Ciao!!!

So it is officially a new transfer and I have a bunch of new's news. So I have a new companion, a new apartment, a new zone, a new p-day, a new assignment, and a new Mission President (coming next week). My new companion is Sister Bonvisutto from Italy! We are in Temple Square Guest Services this transfer. Guest Services organize all the tours, investigator lessons, and answer people's random questions. It's really fun, and was one of the things I really wanted to do this transfer! I really wanted an assignment, because this transfer is especially slow on the square without lights and before summer. It makes for a lot of walking around without people, and so I wanted an assignment so that I could appreciate the square time I do have this transfer. It is a good balance, the amount of time is basically split between Guest Services and Square time each day, plus we have Teaching Center time.

This week we said goodbye to President Gillette (even though he doesn't leave for another week, the departing sisters wanted to all be able to say bye together). We sang a really sad song, and we all made home-maid leis and put a lei around them. There were so may it was like when Tommy from Tommy Boy inflates the life-vest on the airplane haha and then they had more hanging off their arms. It was really cool. They will be so missed. But I am excited to meet the new one.

Last Thursday, we as a mission were able to go to the new Museum in BYU the "Sacred Gifts" exhibit. It was really cool! They are paintings of the Savior from cathedrals done by Carl Bloke, and others. They lent us the original paintings to have in an exhibit to bring people closer to the Savior. Then afterward, we went to a Stake center, where a ward served us lunch and a ton of cookies! It was so great, and I am thankful for members who are willing to serve.

I will share just a few of the experiences from this week:

I had a chat I mentioned I think last week, when I was saying that we had miracles to meet our numbers. Well, one of those was named Christina. She said that she wanted a Book of Mormon because her husband is a member, but doesn't go to church, and she had been reading his copy, but wanted her own. She said that he had been answering her questions, but that he couldn't answer them all, and she wanted them answered. We were able to help with questions, and when we asked if we could continue to teach her, she gave her phone number and I recognized the area code from when I went to NAU. I asked if she lived in AZ and she said she had, in Snowflake, but now lives in Colorado. So we talked a little about that, and then said that we would talk to her later. I felt such a connection! We referred the local missionaries, and I called her yesterday to see if they brought her B.O.M. She said no, and we chatted for a while, and it got brought up that I am from Tucson. She said, oh I actually went to High School down there, at Mountain View High School. I was like what! That's where I went! She is a little older than me, so I never knew her. but I know Heavenly Father put her in our path so that we could find a connection, and build trust from kind of knowing each other, it was such a miracle! I am excited for her to learn more. It is humbling that Heavenly Father would trust me with His children....

Update on Tim. We taught him lesson one last Saturday. He was so receptive! He wasn't grumpy, and at the end of the lesson, he said that it wasn't weird, and that he felt peace. We were able to help him realize that that is the spirit, and that if he will pray, Heavenly Father will answer his prayers, and he can know for himself that it is the spirit witnessing to him that Joseph really saw what he saw, and that this really is Christ's restored Gospel. He is very open, and is going to do that. We asked if he would go to church the next day, and he said, well I actually have plans to help a friend move, but I can go next week. We were like what the heck so great! We didn't expect him to go since we were asking the day before, and it was so wonderful that he was willing to go the next week without any hesitation. I know that this gospel can bless him, and I think he is realizing that too. He said that he felt so peaceful afterward. And the local missionaries had an appointment with him later that day, so I can't wait to talk with him on Saturday to see how he is doing, and how the appointment went.

A couple days ago, we took a mom and her 3 little kids on a tour. She is catholic and came for a vacation to ski. We took them to God's plan and the kids loved it, and she cried the whole way through. We tried to testify the entire tour and we know that she felt the spirit. She even took a Book of Mormon, but didn't want to learn more. It was a little discouraging at first because I know she wants to live with her family for eternity just like we shared with her, and I know she felt the spirit, but I guess it's not her time yet. Maybe she'll open up the Book of Mormon out of curiosity, and maybe that will change her. But I know that we can have peace because we did all we could do. In the end, everyone still has their agency, and we never know if they will change, and remember their experience later.

Well, that's it for now, just a lot of changes this week .It is going to be a good transfer, and I look forward to all the opportunities and miracles that Heavenly Father places before us. I know this Restored Gospel is true, and I hope you all have a great week,