2-22-16

This week was great! It just zoomed right by so I hope I am able to express some of the wonderful things that happened! On Tuesday we had a lesson with the Bourquin family, we taught them about temples. We showed them a Mormon Message that talked about setting our sights on the temple. After the video Sister Bourquin was in tears, she asked when we decided to share that message with them. We told her that we had planned the lesson the week before, but picked that video to share that day. She said "You girls are just great missionaries.. You definitely follow the spirit, I needed that today." As she is working toward making it to the temple, our Heavenly Father knows her needs as she was feeling very discouraged that day. He knows us all personally, and I am so grateful that I am able to be someone he can work through as I strive to always remain worthy of the gift of the Holy Ghost! I thank our Heavenly Father for the guidance and direction that he gives us as we turn to Him! 

On Thursday we had the opportunity to attend a memorial service for Sister Sadie Wells. It was a truly inspiring, uplifting service. We as a missionary choir were able to sing "As Sisters In Zion/Armies of Helaman" and the sisters sang a medley of "I Stand All Amazed/ He Sent His Son" a powerful line from that song, which was one often quoted by Sister Wells is "Have Faith, Have Hope, live like His son, help others on their way". The whole room was filled with the spirit and I don't think there was a single dry eye. There were messages shared on the great influence that Sister Wells was, as well as on the Plan of Salvation, my testimony of the Plan of Happiness has grown so much over the past 2 weeks as I have pondered and prayed, and as I felt the spirit during this wonderful memorial. I am grateful for a loving mission president and his wife who care so much about every single one of us, and that love was evident at this service. I am grateful for the wonderful example that Sister Wells was to each one of us and I know that she continues to proclaim the gospel on the other side! A few months back the mission did a 3-a-day challenge to 1. Read a chapter of the Book of Mormon every day 2. Have an investigator of less active member read a chapter, and 3. Give out a copy of the Book of Mormon. Well our zone leaders decided to bring this back in our zone this transfer! Sister Nelson and I were excited to start this challenge, day 1 I had read, we were able to read with an investigator, it was about 7 and we hadn't give out a Book of Mormon yet so we tracked a nearby neighborhood and were able to give out a Book of Mormon, and when we got home Sister Nelson was sure to read her chapter :). Day 2 we were doing our weekly planning, but because the weather was BEAUTIfUL that day we decided to go for a walk to give out a Book of Mormon, as we were walking we saw a lady running up a hill towards us, we said "oh hey maybe she wants a Book of Mormon!" Turns out it was the bishops wife, but we didn't have a dinner appointment that day so we were able to go out to eat with them :) We did give out a Book of Mormon though! I'm grateful for the inspired challenge from our zone leaders, it really is so wonderful to refocus on the importance of the Book of Mormon as it truly is the keystone of our religion. I know that we can grow closer to Jesus Christ by reading it!

Training is great. Sister Nelson is awesome. We have a lot in common and we get along really well! She is willing to learn and try new things, I'm excited to continue seeing her growth! I love being a missionary :) I love Jesus Christ and His Gospel and being able to dedicate 18 months to sharing my testimony with the people of Pennsylvania:)

---

Sister Wells loved crazy socks. Her parents are so amazing, and the got socks for all of the missionaries in the mission to remember her! They really are such great people, probably the most forgiving and loving people ever.

 Sister Nelson and I in our socks :)

 Sister Nelson reading the Book of Mormon on day 1 of the 3-a-day challenge.

 Had to try on Sister Nelsons glasses too. :)