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| The Redwood Forest |
Hola,
I
had a great this week! Crazy as always, but it has been really great!
Lots of challenges, but at the same time I know they are not that
important and that they will all get worked out. The little bits of
positive really out-way anything else!
On
Monday we played sports in Ukiah again. Then we all
went out to a shake place for half-off happy hour shakes! It was fun to
all be together doing something slightly normal! We had dinner at
the Southwick's home (future temple president). It was lovely as always.
We heard about some of their mission experiences and there were just
some great stories. We did a practice lesson with them since they
are some of the only ones that speak Spanish in the Ward. We taught the
plan of salvation and I realized that I was a little rusty with finding
the words I needed and so it was nice to practice!
Tuesday was our lovely district meeting and we were
informed that the following day we would be having a blitz in Willits. We realized that we needed to plan in order to accomplish that. So
we planned for the blitz which is always an awesome experience. The
Lord just directs to who needs to be with who and where and it was fun
to put it all together. I went on exchanges with Sister Andreasen
in my area! For the first time ever we actually had someone show up for
our English Class. We also starting a spanish class for the members
and 2 of them showed up. I got to teach everyone spanish, since I
didn't have Hermana Hooton with me! It was really fun and they are all
excited to learn. It is fun to see the members really start to be
interested in finding spanish people for us! They are excited, so we are
too. We did our presentation of the 2nd counselor in the bishopric.
They were wonderful as always!
On
Wednesday we picked up a new investigator! It has been so
long since we have taught someone and it went so well. She opened the
door and said she was going to clean but that we could come in for a few
minutes. We did the house blessing with her and then she was asking a
lot of questions about the Church, so I introduced the Book of Mormon to
her, gave her a copy and set up another appointment for this week! I am
excited to see where that goes. Then we had our blitz! That was great!
Rarely is our zone ever all together so it was good to see everyone! It
was just a really great day, and a great exchange and a great blitz and
now we have a few more potentials to go and try! Als,o we had this
amazing experience in the evening. We went to go see a potential and
there was a woman sitting outside in the front yard, she was not our
potential and she told us that the family wasn't home because she had
knocked and no one answered so she was taking a rest on their bench. As
we continued talking to her she told us that she had been having
problems with her daughter, that she won't let her see her grandchildren and needed help with food and things and how she doesn't have money, and
she had back problems so it hurts to work and she does it anyway. The best part was that we got to console her with the atonement and the
plan of salvation. She doesn't understand it all yet, but we hope to
help her more in the future! It was a divine moment where Heavenly
Father put us in the path of one of his children that needed help and we
were able to his work! I love that happening as a missionary. It is
truly a beautiful thing to see! I love it!
Thursday we had a more crazy day because we did our
planning a day early, because Sister Andreasen was going to Santa Rosa
for MLC. We got to be with Sister Murphy. She is just a spitball
of energy. She just goes and goes! She was a fun person to have around
us! The difference in our evening was that we were full of appointments,
because we combined things. We planned with things the [English] Sisters had! So
we went to go do our presentation to the Burton family! They are so fun
and funny! Then we went to go see a less-active in the hospital. She has
been paralyzed on his whole left side and she really blames God for it
all, but she lets the missionaries in, so that is good! We went to
see Brother Munson. I think I have mentioned him before. He is
someone that gets visits from the missionaries on a regular basis, just
to lift his spirits. That was a hoot too. We were just laughing and having
fun. It ended up being a really good night!
Friday we did service at the senior center! We helped
with their daily lunch. It was so much fun and there were so many
wonderful people! They were all so grateful for us and we were happy to
help! Then we had a few lessons in the [English] Sister's area, One with a teenage
girl investigator, who just needs to get baptized. She is ready, but
there is something holding her back. The lesson was a little off, but we
hope that she will continue on doing good! We went to visit JP, a
struggling recent convert. She is getting welfare from the Church and
she has been trying to find a job but couldn't. We were able to cheer
her up! Then we went to see Rob, another investigator of the [English] Sisters.
It was another lesson where I just kept laughing and laughing! We talked
about obedience and endurance to the end. He is on probation so he
can't get baptized, but he is changing for the better! Then we saw
Brother Munson again which was great, as always! SO it was a good and
busy night! Well really the whole day!
Saturday we did service for Sister Pollock! She has
health problems. We were just doing little projects for her around
the house! It is fun to learn how to be handy to screw that and glue
this and clean this. I really learn a lot! Then we did our presentation
for an 80+ year old woman in our ward who is a ward missionary! She said
at the end that she would really try and help us find spanish people.
She even gave us a bag of cookies when we left. Hermana Hooton called
her the perfect Grandma! Then after dinner and our coodination meeting,
Hermana Hooton and I had 0 contacts. We were a little concerned so we
decided to go and get it done! It really was a miracle and we got 20
contacts in and 1 hour and 15 minutes. Hermana Hooton was a beast. Most
contacts she gets a little shy. I usually have to start/do them but
she just went out and did it. I saw a new fire in he which was good!
Sunday was a great day. JP got a job and a place to live all in one
swoop! I love our amazing Ward, they all make me laugh and they bring me
so much joy. I feel part of the family here and that is a really nice
feeling! Then Hermana Hooton got sick, so we stayed in during the
afternoon. We went out after dinner and worked! It was great! We are
really trying to just do our best and that is what is important to the
Lord.
I had a few realizations this week, my biggest one was about
peace. As the time to think about the near future is drawing near, I
have been struggling with wanting to make after mission decisions right
now, when I can't. I kept telling myself to have patience and things, but
it didn't feel long lasting. I fasted for peace, then in the middle
of my fast Sister Andreasen told us that Sister Alba wants us to teach
english invesitgators now as well as spanish which just threw a wrench
into the cognates of my brain. I was thinking "I am a spanish
missionary, I need something more official to tell me that I am now both,
besides hearing it through the grapevine." Anyway, lots and lots of
confusion and here I was worrying about something else entirely, fasting
for peace and my life got pretty unpeaceful for a few hours there. I
felt like no one understood what I was going through, I couldn't talk to
anyone about it, just one of those moments where you cry it out because
it is just too hard to do anything else. The point of all this is,
those few hours later, when I broke my fast and went out to work I did
feel peace about everything, I didn't love everything about it, but I
did have peace, and so that is the lesson - the Lord gives you what you
need just often in different moments than we expect. The funny part is, I
don't even know what is going to happen in the future, but I know it
will all be alright!
SO I hope you all try and do the same and know that I love and I
am praying for you! Don't forget how much the Lord loves you too!
Les Quiero,
Hermana Cornwall
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