A Week Full of Surprises

What's up!?

Soooooo...this email will probably be short because it's a tad difficult to type. I fractured my finger in two places on Wednesday. We went to the doctor on Saturday to have it x-rayed because it still looked like a zombie finger. I will be going to a hand specialist soon to have it looked at just because it is my dominant hand. It's great though! The work goes on. And the ward has been awesome. I even had a ward member volunteer to write all my emails today. :D

Surprise 2: We went on exchanges this past week and I was able to go with Sister R**!! It was so fun to be her companion again for a day. We talked about each other's missions the whole day and the experiences we've had since the MTC. We honestly had so much fun teaching together again. 

Thanksgiving was fun! The G**s had us over for breakfast and then the G**s had us for dinner. It was way fun. And from the picture that I heard you saw, you could tell that we had an awesome comp study that day;). Ya it was 87 degrees! Definitely not Utah weather. Today it actually looked a little bit like fall finally. 

We had the chance to be able to go read to N**. I never thought I would be able to see what it is like to teach someone who is so close to going back home. She looks worse every time we see her, but she still understands and responds to us. It's hard for her to talk. She will make noises and you can tell that she is trying to say something but no words are coming out. When we would ask if she would like us to read more, though, she would nod her head yes. N** did start talking as we left, though. She told us she loved us. It's so sad to see her body shutting down, but I am so excited for her. Soon she will be back home and now she will have more of an understanding of the gospel:)

Yesterday we were able to help with Sharing Time in Primary. It was so cute! I didn't realize how many of them I knew until we went in and sat down and a lot of them turned and waved! The Sharing Time was about developing and sharing your testimony to prepare to serve a mission. At the end they sang "I hope They Call Me on a Mission" to us. We were first with Junior Primary and when they started singing I couldn't keep my tears in! (I'm a softie I know!). They were so full of the Spirit. I realized also that it was the first time I had heard that song since I've been out.

I hope you all have a great week. I thought about writing more but it's taken me about 20 minutes to write this, so I'll just say thank you for everything and remind you that The Lord loves you all!!

xoxo, Sister G

 

Exchanges with Sister R**

"Diligent Sisters getting in their mandatory companion study time on this warm Thanksgiving day before contacting and blessing families with their glowing spirits."

 

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Happy Thanksgiving week!!!!

This week was good! Sister F** and I are working hard and are laughing every day! (I forgot to mention that she is from S** S**!) 

We are still teaching the two 9 yr olds who are doing well. We are getting creative and finding new ways to teach them, which is awesome. They are starting to understand and remember, which makes us super happy. Also, we love it when they come up to us whenever they see us to say hi to us. :) We taught one of them this morning and it went very well!

Oh, do you remember N**, the cute 98 yr old who reminds me of Great Grandma?? She is on hospice now:( We went to go visit her. She is still so sweet and positive and says tomorrow she will be back up and kicking. We are going over again on Wednesday to read the Book of Mormon with her. 

People are interesting. Everyone is so completely different with different stories. And yet we all have one thing in common. We are all Heavenly Father's children and He loves us. He wants the best for us and will help us any way that He can. Please don't forget that. We are all family. NO MATTER WHAT. 

Thank you for the light you all have and the light that you share with others. Happy Thanksgiving this week. Thank you for all the love and support you have given me.

xoxo,

Sister G

 

Because we haven't taken any pictures still and we had a gift card to McDonald's

 

Hey Hey Hey!

Hey!

So...It was a great week this week! You'll just have to trust me though because this letter will probably be short (like me!) hahahaha I think I am a little sleep deprived :D

Transfer day was Tuesday! The checkpoint I was at is the first/last checkpoint so after we all dropped off our companions we went to IHOP for breakfast to kill some time before the other side of the mission arrived. It was so fun!! Who knew that a bunch of missionaries would have time to just go to breakfast together!

Sister F** arrived Tuesday afternoon and we have been working hard ever since! She has also been dancing like her whole life and has a similar personality to me so we get along very well! We both have the discipline and work ethic of a dancer!! It's been fun working with her this week and we are going to have a great transfer! (Oh- so a new missionary goes through training their first 12 weeks in the mission. The first 6 is training and the last 6 are follow-up training. That's what I am doing with Sister F**).

Hump day was Wednesday. It was weird, but it was just a normal day which was great! But my death in the mission was foreshadowed that day as we came across two VERY dead animals! haha Thank you so much for the Hump Day package as well! It didn't even cross my mind so it was a fun/sad surprise! It's a happy feeling knowing you've made it halfway, but also very sad knowing you only have so much time left. I loved everything in the package though, thank you!

