This week was just crazy! I am going to send some more details about the last week in Del Campo because I had so little time to write last week I didn't do it justice. I'm just going to steal the details from my old companions email. :) Last Tuesday we had almost all of our appointments for the rest of the week. We met with Pat Thompson, a sweet little lady that is neighbors with one of the members, and with Emily Galassi. We had an awesome lesson with both of them. With Emily, the spirit was there and she knew it, but she still doesn't think that she knows enough about it to make the commitment of baptism. We also had a lesson with Michael and he was doing awesome. We talked about prophets, Jesus, and the great apostasy. Then we talked a little more about the Book of Mormon and he is doing great on not smoking so that is definitely a plus. Wednesday District Meeting turned into testimony meeting and there was a box of Kleenex being passed around. We were also told that transfers would be different this time. Calls would be made to people who are being transferred or put into leadership on Saturday, if you didn't get a call, you didn't change. Then on Monday morning, everyone who is affected by the transfer gathered at the mission office with all of their stuff and met their new companion to head to their new area. That night we had a come to Jesus lesson with Michael and he told us that he was having trouble with the not-smoking. We told him that it would be okay, but that he had to be honest with us or we couldn't help him. We promised to pray and had a nice discussion on the Atonement. Friday we had our last actual lesson with Michael and talked about the plan of salvation. We actually went through the whole thing and he seemed to get it pretty well.
Saturday morning we knew was potentially the last day in Del Campo for one of us (surprise! it was the last day for all of us!) 11 days before the end of the transfer we set a goal as a district to teach 100 people about the Book of Mormon and give them a copy before the transfer was over. Saturday was essentially the last day, and a companionship of elders texted us and said, "Sisters, we're calling you out! Let's see who can get out the most copies of the Book of Mormon today!" Suddenly I discovered I do, in fact, have a competitive side. We went out on bike for the cooler morning hours and were able to place two copies of the Book of Mormon. Throughout the day, we had several people planned and we talked to everyone on the way. We added two new investigators, had a member present lesson, and handed out eight copies of the Book of Mormon. At the end of the day, we were so tired, but so thankful for the many miracles that we had seen that day. The district ended up getting out 97. SO close! But still, it was AWESOME. After we got the call that all of us were getting transferred we may or may not have yelled at our Zone Leaders...oops. Sorry Elder Parker! We thought he was messing with us and it was NOT funny. Don't worry, we apologized. I ate almost an entire carton of ice cream. Nope, it wasn't a pint. It wasn't pretty. But unexpected benefit, ice cream has been significantly less appealing since then. So perhaps I will get skinny! :) After we got that call we came home to our door having been adorably decorated by our STL's. It made us cry even more, but it was so sweet and made us feel loved for sure. Picture at the bottom.
So now I am with Sister Miller. She is 14 months out and from Riverdale, Utah. She's aight. I'm trying to figure out how to work more effectively with her. We get along just fine but she's very senior companion-y and I always have a hard time finding balance between pushing for things I feel are important and respecting the seniority, thereby avoiding contention. Not that it's been contentious, because it has not.
Saturday morning we knew was potentially the last day in Del Campo for one of us (surprise! it was the last day for all of us!) 11 days before the end of the transfer we set a goal as a district to teach 100 people about the Book of Mormon and give them a copy before the transfer was over. Saturday was essentially the last day, and a companionship of elders texted us and said, "Sisters, we're calling you out! Let's see who can get out the most copies of the Book of Mormon today!" Suddenly I discovered I do, in fact, have a competitive side. We went out on bike for the cooler morning hours and were able to place two copies of the Book of Mormon. Throughout the day, we had several people planned and we talked to everyone on the way. We added two new investigators, had a member present lesson, and handed out eight copies of the Book of Mormon. At the end of the day, we were so tired, but so thankful for the many miracles that we had seen that day. The district ended up getting out 97. SO close! But still, it was AWESOME. After we got the call that all of us were getting transferred we may or may not have yelled at our Zone Leaders...oops. Sorry Elder Parker! We thought he was messing with us and it was NOT funny. Don't worry, we apologized. I ate almost an entire carton of ice cream. Nope, it wasn't a pint. It wasn't pretty. But unexpected benefit, ice cream has been significantly less appealing since then. So perhaps I will get skinny! :) After we got that call we came home to our door having been adorably decorated by our STL's. It made us cry even more, but it was so sweet and made us feel loved for sure. Picture at the bottom.
So now I am with Sister Miller. She is 14 months out and from Riverdale, Utah. She's aight. I'm trying to figure out how to work more effectively with her. We get along just fine but she's very senior companion-y and I always have a hard time finding balance between pushing for things I feel are important and respecting the seniority, thereby avoiding contention. Not that it's been contentious, because it has not.
Elk Grove is nice. I've already made some Galt connections so that's fun. Everyone keeps giving us their garden veggies so I'm eating some healthy fresh lunches and loving it. Tomato sandwiches all the way!
We had an awesome lesson with a less active lady in the ward that is wanting to come back. She is recognizing how hard it is to change years and years of habits. We read in 3 Nephi, "Will you not come unto me, that I may heal you?" She was really touched by it. It was a special moment for me getting to testify to her of the happiness of keeping the commandments, and of the enabling power of the atonement. The gospel is about change, but we can't change ourselves. Because of the atonement, with Christ's help we can change.
On Saturday we had a baptism! His name is Israel. Obviously we had nothing to do with it because we just got here. So we taught him a lesson on Wednesday and then he was baptized on Saturday. He is sixteen and he is just so awesome. I wish I would've gotten to teach him and watch that process. After he was baptized the closing song was, "I Am a Child of God," he just started crying. And after the prayer everyone got up to get cookies and chat and he just sat there and kept crying. It was the cutest thing. He looked so so happy, and he already has plans to serve a mission. He bore his testimony in church yesterday. He knows it's true. It was cool to hear his stories of how he came to recognize answers to his prayers, and he knows that when challenging situations come up, to turn to Heavenly Father in prayer. The kid is solid. He's going to be converted for life. It's so fun to see.
There are exciting things going on in the missionary work here. As a zone we are working on becoming more consecrated missionaries, and becoming more converted so we can have the spirit with us more fully and be more effective. Based on D&C 64:34 we are working towards offering a broken, willing, and obedient heart to the Lord. Love you all! Have a great week!
p.s. the pictures are an adorable pink Pixar lamp reading light that Sister Christensen bought for me because it is adorable, me and Sister Limb being dorks (picture was taken because I wanted a picture of me wearing that super cute skirt that S. Christensen let me borrow--then she gave it to me because she's the nicest), the door the STL's decorated, and then me with the Morgan's David Archuleta cutout.
Galt connections! Sister Barfuss and me with Sister Gale from Galt. :)
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