Week 52: Rainbow Roses and Detective Sister Missionaries and 15 steps!

No one in my companionship got transferred! I get to be with my hooligans Sister Hoyal and Sister Mickelson for another transfer!

Odds and Ends

•Knocked on a door where a wire was connected to it and we thought we might get electrocuted. We were lucky... this time.

• An elder told his recent converts that I met that I'm a good singer so apparently it's going around the mission that I sing!

•A lady asked us why we were in front of her bush... just taking a picture with her pretty flowers haha! She told us we scared her kid on accident... but she said she was glad we liked them!

•So we went back to a house we visited a month ago. Our sticky note was literally SUNBLEACHED onto the door and shriveled from the rain. Kudos to sticky notes, that is one reliable piece of paper. But it still looks the same, no signs of life. Still sounds like water is inside. Probably abandoned...

•My comps are obsessed with 7 layer dip.

•One lady told us she has a Jesus thumb!

•Melissa and Keith invited us to invited to their wedding! EEEEE!

•Sometimes we look at packages on the porch when we are looking for someone... just nonchalantly take a peek to see if they still live there!

Miracles

★My dad gave roses to make people smile for Valentine's Day! It's a little tradition we started, my brothers go around school with rainbow colored roses and make all these girls so happy and loved. I got to do it this year!

★We got to go with Fabio to the temple for his 3rd time! He LOVES the temple! There was a little boy named Diego going to the temple for the first time, and he only speaks Spanish. Fabio recognized immediately that he was there to help little Diego! He was shaking, but Fabio calmed his nerves as he was baptized for his ancestors! Fabio said Diego reminded him of his brother he lost in his youth. Fabio told us that he would never forget that day he got to help this sweet boy! What a miracle!

★On a hard day, this lady named Lisa told us she was too busy to meet with us. But then she did something amazing. She came off her trailer steps, looked me in the eyes, and then gave me a big squeeze! Wow. Im usually the one to ask for hugs, so it was nice to be on the other end. And of all days, this was the day I needed it most. God is good!

★This sweet lady named Thelma told us she was concerned for our souls. She told us that we are going to be thrown into the gulf of misery and that sharing the Book of Mormon with people is unacceptable. She said "that book has GOT to go" and "let's burn it!" It wasn't a pleasant visit. We brought her muffins...but she would interrupt us and laugh at our testimonies or harshly criticize our beliefs, while we patiently and kindly listened to her. It was hard. But it did make my testimony stronger! She really wanted to just Bible bash us. But KUDOS TO SISTER HOYAL! She's shy and doesn't talk often in lessons, but by the time she was done talking, Thelma had committed to read some of the Book of Mormon! Thelma has a strong testimony and I admire her for it! By the end she apologized and realized she wasn't kind, but we had grown a mutual respect for each other! Funny moment though... when she was looking up a common verse used to bash with, she used Siri. Then Siri pulled said "According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints..." We had to stifle our laughs haha!

★Brandon started the 15 step program to stop smoking! We brought him vitamins, cinnamon mouth wash, cuties, a listerine spray... 15 step goodies! He's set to meet his goal!

★Jonathan let us talk about baptism! WOW THIS WAS A MIRACLE. We had dinner with the Lauers on Sunday and found out Brother Lauer is available during the day! So he came to Jonathan's lesson. And HOLY MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH! This was the best! Brother Lauer shared his conversion story and some of the concerns he had before joining the church. Jonathan seemed to really relate to him. Jonathan brought up that he has a lot of demons he needs to fight before he is baptized but he DID say he will be a convert( he said conVERT hehe!). So that is exciting! He even talked about who he wants to invite to his baptism when he does get baptized! He's around the corner I know it!

★We found Belindas records! So she really is a member! Wow I feel like a detective. Hehe!

★Olivia is the SWEETEST! We went and stopped by to drop off treats. Olivia is SO ADORABLE. She painted us a cross that says Mormon church on it, SO DARLING! We talked about what she has read in the Book of Mormon. She read the testimony of Joseph Smith, the intro and 1 Nephi, and she wrote TWO PAGES about what she has learned. She is amazing!! She said she feels so good when she reads! In her own words! "I love it! I've took notes on it and I've read it every night!! thank you for giving it to me. I've enjoyed it a lot. I keep it by my bed so it will protect me at all cost!!" This ten year old has my WHOLE HEART!

★Fabio spoke at stake conference! He was so brave and shared his conversion story and got to meet President Monson! We were so glad we had the chance to support him!

Spiritual Thought

Leadership is hard. Wow. This week wasn't easy at all. The work was going so good, but I wasn't. Satan tried to let hard situations get me down, and let me tell ya it worked for a second. But then, I looked to Christ. He offers EVERYTHING we could ever need. Any form of healing, comfort, peace. He's got it! Tears were shed, what was broken was mended, or on its way there. I'm stronger, I'm a better example, and I'm more like my Savior and Heavenly Father want me to be! I'm so grateful for all the missionaries I get to serve around, especially my companions. Holy they really carried me through this one! Offering the comfort closest to Christ. Wow I'm so blessed!

Birthdays

No bdays for now!

Pictures