Christmas Miracles

This week has been a week or miracles. Finding new investigators, visiting with less actives and teaching! I know that the Lord cares about His work and will do everything that he can in His power to support us- He will always provide a way!!

One of the many miracles of this week was Brandy. She is a lady that we found because we didn't have the apartment number for a referral, so we decided to knock on all of the doors. Well, she let us right in!! Come to find out, she has been searching for more truth and looking for a way to come closer to Christ! She accepted the restoration with no questions! The only thing she could really say is "this just makes sense!!: She is so prepared!!!! Only one catch (yes because of course there is a catch!) She moves to Florida on the 25th. Sad day :(

Ashley has been sick the past couple of weeks so we had to move her baptismal date to the end of December so she can come to church more before she is baptized! She is also amazing! The members have really been a huge support. We have been able to have almost all of our lessons in a member’s home, which provides an even stronger spirit. She is engrossed in learning the gospel, which I love! And then makes me cry a little bit (shhh don't tell, but it is probably more like a lot ;)

I found a scripture this week that I loved!! It is 1 Nephi 19:10 (which is compare Isaiah) it reads " For Behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." I love that scripture because I know that our Heavenly Father will always give us trials, but we receive the opportunity to exercise our agency and turn to Him. Each of us has a specific role. We are put in certain places to help certain people at certain times.  So basically we can do anything that Heavenly Father asks us to because He loves us! He often will ask us to do the hardest things when we feel like there is no way that we can (hence the furnace of our afflictions). BUT this is not true. He knows what we can and can not handle and this is why He provided us with the atonement. He loved us so much to send His son!! And the best way to feel of this love is to rely on the atonement, to use it in our lives. To trust that our Heavenly Father will help us do all things that we need to do!! Even when we are in the furnace of our affliction, He is there and He loves us and will provide a way for us!! Plus I feel a special when I hear Isaiah's words that we are chosen :)

I love you all! And hope that you have an amazing and wonderful Christmas!!

Baby is Baptized

All right so babies don't really get baptized. That would be really silly. And wouldn't make any sense, but SHAE GOT BAPTIZED this weekend--prego belly and all :) It is always amazing to see investigators enter into the waters of baptism. She was so ready to make this covenant with Heavenly Father. I think my very most favorite part of baptism is that we receive the opportunity to renew those covenants that we make every week during the sacrament and then we have the opportunity to be worthy again of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Our Father in Heaven always wants to provide a way that we can feel his love in our lives and have continued guidance and direction. He will always be there. And I love that!!!

We started going on more exchanges this week. Boy oh boy I sure love them, but they make me TIRED! It is so much fun to work in other sisters areas. I know that I am suppose to be doing my very best to strengthen them, but man I sure learn a lot about how I can be a better missionary from each of them every exchange. It is pretty awesome!

Sister P. and I stay pretty busy between meetings and teaching and trying to find new investigators and visiting less actives and BAPTIZING! We are excited to share a Christmas message with everyone that we meet in the next couple of weeks! Everyone loves celebrating family and Christ's birth at this time of year and we are so excited to share more with those that we meet about the atonement and how to access it more fully through the restored gospel (aka being baptized!) Oh exciting news..... we even have Christmas dinner with a non-member... who isn’t even an investigators (yet ;)

I love you all and hope your Christmas is as white as it is here in Carmel!

Love,

Sarah

Here is a picture before Shae's baptism (yay meet Sister Pitcher!!)

oh and a baby Christmas tree that Sister Warner's parents sent her that we decorated with what we could find :).... super cheesy pic, but I think its hilarious

 Sister P. Shae and Sister M.

X mas tree decorated with whatever the sister coudl find.

Thankful Heart

I hope all of you who actually take the time to read this never get bored of what I say! But I did think that I would mix things up a bit today and try something a little different, in honor of Thanksgiving and share with you what I am grateful for today :) (and hopefully share with you a little bit about my week!)

1) I am grateful for a loving, experienced companion. She understands what it takes to be a good missionary and is very driven. We have several teaching opportunities each day and we have been very busy. It is exciting!

2) Temple. The stone has started to go up on the temple here in Carmel!!! It looks soooo good!!! (if you squint past the scaffolding) I am so grateful for the protection that making covenants in the temple provides us. I can't wait until I get to go to the temple again!

3) I am grateful for so many wonderful members who support us in our work. They feed us lots and it is all so good!! Though I do have to say I am very grateful that our 3rd Thanksgiving dinner canceled on us. One family was able to invite one of our investigators over to Thanksgiving dinner and her daughter came as well. It was pretty awesome!

4) A washer and dryer in our apartment. It is so nice!!! We don't have to pay for laundry anymore!! They are kind of ancient and really loud, but totally worth the convenience  factor.

5) An inspired mission president. I had the opportunity to attend mission leadership council this past week. It was awesome. It lasted all day and was kind of exhausting (okay super tired after it!) But it was amazing to feel the love that President Cleveland and all of the leaders have for Indiana, for the members, the missionaries and everything!!! The work is hastening and it is amazing to feel just how much Heavenly Father loves all of his children. (May or may not have cried a bit... but what’s new ;)

That is all for now :) I could go on and on, but I won't bore you!! As far as other news one of our investigators is getting baptized on Sunday!!!! YAYYY :) We are sooooo excited!!!! My trainer sister Cordner taught her too, and she gets to come down for her baptism!!!

I love you all! <3 Sarah

Carmel

My new home is Carmel, Indiana. I live on missionary lane. My new companion is Sister Pitcher (who is 6'3''!!!). We share an apartment with another set of sisters, the Bailey's live down the street, the Hodges (two older couples) live across the street. There is a set of Elders also across the street and the assistants live next door!!

Carmel is a fantastic area!! It is a pretty wealthy area. Oh and we drive by the temple lots!! The stone mason is currently attending our ward which is really exciting because the stone is starting to go up!! Next week I will have to try to get a picture of the temple and then figure out how to send it!!

Sister Pitcher and I had a fantastic opportunity on Saturday evening. We were able to go to dinner with and then teach two lessons with Elder Dunnigan, the area 70. It was really amazing!! Not going to lie, we were a little bit nervous about it, but both of the lessons were fantastic. It was a really neat opportunity, especially to feel his love and his testimony. He really added to both of our lessons.

We currently have two investigators who we just were able to extend baptismal dates to last week! So looks like as of right now we will have two baptisms in December!  (one of them's husband is the Ronald McDonald!) I will for sure let you know all about them as soon as I get to know a little bit more about them :)

So we do share the ward with a set of Elders, and Elder Craven, from the MTC is my district leader again!! So that is super exciting! It is kind of strange to go back to being the only set of sisters in a district again. But then again 6 elders to 2 sisters seems more like a normal ratio for a district.

I love you!! I hope 40 Days is going well for everyone!! I am sorry this letter was a little scatterbrained today! Hopefully I will have lots of amazing stories to tell next week :)

Love,

Sarah