Uma semana loca

This week has been busy and crazy and we're actually making some PROGRESS here. YES YES YES YES YES. It's a great week. We had E X C H A N G E S on Tuesday. I absolutely dreaded exchanges on my first transfer, but I love them SO much now. Seriously my favorite part of the transfer. I always learn so much. We actually thought they were supposed to be the NEXT week, but we were at a lesson with Donna on Monday night and Sister Maughan and Sister Acker called us and told us they were at our house....oops oops. So we rushed home and I packed a bag and headed of to East Sac with Sister Maughan and Sister Acker stayed here with Sister Zenger. We planned together and in the morning we had a lesson with  one of their new investigators! Her name is Lisa, she had been in a really bad car accident a few years ago and had total facial reconstruction, she looks completely different than she used to! She was pronounced dead after the accident but here she stands :) She has such strong faith and she knows that God kept her here for a reason and to raise her kids. We taught her about the restoration, how our church is the exact same church that existed when Christ was on the earth, and how that same authority was restored through Joseph Smith. She was so eager to learn and open to what we had to say.... that alone was a wonderful change compared to what we've been dealing with in our area haha. But she is so wonderful. I wish I could have stayed in that area for the rest of forever just to teach her more and watch her progress. I love her so much.

Later that day we were able to meet with the Lamb family! They are members in that area and I just automatically loved them a whole lot for about 100 reasons. For one, uhhh well their last name is Lamb, and it reminded me of my favorite people on the whole entire earth back home. So there's that. Two, they have a HUGE Doberman. I appreciate anyone with a big dog. They have 4 adorable kids. And Sister Lamb served her mission at Temple Square, AND served outbound in the FL Tampa mission, and her husband served in Brasil. So basically their family just tugged on every single thing that I love and miss. But it was great because we clicked instantly and had a great lesson with them! I want to serve there next haha, but that's where the Sister Training Leaders' area and I have 0 desire to do that, soooo too bad. I love getting to know the members, it's so fun and they really do become like your family while you're away. I already can't wait to come back to California after the mission just to visit everyone. It will be wonderful. 

FRIDAY.

Friday was a great, great day. We didn't find anyone to teach. No one answered the door. We flew through our plans and sat in the car, wracking our brains thinking of who else we could see.. We had joked about going to the hospital in our area earlier, and goign in and talking to people... And we decided to actually go. I hate hospitals. Needles. Surgery. Sick people. Dying people. Needles. Needles needles needles. No. But we went, we wandered around the hall that our investigator, Annie, was in after she broke her arm...and leg....and ribs. So we found a door open and talked to the lady laying there... Turns out she was already LDS. Classic. So we wandered around awkwardly and eventually wandered into the chapel there.. We walked in and saw another lady sitting near the back. I found some song books that had every churchy song under the sun, so I grabbed one and flipped through it as we sat down. I found Be Still, My Soul. We sat there, and suddenly a woman walks in just sobbing uncontrolably. She came in and sat a few rows behind us, and the other woman there just walked over and comforted her immediately... I am seriously like a guy when it comes to tears.. I have no idea what to do or how to respond or if I should ignore it or leave or what. I hate when people cry. But I looked at Sister Zenger and we looked down at the song book in my hand, and we started singing Be Still, My Soul on the spot. The comforting lady told the other woman to just listen and the room was silent as we sang. There was just an overwhelming sense of peace as we finished and looked back at them. The crying woman just thanked us and the one who was comforting was tearing up, and I just sat next to the crying one and we talked briefly. We found out her name was Veronica, and she had just lost her little brother. She just told us she KNEW that things would be alright and that God was aware of her and that he was there to lift her up, and we all left so she could have some alone time. 

Those brief moments in that chapel were so powerful. I feel like I had learned more in those few minutes than I had in my whole mission thus far. I learned what it's like to feel the spirit flowing as you testify. I didn't pull out a "Plan of Salvation" pamphlet and spend an hour teaching her right there, but I was able to share a part of my testimony through a song that I love, and she was able to feel that and feel of the comforting power of the Spirit. Through that song I was able to convey that I KNOW that our Savior knows us, and he knows Veronica and He knows her brother. He knows how we feel and He knows that we can make it through those hard times. He knows because He had to suffer those things, too. He's already been there, so that we can overcome that and move forward. The lady who comforted her walked away and looked at us saying "I'll never forget this, really." And I just smiled back, but I know that neither will I. It was something so simple but so, so powerful. I'm so thankful for those moments. I'm so glad to be serving the Lord at this time. 

I'm so thankful to be here in California. Nothing could replace the experiences I'm having and the people I'm meeting. I just love every moment. 

Ate mais!

Com amor,

Irma Morrill