Desbie came to church!

So this week has been pretty great time is flying! My district leader asked me to teach part of district meeting on thursday so that should be interesting. I am pretty excited about it though. Except I still when talking in front of our district or a large group of people - I will talk really fast when I am excited and then I kind of forget to breath haha. Its kind of interesting. Almost makes me wonder why I forget to breath, and how I can be more aware of that. So I think I will be talking about what makes a successful missionary. Focusing more on the desire to do good then the outward results of your work such as baptism. I think its a really good thing to talk about with our district because really they all work SO hard but sometimes it means they are just knocking on doors all day. Really I have felt very blessed with the amount of people we have to teach and how many referals we receive, the support of the ward (the ward liking us) and really people seem pretty willing to talk to us when we talk to them on the street.

Sometimes we aren't sure if they will remember their talking to us the next day or not (because they tend to be drunk when they go out of their way to talk with us) haha.

Its interesting in the store today there was a lady preacher that came and talked with us and basically she told me that she could just tell from our hearts that we were really good people and she told me that she could tell that I was really close to God/ had a strong connection with her. She actually would tell us somethings and we would testify of what we knew to be true. And then she asked if she could pray with us, and so we had a little prayer circle in the middle of an aisle at walmart. Made me a little anxious but hey that is great that her devotion to God is so great. And really throughout her prayer she was just asking for us to be blessed. And that is a nice thing.

It made me think of the way other people may feel when we show up at their doors. Another reason why its so important for members to be the ones introducing us to their friends.

Well something that was really great was we invited our investigator friend Michael Barney (who is on date) to a baptism (of an investigator some of our elders are teaching) and we asked a member of the ward to give him a ride there. (we were going to go but weren't able to finish other priorities in time-dealing with sister egginton's calling) and so we missed it. So Michael called us and he basically said "I felt the spirit really strong, the Holy Ghost felt really good" so That was a Really good thing. So really we are just needing him to stop chewing tobacco and to move out from his girlfriends place. (She doesn't want to get married which is pretty sad, and so ultimately we really hope he chooses the Gospel). Something that was really great was that Desbie!!!! 4 of her kids, Melissa, Michael Barney, and a cute cute 11 yr old girl named Sheriden (with an e) and her 7 yr old brother and 9 yr old cousin came to church. It was SO great! It only counted as 4 "inestigators" at church" but I'm hoping that it shows the ward that the work is moving. Really they do good at stepping up and introducing themselves, or giving a ride, and helping the kids go to classes, So that is wonderful. We are Really hoping that Desbie liked church (Sheridan seemed to/I mean Sheriden) She is so sweet. But ya that worked out really nicely. Reading the book of mormon in Portuguese I am on 1 nephi 10! Also something pretty awesome is in walmart I talked to 2 spanish familes, with the little spanish I have basically Hola, Como Esta, and I understood that the 6 yr old boy asked me what my name was :)!!! Which is cool. Bummer that it wasn't portuguese. But really I might learn spanish after my mission so that I can have both. But really the little boy was so sweet! And Im Really pretty sure that the mom liked that I was trying spanish, and the other family I talked to was listening and smiling. So that is a good thing.

Really though I am EXCITED to use Portugese haha. I'm loving it here but I would really enjoy speaking portuguese. Seriously :) 

Hmmm

well guess what?! I decided instead of waking up at 6:30 I would wake up at 6:20 so that by 6:30 I would be dressed (basically I sleep in the same clothes I work out in haha, hopefully thats not bad) and ready to work out. And I wear glasses while working out to save time (of not putting in contacts. What else was I going to say... Oh I make my bed every morning ;)

Something Else Sister Egginton has done that I admire and have chosen to do as well- has been fasting every sunday. Basically its great. I'm not sure though which is more important, because fasting for people is super good, but then there is an hour or too from the time church gets out to dinner that we start feeling a little bit like we are running on empty haha. But I think its agood thing and so I will probably continue to do it. Its nice because then we as a companionship (all 3 of us) pray together.

I'm not sure but I think I am doing better at writing longer emails. Hopefully I am.

Oh wow guess what?! We met with an investigator today who we told that he could read the book of mormon online, and so we went back about a week later and checked up on his reading (assuming he probably forgot) and he was like

Ya I read the first two. And we are thinking Oh WOW that is great! Like the first 2 chapters?

and he is like- !st and 2nd nephi!!!!!! Wowwww. And he basically did that in a couple days.

