letter.sixty.five 06.23.14 where does the time go?!

I'm pretty sure this was the fastest week in the history of time. I honestly feel like it was yesterday I was writing you. It has been a really good week. It started off a bit slow because I was still really sick at the beginning of the week. But Heavenly Father really blessed me to get through the lessons and things that we needed to. I prayed very fervently that I would be healed and the next morning I felt soo much better. I feel so blessed.

must be pretty good chicken...

I think one of my favorite experiences this week was going on splits for rescue visits. This is the first time I have gone on splits on my mission. We've tried to organize it probably a million times, but this time it actually happened and it was soo good! I was with Sister S and it was beautiful. I love her so much. We get along like peas in a pod. There are some people that you meet in life that you have an instant connection with. She is one of those people for me. We had a great time together. We had some beautiful experiences in some of the less active young woman's homes. She also really helped me feel uplifted as well in our conversation. She is a returned missionary with a beautiful young family and she is just radiating with testimony and love. I love her so much.

treats they made and took to people.

We've also had amazing lessons with the girls who are getting baptized. Oh my goodness I love them so much. They really soak in all the things that we teach them. They're preparing for baptism this weekend and it's going to be so good. They are really changing their lives. They have come so far from where they were when we first met them. I can see their testimonies growing. They are like our little sisters we love them so much. 

One of the lessons a member from the young woman's presidency took us up there (cause it's far and uses up all our k's.) But it was so good to have her at the lesson. She bore a beautiful testimony and helped them feel of the love from the young woman's. It was awesome. I also loved the conversation we had on the way up and down. Man! I just can't get over how much I love the members here. I love chatting with them about their experiences in the gospel and the missionary work they are doing. A lot of the members who came with us this week haven't come to lessons ever before and it was so awesome to see them come and enjoy it. Missionary work is the best. 

There were some rough patches of this week as well. There were some times that Satan really tried to get us down, but we didn't let him. We pushed through and kept going. I had some powerful studies this week as well that helped me to be able to have more spiritual stamina to overcome those things. I am so thankful for the scriptures. They were my strength and comfort in the times when it was tough. It all turned out well in the end.

We also got a ride down with members to another remote part of our area to visit some less actives and it went so well. The girl is YSA and we were with YSA and they all were the perfect fellowship. It was amazing. 

Ah. I love this. I love being a missionary. I love sharing the gospel with others. I love the spirit that we get to feel so strongly as we teach, well really as the Spirit teaches. I'm in love with missionary work. I really felt that this week. I love it! I love it! I LOVE IT! 

I love you all. I hope you make it a great week!

letter sixty.four 06.16.14 "Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me."

It feels like I just wrote yesterday. I cannot believe how fast the time is going. It's a bit scary actually. But at least the time going by fast means that the work is good and that my companion and I are getting along. I love her so much. Sister K and I will be sisters forever. She is awesome. She is soo bold. Like crazy bold sometimes, but it's good. 

We had some great teaching opportunities this week. We have amazing investigators. We're working with almost all young woman age girls and it is so good. It's the perfect age to learn about and accept the gospel into your life. They have an amazing young woman's program here as well, which makes it even better. I love working with them. One of my favorite lessons this week was with the “netball girls” (they are sisters). They are so good. We talked with them about the Book of Mormon and the power it can have in their lives. It was powerful. We also invited them to be baptised and they said yes! They're so excited for it. It's amazing to see two girls so prepared. Also the young women are fellowshipping them like crazy. It's so good. And our investigators are fellowshipping each other as well. It's so good. 

One of the experiences I loved was when we went to an investigator’s home and she looked down. We were chatting about life and she opened up about some really hard things that were happening. She said she wasn't sure if she could handle all of this religion and everything else. I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew that the wrong thing to do was to turn from God. I felt God's love for her so strongly. I felt like I might cry. I just hugged her and she just cried. Then the Spirit led us to share Matthew 11 and to tell her to give her burden to the Lord and that He would provide for her. It was beautiful. We also had a lesson with her family in a member's home and it was amazing! They were the perfect fellowshipers in helping them all feel loved and encouraged. It was so good. I love this ward. 

We also had a lesson with this young less-active couple. They are in a hard spot and I really wasn't sure how to confront the situation. So I tried to really listen with love and with the Spirit. As I did I felt a deep love wash over me for them. God knows them and feels the pain that they have gone through because of their wrong choices and He wants them back. I felt the words and things to say come to my heart and my mind. I know it wasn't me at all. God knows them perfectly and He knows what to say to them. I am just so thankful that I got to be a small part of that and feel that love for them.

