Spiritual High

Well this week has been an extremely emotional one! So many changes and new challenges/callings make for an exhausting yet rewarding week! The beginning of the week was filled with saying goodbyes to some of our investigators and ward members for Sister W. She was really shocked to be leaving because I thought for sure I was leaving. I don't really know why, but obviously I was wrong! Anyway of our older investigators took us out to dinner again. She really was super upset that they were splitting us up and kept saying that she didn't think it was fair and how mean it was of them to do that. We try to explain it to her, but she such a stinking stubborn old lady! Yet, I love her! We also had some good lessons with J and one of the member families in our area. He said he has faith that this could be true, but he wants to be able to commit to it 100 percent if it’s what he is going to do and he claims he hasn't seen that commitment from his family (they are all baptized except him) and so he still is apprehensive about it. But he is just barely starting to open his heart after 16 years, so I imagine it might take him a little time to receive the "strong" answer he wants. He really needs to read the Book of Mormon so until he desires to do that, I don't think he's going to get his answer.

We also went out to eat with some young women in the ward because they were also sad that they were changing us. We went to eat with them and it turned out to be a super spiritual time that resulted in tears at the end. We have been told in blessings and also by President that we were put together for a reason and I think some of it had to do with the young women. Also maybe just to get the ball rolling with some investigators and see that we actually have personalities and know how to have fun while still being able to preach the gospel. (Sister W brings out my crazy side in me, so I definitely have come out of my shell a little!) Anyway so that was really fun to be able to go with them. We also went to one of our ward families and they bought us HUGE bags of popcorn from Costco. They have gotten us addicted to it so they bought it for us as our goodbye present. I love them so much!! We also said goodbye to R. He said no one would ever be able to replace us and we have already made such a huge difference in his life and his family. He is really sweet and his son even said he was going to miss us being together. So even though we didn't have any baptisms, I hope we actually did touch some people’s lives and help them come closer to Christ, and if nothing else, planted many seeds for someone else to harvest.

On Wednesday I got my new greenie! She is from Idaho as well. She is the youngest of 10 children, and went to BYU-I and got her nursing license. She is also 20 years old. She's super sweet and really excited to do the work so I'm glad I don't have to nag at her or anything. It’'s super challenging to be a trainer I'm finding out. I never know when to correct, or when to just let them learn for themselves. I'm trying to thrive off of the MTC fire they have when they first come out and use it to our advantage. She has a lot of good ideas that we have tried before, but it’s hard to know when to let them try them again, or when to tell them it might not be the best option. Letting them learn on their own and fall at times, but being there to pick them up. It's tough to get the balance right. I'm assuming that's what parenting is like, but much harder. Anyway it's a good growing experience though. I thought for sure that I didn't know the area, but I've done pretty good so far! We still haven't gotten lost (knock on wood!) That’s a blessing for sure. Anyway I kept up the tradition and took her to one of lady investigators on our first day. haha I really don't know what to do for her because she changes her mind every time we go there, but Bishop still wants us to meet with her so we do, plus she is fun and adorable so I like going there anyway.

Lately we've really been focusing on the Book of Mormon. We have given it to quite a few people or just really emphasized its importance a lot. We tell them how it will help their faith grow and help them get answers to their prayers and it's the key to all happiness and all that jazz. We gave one lady the Book of Mormon and for once she was totally stumped and didn't have anything sassy to say or joke about. So I hope this is what gets her! I just have such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and that we can receive so many answers from its pages. It literally has the key to happiness in it because it not only allows us to get answers, but to learn more of the

gospel and it brings us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We also got in to teach another lady this week. She has depression and is bipolar and multiple other things. It was the second time she let us in. The first time we went, she was super down and quiet but this time she was super bubbly and long winded. She talked forever. But we also have really been focusing on faith and the atonement with a lot of people too. And she definitely needs that in her life right now because she is going through some pretty hard times.

So super fun times! We got to watch the cultural celebration for the Gilbert Temple! It was pretty cool. Man, those kids were so soaked though. It has been raining the past few days and it rained the ENTIRE performance. They were freezing. But it was cool.. Oh, I forgot to mention it was on TV! ABC15 covered it and so we watched it at a member’s house. It was super cool. 

Plus we also got to go to one of the sessions of the dedication. (There were three.) Poor President Monson is not looking to good though. He was really feeble and he only spoke in one of the sessions for about 5 minutes. He was so cute doing the cornerstone though. He had a few kids come up and put some mortar on and he exclaimed, "YAY! You get to help build the temple!" It was so cute. It touched my heart. It was such an awesome spiritual experience. It made me reflect on how lucky I have been to be a part of 3 temple dedications already in my life. Plus I got to be in the cultural celebration myself! What a blessing! Anyway I love President Monson with my whole heart and the spirit has testified to me more than once that he is in fact a prophet of God. So it's been somewhat of a spiritual high with all the temple things going on. I was hoping President Monson would drive past us as we were biking around in the rain.. haha we were soooo soaked. We had to have towels when we went into the member’s house for dinner. It just came down and I was wearing my rain coat too and I was all the way soaked through! But the water was much needed.

Anyway I love the church and I'm glad to be here on a mission. It's the best thing ever. Have a good week!