Californian A-Venturas: Sixty-second Week in the Field

Hola Everyone!

I don't think I really fully understood the power of serving others until this week. We weren't able to be in our area a whole lot due to MLC and going on an exchange in Solvang, but so many miracles still happened. There were so many people that we found that were so prepared. Heavenly Father is definitely watching out for our area.

Nieves is doing wonderful. We had a lesson with him on Thursday and we were able to bring a member who's just about to leave for her mission. It turned out really well and he had a lot of questions about why he needed to be baptized and what it would take for him to get to the point of having a testimony. He has a sincere desire to learn more and progress. We invited him to our dinner appointment that we had the next day and he said he would come, but be a little late. It turns out he couldn't find the house and we had to leave to go to another appointment, so he ended up just going home. He was really apologetic when we talked to him on the phone even though he didn't need to be. We weren't really concerned at first, but then he didn't come to church yesterday even though he said he would. We're afraid he might be a little embarrassed or even possibly offended in some way because it didn't work out. He hasn't answered our calls at all, but we're still trying.

We were able to start teaching Naomi this week and set her with a baptismal date of September 20th! She's so cute and really wants to follow Jesus Christ. She would have been baptized with her parents a few weeks ago, but she wanted her dad to baptize her when he gets the priesthood. We're hoping everything goes well with that so it doesn't hold her back from making this important decision.

Virginia is a former investigator that we were able to visit this week. We originally went there to see Carmelo (who we haven't been able to hear from in a while), but when we went, we found out that her husband (another former investigator) had just died a few months ago right after the sisters dropped them. It was such a tender mercy that we were able to come when we did because recently has been really hard for her. She was still a little closed off, but I think her heart was softened a little by our visit. Hermana Brown was so inspired to want to go visit them.

Another miracle that happened this week was that we were able to have a fairly good lesson with Hermana Reyes (a less active member). In the past, apparently, she had been really closed off and didn't want anything to do with the missionaries, so they would only get a brief scripture and a prayer in every time they went. This time we shared Helaman 5:12 and she opened up so much! She went on and on about all these different faith promoting experiences and at first I thought it was normal, so I started trying to end the lesson, but then Hermana Brown told me (after Hna. Reyes went to go get something) that this was the most amazing progress she's seen from her. We left her home that day with the spirit really strong.

It's been really neat being Hermana Brown's companion! I feel like I'm learning so much and that we have really great unity! This week we've been studying a lot about humility and charity and how they go hand in hand. I've learned a lot and feel like I'm getting closer to her and to the Savior.

MLC was really good this week as well - we talked a lot about service

I got to go on my first exchange this week! I went to Solvang and got to work with Hermana Hernandez!

Thanks for all the love and support!

Con amor,

Hermana Halliday