11/30-12/6

Hello Everybody!

This week was so crazy, filled with ups, downs, and MIRACLES!

Monday-- We had an amazing lesson with Sondra and Mike about sacrifice and the early pioneers of the church. It was amazing! We watched the movie, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. It was super powerful. It renewed my testimony of the truthfulness of the message we share. It reminded me how amazing and selfless the prophets of God are. Both Sondra and Mike really liked it, it was so great!!

Tuesday-- We met Tyler, Janice, and Vanessa throughout the day and taught them the Restoration and invited them to be baptized. They were pretty interested and said yes! They didn't show up to church, though, so we will see if they are truly committed.

We had a few minutes after splits and before our lesson with Brian that night, so Sister Holmstead sang me a song while she played the piano, about the dog poo that was on her shoe earlier that day hahahahaha it was so hilarious. She is sooooo talented and pretty dang hilarious. She cracks me up!

We had a lesson with Sondra and Mike that night and Brother Bey came with us! It went SO well! It was about tithing and fasting and paying fast offering and they are doing so well. They have completely changed their lives! It's amazing to see the change in them. They have this light in their eyes and it warms my heart to see them everytime!!! :) THE GOSPEL IS A MIRACLE.

Wednesday-- We drove up to Tehachapi for MLC---- my last one.. :( I am going to miss that place. I love that little town. MLC was so great! There are always things we can do better and improve upon. Baptisms for the month of December are going to be out of this world! I'm super stoked! MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING. We got permission from President to stop by some recent converts' houses because Sister Holmstead also served in Golden Hills! Sadly no one was home, besides one person Sister Holmstead taught. We got to see Brother Brunner though!

That night we had a great lesson on the Law of Chastity with Sondra and Mike and Janessa Haney came with us! We went over the baptismal interview questions with her, and Sondra is SO READY FOR BAPTISM. :) It's amazing to see her desire. After teaching her and going through this process with her, it has helped me to realize who is truly prepared out of those we have been finding and teaching. It reminds me of Letty and Robert and others I have found and taught on the mission.

Thursday-- Almost all of our lessons cancelled, but we were able to go to Sister Harris's and watch the new Christmas video, A Savior is Born and invite her to share it with her friends! She referred us to her neighbor, so we went over and tried to teach him, but he wasn't too open and told us to come back at a better time. We ended up seeing her other neighbor outside and teaching her! Her name is Misty. We also met Michelle her other neighbor, but we were running super late to our dinner appointment and couldnt' teach her a full lesson then, so we left her with the Savior is Born card to look up the video. She said we could come back and teach her more! :) 

We had dinner at the McMullins and it was super good! We hurried and picked Mary Martin up and she came with us to help paint the Haney's son and girlfriend's hallway. Their son is a member, and then Jessica is his girlfriend, and not a member. We have taught her a few lessons when they come to dinner at his parent's house on Sundays. She's soooo awesome! And we've asked her if she would be baptized, but she said she wouldn't be able to spend the time she needs to in investigating the church and everything, since she works and goes to school full time. She hadn't prepped for painting yet, so we first helped her tape everything. While we were taping and getting everything ready, she began to ask us questions about how lessons went and what we did day to day and when we could communicate with our families, normal questions people ask us. We only had 30 minutes until our next appointment so she didn't want to start painting that night, she then asked if we could do a lesson! Say what! haha so awesome! So we taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it was super powerful! She said she wants to be baptized but she needs to figure out the situation with her boyfriend.. So hopefully we will see some miracles happen! We are supposed to go back and help them finish painting in the next couple of weeks.

We had a heart to heart lesson with Brian that night, asking him lots of questions and seeing if he was truly interested to change and apply the gospel to his life. He didn't really have good reasons for wanting to continue, but we will give him a few more shots and see if he's serious about it.

Friday-- We had a Zone Training Meeting and it went really well! I love those meetings.

We had exchanges that day with the Snow Sisters and I went with Sister Olsen again! It was really fun! 

Saturday-- We had a meeting with the AP's and other STL's, so that was super good. It's exactly what I needed. So many things to work on and become better at! Always reaching higher to do a little better. You'd think I would have it figured out by now haha, not quite. I don't think I'll ever have this missionary and STL thing figured out. 

During our meeting, Sondra had her baptismal interview and she PASSED! :) SO EXCITING!!!! 

She is sooo so so excited to be baptized.

We went back to Michelle's and taught her the Restoration! She committed to baptism and everything! She expressed to us that she is going through a divorce right now and she has three small little kids! She said she knows God sent us to her! So amazing!

We picked up Mary, probably for the last time (her family is moving to Lehi, UT! so sad we are losing her!) to come with us to see some people. We got a hold of Janice and had a great lesson on the Restoration with her! 

Then we dropped by the Lindley's before heading in for the night... most HILARIOUS family ever. I love them.

Sunday-- = BEST DAY EVER

Alright, so I'm positive that fasting brings forth blessings and miracles.. and they over flow our miracle and blessing cups! Sondra wasn't able to come because she was SUPER sick. But Mike came! yayyyyyy Mike! :) So good to see him come! Sister Rudd's little sister moved into our ward boundaries!! She has been coming to church for the last little bit, but she didn't live in our boundaries so we couldn't teach her officially. We taught her after church and she is GOLD! SO SOLID! We set her with a baptismal date of December 29th!! She is so amazing. Her life has completely changed. So cool to see her transform into who she is right now! SHE IS AWESOME. 

There was an elder that used to serve in this ward like three years ago that came back to visit. He gave us a bunch of people to go by and see and teach! He also baptized a guy and was working with his family when he was here. We haven't' been able to get a hold of that family, the Palmer's, for as long as I've been here. But because he was visiting them, we were able to go over and meet them and Salem, their 13 year old boy came to church with Elder Johnston and it was soooo awesome! He loved it and then later that day they came over to the Dibble's with us and Mike and Nixynn to watch the Christmas Devotional and have dinner! It was soooo good! He said he wants to go to mutual and the Christmas party this next week and Sondra's baptism! The elder's in the ward have been working with an awesome family and the mom and three of her daughters are all getting baptized the same time Sondra is! So we are having a combined baptism and 5 people are getting baptized into the Highland Manor ward this week! AMAZING!! :) The Lord is soooooo good. He blesses us sooo much.

We had a lesson that night with the Burton's! Kyle and Kaylee are slow to progress, but we will get their family back! The James' came with us and it went really well. :)

Then we stopped by the Bey's and put a couple ornaments on their tree for the finishing touches to their decorating for the holidays! 

I love this time of year and the Christmas season. I love being a missionary and having the opportunity to share the gift of the Savior with EVERYONE! :)

SHARE THIS VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Flood the world with the true meaning of the reason why we celebrate Christmas. 

https://www.mormon.org/christmas

I am so grateful for a Savior and that He was born to save us from sin and sadness.

I love you all! Have an amazing and blessed week!

PRAY AND READ YOUR SCRIPTURES! :)

Love,

Sister Loar

xoxoxo