Man oh man. Where to start. I JUST LOVE WHERE I AM!!! I love being a missionary, I love the people I serve with, I love my companions, members, recent converts, leaders, investigators, people I meet on the street!!! EVERYONE! It's cool to see what a calling of a missionary can do to you. ALSO CONGRATS TO AMANDA FOR GETTING YOUR MISSION CALL TO MEXICO!!! That's so exciting and I am so proud of you and I know you will make the best missionary EVER! :)
Thankfully on Tuesday we got our car back. And for PDay we also played some good American baseball.
It was also the Boston Red Sox Home Opener. Coincidence? I think not.
We were able to drive to an appointment to see Netta. She's doing so good and we did service again with her on Friday where she baked treats for people and delivered it to them. She's a golden soul!Then on Wednesday we literally talked to EVERYONE. We've seen a lot of people. And this week for some reason I felt extra motivated to talk to everyone. So we chased some people down, even if it did mean we had to cross four lanes of traffic. Worth it.
We shared the Hallelujah video a lot! It was awesome, but of course people have agency. During our studies we really focused on The Book of Mormon and how we need to center it on everything we do. EVERYTHING. And so we have been. We taught a little about it in District meeting, we've been role playing with it, and we've been street contacting with it! We gave out a lot of Books this week. So cool. One guy we were street contacting tried to walk by saying, "I'll talk to you when you can show me another book, besides the Bible, that testifies of Jesus Christ."
Oh sir, it is your lucky day. So he took a copy and said he would read it. Sweet.
When it rains, it pours.
Wednesday was also the day we had our last lesson with Vanessa as an investigator!!!!! It was awesome. She's awesome and her baptism was even more awesome. EXPLOSIVE to say the least. :) More to come on that day...THEN ON THURSDAY WE SET GAIL WITH A BAPTISMAL DATE OF APRIL 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh it was the coolest thing ever! We brought an older member with us and we just started following up with her and her Easter and how she liked the womens' broadcast. She said she LOVED it and she was telling EVERYONE about it. She rocks. And then she goes on to say that as she is telling her friends, so many of them go "Oh Gail, you need to join that church." WHAT?!?!? SO COOOOOOLLLLLL!!! :)
Ah, so we invited her there and we set a goal of April 30th. :)
She's just the cutest but she's very sick. Please keep her in your prayers. We dropped off some different soups, homemade, this morning with a box of tissues and a picture of Christ. Love that lady. And when we saw her she was listening to General Conference! Oh she's so cool.
We've been having great power hours, great seed planting. We weekly planned, and saw Tina and Debbie. Interesting to say the least. Debbie refuses to be baptized and Tina wants to look into it more. They are a pair. And I love them both. And then we met with a returning less active, Daniel. What a good guy with a tender heart. Good man, good man.
Friday can only be described as "scoop and shimmy." Oh Netta, she's a funny one. While we were talking about doing service, we talked about her getting married in the temple. Since she wants to get married soon to her nonmember boyfriend. So she said she would read the Book of Mormon with him on the Temple grounds. How cute is that? Cute.
We had a cool experience in Lakeside where we started street contacting this man and he asked if I had been baptized, and how he could be baptized. So cool. An awesome referral for the Lakeside Elders! I love how I get to be a part of peoples' journeys even in little ways like that! It's awesome. :)
Before Gail got sick, we had her follow us to go to a member's home for dinner. Sister Moreau had invited her over. It was so cool! They got along very well and helped her get excited about her baptism! Oh, makes me happy! :)
Then that same night we were able to have another really spiritual tender lesson with Stephanie. Daniel can testify like a boss. OH AND WE HAD OUR FIRST COORDINATION MEETING WITH EDDIE THERE!!! He's just the coolest. :) Eddie's one of my favorites! :)
Woof. This weekend was the best but also the fastest! General conference. My favorites, were Elder Neil L. Andersen, Donald A Hallstrom, Mervyn B Arnold, M. Russell Ballard, Patrick Kearon and of course Jeffrey R Holland. But do you want to hear something sad? As the opening song on Sunday was happening, we had a BLACKOUT. The power totally went out all the way up to Poway! But thankfully kind members exist and one was at the stake center.
