-Sister A and I got some rad face paintings
Hello!
Is it seriously already Monday?? Where did the week go!
Let's see if I can be orderly in this email.. It's so hard to remember everything! Well for starters, I LOVE MY COMPANION. Sister A is seriously so fun and quirky and I love it! She is the best trainer I could have asked for! And we totally jam out to spiritual music. Our current favorite is "Hark the Herald, Angels Sing" by Pentatonics. Life is never boring, that's for sure. My favorite thing about her is her prayers. This is an example: "Thanks for allowing us to have zone meeting.. even though I don't like meetings. It was good..Probably what I needed." and "oh and so and so, HOLY MOLY that kid!! Please help us to know what to do with him."
-Studying at the park on P-day
When I first got out here, Elder and Sister Joy said that I looked just like their daughter so I told Sister A that I might get that a lot. I didn't know how much! Last week, about 5 people said I looked like someone they know. I must just have one of those faces? It is definitely a blessing because then people feel comfortable around me and open up to us!
So there is a guy out here, his name is MS and TC is really good friends with him and his wife. We decided one day to visit him because our area book said he hadn't been contacted in awhile. We knocked on the door and he immediately let us in. He was so kind and basically told us he is a dry Mormon. It seems that his wife isn't too interested which could be why he hasn't joined the church. But he knows it is true and told us that himself. A few days later, after a hard but good lesson, we arrived home and had a text from Sister Ballard telling us to call her. We instantly were wondering what we could have possibly done wrong. We called and she said that MS had texted her (he knows them well too). He said that we were great representatives of the church and mentioned a few other nice things. He also told her that we had forgotten a sweater at his house and he could bring it to the ward or we could pick it up (Good Job Sister A!! She didn't even do it on purpose). We had her text him back and say that we would be at church at 2 and he could bring it then. He never did show up but we went to his house after and assume he is on a trip with his wife. When we had visited, he kept saying that we should come back to visit. I think he really does want to join the church but just doesn't know how to go about it with his wife. Sister Ballard told us how proud she was of us which was such a great thing to hear after such a difficult night.
Sister A and I had a less busy day on Thursday so we went to visit M and her mom, both less-active. We were a little later then we had planned but that ended up being perfect because M pulled up right then. Had we been any earlier, we would have missed the opportunity to visit them. They are the sweetest people and we read a chapter in the scriptures with them. While reading, her mom got a phone call. When she came back, we had finished and were talking about the chapter. She looked like she was going to cry but was almost glowing. It turns out that she had been worried about her job because she just had surgery and is taking some time off. She had been waiting for a phone call about her job and they told her that she could take as much time as she needed and they would find her a spot when she came back. Then M received a phone call from her job and was told some wonderful news also. They both knew that these miracles had come because of reading the scriptures. The Lord works in such miraculous ways.
D, our "skinny Santa," has changed so much. I love seeing the way the Gospel of Jesus Christ can uplift, strengthen, and humble those that we are teaching. D came to church yesterday and stayed for all 3 hours!! We have only taught him the Restoration too! He was in Sunday School answer all of these questions about the Atonement and Sister A and I were literally left with our jaws dropped. What an amazing man! Not only did D come to church, but M did also! We had so many of our less-actives and investigators come and it was the best thing. I can understand now why people always say that missions are "the hardest but best decision you ever make." The change I see in others, and the change I see in myself are just incredible.
Yesterday, Sister A commented, "We are fasting for the Salvation of [his] soul." That just hit me so hard because here I am, 19 years old and I have been given this ridiculously hard but great job to bring others unto Christ through the Spirit. Nothing I have done in my life has been as great as what I have set before me.
This whole week was so spiritually uplifting and amazing, but Saturday we got to have some spiritual fun! We did service all day. In the morning we started our day by helping the achievement day girls. They were having a 3 mile walk to the Portland Temple from our church building and there were some fun stations along the way to help teach them about Temples. We got to be Station 5 and so we just sat on the sidewalk waiting for them to come. It was the first rainy day here and so everyone was out walking in the nice weather. The Temple matron even walked by and talked with us for a bit. Later that day, we went to Party in the Park in Beaverton. It was like a smaller scaled Logandale Fair but it was such a blast! Sister A and I got to do face painting again for a few hours and it was just so fun with all of our Elders from our zone as well as from other zones.
I am having such a great time here in Oregon and am so grateful for the sweet letters I receive from you! I love you all and miss you!! Have another great weekend and Endure to the End because greater happiness than you can possibly comprehend is in store.
-Sister Waite
Pictures:
-This is our view at all times: pretty trees and our ducks in a row
Sister Cuenca and Hermana Mercado and I all matched at Zone Conference
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