Transfer Week...Mysterious!

This is me announcing with the English sign!

So what happened this week??

Well, I am in the same zone... I have the same P-day... I have the same assignment...I have the same apartment...but only one thing has changed. I have a new companion! Konnichiwa! Her name is Sister Chayama and she is from Japan. She is the sweetest, nicest little thing ever! I am so thankful and exited for this transfer. I will have to send a picture of us together next week! This is going to be my favorite transfer for sure.

So this week. Sunday, I got to do something pretty cool. So every Sunday after Music & The Spoken Word, 10 sisters form a circle by the flagpole outside the Tabernacle, and they get to announce in their language into a microphone how tours are available. I will attach pictures so you can see. So only 2 English Sisters per week do it, so I didn't think I would do it so soon, but I did! It was really fun, and we got to take a big tour right after. Two of them I am sure were members of the Russian Mafia haha but really. They were a couple from Ukraine. We asked how they met, and he was quiet for a long time and said, don't worry about it, we were introduced. (Russian mail order bride! haha) And she had the biggest diamond on her finger I have ever seen. We asked what he does for work, and he would only say private business....sketchy! None of them referred, but we planted some serious seeds haha.

So Sister Ogata & Sister Cummings returned from Tucson back to Temple Square. But 2 more Sisters left for their outbound there! So keep an eye out for Sister Souza (from Brazil) & Sister Taito (from Fiji). They are two of the sweetest Sisters and will do fabulous. Feed them well!

Transfer week is always really crazy. I hate it because you get less time to teach, and you have to say goodbye to sisters going outbound, or home. Imagine 200 Sisters crying and screaming and that pretty much sums up transfer week haha. So there are new sisters from some pretty cool places. There is Norway, Peru, Marshall Islands, and some others. It makes my flag look even more boring! haha.

Tim is doing really well. He went to a baptism to be able to see what his will be like. He said that he really liked it, and that he felt peaceful. The Elders usually come over to his house once a week, but last week they came over 3 times! They came over like usual and taught about the commandments (Lesson 4), and automatically said, well next week when we come we will teach you about the 10 commandments. Tim said, well I don't have anything on Tuesday, how about you come then? Then on Tuesday he invited them back on Thursday! When we called him and he answered the phone, he sounded so happy! Now he laughs and cracks jokes and loves talking about the Gospel and everything he is learning. His growth is so crazy! When we first met him he had a scowl on his face and was miserable but now you can physically and spiritually see the growth, he has turned into a happy person. We followed up with the commandments we taught him a few weeks ago, and he said that he is fine with all of them, he said that he sees that it takes faith, and work to keep commandments, and that 3/4 of them are common sense! haha it is so true. I wish everyone could be that open-minded to see that they really are just common sense, and are simple ways that allow Heavenly Father to bless us. He also said that the reason why he loves this church and wants to join is because there is a modern-day Prophet, and the teachings apply today. In the past, preachers would preach about Prophets, and the people in those dispensations, but it never really applied to him now, so he loves that the things that are taught in the church are meant for us right now in this moment. When we asked him if he has read anything that applies to him lately, he said that almost every verse applies to his life, and that he loves to re-read everything. So the Elders found a solution for him, regarding baptism. I don't know all the details, but they were able to make it so that he can be baptized on March 1st. However, yesterday he told us that his doctor will not allow it, and that the Elders have to find a new solution. He has talked to a doctor in his ward, but his doctor basically said that the church is going to go by what his doctor says. But he has faith that Heavenly Father will provide a miracle so he can be baptized on March 1st. This week we want to teach about faith, how God will provide a way to accomplish the things He commands, and enduring to the end. It is going to be great!

Do you remember Jam? The Less-Active from England who has fallen away because he doesn't believe Heavenly Father ever answered his prayers or that he received a witness of the truth of the church? Well He is doing good! last we heard, he was reading the conference talks we shared with him. We shared the conference talk from Elder Holland, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come," and helped him to see that he needs to walk by faith. And he actually has been praying! Which he said he was not open to doing. I know the Lord is softening his heart. We are hoping he will go to church this Sunday.

A couple days ago we sacrificed our companionship study time to take a tour. It started out pretty good, there were 3 of them on a layover for business who just needed to kill time. They were pretty receptive until we started explaining about the Restoration and why it was needed. One of them turned completely anti and started being confrontational about Prophets. He kept interrupting and asking questions about it and we would try our best to explain. He asked why Prophets were needed if we can receive personal revelation, then he cut me off when I was answering and just rudely said, but how do YOU know? I was actually really thankful for this moment. I had the opportunity to just stop and be still and look him in the eyes and smile and say, because I prayed about it. I know that God calls prophets, and I know that the Prophet holds the authority of God. He shut up after that but none of them referred. But I know they felt the spirit and that is all that matters!

Well that is pretty much all of the news for this week, some other New Investigators, but no one has been picking up the phone this week, Satan is hard at work, but we are even harder at work!

The future is as bright as your faith.

Love you!