Church was good yesterday! The H** Family came to church!!!!! They only stayed for Sacrament Meeting, but they came:) They said nothing else has changed with their reading and praying and everything, so that's a blessing! I'm so happy to see them again. 

Thank you so much for all the love and support! I know that this is where I need to be and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now and I'm thankful to know that I have so much support! Have a great week this week!!

xoxo,

 Sister G

 

On Saturday we helped out with a service project of cleaning out a backyard of a family in the ward. It was so great to be able to help out!!

[Last day with Sister B**]

On Saturday we helped out with a service project of cleaning out a backyard of a family in the ward. It was so great to be able to help out!!

[New companion: Sister F**]

Last Week of the First Half

Hey!

Happy birthday this week Grandma Mecham!

I hope everyone had a good Halloween! 

This week was good. As I'm trying to figure out what to tell you all about, I realize that I can't remember because there is always so much going on and so much to remember haha! 

We are still teaching the two 9 yr olds and it is going well. We have had to get creative and find new ways to teach to keep them engaged and to help them remember. Ya, I'm not creative so it's been interesting! 

Oh I should probably mention transfer news....Make your guesses now! Ready? And the correct answer is......I am staying in Santa Maria. the second part of the answer is....I am getting a new companion.  Yep, Sister B is leaving me. She's been an awesome companion and I love her and have loved watching her grow and learn during her first 6 weeks. She will be going to Ventura YSA. The funny thing is the sister who is leaving that area is taking her place! They are just switching places. I will be follow-up training Sister F**. I met her at the training meetings and I am super excited to be working with her! 

One of my favorite things out here is when I actually get to see the someone receiving the light of the gospel. It's rare to actually get to see it grow, especially when you aren't teaching much, but it's cool to witness. We are helping a mom in our ward read the Book of Mormon again and it was so cool to watch her last night as we were reading. She actually had started reading on her own and she was so proud that she was through 1 Nephi. We started 2 Nephi and it was so fun to watch her get all into what were were reading. She was making comments all over the place and getting excited when she marked different things. Being able to witness things like this makes my time out here even better. Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening, but in all reality so much is happening.

This Gospel is true. It is the only way to find true and everlasting peace. Answers come as you ask in faith and seek for them. But you have to listen and be in a position to be able to hear. That means living the way God wants you to live. Actually it's the way He NEEDS you to live if you are to return home to Him and live with Him again. 

Have a great week! Remember who you are!

xoxo, Sister G

We took pictures on Halloween (Thanks to our Mommas!)

We made cookies for our district (Thanks Morris Fam!)

I forgot to add that L** and her girls came to church!!!!!!

We have been trying to meet with them and we were able to this week and then they came to church. C** hasn't been meeting with us but I know he will eventually. L** has an interesting background and only recently started to develop a relationship with God. We are just reading the Book of Mormon because that is the only thing she is open to right now, even though she believes everything that we believe. I know they will eventually make covenants with God and be baptized.

Hey!

Hey! 

Happy Birthday Mecham! (sorry I know it's late!)

This past week was good! Fall is definitely in the air! This past week it was super hot, and then all of a sudden the temperatures tanked! Today it is cold and wet! I kind of feel like I've just experienced the bipolarness of UT weather, but California style!

We had exchanges this past week. It was so good! I learned a lot and had so much fun with Sister P**! We walked most of the day, which I LOVED! And Pismo is gorgeous so that was a bonus:)

Saturday was full of activities. Well, two activities. In the morning we went up to Pismo again and we helped with the city Halloween festival called Pumpkins in the Park. We helped set up and then helped with the kid games. There were so many people there and a bunch of cute costumes! Our whole district helped out so it was fun! And yes, they provided pirate costumes so I did dress up. That will be the extent of dressing up for me haha! I'm hoping to send a picture, but it was on another sister's camera so we'll see!

Later that day we had our ward Halloween activity. It was a chili and pie cook-off and a bunch of games for the kids. There was live music as well. It was a great activity to sit and socialize with everyone. We were super excited because a family we are trying to set up a time to meet came! And we were able to set up a time to meet for today! They had so much fun and said they were so happy they were invited! 

The work keeps going and there are miracles right and left! This work is truly the Lord's work and I am so grateful He has trusted me to help! 

One last thought! I loved our third hour lesson yesterday. The bishop gave a lesson on temptation. It was so good. Just remember everyone has temptations, including the Savior. Temptation IS NOT sin.  Sin is choosing to act on that temptation and then doing so.

I hope everyone has a great Halloween!!

xoxo,

 Sister G

 

Oh we went sand surfing for P-day!​​

 

The Joy Continues

This whole mission thing? It just keeps getting better and better!  It's nonstop and I don't really think I take time to reflect, but when I do I realize just how great this work is and how grateful I am to be a part of it. I love wearing this name tag!

