Good afternoon my brothers and sisters!                         2/27/17

First things first. Joseph got baptized!! How amazing it was! His father Jaime and his mom and cousin came. Joseph just couldn't stop smiling the whole day and into next day he was smiling even bigger for his confirmation of the Holy Ghost. What a guy. I'm so proud of him. 

Speaking and singing at the baptism and on Sunday for church all went smoothly too! I'm so glad the mission has taught me how to write a talk in a short amount of time and to present it well enough for people to understand, but I guess that's mostly the spirit. 

As expected it was a roller coaster of a week, and now that it's over my comps and I are all like, "now what?" We just had that awesome whirl wind experience last week that left us crying and smiling so now what is left for this week? Well brothers and sisters this is basically how I know I am going to feel coming back home from my mission, so I'm glad I'm somewhat prepared. BUT I know, I know there are things waiting for me. It's literally right around the corner and I can't turn back. Trust me I tried a couple of times, and I realized that ain't no fun. So I'm gonna face that corner and turn it with confidence, heck I might even peek around the corner! But ok this analogy is making less and less sense. The point is that I am looking forward to coming home because in all honesty I feel like I'm starting my mission over. I got my flight plans a couple weeks ago and it felt like my call letter to my mission. This Ward that I am in now is like a family to me and it's going to break my heart to leave them but I know I have family and friends back home excited to see me and for me to share with them the things that I learned. This is a never ending cycle, which I'm grateful for because it's a never ending cycle of happiness. 

Most people we come across ask, why are you here on your missions? What is the point? And my answer is simple really. I know God lives and loves us. I've seen it. It's so clear the evidence of Him today it excites me! We have a prophet today who God has called to lead us in these troubled times. What the prophets say I know comes from God because as I have listened and followed their words I have seen marvelous changes happen in my life, and the lives of others. God is preparing each and everyone of us for the time when we meet Him and He asks what we have done to grow, learn, serve, and so much more. I hope to make Him proud everyday. The path to do so is clear. 

Also! Just so that I don't surprise anyone, I just want y'all to know that I've changed a lot on my mission. But I'm still me, of course. Probably the biggest change I'd have to say is that I dyed my hair. Lol jk. But no I really did dye my hair. BUT back to the change. I'd like to say that My mission has made me more confident, more faithful, more obedient, more loving, more humble, and more patient. But of course on my return I still want to improve and change more, because this is not the end of my mission :). Change is so exciting. This excitement wouldn't be possible without the atonement of Christ. Oh my goodness He loves us so much. I have felt this love, and it's beyond words of how complete and perfect it is. I have been studying the atonement for the last few months of my mission, sometimes I forget but then I realize that I studied it on accident, and I have learned and felt so much. I know Christ lives today. It's so amazing how much peace I feel knowing this is true. 

I'm sorry I know I could ramble on and on in my testimony, but I'm sure those who are reading are used to it :)

Well, I think this is the longest email I have ever written, or that I will ever write. I look forward to seeing you all next week! Wow.... next week. 

My homecoming talk will be at 9800 Foothills Canyon Blvd. Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 on March  19 at 1pm. Please come! I'd love to see your beautiful face :) 

Have a good week. 

See ya soon. 

Sister Plumb

                                          Pictures from Joseph's baptism

The Gospel

Good afternoon!!

Well everyone I apologize for not being present yesterday. We had a very long meeting and so our email Day is now today. 

Hope you all stayed dry this week. It has been pouring cats and dogs lately, which is good for good ol Californias drought. 

This week went insanely good. Every experience right now is just so sweet and I had been feeling before that it was slipping right through my fingers. However! Now I'm trying to figure out how to apply all this delicious goodness that the gospel is giving me right now so it won't do that! It's a process, that's for sure. And only Heavenly Father knows how to help me figure out all I have to do before the process takes place. 

A lot is going to be happening this week so I will write more next week. But a preview to next week: 

Joseph's baptism

Singing in church

Talk in church

Exchanges in a Spanish area

Service for the Ward 

So much has to happen in such a small amount of time. I'm just so grateful that I'm a missionary in all of it so that God can direct me to know what to do for it all. It's amazing what faith can do. I'm so happy here. Between all that will be going on this week I'll be laughing and smiling all the way. 

