Thanksgiving

Hello everyone!

There's so much that I need to fit in this email, my mind is about to explode because of all the info in my head right now. Okay so I got transferred right? But then I was inner zoned and I literally moved over 1 neighborhood. That was really surprising! Didn't expect that at all. Also I got called to be a Sister Training Leader. I'm really excited to be working with other sisters and helping them with their missionary work. The sisters who are in my old area are in my stewardship so I have the chance to go on exchanges with them and see all the people that I love from that area. I also get to see Nadine and continue to help her progress to the waters of baptism. Isn't that amazing? I am so happy about that!! 

So Sister Barlow is my new companion, she's been out for 3 months and loves missionary work! She's from Fruitland, Idaho. The same place our mission president is from, he's even been her bishop and stake president. So I guess that makes her one of his favorites! I'm really excited to be her companion. She has an amazing work ethic and love for the people that we are working with. This transfer is going to be absolutely amazing! :)

​So Thanksgiving morning we spent at a member house with our zone but only part of our zone because at transfers they combined Bella Vista (my old zone) with Ironwood Zone together. So now we're in Ironwood Zone and we have 20 missionaries in our zone, before it was just 12... so yeah that was surprise! For lunch we went with the Copeliens to their aunt's house who lives outside of our area but still in our zone on a ranch. That was really fun!!! We stayed for a long time! Then we had dinner at the Miller's house! And finally pie at the Higby's house. SO basically it was a day full of stuffing and turkey but I ate ham where I could. I'm still not fond of turkey. I guess that's the South African inside of me.

Oh we also stopped by Torrance's house. He is a recent convert in Pecan Creek 1st ward. And he is literally the bomb diggity! He's this 54 year old little black man that LOVES THE GOSPEL! In fact he often comes out with us on his bike and does missionary work with us! He really is the coolest kid on the block and I'm super excited to work with him. But whenever he talks I tend to fall asleep because he has this silky radio gospel voice, so I have to make sure that I stay awake when we he shares his testimony.

 

Everything is going well here! And I absolutely love that Christmas lights are going up now! Christmas is my favorite holiday and it just makes me so happy! I encourage everyone who receives this email to check out the new video that the church has made for Christmas. It is called "He is the Gift". You can find it out Youtube or Christmas.mormon.org

When you watch it, think about the gifts that the Savior has given you this year and then share the video and your thoughts online on facebook or on instagram. But make sure that you #sharethegift. The church has put a lot of effort into this production so let's support them by sharing it as much as we can!

So since Sister Barlow just finished training we got to go to new missionary meeting on Friday and the APs trained us on how we can be more effective missionaries. I realized that I don't know my scriptures as well as I thought and that I still have a lot to learn on my mission but there was something interesting that they trained on that I thought I would share with all of you today. Why do you think that we pray on our knees? I never really thought about why we do it, I just do it because its what I grew up doing and it seems to be one of the best ways to show respect to our Heavenly Father. I also thought that if I was in the most uncomfortable position possible then I wouldn't fall asleep during my prayers. But think about this quote "If you go out of your way for God, He will go out of the way for you." Isn't that interesting! President Nattress always says in order to receive personal revelation we need to make a sacrifice and a covenant with Him. Prayer is the tool we use in order to make that covenant so might as well be sacrificing at the same time. So my commitment to you is to get out of your bed every morning and every night, get on your knees and have a deep conversation with your Heavenly Father. I promise that he's listening! He will answer you!!!

I love this work! I love being a missionary and I love Arizona! I'm so grateful for the chance that I have to be here and become the person that my Father in Heaven wants me to be.

Also, shout out to Sister Bowen! Congrats on your call to Brazil! You will do amazing things in Brazil!! I'm so proud of you!!!! :)

p.s. we helped out at a turkey trot Thanksgiving morning and it was really awesome!!!! :)