October 7, 2013

WEEKLY EMAIL HERE WE GO.

SO this week has been pretty fabulous. I mean, we taught a whole 3 lessons instead of just one! Yippee! And Tuesday was a miracle! We invited our newest investigator, Samantha, to be baptized. She was the one who came up to us in the street and asked for us to teach her. We taught her about the plan of salvation this week and invited her to be baptized. She started crying and said she would love too. AH IT WAS THE BEST MOMENT EVER. Then, we went and taught the two children of that one less active lady in our ward. And now they're both on date for baptism as well! So Tuesday and its lessons were great. On Wednesday, we did EXCHANGES. Sister Bennett joined our companionship for the day. Oh man, she is AWESOME! Let me tell you: I am having a hard time with this area. I just don't know what to do with it! Sister Bennett gave great guidance and direction and at the end of the day, during our companionship inventory, I was able to just tell her everything that had been going through my mind, how stressed I was, and how much I wanted to succeed but felt like I was failing. She gave me great advice about working with members and branching out from there. I feel a lot better and hopefully as I apply what I've learned, we will find success. Plus, with conference this weekend and Saturday afternoon basically being entirely about how members need to do way, way more to help the missionaries, I think this plan just may work. On Thursday, we went with Sisters Cope and Joslin to do service at the Mesa County Food Distribution. It was tons of fun and the time just flew right by! We grabbed lunch at this place called Main Street Bagel, which was so good! Then, Greg, the guy in charge, gave us a HUGE box of toffee. Not just any toffee... Enstrom's toffee. So, the good stuff. It's way delicious and we've been handing it out to people because we have way, way too much. Haha. Conference this weekend was AMAZING. We watched it at the church building with all of the other missionaries. I just loved loved LOVED it. I noticed that a recurring theme was 1) MEMBERS GET INVOLVED IN MISSIONARY WORK (hello I loved that one. Obviously.) and 2) "Come, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Seriously, that one was in there at least twice a session. I guess that that's something that we tend to forget, that when we are struggling and are searching for relief, the place we can turn to is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He knows our sorrows, our weakness, and our adversities. He is where we will find peace and comfort. If we turn every hard thing or sad thing over to Him, He will help us overcome. As a missionary that is so important. Turn your whole heart over to the work, over to your Savior, and He will give you rest. It's so true, and definitely something I need to work on.

I love you all so very very much! I feel your prayers and your love every day. Thank you thank you thank you, and you're always in my prayers. LOVE YOU!

Oh, Sister Bennett is one of the sister trainer leaders for out west. An STL is kind of like a combo between a zone leader and an AP, but just for sisters. Her companion, Sister Jones, is from Moses Lake! She went with the singles sisters. We help at the food bank every week! They love us there.

Have fun/good luck at your interview! You'll do GREAT. I pray about you guys every night. I hope it goes well for you.

Oh, and about missionary work - I'm now super duper curious about the missionary work back home in the Edison ward. You want to ask the elders for me? (Do we still have elders, or are you blessed with sisters yet? ;)) But really, I am very very curious! You could ask and report, or I guess they could write me a letter/email and tell me. I want to know these things!

Sisters Noakes and Masima, visiting with Sister Julie who sends me pictures!

Whole lotta toffee!! Sisters Joslin and Cope.

Sisters Joslin, Cope, Noakes, and Masima between Conference sessions.

Sisters Noakes and Cope, being silly.