Monday, June 16, 2014

Week #42: 5 Days to Summer Solstice

Hola mi familia y amigos!

Ummm... what a week! It has been truly crazy and busy. Funny that the attribute I have been working on this week has been diligence and the motto for this week has been, "diligence until the end!"

Fasting is amazing and it brings miracles. I was especially able to see this with Ebony this week. We were able to teach her and her spirit felt completely different and she was excited about the gospel. It was neat being able to go through the baptismal interview questions with her and have her understand and testify of truth. She was a little concerned about her date on the 22nd because she is still struggling with quitting smoking. But I know with enough faith and prayers she can do it and I know how much it is going to bless her entire family as well!

Days have been pretty long, hot, and not much success. But as we were spiritual harvesting after a couple of doors that never opened we felt prompted to knock this one home. The door opened and a lady and her two little girls opened the door. She was super interested in having us come back and in hearing more about our message. She is amazing and she has the cutest little girls. I'm just sad that our return appointment is after transfers :(  oh well, the next missionaries will do fabulously I am sure. 

Zone Conference was on Thursday. It was our last meeting with President and Sister Petersen and the senior office missionaries Elder and Sister Shaw. It was a pretty awesome meeting but then came the time for departing missionaries' testimonies and I pretty much lost it. I am going to miss the Petersens sooooooo much! They have taught me so much about the gospel and how to be a better missionary and to truly love to repent. I was able to achieve my hold to the rod (memorizing a scripture for each point in the missionary lessons) it was pretty awesome I'm just not sure how to pack it all in my suitcase! 

Oh, another piece of news... President Petersen came up to us at zone conference and announced that the worst apartment in the mission was being closed. (yup, it's official, I have lived in the worst apartment in the mission for 6 months!) Also, he doesn't have enough sisters to keep the area open...(several have left because of medical issues) So good ole Warren is going to be closed and the Monticello elders will be covering our area as well. I have super mixed emotions about it. I really feel like it is the best thing for Warren to have the priesthood teaching here. And I think it will help the members realize how much more they need to be supporting the missionaries in the work, we truly can't do it without them!

We went on exchanges on Friday and Saturday... During the pink tomato festival... on bike week...sister William's bike decided to freak out and malfunction. So walking was fun. No one wanted to talk to us. Or if they did they quickly told us they were baptist and NOT interested in changing any time soon... exchanges were pretty difficult because everything that we had set up fell through (just like the rest of the week) I can really see how the Lord has been preparing the missionaries and the area to be shut down. It is super heartbreaking but I know in the long run it is going to be best for the area. I am just not excited to have to tell Sister Bryant... She isn't going to be too excited about that. 

Pink Tomato festival really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. but there were definitely some cute clothes that I would have gotten if I weren't a missionary (not because they are immodest but kind of super expensive...) We didn't even get funnel cake or cotton candy (what is wrong with us?) 

Saturday and Sunday was Stake Conference and it was AWESOME! Elder Parker of the seventy came and presided! On Saturday we had a missionary choir and we sang the Spirit of God. It was super powerful... President and Sister Petersen cried... and that was pretty hard to see. :'(

So both Sister Williams and I received the call that we are being transferred.... Fun stuff,
 Love yall 
Hermana Ives

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