Week 54 We are Family!

July 23, 2020

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

wowowowoow wowowo wow wowo wow wow woweeee, what a week!! SOOO MUCH HAPPENED, here's just a taste.

I continue to love my comps and to love this area, IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. Last P-day we went to Bodega Bay and walked on the beach for a couple of hours, it was so peaceful and OH SO NICE. The beaches here are so different, I was wearing a long sleeve and the fog was setting in, it was SUPER pretty, not like the typical sweltering heat at other beaches that's for sure. We also got to go to a redwood forest trail and teach a lesson to our friend Kameron and his friend Amanda, BY FAR the most peaceful place I have ever taught a lesson. The spirit was strong and the trees were huge.

We also got to teach Michael again this week, we gave her a Book of Mormon and read a little bit in it with her. She loved the spirit that we brought and asked how she could feel it more, we testified of the scriptures and she was super excited to dive in. She is adorable.

We had MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) this week with President and Sister Meservy. It was the last one with them as our Mission Leadership and it was extremely sad. I honestly do not know how I got so lucky. They have helped SO many miracles occur in this mission and have changed SO much for the better. Their example of Christlike love and leadership will not be forgotten and I feel privileged that I got to experience it first hand. We talked a lot about achieving goals and getting back to normal, it is a weird time to be a missionary but especially now SO many need this message and the work MUST go on.

We had a mission zoom call yesterday to introduce our new mission leadership. President and Sister Puffer seem amazing and it was bitter sweet to meet them and to hear from President and Sister Meservy for the last time. Tears were shed, feelings were felt, memories were made. We are excited to move forward with the Lords work under the direction of our new missionary leaders.

With the changing of a mission president and the craziness of the week I have been thinking a lot about shepherds. Sheep, quite frankly, are not very smart. If one of them goes through a barbed wire fence they all follow and do so too. They are major followers. Honestly, that is kinda how we are as humans. We all look to someone to follow, whether that is parents, bosses, friends, or mission presidents we are all seeking direction. Which can be a little dangerous if we are being led into barbed wire fences. Luckily, we all have the option to follow the one true Shepard which is our Savior Jesus Christ. The only way to not get lost when we lose one of our leaders is to continue to focus on the one who has been leading and guiding us all along. To focus on the Savior and to trust that He will not forget us, he will not lead us astray, heck he will leave the ninety and nine (in good hands) and go after the one. That's how much he cares about each of us and how much he wants each of us to make it safely back home. Food for thought, what Shepard are you following?

I love being a missionary, there is no where in this world that I would rather be than here in California serving the Lord. It is such a privilege to do so, I love my Father in Heaven so very much and am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to get to know him more and more each day.

Mucho Love,

Sister Tams

Other/Funny Stuff:

-President walked into MLC in basketball shorts and his shirt and tie and said "this wasn't a zoom call?" hahahha, he was just joshing. Turns out he had to pick up his dry cleaning on his way there so he went and changed before we started.

-Sister Meservy has invited all of us to come stay with her in Idaho any time that we want to, they are the cutest family and I am excited to see them again soon. Grateful that Idaho is not too far.

-UPDATE: MY NIECE IS GOING TO BE BORN IN 70 DAYS. Just in case you wanted to know.

-Me and my comps have the weirdest conversations...

-We attended the baptism via zoom of our friend in Mississippi, His name is Kross and he had a combined baptism with a guy named Chris. So Chris Kross got baptized together hahhahaha. God has to have a sense of humor.

-We helped some members move named the Pays, they are adorable and are going to bless the people in Blue Sky, Montana so very much.

-We started teaching a members friend named Patty, the member drove us there and lets just say she is not the best driver in the world...hahahah. Quite the ride, only almost died a few times.

-So uhhhh FUNNY STORY: Me and Sister Powell are from towns that are super close and on Family Search it said we were 3rd cousins...so we chatted for a bit and TURNS out we went to the SAME family reunions all growing up. So that was fun. She is a Bowden too, WE ARE FAMILY.