natalie ann: week 80: are you trunky?

Monday, May 8th, 2017

People keep asking me if I'm trunky. Ah it's just crazy that I'm coming home next week. I'm really excited to see you all! I'm just going to enjoy every moment!! Today we went frisbee golfing with the elders - it was fun!

Monday we had a little party with the ward missionaries in Show Low Ward. Oh and I got really burnt that day at the lake & so Sister Genck made me drink aloe vera juice (absolutely disgusting) but hey it worked and I'm a shade of white darker. We had a lesson with Addi. She is so cute. She told us a story about when she took the Lord's name in vain and she felt really bad so her and her friend immediately got down on their knees and repented. Children are the best.

Tuesday we had a lesson with the Williamsons. It's sad cause they told us that their daughter doesn't believe in God and she is only 14. The world is rough. We also knocked on a part member family's door and they let us in. It was crazy cause there were kids everywhere. There were 5 12 year olds and we taught them about God. They were so interested. None of them really knew anything. They had super deep questions and funny ones as well. They all ate fruity peoples while we taught them. I gave them Jesus cards and stickers. They were so excited. A few afterwards were like I need to get baptized!! And they all wanted to put the picture of Jesus by their bed so that they would remember to pray. We asked when we could come back & they didn't know when but they said they all had to be there haha. All of our other appointments canceled but we knocked on this trailer and she was totally interested! We made an appointment for the next day but she canceled :(

Wednesday we had a lesson with Jackie, we are mainly trying to help her get an answer. We taught Addi again. We asked her why she fasted and she said "cause my mom doesn't want me to get fat" haha. We then had a good lesson with the Ramirez. They are awesome.

Thursday we had district meeting & it was on comp inventory so that was funny. We then had dinner with Charlie and Carol and Deanna came and she gave me a gift! That was sweet.

Friday we had a good lesson with the Cole family. They already pay tithing! We then had a fiesta at Channa and Zach's. That was fun. We then met up to exchange!

Saturday I was in Eagar with Sister Walker! Some of my favorite things! It was an awesome day. I love Eagar and I love Sister Walker. It was just really great and I got to see Brother Ayres!! He showed us his new house. Super cool. Also President and Sister Hamblin showed us their house and it is GORGEOUS. I also got to see others that I taught and it was awesome.

Sunday was good. It was weird bearing my testimony for the last time on fast Sunday!! The members here are amazing & I will really miss them. They are all trying to feed me before I go home. Elder Robbins invited our mission to do a fast on gratitude. I had never done that before. I thought it was awesome because it was my last fast Sunday on my mission, I have so much to be grateful for. It reminds we of one of my favorite scriptures. 1 Timothy 1:12, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."

I read Elder Hales' talk from conference & I loved it. I feel like my whole mission I have been working on His attributes. I'm no where perfect but I know we can constantly work on them & become more like Christ. Here is a quote that I like.

"The attributes of the Savior, as we perceive them, are not a script to be followed or list to be checked off. They are interwoven characteristics, added one to another, which develop in us in interactive ways. In other words, we cannot obtain one Christlike characteristic without also obtaining and influencing others. As one characteristic becomes strong, so do many more. As we earnestly strive to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, these characteristics will be interwoven, added upon, and interactively strengthened in us." -Elder Hales

So I finished President Nelson's challenge on reading everything about Jesus Christ! It truly was amazing to fully immerse yourself in His words, teachings and mission. I've come to know Him even more. President Nelson wrote some of His thoughts about his study. I want to quote him cause it's how I feel & he words it perfectly of course.

"In a coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior. You will be overwhelmed to the point of tears to be in His holy presence. You will struggle to find words to thank Him for paying for your sins, for forgiving you of any unkindness toward others, for healing you from the injuries and injustices of this life. You will thank Him for strengthening you to do the impossible, for turning your weaknesses into strengths, and for making it possible for you to live with Him and your family forever. His identity, His Atonement, and His attributes will become personal and real to you. But you don’t have to wait until then. Choose to be one of His true disciples now. Be one who truly loves Him, who truly wants to serve and lead as He did. I promise you that if you will study His words, your ability to be more like Him will increase. I know this is true."

Pretty powerful!! I read 3 Nephi 11:14 & it really stood out to me. I imagine Him saying it to me when I meet him. Christ told the people in America, "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world."

Well I hope you have a great week! I know I will! I love you all!!

--xo: sista fisha

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." -John 17:3