Zone Conference this week was really good! The whole second half was about technology and preparing to set it up next transfer. We watched some videos of missionaries in the field using technology and the different experiences they had. (For missionaries who know this term, it's The District 3). I am so excited for this change that's coming. I can see how it will hasten the work here and provide new and more efficient ways to share the gospel.  I can't wait!

We also had a cool miracle of a woman telling us that she and her husband want to take the lessons. Her husband used to be a member and wants to come back which is really exciting. We should be having a lesson with them this week!

One thing that really hit me this week was yesterday at church. We were in Sacrament Meeting. I was sitting there looking around and my eyes rested on a particular family. I caught a glimpse of a little bit of what the father may be feeling. This family has their struggles and it's definitely hard on the father. It looked like he came for relief. Then it was like a light bulb switched on. As my eyes continued to view the whole congregation, I literally could feel/see the trials, worries, and hardships they had come to find relief for. I could see the sacrifice they had made to come to church, showing their Heavenly father that they cared and that they had faith in Jesus Christ to be be healed spiritually. The feeling was overwhelming. It continued through the Sacrament as I watched everyone partake of the bread and water. It hit me more powerfully when I watched the children take the Sacrament. How innocent they are. They do not know what trials or challenges lay ahead of them and probably don't even fully understand what church and the Sacrament are for, and that's ok because they will understand later. They do know who Jesus Christ is and you can tell that they love Him. 

It also was the Primary Program. Their light just radiated and I couldn't help but feel like angels were singing with them. Again, they may not fully understand the words that they are singing, but one day they will. Right now they are building their foundation. They do however, know who they can turn to and know who Jesus Christ is. 

My heart was so full of emotion. I could see the joy of this gospel. My desire to share this with everyone increased. Everyone is looking for some relief, whether they realize it or not. The difference of those who find lasting relief and those who find temporary relief is the source they turn to. The Savior is the ONLY source for true and lasting relief and peace. We are able to feel that as we do the thing we need to to open that door- Follow Him. Read the scriptures, pray, go to church, serve, keep the commandments, the list goes on. It may seem like a long list of dos/don'ts, restrictions, rules, whatever you want to call it, but they are the key to unlocking the door to the Savior and the peace He has provided for us. I guess with all that said, the question we all need to ask ourselves is "How badly do I want that door to be open?" The way has been shown and key has been given, you just need to decide if you are going to pick up the key and open the door or not. 

I know the Savior lives and I know that He is the only way. He is standing there, waiting for you, His arm extended towards you. I promise if you will turn to Him, you will find what you are looking for. 

Remember Him this week. You are always on His mind. In fact, you are engraven on the palms of His hands. He loves you more than you could ever know.

xoxo,

 Sister G

                     I forgot to send pictures last week. This is from our hike two weeks ago. 

 

 

Santa Maria Zone

 

The Week

Hey!

This week wasn't too eventful compared to last week! 

Ha one thing that we did do was help the YSA Sisters with a service project they were helping one of their members with. Guess what it was! A car wash! It was like I was back on Dance Co, it was so trippy! I even held some signs at one point! Good times, good times!

We are teaching a lot of practice lessons to our members to keep up our teaching skills. What is great is that these lessons are benefiting everyone. One family we are teaching is a blended family and the oldest son is not baptized. His parents are hoping that these lessons will help him at least learn and understand more about what they believe. He's been coming to church with them, though, and this week he stayed for Sunday School! 

You might be wondering how the H** family is doing. Please pray for them! It's been super hard to get in contact with them over the last several weeks (we've had so many phone problems lately with two different phones). We were going to meet with them Saturday but she texted us saying they just needed time to themselves and that they need a break from church. She is struggling, wondering if she is being honest with herself. Her testimony is there and I know she knows it's true, Satan is just working so hard on them! Pray for them!

One more little miracle, though, was that we were able to meet the husband of a couple that has been on our minds since the first day Sister M** and I came into Santa Maria! They are never home because they work all the time. We were walking around the neighborhood, though, and felt like we should just go try them again and we are so happy we followed that prompting! We are going to try and set up a time, if possible, to meet with both him and his wife!

Zone Conference is tomorrow so I'll report on that next week!

Everyone please stay safe. We only hear so much of what is going on in the world, but from what we are hearing, it sounds like a lot is going on.  We've heard some about the fires up north. We don't see a lot of smoke, but we can smell it sometimes. A member in our ward has a son serving in Mexico right now as well. Amidst all the things going on though, I love hearing how people are uplifting and supporting one another. We are all brothers and sisters.

Thank you for everything you are doing to help the people around you! The little things count just as much as the big things!

xoxo, Sister G