This week was really good!
Monday we had a different P-day schedule because of
Halloween. President didn't want us out in the evening, so instead of having
prep from 10-6, we had 10-3, then 3-6 regular missionary stuff, and then 6-9
was prep again. I actually loved it that way and wish we could do that all the
time. It was awesome. We had so much fun Monday night. We had to stay in our
apartments, but there's four of us sisters who live together and Sis. Atkinson
and Sis. Goodrich borrowed some games from the Weavers. We had a hilarious time
with Clue, ha ha!
P-Day game night!
Lately we've been having a big focus in the mission about
family history work. Yes! But sometimes that's really hard to teach people,
especially members who are either Hispanic and it's hard to find their records,
or white and have been members for generations and generations and all their
research and work is done and it's really hard to find new people. So Hermana
Shewell and I decided to think outside the box and realized Journaling /record
keeping of our own lives is a huge part of family history, too! Even if we
can't do much looking back, we can give the future generations a lot to go off
of. So we created a list of 20 questions that they can start with to write
their personal history! I love it I'll send a link if anyone would like to do
it! Helaman 5: 6-7 is my motivation! I want my kids, grand kids, and great
grand kids to be able to look back on what I've done and be motivated and
inspired to be good.
Wednesday and Thursday we had exchanges with Sisters
Goodrich and Atkinson! It was really fun, I got to work with Sister Goodrich in
their area. I've only been doing purely Spanish work for a transfer, but it was
already so hard adjusting to teaching in English for the day! It was great
though. We met this funny lady named Cecily and also got a member, Brian to
come out with us for a few hours! Returned Missionaries are the best! It was
funny because he just got back from a mission in Mexico like a month ago, and
he's still struggling so hard with English, especially praying in English!
Cecily asked him if he would say it and he was struggling SO hard. There were
so many Y's! I feel you buddy. There were so many funny moments, and Sister
Goodrich is SO sweet. It was an awesome exchange. After I got back to my own
area, we had a lesson with Fernando. He seemed really off, like something was
really bothering him. Like he was really sad or overwhelmed or stressed about
something. But the lesson still went really well. We just showed him a lot of
love and encouragement and hoped for the best!
Exchanges with Sister Goodrich
Friday we had Zone Training meeting. It was a super powerful
meeting this month and packed with spirit, insights, and personal revelation!
We actually have a new policy in the mission now that we have to go tracting
one hour every day. A lot of people were really mad about it, but I'm actually
weirdly happy. I don't like tracting and I don't really have a testimony of it
because nothing good has ever come out of it in my personal mission experience,
but I know a lot of missionaries who have had amazing experiences with it. And
I know it's really good to do things you hate. I know this was inspired and
hopefully it will help me get a testimony of knocking on doors! Even if I have
to knock a thousand to find the one, I'll do it!
Later that afternoon we went to the Reina’s to do some
service. They had to cook 100lbs of carne asada and make 500 fried tacos for an
event they were helping out with, so we went over to help them. It was actually
super fun. I love to cook! and we even got to mash potatoes with our hands. (And
we made a mashed potato snow man!)
Making Carne Asada
Mashed Potato snowmen!
Saturday we did weekly awesomeness (we had to adjust some
things because Zone Training Meeting went way over on time.) And it was awesome
as usual!
Something cool on Saturday was that in the morning during my
personal study I had a cool revelation of how to explain Grace vs. Works. This
is something I've been working on and studying about for a long, long, long time…pretty
much my entire mission so far, because so many people that I've come across
think that Mormons think we earn heaven! And that's so not true. Okay so this
is how I see it. (I'm going to give an analogy so get ready)
Say you get bitten by a rattle snake and are poisoned and
dying. You, by yourself, cannot save yourself. No matter how hard you try, you
won't be able without outside help. You need an antidote. So let's say there's
this bottle of pills that you can take that will cancel out the poison and save
you. So you can't do it on your own, but also just simply identifying the pills
as the antidote they are, won't save you. You can't just say "I know that
these pills can save me" and be cured. You have to actually take them,
right? It might be really hard because you feel weak, but you have to take them
for them to actually work in you.
This is just like the Savior and His role in our salvation.
When we sin, it is like a spiritual poison, and Jesus' sacrifice, His Atonement
(suffering and dying for us) is the antidote. but just identifying Him as the Savior
and "accepting" Him as such alone, won't save you. you have to apply
the atonement. Take the pills and let His Grace work in you. The way to do this
is by repenting- giving up your sins, asking for forgiveness, and changing for
the better, and by obedience to God's commandments. That's where our works come
in. It's not that we're earning our salvation, because there's no way we'll
ever, ever be able to do that. We're just applying His grace in our lives,
which is what makes salvation possible. Even though it's hard because you feel
weak, you have to do it. He can't save you unless you choose to be saved,
choose to apply the atonement! Take the pills!
Saturday night we got transfer calls! Sister Goodrich will
be moving to Yakima, and Hermana Shewell is going to Hood river! She'll be in a
trio with Hermana Andrews and Young. I'm SO EXCITED for her! She's been wanting
to serve down there ever since we went to Max's baptism and she saw how
gorgeous it is. My new companion will be Hermana Buss. We have never served
around each other but we have a lot of companions and areas in common! The
biggest one is White Salmon. She was actually there with Hermana Marble, and
then I took her place. She was one of the missionaries who first found and
started teaching Tyler. So we already have a lot in common and I'm really
excited! I'll still be senior comp, but she's actually been out for like 11
months, so I’m not senior by much! It will be so cool to be in a companionship
of two oldies :) I bet her Spanish is really good. :) Also, we found out Elder
Vejnar is coming here! I am SO excited! He was my district leader my last 2 transfers
in White Salmon and he and Hermana Hull and I were like besties. I'm pretty
excited to catch up with him. I also found out my friends, Elder Harman, got
called to be a Zone leader, and Elder Buchanan to be a district leader! I am so
excited for this transfer, even though I'm really sad to say goodbye to Hermana
Shewell.
Sunday was SO
AMAZING. Every single one of the Spanish group members came except for one
person!! THAT NEVER HAPPENS. Even an investigator was there. It was so cool!
Also, we got a new Spanish group leader ( kind of like a Branch President), Brother
Robins, and FERNANDO IS HIS ASSISTANT (kind of like a counselor). That's why he
was so overwhelmed! The second two hours were super good, too! I was so happy.
Us with Fernando
Last night we started making some rounds saying goodbye to
people for Hermana Shewell. It was sad but good.
I am so excited to see what this next transfer holds!
I love and miss you all.
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