Week 30 What a friend we have in Jesus

FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, CHILDREN OF GOD,

Hey, how are ya? hows it going? 

I'm good. Doing swell. Benicia is alive and well and this week was super weird but super good. 

Good thing: We had 17 total lessons this week! WHAT A BLESSING! The area presidency asked us to practice our teaching at members homes so that we can be teaching 15-20 lessons per week. They said that it takes 15-20 lessons to be able to become more effective teachers. The members here are AMAZING and We had 13 member lessons and 4 regular lessons. Which was truly incredible. God is so so so good. 

Weird thing: We found a new guy named Allen this week but then he texted us right before our appointment and said he couldn't learn with us because he was too attracted to me...He is 43....so that was sad. Nothing makes you as attractive as having the Holy Ghost with you I guess...I just hope that one day he will be able to accept the message. 

Good thing: We were asked to speak in one of the wards yesterday and Sister Moala did SO good. She has such strong faith and her teaching skills are improving so much. I love being her companion so so much, she cracks me up. After exchanges this week she told me that she was praying the night before about how grateful she is for me, she is honest to goodness the sweetest and I just don't know how I got so lucky.

Weird thing: One of the members asked us to visit this less active named Clara and she invited us back to have a member lesson. We got there and it was probably the wierdest lesson I have ever had. Her kids were running around screaming and she was telling us about how she is agnostic and has never had an experience with prayer but that she was baptized 5 years earlier because she likes how the church is organized...plus on top of that she invited her sister-in-law who has been going through a hard time. So we were luckily able to comfort her. It turned out okay but man it was odd, hard to explain...you had to be there. 

Good thing: We went on exchanges this week and Hermana Rasmussen came here with me. It was my first exchange not as an STL and I loved it. She is so so sweet and she helped motivate me all over again. There is so much good to do here and I am so glad that God has allowed me to come and get to work. We got to do service for a sweet 93 year old lady named Jean and she is adorable. We helped her take down Christmas and man does that lady have a lot of decorations...it was a pleasure to help her. 

Weird thing: We were just doing our thing the other day knocking on doors when we knock on this one door and this lady is so confused and so aggressive. She kept calling us weird and crazy and she even threatened to call the cops...it was interesting and luckily we were able to get out of the situation pretty quickly. She started following us down the street yelling at us not to knock on her neighbors doors though so we took some refuge at a members house and they drove us down to our car. We passed the ladies house and she was still outside smoking a cigarette waiting for us...Sister Moala was shook, she really doesn't like Americans. 

Good thing: We had a lesson with Ginger yesterday and invited her to "experiment" She bore her testimony to us once again that she knows that it is all true and pretty much that her only hold back is that leaving her church is like getting a divorce. Its like abandoning all that she has grown up with and known. She told us that she feels comfort there and she feels her late family there. We invited her to try to come to our church just for a few weeks and we promised that the same comfort would be found in our church even more so, because of the ordinances that we get to participate in. She is amazing and she said she would be there! SEND PRAYERS HER WAY! THE ADVERSARY IS GOING TO WORK ON HER! 

Weird thing: I hit my 7 months yesterday...I don't like it.  

Good thing: We had members sign up to have us practice again almost every night this coming week, I have high faith that as we work with these members the referrals are going to come flooding in. One of the Members even mentioned having us over in his talk on Sunday and told everyone to sign up...what a blessing. 

I love this gospel so much. I love these members so much. President Gordon B Hinckley taught: "So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces someone, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his...friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel...The process of bringing new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new people are found." (Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep May 1999) 

ASK THE MISSIONARIES WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!! THEN GO AND DO. As members, it is our responsibility to preach the gospel at all times and in all places. Gods children are out there waiting to hear this message, as missionaries we need your help to find them. 

Mucho Love,
Sister Tams

Other/Funny Stuff:

-Sister Moala has been obsessed with the song "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" by Dolly Parton...we have been listening to it on repeat. Can't complain it is pretty good, plus singing it at the top of your lungs is very amusing. 

-Hermana Rasmussen is from Orem and knows my cute roomies from last year. 

-We are on week 5 of the transfer and my mind cannot comprehend that. 

-I am very excited for what this next week has in store. God is good, all the time. I love Him very very much.

-PRAYER IS SO GOOD!! PRAY OFTEN I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

-We did the Missionary moment at a baptism on Saturday and our object lesson didn't really work out...kinda awkward, but funny. 

-I discovered that Sister Moala likes Tacos but not Enchiladas...if y'all have any easy recipes to make in an hour or less please send them my way...