Week 37 It's a Girl!!!

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

GUESS WHAT?!?!? MY SISTER IN LAW IS PREGNANT AND I JUST FOUND OUT IT IS A GIRL. Just in case you were wondering, it is very exciting news. I will have a cute little 2 month old niece when I get home. I am so stoked for them. Especially since they are going to name her after me. (Its only fair)

Welp. Poor Sister Moala got real sick this week. It has been going around the mission, she has been super congested and has had a sore throat and a bad cough. I drank Emergen-C like nobodys business but alas I am starting to come down with it too...so pray that it won't get bad enough that it effects the work. 

Although she was sick she is a superstar and we still were able to have 17 lessons this week. For the month of February we had a total of 64 lessons. 64!! MIRACLE. Our zone leaders told us yesterday and I got goosebumps. Most of those might be member lessons but one thing is for sure, we are doing something. Something that has been pretty discouraging is that Benicia is a very slow pace kinda place. Which if you know me I like FAST. So it has been a toughie. But knowing that we taught that many lessons just testified to me that even though we aren't finding 12 people a week or baptizing the whole town, we are still doing something. By small and simple things are great things come to pass. 

Speaking of finding...picture this. Sister Tams and Sister Moala have 30 minutes left of the week to find someone to teach, they have pulled zeroes 2 weeks in a row and they are determined not to do it again. But where should they go? Who is the one who is prepared? Lets try Richie...hes not home, maybe we will try his neighbor door 105 just one more time...BAM GINA. MIRACLE. It was a week of working hard during finding only to be rejected again and again and again. But God is good and led us back to our friend Gina who we knocked into a few weeks back. She invited us right in and we had a tearful lesson that testified that God absolutely knows Gina and where she is at in her life right now. We shared Helaman 5:12 with her and we were crying by the end. I am so very excited to get to know her even better and to continue teaching her. God is good.

We had a really good lesson with Ginger this week where we invited her to be baptized...but alas fear got the best of her and she changed the subject. She is still praying about it but she needs lots of prayers that she will have the courage to make this change in her life. She is so close and we are trying to be sensitive and patient while still being persistent. Which is difficult. So send prayers. 

I got to go to Napa this week on exchanges with Hermana McCaul and Hermana Daniels. I enjoyed it so very very much. They are such cute missionaries and I learned so much from their encouraging spirit. We were able to have a lesson in Spanish where I experienced the gift of tongues! Somehow I was able to follow the entire conversation and share a scripture even though I don't know a lick of Spanish so that was a MIRACLE. 

We were also able to do our first and second Family History lessons this week both of which were SO cool. I got to help Napas recent convert David find his Great Grandma which was so fun. Then one of our members invited a friend to learn more and we were able to help her start digitizing her records and put together her family tree. Which was SO cool because it was all in Chinese. The Spirit was so strong and I KNOW that those ancestors on the other side are rooting for us to find out more and work on our Family History. I am so grateful I get to help others connect to their families. 

I have been thinking a lot about families this week. In Preach My Gospel it says: "A home established on gospel principles will be a place of refuge and safety. It will be a place where the Spirit of the Lord can abide, blessing family members with peace, joy, and happiness. Through prophets in every age, including your own, God has revealed His plan of Happiness for individuals and families." I am so grateful that I grew up in a home that was a place of refuge. I am grateful for what this gospel continues to provide for my family and what it will provide for my future family. I wouldn't want to raise my kids in any other way. Bringing families closer to our Savior Jesus Christ has been such a joy and such a blessing.

GOD IS GOOD 

MUCHO LOVE,

Sister Tams

Other/Funny Stuff:
-Sister Moala HATES medicine so I had to chase her around with the Nyquil. She only drank about a drop, but i'm counting it as a win. 

-We met a new bird friend named Buddy (pic feat below)

-Short story: I am allergic to shellfish, I forgot to remind this family we were eating dinner with so when we got there they were frying up some shrimp and it was potent in the air. Naturally my eyes began to water, without me knowing one of my contacts (brand new) popped out of my eye and is gone forever...very sad day. But luckily I survived and all is well. 

-This dude tried to play footsies with Sister Moala this week and she didn't know what it was so she was just so confused the whole lesson...

-As of yesterday our wards are officially combined and HUGE. We had overflow open and everything. Major throw back to Utah honestly...It is gonna take some getting used to but we are excited. 

-We get transfer news on Saturday and President basically told both me and Sister Moala in interviews that she will be moving...sad sauce. 

-I just love my president with my whole heart. He goes home in 2 transfers and it makes us all sad sauce.