Sometimes He Lets It Rain

Zone Conference



Happy Monday! It hope all is going well for all. I feel very blessed to have received a lot of letters recently from friends and family and want to thank you all for that. It helps to keep me going, seriously! For me it has been a humbling, but very good week- full of many ups and downs. I have felt very blessed that the Lord feels like I'm ready to grow more.

This week a lot happened. We had zone conference, which was so good. We learned a lot about the Doctrine of Christ and I was reminded of the importance of teaching the basics to our investigators. I felt the spirit so strong and it was just good to be with the other missionaries. It's so fun to meet the many different types of people that we do, but it's also good to interact with people that have the same beliefs and value system as you and that understand you.

Also, I was able to go to the Mesa Temple this week. We get to go once a transfer and it was such a blessing. I love the temple and forgot how much I needed and missed it in my life until then. There is such a peace there! It really is like Heaven! I felt so much that the Lord was with me and it helped to keep me going.

This week has also had it's trials. I've been working on teaching more in the lessons and as I do that, I am very humbled. I learned this all in the MTC, but I feel now like I need to relearn it all. But the Lord has blessed me and I have learned a lot very quickly. One thing that I'm re-realizing is that I'm a huge perfectionist and on a mission, it's not good to be a perfectionist because you are aware of every single one of your weaknesses. So, I easily get discouraged, but now is my chance to overcome this and to learn to be more patient with myself. I was recently reminded of what is probably my favorite scripture right now. Alma 26:12: Yeah, I know that I am nothing and as to my strength I am weak...but I will boast in my God because through Him I can do all things. (That's more of a paraphrase because I don't have my scriptures with me right now).

This week we met a wonderful lady, Gabby, who just kind of fell into our laps. She's going to the English ward, but her native language is Spanish. She has decided that she wants to be baptized and just needs to be taught by the missionaries now. She is a sweetheart. She's been going to church for a while with her husband, who is a member, so she knows most of what we are teaching already. She is very in tune with the spirit, so every lesson is amazing and she understands super easily. She has been prepared by the Lord. She needs to get over smoking, but she's just about done with that and has decided to replace it with Chocolate instead- I love that! She's just wonderful! We just fell in love with her since the day we met her and she makes being a missionary so easy! She'll probably be baptized on June 11. We feel very blessed to have met her.

Other lessons this week have gone well, but we have been having a hard time keeping some lessons. The people forget or cancel on us so often. This week we wanted to invite two of our investigators to be baptized, but both of them canceled on that very night.

Yesterday all four of us missionaries talked and sang in church. It was my first talk in Spanish. I was super nervous, but I think it turned out okay. However, one of our members, Juan, told me that he understood most of it. Hispanics are very honest sometimes... It just makes me laugh. My spanish is growing and I see it every day. I know the Lord is blessing me.

This week, like every week, we had some funny things happen to us. From Juan we were given what he said was "carmels", but what were really cough drops. Also, Hermana Norton recieved a glass dolphin and soap box as late birthday presents from one investigator. Then we were teaching a drunk man and trying to tell him about the gospel, and at the same time there was Justin Beiber music blasting in the background. The guy had no idea what was going on, but we tried!

Well, this is kind of a weird email today. Sorry about all the disorganization. Life is good and I know that the Lord is blessing me. I'm having a great time and really enjoying life. Thanks again for all your support!