Then on Sunday I was sick, I still am. It's nothing too bad, but my body is just worn out. I didn't have strength. I felt like I was going to pass out through all of church and it was taking every ounce of my energy to greet and talk with people, which normally comes very naturally and easily to me. I felt exhausted. I also started having a little bit of down feeling. I started thinking that the ward probably just loves Sister K because she's so fun and I just felt so not fun that day. 

But then we went to a baptism for a child in the ward and we were sitting by our investigators. I was on the outside edge and still feeling a bit off. Then these adorable girls from the ward came up and sat by me. This one little girl who's eight snuggled up to me and just started playing with my hair and my hand. I instantly felt so loved. I knew that God sent those beautiful little girls to tell me that He loves me and is watching out for me. It was just what I needed.

Then a woman came up to tell us how much she loves us both and how much the ward loves us and is happy with the work we are doing. It was another way of Heavenly Father telling me, "I love you." I really do know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I am so thankful for the love that I feel so consistently on my mission and really throughout my whole life. I truly am "encircled about eternally in the arms of His love."

I love you all!

letter sixty.three 06.09.14 learning to love

I think this clearly demonstrates our relationship....we love each other a whole bunch.

The district at the one and only museum in Kalgoorlie.

Another amazing week here in Kalgoorlie! I seriously can't get over how happy I am to be here. I love everything about it! We were blessed to have a lot of people to teach this week. We were able to find 9 new investigators and with the 10 we found last week, it really helps keep our teaching pool flowing nicely. I love it. I think it was a huge blessing, especially since we set up soo many member present lessons, but heaps of them fell through. We were still able to get a good amount but we had potential for heaps. 

 

With the "netball girls" after our lesson, I love them!

I think some of my favorite lessons were with the “netball girls”. We taught them in between and after their netball games. So it wasn't the ideal setting, but they still received them well. They are really grasping what we're teaching, even though it's so different for them. We invited them to pray daily and they've been following through perfectly. They are golden! This week we should be setting a very firm baptismal date with them! They're so good! And the members are awesome too with helping us, since they live so far away and we have limited k's. 

Saturday was an amazing day. It was full on! But it was so good. That's the way I like it. We had appointments all day and a lot of them fell through but we had good back up plans with former investigators to follow up with and through that we found a lot of new investigators. It was such a blessing. God is good. 

Church was great. We had four investigators there and a few less actives as well, which was so rewarding. It's just so nice to be sitting at church with people who are progressing in the gospel. It's perfect. You never have to think about you, it's just all focused on them. I love that about a mission. You don't have time to think about yourself. It's the best. 

There was one hard part of Sunday though. We had our missionary coordination meeting and it was going well we even had the Bishop and a member of the bishopric there, but one of the Elders started saying things that I think just put them off. I know he meant well, but it just felt to me like it may have seemed a bit judgmental and condescending. It also feels like sometimes, that our missionary work is a competition to him, like he has to beat us or something. I was tempted to get out of there after the meeting ended and give him a piece of my mind about how I felt he’d handled the meeting and for being competitive, but I prayed a lot instead. I knew that more important than anything was acting out of love rather than reacting to a situation. We came home and did personal study and I was still thinking about how to handle the situation. I read D&C 121 and at first I was thinking about how he really should read it, then I realized that I really needed it too. I need to make sure that I'm not doing the same thing to him that I feel he may be doing to the ward. I felt a lot of love for him and was able to focus more on what the intentions of his heart are and giving him the benefit of the doubt. It helped me feel a lot freer and it helped me keep the unity in our district, which is so important with just four of us. He's a good elder who has good intentions and I saw him more how God sees him today, which really helped me a lot. 

We were also teaching a lesson this week and the investigator was asking us about all of our rules as missionaries. Then he asked how long we had left. I started telling him that the rules weren't a burden for us. We didn't mind because it's worth it for the experience. Then I started crying... thinking about not having all the rules any more. I felt sad. I'm glad a still have ages left so that I can keep living this life style. I love it. I love it with all my heart. Don't get me wrong I'm excited to see you all and be with you, but I just love being here as well. God is blessing me so so much.

