We Are So Blessed to Have the Gospel In Our Lives

November 8th 2010

Hey ya'll,Well fam here I am yet again another week has come and gone, almost within a blink of an eye. It really started hitting me this week that I only have 10 1/2 months left on the mission. I reach my 8 month mark on the 17th. Crazy right?! It seriously blows my comprehension. I am now in the start of my 2nd week of my 5th transfer out in the mission field.

This week has had it's fair share of ups and downs, as all weeks do in the life of a missionary. But, this week in particular, I feel I have spent even more time on my knees and praying for the strength and will power to get through the more trying times. As you know fam, this week we had transfers. It's been an adjustment for me, only because my new comp and I are so different, but she is a great missionary. She has a strong and powerful testimony, and she is so meek and humble. I am learning a lot from her already. Where I've seen the Lord's tender mercies has definitely been with the language. Sister Blain is kind've on the more quiet side and it's been a struggle to not over-dominate in the lessons and in contacting people. After being out now for 7 1/2 months, the language is finally starting to feel more comfortable to me. Which I am grateful for because if it weren't, our Spanish lessons would be a lot more difficult to communicate. Sister Blain has been out now for just shy of 5 months. She is from Memphis, TN. She is great! This is her first transfer serving in a twosome companionship, so it has been an adjustment for her. The difficulty in any companionship is finding a good rhythm between the two of you, and then when you throw 3 in the mix...it's even more difficult to find a balance between all 3 of you. I only have seen glimpses of the difficulities that a trio can have at times. Of course, in the MTC, my companions and I didn't have many...but I do recall that often times in our "practice" lessons it was difficult to find a balance between the 3 of us and who would teach, etc. And since coming on my mission, in the few times I've been temporarily in a trio, I've learned even better some of the difficulties that can come. But, Sister Blain and I are working hard to find what works for us and I know that with the Lord's help, we will be able to do what it is He needs us to do at this time.

In updates with the work, well we are working with these two really great girls from El Salvador. Maria Pacheco and Estefani Martinez. They are sister-in-laws. Maria is 25, and Estefani 20, but Estefani has 2 kids...Maria none. How we found Estefani was in attempt to contact Maria, who was a former investigator that the Elders before had taught and a little of the Sisters. Estefani has a lot of faith and such a great spirit about her. A few lessons ago, we invited her to be baptized. She said she wants to and since then has had a few doubts, that we are now trying to work through. Maria also accepted the invitation to be baptized, but they both have work on Sundays and so we are working to help them get to church and then hopefully we will be able to work toward a date. They are loving reading in the BOM though, so hopefully they will keep that up. They are our most progressing Spanish investigators right now. As for the English side, well we are anxiously looking for more people to add to our teaching pool. Rick is of course our most progressing investigator right now. We have a lesson with him tonight and Wednesday. He was pretty sad about Sister Olsen leaving, so now we are trying to establish a good relationship with him and Sister Blain too. It shouldn't keep him from progressing, because its not us the missionaries that we are trying to convert him to. It is to the Lord. SO considering this is the Lord's work, I know that if Rick continues to read and pray about the BOM he will eventually get baptized. We may very likely be talking about baptism in the coming lessons, which is a huge step and it is exciting. How great would that be if he were to get baptized during the Christmas season and then next year be sealed to Rose in the temple for time and all eternity. Sounds like the greatest Christmas gift to me, and how great would it be to be able to see that happen and to be able to have 2 "white" Christmases in a row.

Let's see, what else. Well, today is a day of shopping. I'm finally going to get me some boots and leggings. It's getting cold here, burr. And now with the time change it gets dark at about 4:45. Crazy right?! Yah, I thought so too! It makes it a little difficult for contacting people at night...but I suppose we are just going to have to start getting creative haha. Thanksgiving is around the corner. What are ya'll doing this year? I'm looking forward to our Thanksgiving, we are planning to be have Thanksgiving dinner with the Kings. Surprise, surprise right?! They are practically family to me now, so it will be a good Thanksgiving this year I think. Of course I will miss all of you, but hey just think in about a month and a half I will get to talk to all of you on the phone! It should be good times! I'm greatly looking forward to it.

I wanna express gratitude to all of you and for the letters and the support. Every day I am so incredibly grateful for the blessings I have seen from me serving a mission. I have learned a lot about myself, and about who i want to be. I have learned so much about the gospel and what it takes to truly take upon the name of CHrist and to always stand as a witness of him. I have witnessed the blessings that come from having a testimony of the restored gospel, and I am incredibly grateful for the testimony in which my Heavenly Father has given me. I wish so badly for the people that we are teaching, to feel what it is that I feel when I talk about this gospel and about our Savior. The message we share is the most important message I could ever share. We do have something special and something to be grateful for every day of our lives. I know that the Lord is preparing the hearts of his children to receive us. Until next week, keep us in your prayers and know that you are in mine every day. I love you!