Sorry for the foot pic

"You're absolute paragons of tenacity." 

Not that we sell the gospel AT ALL, but we do have a couple tricks up our sleeve to give these YSA punks the tough love that they need. Oh man it's so much fun, I'm just in my element calling people out and making sure they know that we see them 

We are "absolute paragons of tenacity" in sharing the love that Christ has for each one of them :')

Little victories that really only mean much if you're a missionary BUT LOTS of good this week!! Our sweetie friend sent us pictures after her shopping trip for modest church dresses, so precious! Our stellar recent convert got to go to the temple for the first time and bless the sacrament AND one of our returning members promised he'd have a shirt for next week and is coming to his first activity tonight #goodgoodthings  

Love is something that I talk about ALL THE TIME but oddly enough sometimes loving is the hardest thing to do. But that just shows me the value of hard; gotta work hard to love hard! Try to be an absolute paragon of tenacity in showing people that you love them this week eheh

Love big! Love hard! 

Sister Rex

PICTURES:

Mmhmm skies like this every night pls

Just had to capture my nasty foot falling apart

Our campfire crew!!

HE WORE THE TIE

Mood: Cali night drives

"You're TALL"

Always forcing her to take pics with me

Don't worry, we didn't go for a swimmy swim 

Okay is this not the cutest thing, just some elders laughing over some silly missionary joke

Gosh I love this lil crew

#especiallyinSantaClarita

A serious Sister Rex.

Life is really mean sometimes. Too many times I found myself listening to someone's story with tears streaming down my face. 

My heart has hurt a lot this week- a good, feeling hurt. Lots of the hurt has been comforted by the Savior's redeeming love. There's still a fresh pain, but underneath the pain is peace and hope. The hurt that hurts the most is when people "reject the fulness of [His] gospel" (3 Nephi 16:10). They turn away from the one thing that can heal them. 

One night we asked "who is ready NOW?" and came across one name. We found a family who feels forgotten by everyone but each other. What started with silly and playful pokes ended with a hole in my heart. The things that they've gone through were heartbreaking, but the thing that hurt my heart the most was feeling that love that Christ has for them and seeing them brush it away. 

Tears for:

• the sweet man who forgets everything he says and tells the same story over and over again
• the dad who feels forgotten and only moves forward for his kids
• the families who lost their missionary sons
• the girl who is trapped in her own mind with anxiety
• the boy with no friends 
• the things I wish I could do differently. "I have a lot of regrets, but fortunately I know how to repent." 

Lots of emotions this week and one day Sister Sherwood (the same Sister Sherwood that never expresses emotions) couldn't ignore my sniffles any longer. 

Sister Sherwood: does Sister Rex need a hug?

Me: *through tears* do you know Sister Rex? She needs a fist bump

Us: *air fist bumps* 

There's been a "mighty change" in my heart. I FEEL the power of Christ's redeeming love in my life. And it has changed me. With all my heart I want others to feel the love that Christ has for them. Because life is really mean. And we can't do it alone. 

Love big! Love hard! 

Sister Rex

PICTURES: (there was a lot of joy this week too!!!!)

A pretty night

Twiddle dee and Tweedle dum 

I PROMISE she likes me

SIS CHRIS I love this Mr Man

Our new friend!!! The cutest lesson EVER 

Cutie moon shining over our palms

See!!!!

Oh man. The crew is getting split up with people going to their OGs:(

Our role is to love

Time and time again I've had to ask myself "what is my role?" 

We ended up in the home of a woman whose sister happened to be over. She had served a mission many years ago but now has nothing to do with the church. We talked and laughed and had some fun, but then I asked her why she was no longer a part of the church. And she didn't really have a good answer for us. All she said was "it all just faded." 

It gave me the reality slap that I needed. All our experiences and memories eventually fade if we don't choose EVERY DAY EVERY DAY EVERY DAY to put God first in our life.

