Mission: Week 12!!

Hola Familia!!

How is everyone doing? I miss you all so much but I am having a lot of fun here! Not a lot of crazy stuff happened this week but we always see miracles happen every day. 

So as every day goes by, I get more and more used to the life of a missionary. Waking up is not hard anymore, biking is fun, I really LOVE talking to people, rejection is a normal thing, and then teaching our investigators and recent converts..........the best part of my day!

Yesterday, we taught our recent converts, the Roman Family, and they are the first family that I invited, taught all the lessons, and saw them be baptized. I was getting teary-eyed last night, while re-teaching them lesson 1. Seeing the difference in people's lives as they live the Gospel is absolutely AMAZING! They are reading their scriptures and praying and Janderry, the mom, is feeding us and is going out to teach with us on Friday! I just love her so much and I just give her the biggest hug whenever I see her. 

A family we teach make pinatas!!

The thing that I love the most about my mission is the PEOPLE that you meet: the ward members, the investigators, the recent converts, the families, people on the street, the other missionaries. The people are what make everything about a mission worth it. And it is the hardest part about a mission as well, seeing people CHOOSE to not accept your message or not to follow through on commitments.  On the other hand, seeing people CHOOSE to come to church and enter the waters of baptism is indescribable other than pure joy!. 

Being transferred and having to leave everyone that you love so much is something I haven't had to experience yet here in Utah. In one week, there are transfers again and who knows what is going to happen! I could leave, Sister Merrill could leave......we both could leave! I am really dreading having to say goodbye to people, it just makes we want to cry whenever I think about it. I love these people so much!

So this is week 12 for me, and I am finishing up my 12 Week Training. So after this week, I won't be a new missionary any more............and then all of the responsibility falls on my shoulders. If I mess up, people can't just say "Oh, it's ok, you are still training", now I am fully accountable for everything that I do. That is kind of scary to me but I know that I can do it. It is also really fun to feel like you are now a "real" missionary, and the companionship is split 50/50. I am really excited for that. I am really excited to see who my new companion will be and where I will go. 

Pranks between missionaries!!  

So this last week, we had a super awesome district meeting. Our district leader, Elder Torres,  is going home next week and he is just awesome. I have some really funny pictures of our district and the zone leaders. I just love working with other missionaries.

 Our ward is the ONLY ward that had two sets of missionaries and it is so fun, but it is also really hard because all of us have investigators and people that the ward needs to visit and sometimes, I think the ward feels overwhelmed. But we have a big ward so it gets frustrating sometimes, trying to work with members that aren't willing to help. Not sure how to get the ward more excited about missionary work so if you have any ideas, let me know!

So last week, we had a training for the entire mission and it was for weekly planning that we do each Friday morning. Pres. Moffat asked me and Sister Merrill, on the spot, to come and role play a step in weekly planning....in the front of the entire mission! If was kind of scary but thankfully, I have lead weekly planning before and we fill out our teaching records so we weren't embarrassed in front of everyone. It is a real complement to be asked by Pres. Moffat to do something, because that means that he trusts you and knows that you are a good missionary. I am really trying to be the best missionary that I can and I want President Moffat to expect a lot from me, because he knows that I am a good missionary. Sister Merrill says that I am going to be a Sister Training Leader and an amazing missionary. I really hope so!

This last friday, I went on exchanges and 2 English speaking sisters came to my area and I was in charge! AAAHHHHH!!! Talk about scary. They don't know ANY spanish and there were two of them. That night, we went to one of our investigators, Eloy, and we have been trying forever to get him to come to church and he finally came last sunday! He walked in at 11:30 but at least he came! So we went by to follow up on how church was and he told me that he DIDN'T like it. I was in shock! He said that is was too noisy and there was no respect at all! So, I had to resolve his concern, by myself, because the other sisters didn't know spanish. And guess what happened? I understood EVERYTHING he said during that lesson, and the Spanish just came to me so that I could resolve his concern the best I could. It was so cool to see the gift of tongues working! It was awesome! I am working hard on improving my Spanish every day, so I can help my investigators even more. I can't believe I can speak another language....that is so CRAZY!

So, Yatnari is getting baptized this Saturday! YAY! She is 9 and she is so smart, she passed her interview and knows the doctrine so well. When I talk to you all on Sunday, I will talk about the baptism ;)

So speaking of Sunday, I am so EXCITED to talk to my family that I love so much! 

I got letters from Dad and Lydia, I got her's a while ago but I forgot to mention it. Thanks!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMIE!!!! I am sending you a card :) I hope that Lydia had a good birthday.

I want to share an awesome scripture that we share with people when they worship the virgin Mary. LUKE 11:27-28.....see how you like that:) haha

This week was great, we are in finding more people to teach. We have a lot of investigators who still won't accept a date yet so pray for my investigators, that they will realize what baptism means for them.

This freaked me out to see our "white Car" 

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Miss you and hope everything is going great!

SLY!    Hermana Warren