I love you all and hope you have a great week! Thank you for your love and prayers.

letter sixty.two 06.03.14 a week full of blessings

I can't get over how happy I am here in Kalgoorlie! ps the way you say it is “kal-goo-lee” in Aussie. We have had such an amazing week here! God has blessed us so much. I wish I had more time to share everything. I feel like I am progressing so much as a person and as a missionary. I love Sister K so much. We get along so well. We both have strong personalities but for some reason it just really works with us being together. She is an amazing missionary and I think one of her greatest strengths is working with the ward. She's helping me to see more effective ways of working with them and helping them catch the vision. The members here are also amazing. I have only been here a week and a half and I already feel so close to so many of them. The best part is, it's not in a too casual way, but we're becoming close because we're all doing missionary work. Together. 

I think the main thing I felt so strongly this week was the power of the Spirit in conversion. Because we're still getting to know people as we plan for less-active members and investigators, some of them we hardly know. We study for them and plan for them, but it's really once we get in with them that we are able to discern their needs and then go by the Spirit from there. This week we have felt so blessed to be led by the Spirit in all of our lessons. There were some concerns that people brought up that I had no idea what to say. They were legitimate and challenging situations, but each time I was in the lesson I was praying for guidance and really trying to listen with love. It's something I've struggled with in the past, but I was so blessed this week to have the words and commitments come to my companion and my minds and hearts to tell these people just what they needed to hear. Not because we're wise, but because the Spirit was the one who was teaching the lesson. 

We were also able to teach at youth this week. They were doing personal progress goals and we taught a few of the classes. We brought two of our investigators and they loved it! The young women were amazing. After it our investigator told us how much she loved it. She sent us a text that said how much she loved it and she thanked us for bringing her back to God. A little background on her; We've been teaching her mum and sisters and each time we went she kind of blew us off. Her mum told us she was a bit anti-Christ. But one night we brought an awesome YSA member with us to the lesson and N sat down miraculously. Maybe partially because we were sitting at the kitchen table where she wanted to eat. But by the end of the lesson (which was on the gospel of Jesus Christ) she said, "I think I want to become Mormon." She has been amazing ever since. She is soaking everything in like a sponge. She loves it and keeps following up with us as well! Ah! I love her and her family so much. They are all amazing and they all came to church this week! And they loved it! Especially the girls! It was such a blessing. And the ward took such good care of them. By the end of church a member had pulled her aside and invited her family and us to come over for dinner and a lesson the next night. It was perfect! They felt so loved and welcome. I love this ward!

Another beautiful experience was with the YSA that we took with us to the lesson. She is just recently coming back to church. She's really pulling her life together and she volunteered to come with us to our lesson. She was super excited and she instantly clicked with the family. She was able to help them overcome their concerns in a way that we never could. She helped them feel comfortable and took them under her wing. It was amazing. The Spirit was so strong. Then when we got in the car she was so fired up for missionary work. She told us she wants to come out all the time that she can and that now she wants to prepare for a mission. Later she texted us and told us that she thinks one of the reasons we were sent here was to help her come back. The WML told us that she plastered all over Facebook about what an amazing time she had. She is so good. Heavenly Father sent us here for a reason and we're seeing it everywhere. 

At times it has been a bit challenging because we have been trying to gain trust back from the members and build good missionary relationships and show them that we are here to work. But overall, we've had a great response from the members.

We also had a less-active member who hasn't come to church in 10 months come to sacrament with us! 

We also decided to go out to the real country area of our area on Saturday night and visit a part member family. We had an awesome lesson with them and the four kids all want to learn more and prepare to be baptized! It was amazing. God has been pouring out His blessings in abundance!

We also had a beautiful experience with a member family who are getting sealed this week. We went over for dinner on Sunday and it was beautiful. The Spirit was so strong the whole time we were there. We learned so much from them. They are an incredible family who are all just so full of love. They are one of the families that I have looked at and decided that I really want to have a family like that. We felt a bond with them straight away because the love and the Spirit was so strong the whole time we were there. God is so good to us. I feel overwhelmingly blessed. I am so happy to be a missionary,especially here in Kalgoorlie with Sister K. I couldn't be happier. I love you all. I am so thankful for your support and help that you give me and thanks again for the conference calendar! I was soo excited to get it! I love you!

letter sixty.one 05.25.14 "I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' 22!"

I am in LOVE with Kalgoorlie! It has been such an amazing few days here.

I ended my time on a good note in Wanneroo with Sister S and Sister T. They surprised me for my birthday a day early and sang to me. They wrote down some memories and things they loved about me as well which was my favorite part. They are awesome. I loved serving with both of them. I learned a lot from them.

