Long Week & Sweet Treats!

Monday(May 14): Found out that I was staying in Paso and Elder Clawson was heading to Lompoc. So now I have Elder Tate!!!! For the final preparation on a Monday, and we went frisbee golfing as a district at a winery and it was way fun!! That night we went and had a visit with the Holloway family! They are super sweet and love having the missionaries over!!! 

Tuesday(May15): Transfer day was a blast! Woke up at 5 got to the Santa Maria builidng by 6:15, chilled there til about 10, met Elder Tate, drove back to Paso, and got to work!! Had a great lesson with our friend Isabella, who is the sweetest little girl, and has the strongest testimoy of prayer!! Then street contacted downtown and had an amazing experience! Walked into a candy store looked around, asked for help finding something weird, the girl helped us, asked why we were dressed up, we told her why, she had been struggling with finding God. She asked one basic thing she should know, and we were able to bear powerful testimony that she is a daughter of God and that He loves her!! She totally felt the Spirit and were meeting with her this week!!! 

Wednesday: First District Council of the transfer, talked about looking for unplanned opportunities to serve others and our companions, went tracting and met some nice people, and sent a Book of Mormon to someone on Facebook!!! 

Thursday: Had 3 lessons fall through... But worked through it, talked to some less-actives who are looking to get back, and tracted around them! And got to talk to my amazing sister, shout out to Alison!!! 

Friday: Did some service, had an amazing lesson with our fried Tim, super amazing guy who has a testimony, but is scared to make the commitment of baptism, pray for him!! Then we had an amazing visit with the Sorensons, felt the spirit so strong, I love the gospel!!!! 

Saturday: Got to use the amazing Spanish skills that I have, invited 6 people to English class, and set up a return appointment with a Hispanic man and his son who speaks English!!! 

Sunday: Great Sunday, loved church, introduced Elder Tate to the ward, tracted and met some very nice people, but they weren't too interested. We had an amazing missison zoom about using social media, and the miracles that come! 

Monday: Weirdest day of my mission, no preparation day because of the switch. District Council was awesome, focused on using the scriptures as well as relying on the spirit!! We did service in 95 degree weather(would not recommend).

Tuesday: Busy day, started with studies, then had a lesson fall through with Tim, but went by his house, met some less active members who want us over for dinner!!!!! Then I had the opportunity to dedicate a home, which was a cool experience and I was definitely guided by the Spirit!!! And unfortunately our lesson we set up on Wednesday didn't go through....

Hope you all had a great week, I am loving Paso Robles, and I love this scripture, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."(Acts 20:24) We all must testify of the grace of God, no fear, temptation, or doubts should get in our way!!! 

Love you all, sorry this email is ginormous 

Pics: 

1. Elder Clawson

2. Elder Tate and treat from candy store

3. District 

4. District frisbee golf

Lamb and Lost Lessons

Monday: Started off the week great by getting together with my district! We played some pickleball!! Me and my companion were the champs(beat 3 other companionships). Then that night we did some service for a lady, and I found someone to teach on Facebook!!! 

Tuesday: Last district council of the transfer. It was focused on what it means to endure to the end, not only for us as missionaries, or as members of the church, but how to allow our friends to know that baptism isn't the end and there are so many blessings that come from going to the temple and enduring to the end!! Then we had service with a member in our ward and they cooked us lamb, which I had never had before, but it was pretty good!! 

Wednesday: We did some service for Cowboy Larry, knocked some doors and didn't see much success, had a good meeting with our ward missionary council, and had a good zoom where we learned how to use Facebook more effectively!!

Thursday: Did more service out in the middle of nowhere. Broke down a fence, separated the wire from the wood, and then we went through old paint(15+ years old). It's crazy scary old paint does. Then unfortunately we had our lesson cancel on us, so we just knocked some more doors...

Friday: We had a really good conversation with our friend Al ,who is wanting to learn, but not convert. He's super open to talking with us so that was a good time! Had another lesson cancel on us, but we got through the day and stayed productive out and about in the heat!

Saturday: Believe it or not, we had another lesson cancel on us, so that sucks, but we were able to walk downtown instead and talk to a lot of people! We ran into some members who were headed to the rodeo that was happening so we used our mealtime to go to part of it!! Then tried to have a phone call lesson with our friend Jesse afterwards and the number didn't work... So another lesson that fell through.... 

Sunday: Got to speak at church, I think I gave a great mother’s day talk. Luckily I have an amazing mother that I was able to talk about and share how she is a great example to me and what a great missionary she is! Then after church we called our mothers and went to work!! 

I love this quote from Elder Holland: 

"If we give our heart to God, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow—and every other day—is ultimately going to be magnificent...So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever."

I hope you all keep turning to our Heavenly Father and try everyday to live the gospel, so that everyday is magnificent!!! 

It was a crazy fast week, not a lot of lessons unfortunately, but they rescheduled for this week!!! 

Pics: 

1. Cowboy Larry

2. Found store contacting

3. Twinners

Ten Months (on the mission) and Tamales

Monday: We had a really simple district activity, we just played 4 on the couch as well as mafia. Super fun, because we have a way fun district!!! That night we were able to stop by people that hadn't been contacted in a while which was pretty successful!!!

