07 April 2014

Hola,

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Well I can't believe it is already week 6. With all of the craziness it has made this transfer really fly. I look back and I can not believe all that has happened! I am so grateful for all that I have learned and all that I see that I still need to learn. It was wonderful to hear the words of the prophets! Words spoken just for me! I hope all of you felt how the Lord touched your heart today!

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So, last week we started off Monday after dinner with an amazing lesson. We were teaching our teenager Juan Carlos and had a youth from the ward come. He was amazing. He is 15 years old but he has spiritual wisdom. He was like a 3rd teacher rather than just a member present. He was able to explain certain things in such a relatable way it was just amazing.

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Tuesday was a little crazy! President Alba came because some sisters were getting an emergency transfer (the sisters I am over) and so he stayed for our Zone meeting. The meeting was on those things we had learned at MLC and sharing them with our zone. The funny thing was that I was teaching from President Alba's section from the leadership conference.  I was a little apprehensive, but it definitely turned out ok. It was nice to have President Alba there because he put his own little touch on everything we were talking about.  It waso it was just great! He ended with really focusing on the worth of souls before our Heavenly Father and how we really have to go out to work and to find in order to find those that have been prepared to listen and accept our message. It really got me even more charged and ready go. My companion and I had a little meeting with President Alba with some issues we were having and it was weird to get so much one on one help. Then Sister Alba met with me too. It is funny to have these parent figures as your leaders when they aren't your parents. I am so grateful for the care they take for each of us in order to make sure we are ok! We were fasting in order to unify our mission so it was just a day of days! In the evening we went to our one and only local mexican restaurant. One of the members has a tab for the missionaries.We thought it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of it. It was fun for us to end our fast and just relax! Then we had a lesson with a less-active, Kimberley. I have really seen a change from her since I have been here the past 5 weeks. At first she would just talk our ear off with her life. But now even when she has a tangent she brings it back and we actually are able to have a little lesson. She has a long way to go but now she is listening and so we hope that little by the little she will let the gospel change her.

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Wednesday we got 28 contacts and 3 lessons. It felt so great to just work hard and have it pull off! I just love seeing people receive things from us. Sometimes it is understanding, sometimes it is love and sometimes it is just answers. I think that is one of the joys of being a missionary, is that we can fill a void in their lives. We can say and do the right things in order to help them. The struggle is making sure they don't depend un us but they depend on Jesus Christ and the gospel. That is what makes commitments so important. We need to pray to know what commitment they need and they need to do it in order to change. But like Elder Ballard said we need to follow up too!

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Thursday we taught a lesson from a miracle we had had earlier in the week. We found this less-active that wants to get more involved with the church. She stopped going to church after she moved from Mexico as a child. We are so excited to start teaching her family more. We talked about temples and family history and so it was just wonderful to testify to them of eternal families. They are such a beautiful thing and they touch everyone's hearts. On Thursday we had 32 contacts and 3 lessons! It was just wonderful! We had a great week!

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Friday we taught one lesson after all of our planning and everything to some former investigators. The funny thing was he prayed to Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith, so we found out what his concern was by the end. We are interested to see where it all goes!

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Saturday of course was a wonderful conference day. We watched the first session at the stake center in Woodland with all of the missionaries it was a lovely session. I loved Elder Holland's of course. I am really grateful I don't have mashed potatoes thrown at me. Then my favorite talk from the session was Elder Anderson. Oh he just spoke to me. When he talked about the process of trees that are in the whirlwind I understood my position perfectly. That everything that I am going through now is not because I am supposed to fight off, stop or fix the wind it is just to make me stronger. His scripture mastery in Helaman 5:12 just made it all come together perfectly. It was a beautiful little way for me to not be so sad in my personal Whirlwinds. Then the second session we watched it at a recent convert's of the Elders. It was fun to see them experience conference from a new set of eyes. I loved the talk from Elder Zwick about communication. My companion and I needed that. Recently, I have felt this tiredness of responding always kindly and patiently to my companion. I thought that I was just unable to do it, but then as my companion and I do have communication problems I realize how important that all is for my companion, but also for me to be happy, energetic and not tired. So I am trying, even in the struggles to be a bit better and to not give up.

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Sunday we went to the Osburns. They are a family in the Winters Ward, well an amazing family in the ward. They love the missionaries.So we spent both sessions there. They fed us waffles and quiche in the morning and smoothies for lunch. It was a lot of fun to be in a homey situation. My favorite talks from Sunday were President Uchtdorf's. This conference I was being a little stubborn with the Lord and didn't write down the questions I needed answers to. They were fresh on my mind and this talk was one of the ones I needed as an answer. In whatever grief I have, hopefully had, that I think is a necessary part of life, I am able to overcome it through always being grateful. That was so powerful and seemed like such an easy answer to that question. President Bednar also helped me to understand more of how helpful my heavy load is and how it helps accomplish other things that we didn't think it could help with! Oh doesn't the gospel make sense? I love it!

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Anyway, it was a great weekend to say goodbye to grandpa. I really felt the difference on Friday knowing his body was at his final resting place, It is a joy to know that is not the end, there is more to life than this and there is more life than this. My heart kind of skipped a little when Elder Ballard mentioned his mission in England. I just thought, Grandpa was there with him! It is so great to be part of a legacy so deep and full and now I have to remember that I am creating my own. Though it is hard I know it is worth it be here, to come out stronger and more prepared for the challenges that I know are ahead! So my advice, that I am trying to take myself, is to never back down, never give up because what good would that do? We are fighting a battle we know we will win so it is worth the sacrifice and the pain because we are fighting for our eternal life, but we aren't doing it alone. We have the Savior as our captain to build us and strengthen us even more. SO don't be afraid of the challenge face it head on so that you can serve others in their 4 minutes and do it with an attitude of gratitude!

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les quiero,

Hermana Cornwall