I had a great train ride for my birthday... 7 hours. I was almost late. I got there and the train left so that was stressful, but then the trip up actually went really fast. We had a lot of fun. It was Sister Kand I and Elder B and Elder L. We're the only four missionaries out here. We all get along really well too so it's good. It's going to be a great transfer.

The ward out here is awesome. We've already had more dinner appointments than I had in the past two weeks in Wanneroo. We've gotten straight to work. We didn't even unpack at first. We went to visit all the members of the ward council and we made that our priority for the first few days. It was good. We've already established some good relationships. The ward is so welcoming and inviting, even though they’ve had some struggles with missionaries in the past, we are reestablishing that trust.

I love being with Sister K so much! We get a long so well. She and I never run out of things to talk about. I'm learning so much from her. She's a convert of three years from Kiribati. This is her last transfer and she is keen to just work her tail off. We have been going so hard and also working effectively. It's nice that we both know how to do missionary work and that we get along. Nothing gets in the way. She is so kind to me as well. She never judges. She just builds and helps me want to be better. I love her so much. We are so happy to be with each other. Apparently President told her that we "deserve each other." I couldn't agree more.

We have actually had great success in really only having a few full days of proselyting. She is really good at helping me contact people even when it's awkward. Like we're talking we see someone walking and we pull over and talk to them. It's been so good. It's been the way that we found a beautiful family that we're now teaching. It feels so good. We were also able to get fellowship to the lesson before we'd even met the fellowship member ourselves.

I loved church as well, a very welcoming ward. I love it. There are so many adorable children that are so sweet.

There is only one problem with Sister K.... she always tells people that I'm an amazing singer and makes me sing... She's such a punk. I love singing, but not when she introduces it like that. We've had some really good laughs. We are always laughing and smiling. We're so comfortable with each other.

I couldn't be happier. I love Kalgoorlie. I love the people. I love the small town feel and we're talking small town. It looks like it came straight out of a John Wayne movie. I'm planning to send heaps of photos. I love it here so much. I love being a missionary, especially here. It's the perfect place to end my mission. I love it!

I love you!

letter sixty 05.18.14 "be thou humble"

We found out transfers and........................................ I'M GOING TO KALGOORLIE!!!!!!!!  Oh my goodness I'm so excited! We're getting doubled in (white washing in). I'll be with Sister K, who I've always wanted to serve with! And it's her last transfer so I'll probably “die” (finish my mission) there as well which means I won't get to say good-bye to anyone in other areas, but that's ok. I am SO excited to go! It's going to be an adventure. I get a 6 hour train ride for my 22nd birthday. Happy Birthday to me:)

I think I blinked and the week was over. Time seems to be accelerating as this transfer winds down. We had a great week. We had a wonderful district meeting and we talked about learning to be more effective with our studies and using PMG, but the best part was for the modeling part we did a news report on the Restoration. It was so much fun. We all took the different roles and fit it all into different news stories and the weather and sports. We recorded it and I'm hoping to get a copy. It was so funny, but it also helped us test to see if we really did know our doctrines. Our district leader, Elder P is so creative!

Then that night we were waiting to get pizza and it was crowded and I was so tired. All I wanted to do was fall sleep but I was trying to be friendly and smile. Then a man came up to me and said that he was a less active member and that he wants to come back to church. He feels he needs go in his life but he isn't sure how to get there on his own. So we offered to come visit him and help him get to church. It was such a tender mercy to have someone come to us.

Then the next day we were at the doctor for my companion's ears and we were just sitting in the waiting room and this lady started to talk to us. She was so nice. She said her friend joined our church and that she attended the baptism. We talked a bit more and she said we could come over next week to teach her more about our church. Another miracle! God is so good to us!

Then on Thursday we had a blitz in our area and we really prepared well for it. We gave the Elders formers to follow up and they were able to find a new investigator and a lot of good return appointments with potentials. It was the most effective blitz I've ever been a part of. We also were able to have a good conversation with a lady. She should become a new investigator soon, but she was awesome. She looks a bit rough around the edges but she is going to be the best member. I know it! I could just see her as a Mormon mum!

We've also been able to teach a referral in Sister T's area and that was beautiful. He is so prepared. Teaching him has been such a joy. The spirit has guided the lessons so that they have been just what he needed. It was powerful.