I wanted to pull her past experiences, I wanted to see any flicker of light come back to her eyes, but there was nothing. And in that moment, it wasn't my role to pick and pull her brain, to try to convince her of the truth she once knew; it was my role to share that no matter where she is or what she believes, God loves her.

The most important role each one of us play in the lives of those around us is to love them. "People most often feel God's love through other people." 

It's hard to see people take different paths and live a life without Jesus Christ, but Christ Himself never forced anyone to follow Him. He extends His arm of mercy to anyone who will turn to Him, but He keeps on loving you no matter what. I think we can all do a little better at feeling and expressing that love for those around us. I'll start eheh I LOVE YOU

Love big! Love hard!

Sister Rex

PICTURES:

Just missionary things

We spend allll our time out on our lil balcony 

TWIST OFF lid... learned that one the hard way (still bleeding)

My all time favorite pic of Connor- CHEETAH TIE FOR THE WIN

These streets hold some of my favorite mems

Basketballing ballers 

Our cutie sisters!!

You ever accidentally matchy match for your morning run? #noYOUchange

I wanna be a nobody!!

 Silly but actually 2 very serious goals I've had the last week: 

    •make Connor laugh

    •scare Sister Sherwood 

LITTLE VICTORIES WE GOT A CHUCKLE OUT OF CONNOR!! 

Sometimes being a missionary is the greatest thing EVER and sometimes I wish that I could just be a friend to these people. It still means something when I show care and listen, but people expect that from us missionaries. There is power in the everyday missionary. So basically I love what I get to do here but I'm SO EXCITED to be a missionary the rest of my life!!!

For the longest time, I've had a need to be seen- to be seen for who I am, for the things I think and say and do. But my need has shifted to pointing others to Christ. I want people to see Christ when they see me, nametag or not. One of my favorite songs says it better than I can: "I'm just a nobody tryna tell everybody all about somebody who saved my soul.... living for the world to see nobody but Jesus." 

What do the things you say and do show about who Jesus Christ is to you? 

Love big! Love hard!

Sister Rex 

PICTURES:

Hair by Sister Sherwood??

Always some palms:))

Sister Sherwood using the force! #maythe4th

MY FAVORITE CREW

"It's all about the angle." 

Cutie drives

^

First watermelon of the year!!

Bye quad:( 

#ChristisTruth

 "...are you a nun?"

"Summer time isn't great to be a goth girl."

"I make horror virtual reality games, it's terrifying." 

Every single person we come across is so different, it always blows my mind when I remember that Jesus Christ perfectly loves and understands every single one of them! Many a time we sat around with an assortment of people and looking around you would never think that these people would be friends with one another and that's what brings a smile to my face. These people come as they are, they bring their differences and gather together. That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about! There is a place for everyone. 

Nuns, goth girls, horror video gamers and missionaries, Jesus Christ loves us all the same! 

Our friend Connor was baptized this last week and man, did he give a #micdrop testimony after. He wasn't baptized because we taught him the lessons and felt the spirit, he was baptized because he seeks after becoming the best version of himself, he seeks to live the most honest life he can, to embody the perfect example of Jesus Christ and to find truth. Those are the people that remind me that the gospel is so much more than nice words. The gospel of Jesus Christ enables our capacity to seek after truth, to become something greater than we could ever imagine through Jesus Christ. 

2 Nephi 33:6

"I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus."

I want to live my life searching after truth and glorying in my Jesus! 

Love big! Love hard! 

Sister Rex

PICTURES:

Sweet Sister Groom!!

Fire season time🔥

Ready to take on the world now that I've got our ward lists printed out 

Baptism day!!!

Now this is what I imagined my mission would be like- walking up these streets, talking to everyone we come across 

Cutie views 

Pretty princesses all around 

Connor's ~special day~ (he did NOT appreciate me calling it that ahahaa)

Every night we get to run across this busy road to get home hehe