YOU CANNOT STAND STILL!

So, BIG NEWS...LEWIS AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER ANOTHER TRANSFER! AHHH! We are so excited! The nerves and excitement on transfer mornings (this morning) are crazy! Everyone is texting everyone trying to figure out who is going and who is staying. Most of the Hermanas are staying put, which is fiiiine by us ;)  OKAY EVEN BIGGER NEWS!!! We just got a call from President!! Like 2 minutes ago. Yes we were pooping our pants! We were so scared! But turns out he just interviewed us to be SISTER TRAINING LEADERS FOR THE HERMANAS!! AHHH!!! And we get to go though the temple with President and the rest of the leaders in the mission in July! Holy moly we are freaking out right now, this literally just happened. =) Such a cool opportunity for us! We are thrilled to be able to do this together.

Also this past transfer for key indicators we taught exactly 100 "other lessons." Pretty neat verdad? 

We went over miles, so we had to bike more this week.  Friday morning we started out and it was pretty hot, then by around 5:00 it started getting a little cloudy but we thought it would hold off, then out of nowhere, down pour. Of course. Luckily we were in an area near someone we knew so we were stranded there for a while until the elders brought us our car. If we are on bikes, it has to rain. Always. 

Also if you need some sort of solution in your life go get a Peanut Butter Cookie Dough sonic blast, it will fix anything. I'm learning so much out here. haha

Okay so on to more important things. AMBER GOT BAPTIZED SATURDAY. She is so solid. Oh man she was 100% ready. She's been an investigator for some time now. In fact, my first day out here in the field I invited her to baptism. She was my very first lesson, and my very first baptism invitation! She was so giddy and excited, man it was such a good day. We love Amber to death. 

Dasha and her family moved. Yep they are gone, back to Texas. We miss them tons, but it is what is best for their family. We shared one last scripture and prayer with them and just like that they are gone =( We are going to get missionaries over to them real quick though!  

We had interviews with President this week. They went really well, President is such an amazing man. Lewis and I had been praying and pondering a lot and we decided that we could get 5 baptisms this transfer. We told president about this, and that could have played an important role in him letting us stay together. We also had set this goal before Dasha had left, we had her date and her sons date set. So within an hour, our goal got a whole lot harder to achieve. It is going to require so much work. But we already have 3 more dates set! We are praying all goes well! It is going to be a month full of miracles! We have to make some changes, and work harder than ever, but we can do it! 

There is a talk called "The Fourth Missionary" by Lawrence E Corbridge. Our mission president asks us to read it, I'm only about half way done with it, but I'm learning so much from it and I want to share a little bit about what it talks about change.

"As you consider the question of what kind of person you will become, you must understand the dynamic process of life. You not only can change but you do change all of the time. Sometimes people do not believe this. They excuse their failures and weaknesses by saying: "That's just the way I am." "I am just short tempered, impatient person." I can't get up in the morning. That's just the way I am." "That's my nature." Or, "I'm just shy. That's all. That's just who I am." "I am not really a spiritual person." To believe that weaknesses and deficiencies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth of the plan of salvation. You are not cast in stone. You not only can change but you do change all of the time. You are a dynamic, changing, evolving being. You are always changing. You never stay the same. You cannot stand still."

"The purpose and central blessing of life is change. It is to be changed to become more like Jesus Christ. It is to incorporate into your character, the qualities of His character.  It is to move from one degree of intelligence and capacity to the next, until you see God face to face and know Him as He knows you."

I love this. Something I discussed with President was not wanting to go home the same. Because right now I truly believe that I'm beginning to change. My perspective is new. My understanding of the gospel is greater, God and Christ are in the forefront of my mind, I go to Them for everything, I'm turning my weaknesses into strengths, I'm happier than I've ever been because I'm fully living the gospel. And the most terrifying thing in the world is once I'm released as a missionary I'll go back to the old me. Don't get me wrong, I still have so much to work on. I guess the biggest change is me has been my desire to be better and my desire to change. For me, the most exciting thing in the world is to truly take on the characteristics of Christ, to change and let go of old habits and become a new and better person that you didn't even know could exist. So much to learn. So much to study. So much to change. I can only hope one day to know Him the way He does me. =) Poco a poco. 

Alma 37:35-37; Mosiah 5:2, Moroni 10:32

Love yall. 

Por fin me and this Nino are friends:) We eat with them every Friday night and this last week when we came in Cesar yelled "mana!" And gave me a great big hug. I love it!

Sister Lewis surprised me with pancakes for my 4 month birthday! Ha ha! I love her!

 

 Little Rock Zoo