So that was pretty great. So we let him know that it was wonderful and then encouraged him to pray when he reads so that he is able to know of its truth (and understand how it applies to him).

So those were good things. Ever since we started praying for the spanish elders we have been able to give them a couple more referals. Hopefully better ones then previously haha.

I basically gave them a spanish family orginially simply on the basis that they were spanish.

Oh I don't know if I mentioned but we were at this families house- The Eagers and their 6 yr old daughter (who I really feel Sage can't possibly be 6, so grown up!!!!!) but anyways the daughter when she hugged me said "You are my Favorite sister missionary ever!!!" Which was reallyy sweet of her (I hope that it didn't make my other companion not feel as good. BUt really little kids (girls Especially) seem to Really Reallyyyy like me. Its super cute.

Like we were teaching Carmen and JOhn and the Grand daughter was asking me questions, and showing me her stick on tatoos to which I let her know that its good they were fake and that tatoos arent good. (I actually cleaned the tatoos off desbie's kids arms and legs with a wet clothe when we were cleaning her house while letting them know that fake tatoos weren't good (literally they were Always covered in them, and now I haven't seen a single one on them) so hopefully that will help later in life. But anyways this little girl basically sat right in front of me to talk to me, haha, and she kept getting really excited and wanting my attention haha (she is 4) of course little girls make me think of how adorable Sage is and how I know she is probably growing up really well.

Also!! Spence is growing?! :) My cute little baby brother :) :) I'm happy for him, but he is such a hug-able height!

Something else I was going to share...

Hm- I'm not sure. But I'm really liking it here. I'm really loving the people we are teaching, and they seem to be progressing very well. I like testifying to people. I feel that testimonies guided by the Spirit are the most powerful things we can share.

Well I sure love you all!!

OHHHH I remember!

So we were in church. And desbie's 2 yr old son picked a scab off his face, anddd guess where he put it? In his mouth. Yeahhhhh I was doing my best not to gag. I thought I was super subtle. BUt then Jess Joseph (this lady I sometimes sit by in relief society that I live) later asked me why I looked ill in church hahaha ahhh. Ya my mission will probably get rid of that gag reflex for sure.

But anyways things are going pretty good. I notcied that I now really like things to be clean and put away. And support the whole no animals in the house. I'm thinking I will move by an older couple who has a dog and then my kids can take care of that dog while keeping our yard pet free haha. But I think it would be good to have a guard dog so I'm not sure.

Well I sure love you all!

Tchau!

Miracles because of sacrament meeting

SO!

This was an absolutely amazing week I really hope that I will be able to remember everything I wanted to share. Well first of all my companionship decided to do a group fast yesterday and really it was the best fast I have ever had, for a couple reasons. First of all I really felt like I was praying for things I sincerely needed help with (with our investigators) and ALSO because Carmen and JOhn Valdez came to church!!! They have been being taught for a LONG time and even the last 3 months of me being here we have been trying to get them to church. Then the other day in their lesson John said firmly and seriously "Carmen. Tell all the kids NOT to bring their kids on sunday. We are going to Church!" And they did! And so I was super excited, but then of course I was praying that the people bearing their testimonies would say good things. I mean I have Always loved fast and testimony meeting but sometimes people have allowed themselves to be offended by something that was said (Dianne's husband when he came to church was offended by something which was a real bummer because he hadn't come in a LONG time and really is the only thing holding Dianne back from being able to put her whole heart and soul into becoming a member)

But anyways I was praying that it would be really good,

and it could NOT have been Better. It was Amazing!! People were saying such wonderful things about how its important to try hard but sometimes we mess up but we can still be forgiven, and analogies about how God forgives and loves us, and about how they aren't perfect and wow JOhn Needed to hear those things. Because basically he felt he didn't belong in church because he wasn't perfect and had bad experiences with people judging him in other churches (like a pastor basically telling him that he was not going to make it to heaven, etc etc so Really Tough things to over come when we are encouraging him to go to church) but ya I totally took a lot of notes because I knew there were amazingly inspired things said and if he didn't notice it would be because he wasn't listening. So after sacrament meeting

and this is Amazing!!

Our Bishop went up...Introduced himself, said "I heard you served in Vietnam" (which is one of the reasons he feels he can never be forgiven" and then the Bishop said "So did I"

My heart leaped! I was SO happy!!! What a tender mercy!! Not only did he introduce himself as the Bishop but let him know that he was the same.

