Week 55: Exchange back to NEWBERRY+Temple day!

Miracles and Memories from March 7- March 13th!

Odds and Ends

●The elders in our district REALLY wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, but because of Sister Hoyal's allergies, we were going to Tropical Smoothie. And then we pulled up to Tropical Smoothie, and they were all there and saved us a spot!! We have the sweetest elders!

●Lily asked what lent was, and to be honest, I don't really know how to answer questions about other religions. More than before, I've learned a lot! But I'm still lost haha!

●I went on splits with my FAVORITE Sister Nebeker! ♡♡♡

●The Lauer family had us over for dinner, and Brother Lauer was telling us about his touching conversion story. He has a powerful testimony of the Holy Ghost, and he literally didn't know about it until they had their hands on his head haha! Whoopsie to those missionaries! He also shared a hilarious story with us. He only occasionally drank before his baptism, and so when he was taught, he didn't know he had to be 2 weeks clean before he was baptized, he just assumed he needed to stop before the baptism. So the night before, he had his ONE last beer and still got baptized the next day hahaha!!

●Sister Mickelson fell asleep in the back seat haha! See pic below

●We took probably 4 pictures in front of these pretty purple trees! I thought it was a lilac tree, like the song, but it ain't right. They were wisteria flower trees! Still super pretty.

●The birds finally found Sister Mickelson's bird feeder and we watched them nibble during comp study! At the end the bird fell off the bird feeder because it fell off with him haha!

●The elders wrestled while we were on a planning call with them to keep the other from drinking chocolate milk. We love Elder Ramos and Elder Lucero!

●Sister Mickelson danced on our white board to clean it for weekly planning!

●We definitely ate mod pizza and looked at pretty houses on the lake for pday.

● So I got to go to Newberry on exchanges, and we were looking for this man in an apartment complex. We walked up to 4 people, and none of them knew him. But we started talking to this man named Richard! He was interested. In our message and so Sister Mackowiak started talking to him. I started branching out and talking to the others. Divide and conquer right? Absolutely not. Another one of the men first asked for a Book of Mormon, but proceeds to tell me that I am so beautiful and that I will have beautiful children one day. He then offered me $20 for lunch. I quickly scampered back over to Sister Mackowiak's side and said we need to go. I am not $20 richer.

●Sister Mackowiak put some pretty beads in my hair!

●I got to go back to the Newberry apartment, my old home! Some of the stuff I left while I was packing was still in the same spot almost 2 months later...

●I ran a 7 min mile on the treadmill 💪 Newberry gym makes me feel so blessed

●I convinced Sister Mackowiak to sing Peace in Christ with me in a members home!

●We tried tanning (more like just getting some sun) while we we were studying. We were out for a few hours... I got burnt on my arms and had a big meeting the next day. Thank goodness for ruffly sleeves.

Miracles

★THE TEMPLE... wow! I was pouring tears. Such a special place to be, and I'm glad I got to visit as a missionary again! I took time to bring questions to the temple, and it helped so much! The changes recently made are more Christ centered, and it touched my Spirit so much! It truly is the house of the Lord!

★Sis Aiono is doing what I hope to do possibly in the future-Marketing! So that was a blessing to talk to her about it a little bit.

★In Newberry, I got to visit Ricky, who was recently baptized! He recognized me and that was so special. In his prayer, he thanked Heavenly Father for bringing his old friend... touched my heart ♡

★I GOT TO SEE THE BLACKS!!!! AHHH! Wow. Home away from home is in their 4 walls. Audrey has grown so much since I've been in Newberry. Her testimony has absolutely exploded since she got baptized. I loved holding their fuzzy pillows and seeing their cute blue front door and squeezing Sister Black so tight and getting little Rena puppy kisses during the prayer. So glad God let me see them again!

★James and Kristen have been MIA for the past 2 months. James came to a baptism and LOVED IT and then poof... nothin! We've been calling and calling and calling... no answer ever! So we were driving and Sister Mickelson got a bing to call. No answer. But then KRISTEN CALLED BACK! She said they had just been super busy. We are going to start meeting again! WOW God is good!

★I was cruisin' down this like 8 mile dirt road and almost got tboned. God protects his missionaries.

★Sister Bolin is an older woman in the Gilbert ward, and she sits through all 4 wards! Some people think she's standoffish and hard to get along with, but I took that as a challenge! We asked to come by and I sang Peace in Christ. And she turned off her Old Testament murdering Bible video in the background too! She just needed a friend. She really is so sweet and she loved it!

★Brandon came to Pete's baptism! He got to watch someone else make that promise with God. Afterwards, I gave him my What Would Jesus Do bracelet and told him to put it on his hand he smokes with so he can remember his goal. His goal is reset! We are encouraging him even when he makes mistakes just like Jesus would!

★Daniel had a mini testimony meeting with us that left us all in tears. He is staying strong! He's been a huge example to me of what it means to be truly converted!

Spiritual Thought

One phrase that stood out to me in the temple was "here am I, send me." I was pondering this the whole day. Then when we were in the Celestial room I was prompted to pick up the Bible. I opened it up randomly and looked on the left page and read a little bit. Then I looked to the right side and BAM! This scripture caught my eye: Isaiah 6:8 "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." HOLY MOLY tears came streaming. Only God could have guided my hand to that page like that. It made me really ponder:if the Savior or God asked me to go do something, would I willingly go? No matter what? I know it is so important to God that we really do humble ourselves to do the will of the Lord. What can you do to more fully follow God's will????

Pictures