Take care y'all :) till next time. 

Sister Plumb

Also! I went to Spanish work on Valentine's Day and it was the coolest experience of my life!!! Pictures might have to wait for a couple weeks because.... no cord... sorry! But it was fun :) 

Letter from the Mission President when called to be a Sister Trainer Leader

Dear Brother and Sister Plumb,

 It is a pleasure for me to inform you that your daughter, Sister  Zhenya Christine Plumb, has been assigned to serve as a Sister Trainer Leader. This new assignment reflects her progress and growth in the Lord’s work.  Sister Trainers play a vital role in establishing the atmosphere and culture of the mission.  They rely on the direction of the Spirit.  They have been called because of their obedience, diligence, humility, and effectiveness in their proselyting work.  They are respected by the other missionaries.

Thank you for all you have done to prepare her so she could fulfill this new responsibility.  Sister Villanueva and I feel so blessed to have your daughter in the California Arcadia Mission.  Thank you for your faithful prayers and constant support which will help your daughter fulfill this new assignment.

Sincerely,

President Moises Villanueva

California Arcadia Mission

Blitz

Hey family and friends-

Wow what a wonderful miracle filled week. I'm so grateful to be on my mission. Everyday I'm grateful to be a missionary.  Ok which miracle can I start with? Let's go to this Saturday when we had a Ward blitz. Just for some information! A blitz in mission terms refers to missionaries and members of the church grouping together and then going out for an hour or two and doing missionary work hard core, or in other words preaching the gospel with much power and authority. Sister Hernandez and two other sister missionaries, Sister Blanchard from Spanish work, and Sister Thawinpwrat from Chinese work, and I all drove out to find those poor and unfortunate souls who knew not God. And did we find them? Indeed we did. The first apartment complex was gated BUT as we drove in and a car was going in the same time so we got in and talked to a ton of Chinese people and Sister T did her thing!

Then we went to go see our old investigator Daniel! Sister Z and I taught him a while ago and we invited him to our activity in March. He is still good ol’ Daniel but he is trying to improve :)  After that we went to another apartment complex that was also gated, so tactful Sister Hernandez parked the car on the side, waited for a car to pull in and then she parked the car and we found Matthew! It was the fourth floor, third door (referring to Elder Utchdorf’s 4^th Floor Last Door Conference talk Oct. 2016 Women’s session) but it was close ;) He told us to come back the next day and we could teach him and his brother as well. We did. They said they both wanted to follow Christ more fully and be baptized. We are so grateful to have found a family who has and shows real intent finally! Their names are Matthew and Marc so now we just need a Luke and John :) lol.... anyways. I have a testimony of every little effort that we extend in the work of the Lord; whether it's a smile or an act of service, a wave hello, or opening the door for someone, it leads to so much more.

Thanks for all your love and support y'all.

Remember who you are. Remember who those around you are.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day. 

Fasting and Prayer Story

I think it's amazing that Heavenly Father cares not only for our spiritual well fair but also for our temporal. I've seen prayer and fasting change the lives of the people we teach here. The most humbling experience I've had is when we went to teach a lesson to a recent convert in glendale- Eddy Marrioquin. She lived in a shack behind the garage. And the ceiling wouldn't hold up against the rain and the walls were about to cave in. She would get so cold every night and would wake up with a bloody nose because of the amount of dust she would breath in and the mold on the ceiling. It broke my heart but every time we would come she would always feed us. Listen to our message and do the commitments we left for her. We could only take care of her spiritually (except for buying her an electric blanket at night) but as she followed the commandments and went to church every week, she saw the blessings. She got her endowments last year and she got a job! And her English is improving so much. She is finding a new place to live right now and is magnifying her calling despite circumstances. 

We've seen the blessings of prayer and fasting and keeping the commandments in our lives as well I know if we all commit to lives Heavenly Father expects of us we will be fine :) 

I love you so much mom! I'm grateful to be here on my mission and I'm grateful that you and dad are so supportive of me and have strong testimonies of the gospel. 

Sister Plumb