Anyways it is hard to describe but I simply can't deny the fact that the Lord really IS in charge
So- blessing the other day.

We have amazing spanish Elders and they work super hard, but basically every super prepared person they meet they have to give to us because they can Only work with Spanish speakers. Therefore we get a Lot of wonderful people to teach and have amazing lessons and they have to continue knocking doors basically all day.

And of course they are doing an amazing job, but it might be hard for them to recognize thta.

Anyways I made a goal to be able to find a spanish person a day for them

(pretty extreme)

so we were walking down the street and I remembered my goal, so I prayed in my heart to be able to find someone for the Elders.

The NEXT house we passed had 4 people sitting on the porch and so I said hi to them and basically shared a little of the Gospel with them (man basically said that only Catholics go to heaven, and I was like- oh thats really interesting to think, do you mind if I send the spanish Elders over) and he said Spanish was the pure language, and that the Spaniards were the first people to be in America, and so I let him know that spanish is wonderful and thats why we have spanish elders

etc etc

and so I gave them a spanish pass along card, and a family proclamation (because he talked about how only Catholics get married) and then I called the elders and sent them over

It was pretty crazy. I don't know if the man would soften his heart to listen, but his girlfriend seemed to be interested. So we shall see :)

Either way once again my prayers were answered, instantly

Something else which was a pretty amazing experience was that I was on splits with another Sister missionary I hadn't met before (who was going home in a week) and we went to teach a lesson, but the lady's husband texted us Right before and said she probably wouldn't be home.

And so I decided to walk with her to a certain Referal (from the Elders) apartment. On the way I waved at a lady and she waved back at me, and usually I just say "how are you?" and kind of move on a little bit unless they are really friendly then I attempt at sharing the gospel with them. But anyways I felt like I should talk with her, so I crossed the street to where her house was AND basically she asked for pamphlets and I said SURE turns out she has been taught by missionaries before, but she moved and No one came by (so lost in the move or something) and so when she saw us passing on the street she came out to talk with us.

So she wanted pamphlets, a Book of mormon AND basically accepted a soft baptismal date haha

because I was like "do you mind if we share a message with you?" And she basically said we couldnt come in her house because her dogs would try to get us. and so I asked if we could share one right there (on the sidewalk while she was in her yard) and she agreed, and so we said a prayer and then started talking (to see what she had been taught) and our investigator MIchael Barney came up and was talking and so I didnt know what to do and so I said "well Michael, how has reading the book of mormon helped you in your life" and WOW I was so shocked! He had recently seemed like he didn't understand what we had been teaching him but he said 

" The Book Of Mormon has helped me a lot, it is really good, I am feeling better when I read it, I know that if you listen to these girls it will bless your life, so you should read it" 

It was pretty incredible. I also had him say the closing prayer, and he Prayed that the lady would listen to our message and learn more about God.

So it was pretty fantastic. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Oh and my companion sister Egginton is very sweet, she is very good at being aware if I am going to say something or if I need something exp: we were at dinner and there was cookies for desert (our members feed us SO good, not even kidding its beyond delicious all the time) and anyways the cookies were way out of my reach and I didn't want to interrupt anyone and ask for one, but she just grabbed me one, and then later when I wanted another seriously all I did was look at them and she grabbed me one. She is super good at getting things for me first (like plates or cups or whatever we need) anyways its hard to explain but she is great.

Another blessing

There was a wonderful lady named Vee Yahzee, she has 3 of the cutest girls. Her boyfriend was in jail though. And so we were teaching her and it was going wonderful. And then one day she said she didn't want to be a "Mormon" and basically dropped us. But I sincerely felt that she wasn't someone we should let go of that easily.

And so I wanted to go back but one of our companions didn't

and so when we had this transfer I mentioned it to sister Egginton the other day and so we were able to go over. And we talked to her and she totally said we could come back the next day :)!!

So that was amazing. We haven't got to see her though (we dropped by yesterday) and she wasn't home but I'm trying to see her tonight (I will be going with Tasha Ogle a young women in the ward (who loves coming with us and asked if she could come with us tonight) So of course I said yes!! Because when people are willing to help I want to do basically everything neccesary to allow them to come.

By the way I love that our Last name is Kimball. Really people here LOVE President Kimball. 

Anyways I love you all!! Tchau!