natalie ann: week 15: it's not everyday that you get to listen to adele's new songs

Monday, February 8th, 2016

So I finally have my companion! And we have gotten her all settled in! She is just the cutest and I am so excited to be training her! She is from Rexburg and just turned 19. She is my BABY! She is super chill and fun. It's like she came pre-trained. She didn't do any college before but she is into photography like me! We have a lot in common. She is awesome! I'm excited to learn a lot from her and from training.

So I stayed in the mission home Monday night with all the new sisters. On Tuesday we had meetings and such and then found out our new companion! (which I already knew mine lol) It's definitely different training but I really like it because I think I like being in charge. That night we got to see and meet some less-actives. Tamara Martin is one of them and I finally got to meet her daughters! It was funny because when we knocked a young man answered and we asked if Tamara Martin was home and he said that she doesn't live here. We were super confused haha. And then just then Tamara walks up and they all start laughing cause the guy didn't live there and he didn't know his friends moms name. We had a good lesson with them.

Wednesday we had a mini pday for my companion and got her unpacked. We got to see the Holdimans! They are so funny haha. But they have been reading the Book of Mormon together! I am so excited! I'm trying to get them to go to the visitor's center with us but they are so busy with his work. We also went to see Sister Ross. She doesn't believe in fasting so we talked about that. It's sad because she doesn't like testimony meeting because she feels like everyone is having miracles but her. I think she is mad at God and is not looking for His hand in her life. You have to have faith and be looking for miracles to see them.

Thursday we did service for Karen, and investigator. She is having a really hard time but we got to help her with her house and to pack and clean. She is renting it out to a baseball player for two months. At the end she started having heart problems and started crying. We shared with her a message and scripture that she loved. We also did more service that day at Amber Creek Inn. We did their nails. They have been getting new residents. It's sad when the residents who remembered you don't remember you anymore. We went to see the Rai family, the hindu family and see if they are interested in learning more. They said no. Super nice family though. We shared our testimonies and gave her a Book of Mormon. We asked her to say a prayer so she said it in her language. We also had a lesson with the Luongs that night. We taught them the restoration. Their son Jason was pretty engaged.

Friday we had a lesson with Brother Terry. He had read the chapter in the Book of Mormon that I had asked him to read! So that was awesome! He is very nice. I asked him if he will be at church this Sunday. He said he will peek his head in one day. We knocked on a lot of less-actives houses that night but no one answered. It was around 8 and we were going to see a less-active. We were walking in the parking lot of the complex when we see a man bringing his groceries in. We asked if we could help him. He said no thank you and then asked if we were the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was super taken back because no one has called us by our church name before, people pretty much only know us by the Mormons. I asked him how he knew that and he said he was a member. But I was still confused because I didn't recognize him and I knew all the less-actives that lived in the complex. Then he tells us he is here with his wife for 10 weeks selling his artwork. We bring in groceries and we meet his wife. She was SO excited to see us. We shared a message with them. Such nice people. Their granddaughter was in the Bear Lake accident that happened last year, with the big storm. 4 people died on the boat. They were telling us about their experiences. I remember hearing that sad story last year. They said their granddaughter would have died if she was in the water a few more minutes.

Saturday was an awesome day. Karen asked us to come back and to help. We brought an awesome member who was single as well and around her age. The member has just started coming back to church within the last 6 months. We taught her the restoration and the spirit was so strong. She was crying and was very receptive. I know that trials do humble hearts and God prepares people through life events. We asked her to be baptized but she said she can't tell us right now if she would. We then saw Brother Ross in the life care center. He should be out this next week. Sister Ross was also there. We had a really powerful short lesson with them. Brother Ross loved the scripture we shared we him. Sister Ross opened up about her son's passing and how she still feels him around. We went to contact a referral. The info on it said she preferred english but spoke spanish. She is old and lives in a rehab center. We go and she doesn't speak any english. So it was funny trying to communicate with her. I was trying to remember all the high school spanish that I have. I remembered we had a spanish Book of Mormon in the car so we gave it to her. We referred her to the spanish missionaries. We then went to see a less-active but she was not home. We had 10 minutes before we had to go to a concert so I asked Sister Gulley to pick a number between 2000 and 2030 and whatever she picks we will go knock on that door. She picks 2021. We get there and there is a man right outside that complex. He is grilling burgers. We talked to him for a bit. He was nice but not interested. He was only living here for a month. We then got to go to a concert that elder Taylor puts on. It's a bunch of kids singing and playing music (worldy music haha) I may or may not have got to hear some of Adele's new songs. I was trying really hard not to dance. President is so awesome and lets us do so many random things. I felt so worldy.

Sunday was fast Sunday! I love testimony meetings. We broke the fast at the McReynolds home. We asked them if we could have a lesson with the Rossi family afterwards. They agreed and also invited them for dinner. We finished up their last commandment that we had to teach them. Vince requested that next time we do bible study. So we read a chapter from the Book of Mormon with them and discussed it with them. Sister Gulley then did this awesome activity that she did in the mtc where everyone closes their eyes and they imagine they are a lamanite at the time where Christ visits them. She read some of 3 Nephi 11. Vince really liked it and he said that he felt guilty through the activity. He wants to repent and he knows he is living in sin because he is not married to Jenn. He didn't say that but I know he was thinking it. We just all had a really good discussion and it was good for Vince.

What Vince was saying last night reminds me of a quote from Elder Boyd K Packer, "restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the Atonement of Christ." I know that we can be fully healed through the Atonement of Christ. He made up the difference and he did it for YOU.

I hope you all have a great week! Thanks for all the emails! Sorry if I don't respond to all of you! :)

LOVE YA

-Sista Fisha