Pray and It'll All Work Out

Ready for this craziness? We went on four trade-offs this week. We started in Lake Butler on Tuesday for a 24 hour trade off (oh how I love that place), directly after Sister Petramalo and I split up again to go on another 24 hour trade off in Gainesville. Once we reunited, we ate lunch, and raced off to a power trade-off (2 hours) in MacClenny. FINALLY...we arrived back together in our own area Thursday night to teach a member present lesson with our progressing investigator, NATE (I'll share more on that later).

​Then on Friday after weekly planning and training the new missionaries on how to use Facebook via conference calls....we went on another 24 hour trade-off on the other side of Jacksonville in Arlington. By the time we got back into our area together at 4 on Saturday, I felt like I hadn't seen Sister Petramalo in ages. We have another 4 trade-offs this week. I never anticipated my mission being one big constant sleepover, but it seems to be turning into just that. But instead of being overwhelmed by this crazy mission life, I'm learning to take one day at a time and PRAY that it all works out. And miraculously, everything does, in fact, work out.

Now are you ready for the two best moments of the week?

1. I'm completely in love with my Relief Society president, Sister Herrin. She is incredible. She was released this week (she's moving to southern CA), and my heart dropped for just a moment. She bore her testimony at the end of RS and as she spoke, I knew God designed for me to serve with her these past 5 months. I've learned a lot during my mission from lots of people, but she's one of the ones I've learned the most from. I'm so grateful for my mission.
      *Side note: My first night out in Florida, we had such a big group we all couldn't be housed at the Mission home. The Mandarin wards had to open up their homes for the night. Guess where I stayed 16 months ago? You guessed it - Sister Herrin's home. And to think, that just 16 months ago I had not idea the impact she would have on me.

Service in the rain and dirt....showers during lunch hour? You betcha.

2. Nate's lesson! Let me paint this picture real quick. Our lesson was at the church with Nate's member girlfriend, and Laurent (one of the BEST member missionaries in the world). Nate, Kylee, and Laurent are all in their early 30s. If I could invite Jaclyn along to be quality fellowship, I would. Anyway, Nate has been taught and dropped for the past year. We recently began teaching him as he has aged out of the YSA. We felt impressed to go back to the basics and teach a lesson completely focused on prayer. There was such a powerful spirit in the room, especially as he admitted that he had never really believed that God answers his prayers. After I bore my testimony, Nate looked me in the eye, and asked me if I really meant what I was saying, or if I was merely saying what a missionary should say. I was taken aback for a second and my early mission life seemed to flash through my mind - moments in which I testified of things because I knew that I should, not necessarily that I knew them for myself. But in that moment I could clearly feel that I now know the things I'm saying. I have a testimony of the restored gospel that can't be swayed by yelling strangers, slammed doors, depressing drop texts, discouraged sisters, or really long days. I looked Nate straight back in the eye and said, "I can honestly say that my favorite part of the day Nate is when I hit my knees before I go to sleep. Those precious moments talking with the One who knows me perfectly, are seriously what motivate me to keep going throughout the day." Nate is now praying. He's now taking the steps to text us on the phone. And rumor has it from Kylee, he's been talking about being baptized in November. (But shhhh, he hasn't told us yet.) I love baby steps. I love 'em. I love 'em. I love 'em.

p.s. Quotes on my walls....just make me happy. Don't they make you happy?