All This and More in One Week! Las Cruses, NM

November 12, 2013

Dear Family...

Big changes were made in the mission this week - okay they weren't that big - but still changes. The first one of note - P-Day is now on Tuesday. That'll be an adjustment for sure! and our weekly planning has been moved from Thursday to Monday - That'll be another adjustment - but yesterday it went well so I have full confidence in this change -plus I know Pressident Miller is inspired and if this is the change that needs to be made so be it. I will follow! I think it will be great! Today has been a great day to kick off the new change - as a zone, well 2 of the 3 districts - went to White Sands National park/monument and it was so amazing! It is like the sand dunes in southern utah only bigger. and whiter. It looked like snow! oh it was so wild! and now there is white sand EVERYWHERE!! our car is a mess! and vaccuumming (two u's two c's or two m's? how about all three!) womn't even help much probably! and silly me - decided to do somersaults down the hill so now it is all over in my hair and just everywhere. what a mess. but so worth it. it was so fun! 

I cannot believe this week is already done though. It went by so fast! We went on an exchange on Tuesday and I stayed in my area and the sister who came with me is going through some things emotionally and I really did not know how to help her - but the spirit did. I did not know that at the time. I was just rattling things off (whats new) and then today when I saw her again she told me how much it has helped her! and that her problems have dissapated immensly! thank you Heavenly Father! Sister Montini and I also decided that the reason I was called to be an STL was so that I could figure out logistical things and make sure everything is going to work properly and run smoothly - she is there for the hugs and the comfort.. things I don't do :) we work very well together!

Wednesday - I was back with Sister Montini and we had a coorelation meeting with the zone leaders to make sure we were on the same page with the missionaries in the zone in preparation for zone training meeting coming up on friday (like distric meeting but will the whole zone) and to finalize plans for MLC.. then sister montini and I ran around some more getting things ready to go, packing, finalizing the trainings we were presenting (trying to at least..) and then that afternoon, we met up with the El Paso ZLs and STLs and caravanned it the 4 hours to ABQ for MLC (so many acronyms! how fun!) so there was a total of 12 missionaries and we went up in 5 cars! FIVE! how silly! we could have fit in 3! our ZLs have a mini van so they could fit all the elders and then the sisters would have just had to split into two cars.. but two areas in El Paso got their car privelages revoked so they had to take their cars back to the mission home-- that is why we went up in 5.. bizzarre. We got to ABQ at 830 - too late to go anywhere and too early to go to the sisters apartment where we were sleeping becasue they would not be home until 9pm- so we went to the temple in the dark. and i tell you what it was so cold!! in the 50s! and normally that would not be so cold to me but being down here in the 70s has made me sissy. It was cold. and then 9 came around and we went to Sister Rosas to spend the night! Sister Rosa was my MTC companion and I just love her oh so very much! It was so good to see her again. It has been way too long.

Thursday was MLC at the mission home and that is just a spiritual feast every time. I just love President and SIsdter miller so much! (the picture I sent last was from last months MLC.. the faces are a little different now.) Pressident Miller taught us/ stressed the importance of us using the BOM in our teaching and how that should be our primary manual. He then promised that if we did that- our baptisms would double! COol promise. He is such an inspired man! Then we drove home! yay! this time in three cars how it should have been... we stoped in Hatch NM on the way home where some sisters who sister Montini and I are over are - they were ill so the elders stopped to give themn a blessing- so we all stopped. and they live in an old catholic church! so cool! they live with a member who owns it- so rad. We are doing exchanges with them this week - so I will get a better chance to look at it and check it out. and then when we were almost home some of our other sisters called us to come over and help them - so we went over and it is close to 9 at this point and they were not talking to each other. drama drama dram! (what movie?) we were there for over an hour trying to help them and who knows if it did! but they seemed friendly with each other today so I think it did! again- it was all Heavenly Father. We have really been praying for them hard. But that wasn't even the end of our night! we didn't get home until after 10 - and then still had to finish our planning for the trainings wewould be presenting the next morning... oh goodness procrastination is the best. I thought I would grow out of that on my mission... definitely have not. One day maybe.

Friday - Zone training was simply wonderful. President Miller surprised stopped by. That was exciting. and nerve racking. It is already scary giving a training to 32 other missionaries - then add the president in there - eep! But it went well! and then we exchanged with another set of sisters for that night! I went up to the little town of Alamagordo NM with Sister Bodily from Layton - and we saw some incredible miracles that night! We put two people on date for Baptism and it really illustrated to me the power that Heavenly Father has and thAt He truly is aware of all HIs children - I need to go now- but if I remember nbext week I will tell you the miracle of the number 23 for investigator Jeff. SO cool.

What a week! and to end it all - I watched the testaments while my dear companion was ill with a temperature!

I love you all!