It's a fantastic week in Canoe Creek

I said that last night while accounting and I thought I was a genius so I decided to make it my weekly title... LOLOLOL... I think I'm funny sometimes. But it really has been a great week and the Lord is blessing us so much and I'm eternally grateful. Oh my goodness the church is so true everyone. Wow we were feeling kind of discouraged getting into it but it turned out fantastic. I need to just start trusting the Lord by now. Like, I know he's got everything in control and it will all be fine I just get stressed. But.. God's got this... he doesn't even need me. I'm just here for the ride. This is his work and I just get the wonderful role of being the instrument in his hands. I probably need more faith haha. But don't we all? It's the first principle of the gospel but it's also the most important one.


 Highlights of the Week!

~It's been in the 70's and I'm definitely a Florida girl... because now it's cold.... Every time without fail when we walk outside we're like... ooh it's chilly.

~Sister Casey and I wanted to be Elders for Halloween... But President said no.. Like we can already wear slacks and a tie is like almost a scarf... Yeah but we still dressed up for fun... I think we look good..

~Well Tuesday was not a good day for me but it was a good learning experience. I've been working on using my spiritual gifts and my daily goals on Tuesday was dilligence. I strive to be a hard worker at all times and many of my companions comment on that ability. Well on Tuesday I got sick. I've never been sick on my mission up to this point. But lets just say my stomach was not happy... or the rest of my intestines... I'm not sure if it was food poisoning or what but I felt like crap. And I could not work hard. I ended up getting a fever and was super achy and just not having it. And we like only had dinner plans that day so it was going to be a long day of finding. But you know what? I gave my best. Despite my circumstances I didn't give in. Did I take a nap? yeah twice. Did I eat only mashed potatoes and drink juice? Yes. But I gave it my all. And even though I was sitting on the couch you better believe I phone contacted everyone I could. I updated areabook. I wanted to show God I could. I didn't push myself but I gave Him what I could and said "ok you do the rest" It was a really good day in learning the balance and that it is ok to take care of myself and not to doubt that I know my limits.

~Also on Tuesday we talked to this super awesome lady while she was walking her dog and she just opened up to us about her husband's death 2 months prior. We testified to her of eternal marriage and how families could be together forever. The spirit was so strong and I know she felt it. I felt my grandfathers' spirits testifying through me and it added to my testimony of the Plan of Salvation.

~ On Wednesday we had service at the Education Foundation and I love it because I actually feel useful haha. We packed like 62 backpacks full of school supplies to be shipped off to teachers who have limited resources. It was awesome and I'm so grateful to contribute to the career field that I want to be a part of one day.

~We found this super cool less active mom with 2 non-member kids. She said that she'd been thinking about how the missionaries hadn't been by in a while and then we showed up and she took it as her sign she needed to get back with it. So we're hoping to bring them all back to the church! I've never had kids be so excited when they opened the door. It was adorable.

~Saturday was amazing! Everyone we talked to was so friendly. We were introduced to a former investigator by a member we read the Book of Mormon with everyweek and she showed up and wants to meet again and get baptized! So that was awesome. We weren't sure what would come of our reading the Book of Mormon with him because he's pretty solid already... but it's leading to awesome opportunites.

~We met 3 other families that day who wanted to learn more about our gospel and the Book of Mormon who all had surprising religious backgrounds... (Catholic and Muslim) We just felt like Heavenly Father was opening the floodgates and that the Creek will be overflowing soon.

~Sunday we read this case study about this sister missionary who did some bomb member missionary work in a ward that was struggling and Sister Casey and I just got mega inspired and instead of me normally being overwhelmed by those kinds of things we decided to get to action by messaging a few families and seeing if we could come by and visit them. One family said we could and we talked to them about setting missionary work goals and we made a plan to invite their neighbors over for dinner that we will also casually be at. So we can introduce them in a subtle way. So that was also really exciting because I've never had a family so willing. Afterwards the teenage daughter messaged us and said that she had someone she wanted to share the gospel with, but wasn't sure how and wanted help. So we were just in awe. 

This is a blessed area and even though we kind of have had a trial of our faith, things are picking up and their going to get even better. I'm trying to have faith. Faith is super scary sometimes. I read something super interesting today though.. Just like faith is believing in something you can't see, fear is also believing in something you can't see. And if you have to choose... Faith is much better to have than fear. Plus faith is from God and Fear is from Satan.. so if that enlightens your choice. Plus faith leads to miracles and who doesn't want that?? 2 Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."