Almost to transfer 6! #week6of6

So this week wasn't really anything special, but it was still amazing because it was another week on the mission.

I learned something this week: The dumb side bags are actually good for 2 things/

1. holding a lot of stuff. Including 8 copies of the Book of Mormon, and a bunch of stuff you don't need.

2. It hides your butt sweat.

I went on exchanges with Sister Angeloudis this week. It's just what I needed! She's hilarious. We had so much fun. I was the designated driver for the day so why not go to Sonic with Sister Farrer and Miller? I haven't laughed that hard on my mission is so long!
Something else I learned this week. Perspective can change the smallest detail into the biggest. I watched the General Women's Session of Conference this weekend and it was so amazing. General Conference is coming up this weekend, and it makes me so happy. Every time I watch it I get a greater appreciation for this gospel and for the fact that we have modern day prophets and apostles.

I love this gospel, and I'm so excited to spend these next 10 months still serving the Lord with my heart, might, mind, and strength.

Have a good week everyone!

1,2, and 3. Exchange pictures. Ignore the double chins.

4. telling knock knock jokes with Lydia

5. lyds. Literally cried when we left their house last night. I want my siblings to love me this much.

6. Inspiration from the prophet

7 months down.

This week was by far one of the best and most interesting weeks of my mission. To start off, Sissy got baptized last night. It was the most spiritual baptism I've been to. She is so amazing. Tons of primary kids and members of the ward came to support her. When she got out of the water and she was changing..she looked at me and said "adeezhí (sister in Navajo), When I came out of the water I could feel the weight being peeled off of me. Like a layer of sin is gone. I'm clean now." I literally balled my eyes out. She has the sweetest spirit about her. I love her with all of my heart.

On a light note..there's a lady not in our area who wanted us to bring her daughter out on visits with us. We were thinking her daughter was 15 or 16. When she dropped her daughter off with us..she was 12. It was the funniest night ever. We felt bad taking her by potentials so we took her to the Tui'One's and made brownies. On our way there her tire got flat. "My bike tire bulges out like my cat does when it lays down." straight quote from Lilly. I almost peed myself I was laughing so hard.

Then at the constitution fair that we helped out with on Saturday night, Selema ( a girl in Sister Sprouse's area) told me that the stain on my white shirt looked like an armpit fart.

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/wrong-roads

This is one of my favorite videos and talks by Jeffery R. Holland. It makes you realize that everything happens for a reason. You need to go down some paths to realize why another is so much better for you. No matter what things happen in your life - good or bad - they're all for a reason. They're all to get you to where you need to be - Closer to our father in Heaven.

I hope that you all have an amazing week.

STAY GOLDEN

1. Sister Burton, Sissy, and Myself
2. The missionaries and Sissy! Elder Kenner, the one to the left of Sissy, found her and started the lessons with her

3. The Reeds came!

4. Kenzlie, Avery and Gracie's little sister. She's a psycho, and we love her.

Change is a good thing

Nothing really happened this week. I can say that football season stinks on a mission. People either don't want to talk to you because they're watching the game, or they invite you in to watch the game...which you can't.
Also the best part of my mission was an LBGT LDS Support group FHE that we went to at the Torriente's house 2 weeks ago. It was so much fun! The people there loved that we were there. We made it known that we didn't support their way of life, but that we loved them because they are children of God. One of the guys came up and hugged me and thanked us for being there. He said it was so nice to see real missionaries talking to gays. It made me feel so good. You never know how something so simple could change someone's mind.
So I think everyone who's been on a mission or has had a sibling or child who has gone on a mission knows that missions are hard. This week has definitely been a difficult one. With all things that are hard and try us, they break us down then build us back up. That's what my mission is doing..it's building me back up into the person that Heavenly Father wants me to be. It's what every mission - and every trial - will do if you let it.

Change is a good thing. That's one of the biggest lessons that I've learned on my mission. You're supposed to change. That's what we're sent here to do. To change and grow closer to our Father in Heaven so that we can make it back to him one day.

This Saturday I got permission to go to the temple with Sister Koyle. She and I did a session together and ended up in a Spanish session. It was so amazing. It was one of the most spiritual experiences that I've had at the temple. As I was sitting in the Celestial room I cried my eyes out. I know that this gospel is true. I know that we go through trials for a reason. I know that my family can be together for eternity. I KNOW that this gospel can change lives.

STAY GOLDEN

1. Sometimes you need to make a hair change.

2. One of my favorite quotes by President Uchtdorf

3rd week of the 5th transfer

So nothing really exciting this week happened. We went to the old people's home on Thursday like we do every week. When we had to leave I leaned over to give Mrs. Sylvia a hug. She grabbed my bottom and yelled "WOW! You have a firm butt. Boys. Her butt is reeeaaal firm." Literally the most embarrassing moment of my life thanks to an 80 year old. 

Our fav ward mission leader got up in church yesterday and mentioned us in his heartfelt testimony. It made me tear up.

Word for word is what he said. "Our sisters are weird. One likes potato flavored ice cream and potato chips. The other is from Mississippi and should be from Malaysia because you can't understand a word she says." Wonderful words from Brother Boone, and definitely picks up the member trust. haha

A miracle that did happen this week is that Sister B and I were biking down a street both of us were prompted to go down. We ended up talking to this amazing guy, Paul about the gospel. He is in the marines and is getting shipped off to the middle east in 2 weeks. He told us to come back and talk to him before he leaved. We're going to write our testimonies in a Book of Mormon and give it to him the next time we see him!

