when Italian ice leads you to investigators

Hello family and friends!!! So to start off we just got transfer calls.... I am so sad to leave my missionary birth place but I'm excited for new people and new adventures!!! I will be heading to Kissimmee central!!!! And guess what???? I'll be with my MTC companion Sister Heywood!!! Like what??? Super crazy.. everyone from my MTC district is switching places. I'm going to Kissimmee to replace sister Fahrenbacher, sister Fahrenbacher is going to Lecanto to replace sister Fiu and sister Fiu is replacing me!! So we're going to have an MTC reunion. It will be grand.

So all our investigators are doing good!!! There's been a ton of finding new ones and dropping old ones. Just sifting the wheat from the tares it's all good. Although sad day!!! J- the one who was gonna get baptized spontaneously went back to Nicaragua because they're having a war there and he needs to get his family!!! So sad.... also S- who was also super solid texted us and said she randomly moved to New York!! What?!? People?! Anyways... that was a bummer but the Lord will guide them to the gospel when they're ready. 

Miracles!! 

We went on exchanges this week with Sister Schwendinger my favorite human. We had a blast. We're just always so in sync when we teach it's great. We had a ton of appointments and we just Alma and Amulek'ed the crap out of that. And we got 3 new investigators that day! Ugh exchanges are good. All of them were former investigators. 2 were from a super cute family. It's a single mom with 4 adorable black kids. She said she really wants her kids to get baptized. (Only 1 is of baptizing age and she also doesn't know that she will be getting baptized as well.) 

Ok lemme tell you about how my carnal desires led to a really cool gospel discussion. So on Saturday we did some crazy tree cutting service. We took down a 60 foot tree. Ok we didn't .. But we cleaned it up hahaha. With a fork lift. Ok it wasn't our fork lift but we helped. 

Anyways that took a few hours and then I wanted to stop by this former who was in that area. So we did. He wasn't home it was a bust. I was kinda disappointed because I had felt prompted but it was ok. So on the way home I was like let's get some Italian ice because I love that stuff and I'd been wanting to go to this one place since I've been in the area and it might be my last chance! So we last minute decide to go and we get there it doesn't open for another hour and I'm so sad.. But there was this guy who also wanted Italian ice and showed up at the same time. He heard we were from Utah and he starts telling us this crazy story about going to the Olympics and how he has pioneer ancestors and he's sat by Mormons on planes, etc. He's always been super intrigued by our religion and defends Mormons wherever he goes. We have this awesome conversation for an HOUR. We tell him about the plan of salvation and restoration and he's really digging it. Anyways we talked about how coincidences don't happen and that God led us to meet him and he was just blown away. He didn't live in our area and was going on vacation for a couple weeks but I know he'll join the church one day. So it was just a powerful lesson of how Heavenly Father orchestrates every second to where we need to be in the right place at the right time. 

We also found another beautiful part member family and taught them the Plan of Salvation. The dad hasn't been in over 15 years. The mom is hesitant but really liked the family oriented environment and was open to coming to church. When we taught about eternal families the spirit was so strong. You could tell how badly the parents wanted it. They know how much of a lifestyle change it's going to be but I believe they'll come to the conclusion having a family forever is worth it. 

There have also been a lot of difficult moments this week as well. I don't really want to burden anyone with them but know that missionary work isn't dandelions and butterflies. It's super hard. It kicks my tail most of the days, but "salvation isn't a cheap experience." There was a scripture from Alma that gave me some insight. It's about Alma and the sons of Mosiah and their missions. 

farewells...

"8 And this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy, and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon. And now may the Lord, the Redeemer of all men, bless their souls forever.

14 And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life."

This describes missionary work to the T. I've never felt more joy but never felt more sorrow. But I'm not the only one. If we don't know the sadness we can't know the happiness. If we're feeling both, that means we're doing it right. 

Sister Grant