NoCal

NoCal

Thursday, March 30, 2017

I refused to let this be a normal transfer week. (December 19,2016)

So normally the week right after transfers is suuuuppppeeerrrr long
and kinda bumpy cause you have so many new adjustments. Well, that
wasn't going to happen on my watch. Sister Smith came ready to work!!
We set to it and this week we found three new investigators. They were
all found three investigators! All of them were found through members.
There is just a special fire going in Rocklin about missionary work.
We are called to teach repentance and baptize converts and that is
what we're gonna do man!!

The Mondells are doing about the same but we gave them some
challenging commitments so we're hoping those help us make some more
progress.

OK I HAVE NEWS EVERYBODY!! TAMMY IS ON DATE FOR FEBRUARY 4TH!! She
called me one night and here was great rejoicing to be heard in the
land round about.

I'm so excited for Christmas to come up this next week. I love my
family so much I can't stand it! Sorry this weeks email was very short
but hopefully I'll have more time next Monday! 5 points to whoever can
find Sister Vaitohi and me on the mission Christmas card the fastest!

So in our mission the mission President wanted each companionship to send a picture of themselves with their Christmas trees to compile
into a giant mission Christmas card to send everywhere. Naturally,  Sister Thorum is super excited and proceeds to dig out the Christmas tree that's hidden in the apartment closet somewhere. Imagine the disappointment when she pulled out a Christmas tree that was all of about a foot tall. She was not about to take a picture next to that sad little sculpture of wires wrapped in pipe cleaners, so she decided to take action and find one of the coolest trees in the ward to take a picture with. Needless to say, Sister Wycoff comes in clutch. Stay tuned for the mission Christmas card featuring Sister Vaitohi and I posing with a Disney inspired Christmas tree.

 On Monday we both got really freaked out because we come out of our
 dinner to jump in the car and we notice something strange. There's a
 full pack of Reese's peanut butter cups sitting in the front seat.
 None of the doors had been left open, none of the windows were down,
 and the car was locked the whole time. If this is the breaking into
 car that Rocklin has, I'll take it. But really it did creep us out
 cause we have no idea how they got there...

 Miracle of the week happened on Tuesday. We were knocking some doors
 trying to contact some less actives and potentials in the area and we
 met someone! The less active family that lived there was no longer at
 the address so we started talking to one of the guys that lives there
 now! His name is Ryan and he is super open to learning about the
 gospel. We shared with him a little bit and he started spouting off
 questions to us about everything. We invited him to our ward Christmas
 party that weekend and he came! Miracles happen through knocking doors
 people! Sad story but I think we'll have to pass him off to the YSA
 sisters because that's probably where he should go but still! Happy
 day!

 I got to go out on splits with one of the laurels in the ward and it
 was super fun. Her name is Emily and she is really pumped about
 missionary work. It's super fun being in these wards where people are
 dying to come out with us. They really get to see how us missionaries
 roll. I'm grateful for all of those people who do take the time and
 effort to come out with us. If you haven't been able to, try setting
 some time aside to go out with the missionaries. It has really changed
 my perspective on the way we share the gospel.

 On Thursday I hit my six month mark! It has officially been over six
 months since I've been able to give my family a hug. Ladies and gents
 it's boggles my mind that I've made it to this point. I started off
 that day by curling a woman named June's hair at one of the old folks
 homes we go to. She was beaming and we got to talk all about
 Christmas. It was awesome. Later that night we got to have a lesson
 with Brother Mondell. It was touching to see how he's learning to rely
 on strength besides his own. For so long he has developed the practice
 of being extremely self reliant. Now that's not a bad thing at all,
 but it is taking him some time to rely on the strength of the Savior's
 Atonement for us, because we can be so much stronger that way than any
 way we can come up with on our own. I've gotten to do a little bit of
 thinking about the time when I was dealing with the brunt of my ankle
 situation a few years ago. I consider myself to be a fairly
 independent person who thinks they can do a lot on their own. But
 through that trial I had to learn patience and trust, trust in that
 Heavenly Father would one day make things better for me. I had to see
 that since the Savior did it I can too. I learned that I couldn't do
 it all on my own but that I had to rely on the Savior and those around
 me who love me to buoy me up. It's really cool to see someone starting
 to open up to that idea. I'm just waiting for the gradual lightbulb
 moment that Brother Mondell is going to have, because I know that it
 will come. He studies everyday and prays and repents and comes to
 church and is so involved in his spiritual studies that there is no
 way he will not be a member of the church in the next little while.

 Friday and Saturday were the ward Christmas parties!! 5th Ward was on
 Friday and 1st was on Saturday. We were able to invite a new
 investigator named Ryan but he didn't stay for long. It was a good
 start though!

 On Sunday we got to go down to the live nativity that they hold at the
 Sacramento Temple!!! It was so cool. So they turn the area around the
 temple into a Bethlehem look a like. It was a full on production. They
 had He birth of the Savior and the shepherds and the wise men and
 everything. A live baby too! But probably the most tender mercy ever
 was to see some of my favorite people there. We were waiting in line
 and who do I see walk up?! None other than Tammy and the Arnold family
 and Sister Seely and Sister Frost from Antelope!!! I was cryin.

 So transfers have come and I will be getting a Sister Smith down here!
 Sister Vaitohi isn't going far, just to Lincoln (and she will be
 living in our area anyways). I'm so excited!!!

 Love,
 Sister Thorum

MERRY CHRISTMAS YA FILTHY ANIMALS





No comments:

Post a Comment