"Houston, We Have A Problem"‏

July 12th 2010

Thank you everyone for the continual updates and letters of support and encouragement. I promise I am getting around to responding soon :)

I've changed alot over the last 4 months. Already, I know I am not the same person I was a few months ago. Every day I can feel the Lord molding me into the missionary and the person He needs me to become. It is hard sometimes, going through this refiner's fire, but I am so grateful for everything that I have been blessed with and for everything that I am learning. I think sometimes the most difficult thing to learn, is that you need to change something about yourself in order to line your will up with the Father's will. I think it's the personal battles we face, that define our true character. It is when we are in the face of adversity, that we are given the opportunity to prove ourselves, as well as rely on the Lord for HIs help.

I have been definitely doing this over the last few weeks, more than I have my entire life. I have spent every morning on my knees in prayer, and pour out my heart and soul to my Heavenly Father, begging for His help. This transfer has been a totally different experience than last transfer. We are working hard, but learning the true meaning of patient perserverance. Our investigator pool is still tiny, but have been finding some of the select few whom we feel are ready to receive the gospel. One in particular, her name is Alicia and we tracted into her 2 weeks ago. We had an amazing lesson with her earlier this last week about the Restoration and the spirit was so strong. She has expressed to us many times, that she has been looking for the truth and that she has been really lost and confused. We feel that the Lord truly lead us to tract her street the day that we did, and that we were meant to find her. She has a lot of potential, and I'm excited to see the blessings of accepting the restored gospel change and bless her life.

On a lighter note, I may or may not have reached a new level of intelligence the other day when we pulled over to pump air into my companions tire. After pumping it up, my companion was struggling to get the pump off the tire. So of course, she asked for my help. Well us being geniuses thought that the pump was on the release because the lever that locks it into place onto the nozzle was up. SO we tried a couple times to maneuver it, but weren't having much luck. So me, being as smart as I am, decided to pull harder. And low and behold, we pulled the nozzle right out of the tire, and in about .2 seconds....the tire was completely flat! haha. Yeah....no worries. We just sat there and kind've laughed and then were like...well now what do we do? Considering we live on the other side of our area, we knew going home wasnt an option. We prayed and then felt our best option was to call Bishop Walters. We said, "Houston-we have a problem" and Bishop and his wife came to our rescue. He went to get a new tube for the tire, and it wasn't until he returned that we learned we had kept the pump in the lock position when we had tried getting it off the tire. It was rather embarrassing, other than the fact that this pump wasn't like other pumps I'd used in the past...so there's my excuse. That and we both felt at the time, that the reason this had happened was because we were supposed to be delayed to wherever is was we were heading next. EH, everything happens for a reason I suppose...and it was a good lesson to learn.

Speaking of bikes, I mentioned last time that riding bikes in a skirt is quite the interesting experience. I'm getting used to it now, but it sure is hot outside. It's over 100 now. No Bueno! SO we try to stay in the shade as much as we can and stop for water breaks at member's homes often.

Oh and before I foreget, let me give you the latest! We are moving!! Yay! We will be moving this coming Saturday to the Burnett's home. They live on this beastly hill at the top of our area, but it will be much better to actually be in our ward boundaries now. We are sad to leave the Curry's though. They have really helped us feel at home. SO until next P-Day you can still send mail to the Curry's address or the mission home address, and then next week I will have my new address. The good news is, if I do get mail at the Curry's after next week, I can still go and pick it up. So, there's the heads up!

Well this last Friday was zone conference. It was amazing! I got to see Sis. Naylor and her new companion Sis. Olsen. Also, the mission is now doing this new thing where they will be having leadership trainings for 3 days....which will be next week, so I will get to see Sis. Naylor there as well, since we are both training. There are alot of changes being made worldwide throughout the different missions. Zone Conferences and interviews with President will now be every 3 months, instead of every 6 weeks. And now the new leadership trainings and a few other things.

Well...I am out of time. But I want you to know I am doing good. I am safe and I am striving to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I also want you to know, that as you each are praying for me, I am praying for you too!! Every day, multiple times a day :)