Wise words from Sister K: Be a pineapple. 

Stay Golden everyone, and remember that Jesus loves you 

A moment of silence for Christian

Not a whole lot of stuff happened this week. We moved into a new house, we lost a ward, and the whole mission is switched up. We had 30 new missionaries coming in and not enough areas. So they moved around wards to make new areas. Easy peasy, right? Right.
Well Sissy, our investigator, had a birthday so we helped throw a birthday party for her! All of the 9 year old primary children came and it was so much fun! I love the simple love that they have for Sissy.
On Thursdays we go to the nursing home and help out with them. This Thursday they were dancing and having a party for the birthday people. This old man pulled me out of my chair and started dancing with me. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me that I was beautiful. I just told him thanks and that it was too bad that I was about 60 years younger than he was. He laughed and laughed.
That's about all that happened.
So that tad pole Sister B and I found in the irrigation water? He jumped out of his jar and dried up on the ground. So Christian is no longer. That's what we get for keeping a pet. haha
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” —James 1:5–6
All we have to do is turn to our Father in Heaven for peach and comfort. He will help us with anything. He is always there. Always.

Well have an amazing week everyone! and stay golden!

1&2. Our old zone

3. First night of the new transfer (I was really upset because my face mask just made me look greasy)

4. Our house group. Plus my #1. Janelle

5. This video shows how weird the Highland elders are.

6. Sister B, Sissy, and I

7. Brother and Sister Anderson. Squawman and my fellow native

Sisters B & K round 2

Sister Burton and I made it through a transfer! We are staying together. The bad thing about the huge amount of elders that are coming in..is that we have to move houses. We're going to move in with 4 other sisters. Bless us. 

"Sissy: "You guys....I want to get baptized before my birthday."

Us: "Sissy..when is your birthday?"

Sissy: "It's on Tuesday."

Us: "Us sissy..that's 4 days away."

Well..Sissy won't be getting baptized on Tuesday, but she's getting baptized on September 10th! I love her with all of my heart. 

On Tuesday I went on exchanges with Sister Sowa and we went to a crazy zoo. It was so much fun! 

The highlight of my week was that Aaron, my investigator from my first area, his dad got baptized this week!! You never know how the gospel will change someone's life. It's so amazing to see how the gospel spreads like wildfire. 

We had a mission choir last night. In the middle of one of our songs I saw my cousin, Kevyn, and her husband walk in. I started balling my eyes out. It was so good seeing a familiar face from home! 

Have an amazing week everyone! I'm sorry my email is so short, but there's a lot of things going on today. 

This is from a song Sister B and I listened to today " whatever tomorrow brings whether fire or pouring rain..We won't be shaken." I feel like we could all use that in our lives. Don't let anything shake you. Stay firm in the faith!

STAY GOLDEN EVERYONE! 

1. Kevyn and I

2. Sister Ledua, E Schroder, E. Mckight, and I this morning.

3. S Young, Myself, Aaron, his daddy, S Farrar, and S Rasmussen at Aaron's dad's baptism

4. Just getting my start on being a cat lady

5. my new kid

6. My surprise lunch dates last week :) 

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 20, too

See what I did there?

This week has been so amazing! We picked up 5 new investigators, and one of them is on date. Aaron, a guy who got baptized in my first area, his dad is in the area right next to my new area...and he's getting baptized this weekend! The Lord really works miracles when you do everything that you're supposed to.

This week we had FHA with our zone. It was so much fun. These guys are such weirdos, but it makes it fun!

I'm also hitting my slump day this Wednesday (6 months). It's insane how much time flies by when you're doing what you're supposed to.

I'm so thankful for my trails and for everyone who has helped me get to where I am today. Thank you for all who have put up with me, who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, who taught me and helped me get on a mission. I'm so glad that I'm here on a mission. There's no where else I'd rather be, and I couldn't imagine not having all of these people in my life.

I've gained such a strong testimony since I've been out. In these short 6 months I've gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, eternal families, the restoration of the gospel, and of the Temple. I know that all of these things were put here on the earth so that we could use them fully and get back to our Father in Heaven one day. I'm so glad that I'm in Arizona, even though it's a million degrees, teaching people about these things and helping them come closer to our Savior.

Also huge shout out to my angel mother who grew me for 9 months, and has taken care of me for 240 months. Also the best thing my companion has ever told me about turning 20 is:"You should be really proud of yourself. You made it past your teens. That means you made it out of the teen pregnancy statistics." Thank you Sister, B.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-09-016-wrong-roads?lang=eng#d
"When something doesn't seem to be going just right. We stay in. We keep working. We keep believing.Keep trusting, following that same path, and we will live to fall in His arms and feel His embrace and hear Him say, "I told you it would be OK. I told you it would be all right."

STAY GOLDEN EVERYONE! 

1. My Zone.

2. Sister Burton and I met Satan this week. (The cat..not the little girl).

3. The Silos!

4,5,6,&7. What a birthday looks like at 5:30 am. Excuse the ugly