Hard Work and Miracles

This week has been full of hard work and miracles. I want to share my rose of the week:) Yesterday, we went to visit an elderly lady in the ward. We invited her caregiver to join us for the lesson, we were hoping we would be able to teach her as a new investigator. She is from the Philippians but spoke really good English. She told us all of the wonderful experiences she has had with this Mormon family and all of the Mormon people she had met. She said I love your church! so we shared a message about prayer and when we gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon she said,"can I keep this? I want to read this!" We told her the copy was for her which made her very happy. She said "Ill give it back to you when I am done." But we insisted she could keep it. Then we invited her to be baptized, she said ,"Yes! When? I want to be a Mormon!" We set a date with her for May 19th, she is so excited to be baptized. It was a huge miracle we were all in tears. She doesn't live in our area so we are getting her all set up with the missionaries close to where she lives. I know Heavenly Father is preparing people. I love my mission, I love the people here, I love the Gospel and I love Jesus Christ. <3

Huntiongton Beach, Pacific Shores Ward

Well I am right close to the beach! It's beautiful, the scenery and the people! Sorry I dont have pictures yet! My new companions are Sister Saintonge from Montreal, Canada. Her first language is french. I have another companion, Sister Lambson who is fresh from the MTC, only been in the mission field for 2 weeks now. But she is a really good missionary, she is pretty much training me;) I love the ward I am in. Sister Lambson sprained her ankle last week and so she hasn't been able to work very much but she has been spending a lot of time with our ward members. Its a really hard area, not a lot of people talk to us. So I try to find good things everyday. Sometimes people let us finish our sentence, and might even let us say a prayer with them. those are good days. or yesterday i found some bubble wrap that made me really happy! haha. Whether people listen to us or not, it doesn't change the fact that Heavenly Father is real and He loves them. He sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to live and overcome the world. It doesn't change the fact that Joseph Smith really did see God and Jesus Christ and was called to be a Prophet. Whether people believe it or not, it doesn't change what is absolutely true. So I find joy in my knowledge of these things, trying to share them, and also in spending time on my knees praying. 

I want to leave you with a brief testimony that I know this Gospel is true. I have had questions this week questioning my faith, how strong it is anyway. But in my lesson yesterday, when our investigator was saying how the Book of Mormon isn't true and he doesn't want to read it. In desperation I started to read to him the account when Christ came and visited the people in America. Well.. he didn't feel the spirit testify to him. But I did. I felt it and the tears came to my eyes as I was reading. I know this Church is true. I know the Book of Mormon  is true. I can just feel it.

If you would like to read the account of Jesus appearing to the people in the Americas, follow this link https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/11?lang=eng

Transfers!!

Transfers: Im going to Huntington Beach, Pacific Shores Ward. I will be training again, I meet my new companiontomorrow. I will also be follow-up training Sister Sietonge, she is from Canada. So I will be in a trio, which means there will be 3 of us. 

Well this week Sister P found out some news about a family member that passed away. So we spent a lot of time crying and eating chocolate together. Other than that it has been a good week, it was hard waiting for transfer assignments but then I got them and wish I didn't have them. But I know it will be a great opportunity for growth. All hard things in life are opportunities to grow. Heavenly Father knows what He's doing and thats all that matters!

On Saturday, we met a man that was telling us about all of the awful things that are happening around the world, especially to Christians. Without going into detail about the things he was talking about, just think of all the things on the news. I told him that I know that God has a plan for all of his children and he said in a fiery voice,"why didn't He save them?" I asked him if he believes in God. He said he does but he doesn't believe that God can do all things. We told him that we share a message of peace and of comfort and to call us if he would like to hear more of it. We were trying to get him to stop telling us awful graphic things. I pondered his question,"why didnt God save them?" Im here to tell you that God did save them, by sending Jesus Christ. He has saved all of us that will follow Him. I am sure that Heavenly Father has a very special place for the people who die for being Christian. 

Im so sad to be leaving Cypress but I am grateful for the time I have spent here. I love the people and they will forever be in my heart.

The little girl is Mary Jane , Amanda made us those pictures of our favorite temples, and then that is the Wiecks' and the Grovers', Bro Grover is my ward mission leader. Bro Weick is the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric. I'm gunna miss them!