I think the thing that I have loved the most about this week is how much the enabling power of the Atonement has helped me to start to overcome my weaknesses. I have been working on humility all week. I have been striving to be better. I so often just wanted to be right, or to make sure that my opinion is understood and validated. I often use a tone that makes people put their defenses up. I have been working on that so much this week. There have been so many times when I have been wanting to say something about the way I see things and I've held back. Not that it's bad to voice your opinion, but I realized that I wasn't always saying it in a way that made people want to listen.

I have been working on waiting to speak until I have made sure that I have not only a level voice, but a level heart. I say to myself, "ok, maybe they are right." I try to see it from their point of view before I ever open my mouth to say mine. It has been so hard. As you all know, that is not my strength but with the power of the Atonement I have been able to take a step forward. I have not even come close to perfection, but I made a step that I didn't think was possible. I have felt so much more love in my heart. There have been times when I've been hurt or judged and Christ's Atonement gave me the strength to look past it and to give others the benefit of the doubt. It has brought me so much closer to my Savior and God, as it has required constants prayers, pleading, repentance, and forgiveness.

I feel a freedom that I didn't think would come from holding things back. I have felt a peace that can only come through Christ. I know this is something that I still have so much work to do and I don't tell you any of this to make myself sound high and mighty. I'm not. I think all of you who know me well, know that this is not something I could have ever done on my own. I am so thankful for the enabling power of the Atonement. I know that all good that has ever come through me has only been a result of the Atonement and its power to make bad men good and good men better.

I love you all so much. Thank you for the love support and prayers. I love you all more than you'll ever know!

Heaps of love from down undo,

letter fifty.nine 05.11.14 cold showers and chicken nibblies

with companions: Sister S and Sister T

First of all can I just say it was soo fun to talk to you all! It was so good to hear your voices, although I did miss all those of you who couldn't be there, but I understand.

This week flew by. It started off with a beautiful zone meeting about developing Christ-like attributes. I have come so far on my mission, but in the eternal perspective I still have so far to go. I'm excited about the growth I will achieve in these last months on my mission and for the rest of my life.

One of the things I'm really trying to work on is patience and listening with love. We had an investigator this week that we were trying to teach and there is a language barrier and she's quite stubborn. She wasn't really letting us talk about the lesson and was trying to take it off topic... that is something that I always struggle to be patient with and we were late for our next appointment, which is a test of my patience. I hate being late. I lost a bit of my cool. I wasn't rude but I was definitely impatient. I was so dissappointed in myself, but then I prayed and asked for Heavenly Father to help me have patience and it helped a bit but I was still feeling pretty down.

So later this week we went to meet with a less active who is old and very stubborn and is the queen of taking it off topic. So I went in determined to be a loving listener with patience. And with God's help I was really able to. I felt so much love and peace as I listened and loved her and then was also able to keep her a bit more on track. It was such a beautiful feeling. I was so thankful. God is so good to me. I am going to keep praying and working on that until it becomes my strength. I know it's possible with God's help.

 

getting grumpy face.

We also found this beautiful, old Italian couple that we started teaching. They are so adorable and sweet. It is hard to communicate well, but we will take it very slow with them and thankfully the spirit speaks the same language to everyone.

One of the biggest miracles this week for me was Sunday. This week has been a rollercoaster. I have been so happy and so frustrated all week.  I have felt very alone sometimes.  But it's really helped me grow.

Why I'm telling you all this is because it's part of the miracle. It was perfect timing that I was able to talk to our family this week, I just needed to talk to people that loved me a lot and know how to show it in a way that makes me feel loved and important.

Then we went to Sunday school and the WML taught the most inspired lesson. It was exactly what I needed to hear. He started out the lesson by saying, "I know some of you may feel surrounded by people but completely alone, this lesson is for you." The whole lesson was perfect for me. It was beautiful and it was such clear evidence of God's love for me. He cared enough to inspire Brother S to prepare a lesson that was meant just for me. God is good to me.

I love you all so much. I am so thankful for the prayers and love and support that I get from all of you. I really needed it at certain times this week.

  

And to give you all a little glimpse of the real life here we have eaten sweet chili chicken nibblies 4 days in a row this past week. Man they are so good and sooo cheap. You know how I get when I have a craving, I can't help but just eat it all the time. I'm sure I'll get sick of it soon... maybe… but they are so good. I'll have to make them for you when I get home.