Tuesday: District Council was awesome!! We talked a lot about what we should be studying and how that can help us with our teaching. We also talked about receiving personal revelation! It's so awesome that God loves us enough to want to talk to us individually and help us make choices so He allows us to receive personal revelation!!  Then we had service which was fun, and then we tried some store contacting and it is not the best...

Wednesday: I was with Elder George for the day, he is in the Templeton ward and we had a blast!! We tracted in the morning and then went on an adventure way out east, contacted a lot of the people that were out there!!

Thursday: We had a mission wide zoom about preperation days and what they should look like. I learned I really need to have better personal studies on Mondays, and prioritize things and do them in the morning or I forget lol. We got to help feed people at E.C.H.O. We met a lot of cool people while street contacting, but not a lot were interested in a message.

Friday: Busy day! We were able to go see someone that we are teaching perform at their school, then they took us out to lunch afterwards! Then from there we went out and did some service, then came back into town to do a little more service, then barely made it to a visit with the Stricklers! Then after visiting them we did some phone calls and talked with Tim! Tim has had some very spiritual experiences happen to him in his life and is ready to learn about the restored gospel again!

Saturday: Exchange day with Atascadero! I went down to Atascadero with Elder Pickrell and had a blast! We did some service then went to the Tamale Festival. It was so crazy, they had 30 different types of Tamales. But we were too busy talking to people that we didn't get any Tamales... After the tamale festival we stopped by Sister Gouff who is the sweetest lady and we had a very spirit filled lesson!

Sunday: Had a couple friends come to church which was amazing, then we had 2 friends attend a member baptism and they loved it!! We had a lesson with the Peterson family and they are wild. But we squeezed in a lesson between all of the craziness. Then we had an amazing dinner with the Paige family, and had a really cool discussion about what a testimony is!!!

I am grateful for my testimony and the blessing that it is to me! I want to leave you with my favorite testimony from the scriptures. D&C 76 22-24, "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father— That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God"

Love you all, have a great week!!

Pics:

1. Fortune at lunch

2. Tamale Festival

3. Elder Pickrell

4. Elder George

Exchanges & Adventures

Monday Monday Monday: Super fun day!! We played ultimate frisbee as a district, then some football! They both were way fun. That night we visited Carlos and Susan. They have the cutest famlily and hopefully once they get through this tough time they can start being taught, so pray for them!!! Then we went and did some service! 

Tricky Tuesday: District council was amazing! We talked about how to extend committments as well as how to keep our friends accountable and keeping ourselves accountable for our goals! Then we built a chicken coop for the Branch President with Hermana Jerman and Hermana Wheatley which was was fun!! Then we went and helped Cowboy Larry with some things around his ranch! Then we talked to Brother Wiley, who hasn't been to church a long time, talked to him and his wife, got to know them, and hopefully they'll come back to church soon! 

Welp it's Wednesday: Went and finished the chicken coop, then came back into town and got to work! Stopped by a lot of people with previous contacts, one of them said they would be at church and wasn't... Then we had a really productive meeting with our ward mission leader!! 

Thrive Thursday: I went down into the Atascadero area with Elder Brian! It was way fun to do some service for a lady in their area, and talking to some really cool people who weren't really interested, but we had good converstations with them!! Then we had dinner with the Johnsons and they are amazing!!! We had good enchiladas and then "The Tonight Dough" ice cream from Ben & Jerry's!!! Our message with their family was about President Nelson's talk about becoming peacemakers and it was way cool to talk about the impact peace makes!!

Flying Friday: Did quite a bit of service, but it was really fun and I love to see the smile on peoples face when we do service for them!! We had an amazing lesson with the Chavez family that we are teaching! They loved church the last two weeks and asked us to come back, we didn't have to ask for our next appointment!! Then we had an awesome door step lesson with Jose! We taught the restoration and it was so good, he loved it!! 

S.L.O Saturday: I got to be with my old companion Elder Anderson for the day! He came up from S.L.O(San Luis Obispo) and we had a crazy busy day!! Had service then went to another service, then went out to Lake Nacimiento and had dinner with the Ta'ala family which was really good! Then we just about got attacked by a dog... Then we set up a time to meet with a referral and a less active member!!! 

Super Sunday: I woke up early and made some Jalepeño poppers for our linger longer after church. We had the Chavez family come to chuch as well as Isabella, the sweetest little girl that we are teachig!! Then had the linger longer which was really good!! Then we had dinner at the Butterfields house and then went park contacting, talked to some cool people, but they didn't want to hear our message... 

Love this quote and was a great reminder to me that prayers are answered in God’s time not ours!!! "God loves you. He hears your prayers. He speaks to His children and offers comfort, peace, and understanding to those who seek Him and honor Him by walking in His way"

Sorry for the funny names for the days, thought I would try it... Hope you have a good week, love you all and remember God loves you too!!!! 

Pics: 

1. Chicken coop

2. Elder Brian

3. Johnson family

4-5Lake Nacimiento 

6. Elder Anderson

7. Yum...

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