April Fools Day

 So to begin, I know it is April fools, but I am not going to scare ya'll in my email and tell ya something awful has happened cause it has not haha. I will be all over in the email though, just so you all know haha. This week has been wonderful. I have a couple things to talk about. This last week on Monday we found out that the elders were transferred that were in our ward.That was over whelming, because we cover the east stake in the singles ward, which is huge, and then we just got handed the whole Billings Stake on top of what we already have. I felt overwhelmed, because our area needs so much improvement as it is, and now we have to improve a whole other stake also. We also had 40 miles to service off of for a week, which is impossible, we use 40 miles in a day. I really did not have strong enough faith that we could do it. But we prayed a lot this week and we also received blessings. I have not had a blessing in over 4 months..which a normal missionary has on every transfer. I could feel that I needed one. Elder Page gave me the blessing, he is pretty new, and I have maybe said 2 words to him, but he gave me such a personal blessing, which is a testimony to me that that blessing came directly from my Heavenly Father. I don't remember a lot about what he said, but he told me at least 10 times that my Heavenly Father loves me. He also told me that Heavenly Father is proud of what I am doing and knows I am working hard. I really needed that. Priesthood power is real. Throughout the week we walked a lot and we stayed around town and got rides to places. 3 days before the week was up the Zone leaders gave us 50 more miles :) We luckily did not even have to use all 50 of them. What a miracle that was for us this week. We had so much handed to us, with no miles to do any of the work, but yet it all worked out and the work got done. We were blessed so much this week.

      

Last Monday night we taught Korrin, she is 17 and graduates next month. Her best friend is on a mission. She told us 2 weeks ago she wanted to start the lessons. So we were lucky enough to teach her the restoration, we did not anticipate teaching her, because she would have been in the elders area, but they were not there..this was before we found out they were transferred. So we taught the restoration, and she literally bore testimony of every part of it. She knows it and knows it is true. Since we had not prayed about a baptismal date we chose a day with her and she picked August 9th but we were not sure because it was on the spot, so we committed her to pray about it and we would too. Korrin is amazing and has an amazing testimony. We were lucky enough to teach her this last Sunday also :) She has been reading out of the Book of Mormon every day. At the end of the lesson I asked her to pray about Joseph Smith, since we did not do it the last time and she looked at me like I was confused and she says, "I already have."! hahahaha That was the best;  I was like, "Well ok then, that's perfect!" haha! Korrin is such a wonderful girl and I am so happy to know her.

     

So we tract pretty much everyday cause it is a mission rule. We have had no luck so far, but I want to tell you all that I love tracking. Well actually it terrifies me but my favorite part is being able to talk to someone, and they tell us; "Oh ya my friend is a very devout Mormon" or "I have been to your church before, and all my family is LDS."  Something like this happens at almost every door. I love seeing that the work is hastening, and not necessarily by me with that person, but that they have people who love them that are planting seeds and really working with them :) I love seeing and hearing about all the seeds that have been planted :)

    

Next story!  Sorry I did warn you all I would be all over the place in this email haha anyways yes I went to the Women's conference broadcast! WOW. Within the first 15 minutes my eyes were watering and I was about to sob. I loved when they had the 8 year olds sing and then the rest of us sing to them! Then all those videos they showed! I especially loved the video that was showing different Mormon ladies at different periods of time in their lives. I am excited to be a LDS girl. I am on a mission right now and later I will be able to be married in the temple and eventually be a mother and teach my children about the gospel. I think about my mission and I get excited to be a mom and to teach my kids what I am teaching people here in Montana and Wyoming. Wow I have not felt the spirit that strong and that powerful in a long time. It was just flooding over me.  Anyways back to the broadcast. When they told the daughters to smile at their moms I took a second to smile at you mom. It was hard not being with you and seeing all the girls with their moms, but I knew we were watching it together, even though we are in different states. President Eyring's talk was so sweet and amazing.

     

We have an investigator named Ben, and as he says, "Ben the Bear" he has pretty severe aspergers and I just adore him so much! He is so pure and innocent. I sat by him at church Sunday, and he was borrowing my scriptures. He volunteered for the closing prayer :) Best prayer ever! He prayed for a girl in the ward who was getting married, he prayed to keep making friends in the ward and he prayed to know if he should get baptized :) I just love Ben. 

         

Today we went to the temple and I was so happy I have been waiting for 7 months to come back and I finally went again today. I saw the newest movie. I loved it. I was able to do a stake name, And I was so happy. It was amazing to be in the temple and to feel that rest, and peace, and happiness that is there, I never want to leave. I miss it already. I know that the temple is God's house.  I know that while we are there we can receive very direct and powerful answers. I know for myself it is the one place that I feel the most peace and rest and safety. I love how you can tell the difference as soon as you walk in. You literally leave all the worldly stuff outside. The doors close and all the sounds of the world disappear. I love the Temple.

     

 I want to just say how much I love my mission. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to come here and to serve my heart out. I love these people so much and I love my Savior and Father in Heaven. I love all of you and I hope you have a great week :)

           

                  -Love Andrea :)