And there was about 3 days when we had very little hot water and basically no water pressure and then there was a full day where we had literally NO hot water. And remember, it's winter here. Yup it was pretty cold this week, which made the cold water even more of an adventure. Gotta love the joys of mission life:)

letter fifty.eight 05.04.14 the ultimate victory

This has been an eventful week. We started out the week with an amazing member power visit to a strong family in our area. We're really trying to get the members very involved in our missionary efforts. It was a really good experience and their family is now committed to make a family mission plan.

Then on Tuesday we had an amazing district meeting. The Spirit was so strong. I was reminded of the real reason that we all come on missions. It was a beautiful experience.

After that we went to the family history center to try to find names to take to the temple, since President is only letting us do this once. The family history consultant said that I probably wouldn't find any, but I said a little prayer and I just kept clicking. I was able to find three names that I could do all of the ordinances for! It was so exciting!

I also went on exchanges with Sister A (my MTC companion) and that was really fun. It was amazing to see the growth and changes we have both made since the MTC. She is a great missionary. And we were able to set a baptismal date with someone we've been working with for ages now! We've invited him to be baptized so many times, but this time he said yes and his parents said yes! He's planning to get baptized the 17th of May!

 

sister A and I on exchanges

Then on Thursday we found out that Sister B was going home the next day for a medical release, which we were all very sad about. President asked us if Sister T (the first sister I trained) could join us in our companionship for the last two weeks of the transfer. We were so excited. We both really love her.

On Friday morning we had MLC and it was beautiful. I felt so much peace. Originally I was a bit nervous because I knew they would show our key indicators in front of the whole group and everyone would then know that we've been struggling. But, I decided to go in prepared. I know that we have done our very best so it doesn't matter. I felt great all through MLC. I felt very uplifted and I never felt bad about our lacking numbers.

Also, my first zone leader, Elder J, shared some thoughts and he said that something he's learned is that part of having faith is not worrying about if you've done enough, but knowing that you've put in your best effort and the Savior will take care of the rest. That was another testimony of something I have been learning so much recently.

I don't know how many of you read Sister Benjamin's email last week, but I did and it really helped me. She talked about a talked called, "But if not." I felt prompted to read it this week and it really touched me. It confirmed something I've been wondering for a long time now. Sometimes I wondered if it was me lacking faith, when I said things like I know God can help us find people but that may not be His will for us today. It may be that we just need to keep going no matter what. This talk confirmed that that is true faith. Like I've said before, faith is not in an outcome but in Jesus Christ. I know that He can make anything happen, but if not I will keep enduring to the end. I know that He will allow what ever will help me to grow happen.

Then we dropped off Sister B at the mission home. It was a neat experience. It was just the four of us and President and Sister Lindsay. It was a very family feel. I felt a bit like mum because I suggested that we all go around and say something we love about Sister B and it was beautiful. The Spirit was very strong. I love her. I'm going to miss her so much. She's taught me a lot as a missionary.

 

Sister S and I

Best burgers in WA.

Having a companionship change ended up being a bit more challenging than I expected. I know it was Satan but I was feeling tempted left and right to feel down on myself, just after I had felt so much peace. All of these little things that I won't get into were harder than I expected them to be. But it's turned out great. I've learned a lot about humility in just a few days.

On Saturday morning we were able to go to the temple and do baptisms, confirmation, initiatories, and an endowment session for our ancestors. All in one day. It was so beautiful. Especially initiatories. I haven't done them since I left the MTC and it was a strong reminder to me of the potential that we all have as children of God. I am so thankful for the temple.

Then came Sunday. We went to our ward and Sister T's and I'm so glad. It was just what I needed. I felt the Spirit so strongly. One eight year old bore his testimony, because he had just gotten baptized the day before and it was the sweetest, most pure and powerful testimony I heard all day. It was just what I needed to hear. I felt humbled by the testimony of such a young boy. It was so beautiful.

It also seemed like every lesson was handpicked for me and the things I have been going through in the past few days. I felt renewed and refreshed from such wonderful meetings and especially from being able to partake of the sacrament. I am so thankful for that opportunity we have each week. I need it so badly. I am very human. I fall short so often, but I could feel my Savior’s love surrounding me as I partook of the sacrament and had the spirit more abundantly.

I am so happy. I feel so blessed to be a missionary. I love both of my companions. I have so much to learn from them in the next two weeks and I'm thankful for that. I am glad I'm learning more and more how to combat Satan and to never let him win. He may have his small victories, but never the ultimate victory.

I love you all. Thank you for your love and support. Make it a great week!