General Conference with the best members ever!
They invited us all over to catch the rest of the session. So we missed President Monson's talk and Sister Oscarson's talk. Sad day. But it's okay because technology is a blessing! I will read it soon, hopefully, and I'm sure he will be one of my favorites too!Probably the biggest (conference) prompting I got was that my calling in life is to make a difference to the children who don't feel God's love. The strongest prompting I've ever received. And I'm excited to fulfill it.
Sister Purcell and I also did comp inventory, she started crying. She said I was the most consecrated companion she's ever had. She's the sweetest, love her.
We also finally saw John Stevenson, a recent convert in Grossmont. He's doing okay, and he knows the atonement is real.
SUNDAY WAS THE BEST!!!!
Waffle Bar!
BECAUSE: conference, a member fed us a waffle bar lunch, and VANESSA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!Ah, right after conference ended, we had her service.
We LOVE Vanessa!
And they do too!
She is the cutest! And it was the coolest baptismal service. Sisters Pilkington and Stewart, now Lexi and Suzie were able to skype in, with permission from President. Coolest thing!
Love them!
Her cousins from L.A. who introduced her to the church were there and gave stellar talks. SO many NONMEMBERS were there as well. Vanessa's parents, brother, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins. And all nonmembers! Good thing our restoration presentation was the BEST!!!
We came to find out that Vanessa's brother went through the Mormon Batallion and accepted a Book of Mormon, and a Mormon Battalion sister has been teaching him online and he said that he had listened in on our lessons and he loves it! FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER! And I'm so excited for her family! :)
That same night we handed out a ton of Books of Mormon, watched the Hallelujah video with people on the street and we even got a few people to tear up. Good night. Good night.
Then Monday, we once again were left without a car. We had to bring it to the dealership this time for a cracked turbo. I promise you I don't race the car. I have no idea what happened. Sigh. The Lord has a plan! And the car had to stay overnight.
Thankfully we had MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) and we got the Monks, our senior missionary couple, to drop us off and we were inspired by President Schmitt.
And I always love seeing Sister Carlson.
We are totally soul sisters.
AND COOLEST THING HAPPENED AFTER MLC!
Some Elders walked up to us and said they had a referral from a member in their ward. They just got off the phone with the potential investigator, Stacy. She was in tears apparently, and said she wanted to be a member of our church. So we called her right away. She was still crying and just said how she wanted a new start, so we have an appointment with her today!!!And guess what? We learned she is the Schmitts' friend and they are the ones who introduced the gospel to her! So they are coming with us tonight!! (No pressure:))
Then we used our members for rides after MLC and walked a lot. It was awesome.
We talked to a lot of people, shared the Hallelujah video, saw some more tears, all good things.
Then we had dinner with a part member family. It was hectic at a crazy restaurant. All we could do was talk about The Book of Mormon, commit her to read it, and tell her we will stop by sometime this week. She's cool, cute family, great potential. We are excited for her!
Then we had to run because our ride was here to drop us off at our Family Home Evening with the Carlsons, a family in the Grossmont ward. Great night, great member missionaries. Inspiring.
Then we met with a recent convert, DJ, who just moved into the branch. Greenest hair I've ever seen. But coolest conversion story, very spiritual man and he really wants his mom to have this. We helped him set a goal. He's cool. I love this area.
And I truly love this work.
I love the trials I face that make me stronger.
I love the people I've met and I know I've met them before.
It's the coolest.
And I'm also grateful I get to be together forever with my family. I know that sentence gets said a lot but it couldn't be more true.
I love it and I love all of you.
Keep following the Savior's light. He and I love you!
Love,
Sister Whitcomb
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