Week 38

This week was crazy!

Because I was with the Sister Training leaders, all day Tuesday and Wednesday, I was in a car with them, driving missionaries to their new areas and helping them move. On September 15th, I saw my first live cows since at least December.

I got to spend a couple hours doing missionary work Wednesday night with Sister Heward! We came out together and we had so much fun! She's amazing! We spent some time at ESL with a new investigator! That class is so fun! Crazy, but fun.

In ESL:

Sister Stancliffe: What do you like to do? 

Martin* (Elders' investigator from Mexico, learning English): I like to go running on the beach.

-Later-

Sister Stancliffe: You like to go rolling (she heard rolling instead of running)? Where?

Martin: Uh........ Rolling Stones?

On Thursday we had the training meeting! I drove down with Sister Heward and we were so excited to get our new missionaries! I pretty much knew who my companion was going to be so I took a picture from where I was sitting...

It was a super great meeting. My new companion:

Hermana Polanco Aragon!

She is from Guatemala. She is so amazing and so prepared! That night, we had a super crazy lesson where an investigator lost it, and she handled it so well and testified so strongly. I'm the luckiest.

We were able to help with the Food Drive on Saturday! We spent a good couple hours in the rain helping bring in food, and also sorting it inside. 

A man named Thiago* texted us the other day to come to church! He was someone we met a long time ago, but were only able to give him our number, and not get his. But he came and loved it! He's from Ecuador!

A girl named Stephanie* came to church on her own! She has a friend in Mexico, and her dad is the Stake President, and they told her to come to church here and try it out. She did, and stayed for Briana's baptism!

Briana was baptized! It was a sweet program. Her and Matthew were both so happy. In one year from now, they can go through the temple! Eternal families! Alex was beaming the whole night and everyone could feel it!

Bishop Goetz: Where do you think the happi8est place in the world is?

Briana: Anywhere with Matthew.

I'm out of time. But here is something I learned this week.

I was reading the war chapters at the end of Alma, and I was thinking about how our Spirits are kind of like the Nephites who went to battle. They were out doing what they were supposed to, but there was a problem with the king-men in the cities, and so Pahoran (Haha hope that's right. So many P names) wasn't able to send out the provisions to the armies. As a result, the Nephites were tired and hungry and could not fight as well. It is just like our spirits. The Holy Ghost protects us, and fights against temptation, but if we are not providing what they need like scripture study, prayer, and refuge, they get worn out, and their ability to fight is weakened.

I was also thinking about how the Nephites fought because they were protecting life, liberty, and their families, and that they let the Lamanites go as long as they promised to live in peace. The Nephites immediately forgave them for what they did. That is exactly like us and our Heavenly Father. We are here, and sometimes we fight against him. We think what we want is better than what he wants for us, and we end up making a lot of mistakes. But as soon as we are ready to submit ourselves to his will, he forgives us and lets us go. He gives us another chance to do things right. I'm so grateful that we have a loving, understanding Father in Heaven!

Love you all!

Hermana Lewis