Week 11

This week was pretty great, we met most of our goals and got 20

lessons this week. We have some pretty fantastic news! So  we found
out that on Oct 10th Thelma was going to go to st George and be
baptized there, which was absolutely fantastic! BUT Beulah and her
family surprised Thelma and said they are ALL coming here so that she
can be baptized in her home ward!! So Elder Burks and I can go! It
might be a week or two after the 10th, because there are a lot of
people that have to get work off, but it should be in October for
sure!! Isn't that incredible?!
I also witnessed some miracles this week, which you will take comfort
in. I was on exchanges with our zone leader, and we were
visiting a former investigator. We knock on the door and we hear two
big dogs barking on the other side, she opens it up, and two huge pit
bulls come bolting out right at us! I thought they were gonna jump on
us, but they stopped right at our feet! Then they started barking and
snapping their jaws at us, we had our book of Mormons in attack
position haha. They barely missed my fingers a couple times. I could
have sworn one of them bit my companion's leg, but neither of us were
touched. The lady, who was just watching all of this go down haha,
eventually called them back in. We were able to have a good
conversation with her and she invited us to come back next week.
Well this is the last week of my training! Next week is a new
transfer! And I'm excited for a new chapter in my mission! I would
absolutely love to stay in the ward. I love the members so so much.
But I will go and do whatever the Lord asks! I'll know by next week!
I'm super excited for conference this weekend. Probably more excited
than I've ever been in my life. It's basically the coolest thing ever.
Anyways, I'm excited to hear from you! Love love love you!

Week 10

Lyndsey's baptism went absolutely perfect! There were no flaws with anything! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! 

Monday and Tuesday of this last week were a little rough. We didn't get to teach any lessons on either of those days. BUT the next five days were probably the best 5 days of my entire life hahaha. We were on fire! Usually when elders have a baptism, their lessons and their numbers go down for that weekend, but not with us! Thursday we taught 7 lessons! And even on Saturday we still taught 4! With the other 4 on Wednesday, 2 on Friday, and 4 on Sunday, we taught 21 lessons this week!! We reached our goal! And exceeded it! My companion has never taught even close to that many lessons in a week! Not only that, but we had 2 investigators accept the invitation to be baptized also! Thelma being one of them! AND we had a baptism! The Lord just jumped a bucket of blessings on us over the past 5 days and it has been absolutely incredible! I have never known joy and happiness so great as I have this weekend. I am filled with gratitude and thanks and I am just in awe that the Lord has blessed us so much.

Week 9

 Happy Labor Day! Hope the first week of school went great for all of you!

This week has been great. Lyndsey asked me to baptize her this last week!!! Like what?!? I'm so so excited and couldn't be happier for her!

We had a bit of a scare this week with Lyndsey though... Last night her and Mark came to a baptism of a convert in the stake, and soon after the baptism started, I could tell that Lyndsey looked a little distressed. A few minutes later, she got up and left the room crying.  I felt strongly prompted that we needed to go do something, but I had no idea what to do... Finally I asked my companion if he would go with me to the bathroom. He rolled his eyes haha and agreed. In the hall I told him the situation and he suggested there was nothing we could do and that we just go back to the baptism. But I had us walk around for a little bit, looking for her. We couldn't find her though, and my companion kept suggesting we go back. So I agreed, and as we were walking back I was just praying so earnestly that we could talk to Lyndsey. I knew that we needed to. Right as we were about to enter, Lyndsey turned the corner with eyes puffed and cheeks red. A lot of her family and friends are very against her joining the church, and many of them are drifting away from her. Seeing the baptism just brought all of this stress to the surface. We prayed with her out in the hall. And my companion read Alma 7:11-13 to her and bore a powerful testimony. But it was right at that moment that someone came out and said everyone was waiting for me to come sing the musical number! I forgot that I was singing with two other elders and they were all waiting for me! So I had to go sing Nearer my God to Thee with a bawling Lyndsey sitting right in front of me... Not my best performance. After the baptism, they quickly left and we could only get in a few words of comfort. We went home very discouraged last night haha. We didn't sleep well and we were really worried for Lyndsey. My emotional distress also made me homesick,So I didn't sleep very well last night at all. 

To our great joy and comfort, this morning we got a text from Lyndsey thanking us for the comfort and support we gave her and assuring us that she is taking a leap of faith but she knows she can do it! So the baptism is still on for Saturday at 6! I know that your prayers and fasting is what has given Lyndsey the strength she needs! I've told her and she appreciates it so much!

We met with Thelma again this week! She is still doing great! I feel like she is going to get baptized, but time will tell! We went and played tennis with her this morning! Hahahaha she is so hilarious! The only racket I could find was 50 years old, but I did good and had a lot of fun:)