! we had a lot of fun and all 18 people showed up. it was pretty great. So Tuesday we had DDM and it was Sister Bells Birthday and we had a great day, Saturday we went to Prosperity and Little Mountain and had a lot of great lessons but alas that was the start of me getting sick AGAIN ugh..... I am really sick and tired of being sick and tired!!.....Grrrr darn Satan trying to bring me down!! Well I got sick but pushed through it Saturday then Sunday I was really sick with a 100 degree fever but we went to church because Byron was there and we wanted to be there for him.. which was awesome!!! :) then we stayed home the rest of the day and I am sick again today :P please keep me in your prayers that I will feel better and have a healthier 2nd half of my mission please..... well I love you all!! :)

~Love Sister Montoya

Week 32!

May 26th, 2014

This week has been great, Monday I was sick though so we didn't do very much and I slept most of the day. But then we got to go to the Bishops house for dinner and talk to him about making a new ward mission plan and doing area improvement for the ward. I am really excited for what's happening here in Newberry!!!! The Tuesday we had Interviews and the no more strangers fireside which our investigator Byron Carr came to and it was really wonderful!! Then Wednesday we went on exchanges and I went to Lexington with Sister Anderson and it was really cool because my old friend from when I was in Cowpens and she was in Gaffney,Sister Brown is now my Sister training Leader in Lexington!! She came here to Newbery though with Sister Bell. It was really wonderful and then Thursday we had the pantry and Friday and Saturday we got to work in Prosperity which I have missed dearly because we have been in Newberry only the last few weeks. And also we met these really funny people Fred and Eleanor! Fred is 92 and his Sister Eleanor is 104!!!!! They are just chilling and living together in this cute little house. they couldn't hear a thing though!!! When we first went in Sister Bell moved this book off the chair she was going to sit in and Eleanor mentioned how wonderful a book that was but that she already had a copy and when sister Bell tried to tell her it WAS her copy she insisted we take it back and give it to someone else who didn't have a copy and then finally when she knew we wouldn't take her book, she said, well ok I guess I will give it to someone else then because I don't need 2 copies! it was so funny... we were cracking up the rest of the day!  Then Sunday we got to got around Pomaria and I actually got to drive because we thought a tornado or hurricane or something was going to come through because how thick the rain was. it was LITERALLY coming down in sheets and sister bell being from vegas didn't know how to drive in the rain and asked me to but I have never seen so much rain. we did a Chinese firedrill and in the 2 seconds being out of the car we were both DRENCHED to the bone. Tomorrow is Sister Bell's Birthday and I have set up an Awesome Surprise party for her tonight at the hallenbecks that she thinks is a family home evening and she cant figure out why there will be 18 people coming instead of the usual 9 haha..... I am so excited!!! She has no clue and I ha the hallenbecks go out and get party decorations and ive been sneak-texting inviting people and telling them its a party for her and getting things set up! I feel so disobedient but its worth it and I knw im not doing anything aweful haha.... but I am so excited and I hope it makes her happy!!!! Im happy for all the people coming :)

-Sister Dominique Montoya

this spider is as big as my hand and has eggs on its back! I almost stepped on it at a less actives house and the son put it in this container.... of all the places I could go I went where there are giant spiders!!!!!!!!

Week 30!

May 12th 2014

Well this week was pretty un eventful, BUT My mission President has announced that he is not comfortable with us not labeling our mail with "sister" and "elder" so please return to sending all mail to me as "Sister Dominique Sage Montoya" But this week we had a wonderful Family home Evening and Wednesday we made some real progress with our investigator Byron!!! He is so awesome and he is going to pray about being baptized this week!!! SO if ya'll could please pray for him that he will receive his answers and want to get baptized, I would really appreciate it. :) Also this week we had a wonderful time eating the red white and blue firecracker popsicles while we did the pantry this week and we have also miraculously got in touch with all of our investigators who fell off the map lately, which is so exciting!!!! We also had such a cool experience on Saturday! So we went to see a Less Active Member at her Apartment Complex and as I was backing Sister Bell out of the Parking stall a man came around the corner in his car and looked at me and yelled "Joseph Smith right?" and I flipped around and bolted over to his car as he parked and started asking him how he knew about our church. and he said that he used to come to his church but never go baptized because he moved and that he wanted to take the lessons again! It was amazing!! :) we passed him a couple times that day after that and every time he waved at us with a big happy grin  because he knew who we were :) it was great! Then this  Sunday was  a wonderful Mothers Day Program for Sacrament and they gave all the mothers beautiful flowers :) and the Church even came out with a awesome mothers day video, if you haven't seen it, you should!!! its at:

motherhood.mormon.org

and it is a wonderful and very true video for mothers, aunts, grandmas and all sorts of beautiful women who have a huge role in the lives of their children :) then this morning we went and picked Strawberries with Sister Hallenbeck and then we made jam with her :) it was so fun and yummy :) great day and week :)

Love, Sister Dominique Sage Montoya