Can I just say this week was a wonderful roller
coaster of excitement! (I am using the roller coaster analogy because
Sister Carter, my STL, was talking about it all being a roller coaster!)
Anyway, I had such a great week so I will just dive right in to telling
you!
On Monday we taught our investigator
Leticia again, but this time we included her husband too! They were both
attentive to us sharing about the Restoration and then they asked about
the Book of Mormon. They were very curious about it and they agreed to
reading a little. Then Hermana Navarro invited them to baptism and that
is when there was a little halt, because they weren't really on board
for that, but that we are always welcome. We hope to teach them again
soon, but we aren't in a huge rush at the moment. We hope that with
time that can accept it! Then we had an FHE with the Dunham family in
the ward! They are great! They aren't really less-active. They come
and go! They are really wonderful people so it was nice to just have
some spiritual time together! One thing I love, that happened in the
lesson with them, is the guidance of the Spirit. I felt impressed to
share a simple scripture and it really touched them. There is so much
power in the Spirit and it is always guiding us. I feel so much better
when I follow it!
Tuesday we did
Studies with our zone leaders. It was really great to be able to get
help and feedback on training stuff. They are so nice and they take such
good care of us. They are some of the best zone leaders I have ever
had, actually they might just be the best! On Tuesday evening I
went to go practice Amazing Grace for the funeral! Luckily the version
Gloria (member) had given me was pretty easy so I wasn't too worried.
I get there and the Sister Mcfadden and Gloria decide that they would
prefer the song a little lower. We go to the organ and turned it town
2 notches(whoohoo I got to play the organ). Then being silly me, I told
them I would transpose it, again it wasn't that hard so I wasn't too
worried. As we were finishing up, Gloria told me about another song
she was doing, I asked if she had an accompanist yet and she said no. I said that I could try it, It was a very simple version of it so I
did ok. I heard the song a few times (because I had never heard it
before) and then later that evening I practiced and practiced on the
keyboard we have in our apartment. I transposed Amazing Grace. I
didn't have the blank sheet music so I was just trying to read it off of
my hand written notes. Anyway it was a crazy night trying to get so
much done!
Wednesday we had a quarterly
zone conference! It was amazing as always. What President Alba focused
on was us having the countenance of Jesus Christ in our faces. It was
very powerful. He went up to one of the Elders and told him that he
could see the Lord's countenance in his face. I just thought of how I
want others to be able to see it! Then Sister Alba talked a little about
Change -- making sure we are always willing to adjust and improve. We talked a little about the Harvest/house blessings and the cool thing
was that I could promise all of them that Harvest blessings truly do
help you find the elect, because it is how we had so many new
investigators recently! We started to talk about Meet the Mormons,
how it was not to be a missionary effort but that we could encourage
people to go! He showed us a clip from it and paused it and we
discussed a little and then Sister Alba yells, "Well lets just watch the
whole thing!" So we watch Meet the Mormons, before it came out in theaters. Elder Holland encouraged all of the mission presidents to show
it to their missionaries! It was great! I really enjoyed it! I hope you
all saw it this weekend, or plan to see it soon, and make sure to take
some friends along with you! I gave my departing testimony. I don't
know if I have explained this before, but at the end of every zone
conference all of the missionaries going home in the next 3 months bear
their final testimony! It was such a real experience to have it be my
turn to say it! I remember my first zone conference most of those
testimonies gave me the strength and the will to go on and I wanted to
be that testimony for someone! Anyway, not only was I the only Sister
missionary, but I also was the only one going home at the end of this
transfer, it was weird, but awesome. One funny thing is some
missionaries that went home 8 weeks ago, together got engaged last week
so then the big joke on me was that they expected an announcement by December. I told them I would try, but no guarantees. In the
evening we met with the Tafoya family. They were so welcoming to the
message of the Restoration. The father just kept saying how happy he was
to learn that there is a living prophet! It was very interesting. They
agreed to read the Book of Mormon. So, we will see this next week!
Thursday
we did our planning early, because of the funeral on Friday! Then we
taught a Blanca and her 2 kids. She really wants her kids to know all
things spiritual and so we are focusing on them, but I am sure she will
be open to listening to us too! Then we taught the Saldana Family. They
have honestly been very prepared to hear the message of the restored
gospel. They haven't been very content with their church right now and
they have questions unanswered. It seems the husband is always searching
for truth. We taught them the restoration and they understood that they
needed to ask for themselves and the importance of such an event. The
husband gave question after question. We had the answers. (I am
really grateful I am teaching him at the end of my mission, because of
my understanding of Spanish and the gospel, that makes it a lot easier)
When we gave them a Book of Mormon. The husband started reading it right
away! He was excited to read it and know more! It was an amazing lesson!
We were so happy. The whole family is involved with learning more and
so it is truly just incredible! Needless to say we are excited to see
them this week!
Friday was the funeral.
For the first time in my life did I feel like a pianist. I transposed a
piece to a different key; I accompanied on a country soul song; I played
the organ for the closing hymn; and I played postlude! Usually I am the
singer, but I was very happy to use my talents as a pianist! They may
not be many, but they were enough to help! I also got a lot of
compliments and "I didn't know you played the piano." I guess I was
hiding under the bushel of my last companion, but I was glad to help. It
kind of made it an exhausting day with everything to do with the
funeral and graveside services, but it was good. We had another
lesson with an elect! Jesus is ready to better his relationship with
God. From our last visit he had already read 3 chapters in the Book of
Mormon and he says he has all of the time in the world to meet with us.
His wife just left him, so he had been humbled to accept the gospel.
Saturday
was a actually a very chill day! We got our 20 contacts and had a
practice lesson with Sister Pollock and our weekly coordination meeting
with Brother Abono! He is so wonderful! I am so glad I get to serve with
him!
Then all of the investigators we thought
were coming to church didn't show up, but we have hopes for next week. I
played the piano in primary, which was fun! My companion and I had a
good little talk about things and I hope that I can be a good trainer
for her!
Oh how I love serving the Lord. He always proves to me that it is worth it everyday!
I love you all so much!
Hermana Sarah Cornwall
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