Seventy-first Week in the Field

Hola Everyone!

CRAZY WEEK!

First, we were able to go on exchanges in Oxnard 6th ward this week and like always, we saw so many miracles! Even though I love exchanges, I'm so excited that we'll get more time this week to be in our area and work really hard.

So for some sad news...Maria didn't end up getting baptized this week.  Her family's been giving her a lot of pressure and she called us Monday night telling us it was off.  On a brighter note though, she came with us to an activity with the Relief Society this week and was starting to tell people that she's going to get baptized this week instead. We were a little confused (and excited!), but we're going to talk to her more about that tonight. I seriously don't feel like I've fought for someone as hard as I have with her. We're going to try to see if she'll be able to come to the temple with us (we're going tomorrow!) and look around the visitor's center while we're doing a session.

Daniel is still progressing and reading the Book of Mormon, but still isn't able to come to church because of his job. We're kind of getting stuck on how we can help him, but for right now we're just trying to keep his testimony strong until something changes.

Hermana White is such a supportive companion. She is everything that I've needed right now to finish up my mission and then some. She knows exactly what to say to make me smile and remind me of what I need to do to finish strong. I love her so much.

I finished the Book of Mormon this week! I absolutely love the last chapter in Moroni more than I realized that I did. It was really neat to see how it's broken up into the basic teachings of the whole Book of Mormon (the promise; gifts of the spirit; faith, hope, and charity; the scattering and gathering of Israel; and how to come unto Christ). It's been exactly what I need to renew my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration.

For service this week, we were able to help a sister in the ward prepare for the activity we had this week. It was really neat to see how we were able to gain her trust so much more and now she's even more willing to help us with the work. 

I ended up getting a blessing from the Elders this week to help me stay calm and take everything one day at a time.  I have such a strong appreciation for the power of the priesthood and the effects it can have. 

Thanks for all the love and support!

Con amor,

Hermana Halliday

Also, sorry for the lack of pictures I forgot last week and I don't have my camera with me right now :(

Seventieth Week in the Field

Words can't express the emotional roller coaster that I've been on this week. It's been so good, but just crazy!

Camarillo is doing just great!

Maria is doing so great and is so ready to be baptized! She has such a strong desire to follow Christ and is ready for this change in her life. We were a little scared for her interview when it had to be directed to President Felix, but I'm glad everything worked out. SHE PASSED! We were able to go over after church to talk with her about more details and who she wants involved. The ward members here have been so helpful and are great fellowship for her. In fact, she already knew who she wanted to do what when we talked to her about it. We're working really hard on making sure that there's a big turnout on Saturday to support her.

Daniel is still also doing really well. We were able to meet with him again and read with him out of the Book of Mormon. He's pretty much still in the same situation and can't get work of on Sundays, but we found out about a few opportunities that have opened up in the community.

One thing that I love about Hermana White is that she's such a great listener. She always has such a strong desire to listen to how I'm feeling and help me feel better. I also love how she doesn't let stressful situations get to her that easily, so she's able to remain calm and think rationally.

My studies have been really interesting this week. I've been able to study a lot in the Book of Mormon, especially in Ether. Of course, I really love Ether 12 which talks about faith and hope, but I love how much it talks about charity. Lately people have been asking me what my plans are for after the mission and what I'm going to do with my life. I always thought that I was going to be an Elementary School Teacher, but now I feel like I need to adjust it a little to more of a small group or one on one atmosphere. I feel like I've been able to develop charity for others in a different way than I thought was possible and I feel like doing something more like that is more of what Heavenly Father wants for me. I'm still not completely sure, but I think my studies this week have helped me get on a better path.

This week for service, we were able to help out our Bishops wife with some household and cooking things while she was taking care of her children. Not only did we feel good that we were able to help out the Bishops family, but I feel like we gained the trust of their family even more.

We were able to go on exchanges this week with the Hermanas in Ojai and they're doing just great!

Life is so good! Thanks for all the love and support!

Con amor,

Hermana Halliday

Sixty-ninth Week in the Field

Hola Everyone!

Life is soooo good!

The area's doing so good too! We weren't able to be in it a lot this week again, and even though we only have like four investigators currently, two of them are progressing so well.

Maria is still preparing to be baptized on the 25th of October and her desire keeps getting stronger and stronger. We were able to meet with her 3 times this week plus she came to a stake baptism that happened on Saturday and she came to church for the third time yesterday. We were able to have a lesson with her after the baptism and she told us that it made her want to get baptized even more than before. She asked us why more people weren't getting baptized and then told us that she wanted to tell everyone about the gospel and encourage them to do it. The ward anounced her baptism in Sacrament Meeting as a save the date (since we don't have a set time yet) and then when they asked for "good news moments" in Relief Society, she raised her hand and told everyone how excited she was for her baptism on the 25th. I absolutely love her so much and I've loved being able to see the progress that she's made. A lot of the ward has already, on their own, fellowshipped her and they're being so supportive. It's really humbling and faith strengthening to be able to be a part of a baptism during the last week of my mission.

Daniel is also progressing so nicely. We were able to not only meet with him on the normal day that he has off of work, but he also let us meet with him during his only one hour break that he has in his twelve hour shift. He's so dedicated to the gospel and wants his family to have it too, but he still hasn't been able to get Sunday's off. We have to push his date back again, but I know that as long as we keep helping him feel the spirit and feel the fire that he'll get baptized one day. He has so much faith though. When we asked him what his wife would think of him getting baptized, he told us that she probably would, but that even if she didn't he was still going to go forward with it. He gave his reasoning based off of the scriptures that God has commanded us to follow Him no matter what our families think. He is so prepared to make covenants with our Heavenly Father.

As far as the feedback that we've heard about Meet the Mormons, everyone that we've talked to that has seen it has loved it. One member even said that when they went to go see it on Saturday, it was completely sold out for the whole day, so they're going to go back today to view it. The members are all so excited about it.

I still love working with Hermana White. This week I've been a little more emotional, since I got "the letter" (heading home info) in the mail, but she's been so supportive and says just what I need to hear. It's been great to just be able to go out and work hard when I don't feel good and she feels the exact same way. I love her so much.

My studies this week have been really special and sacred. I read the account of Christ in the Americas this week and I feel like I've been able to feel and understand the doctrince of Christ in a deeper way as it applies to not only missionary work, but to life in general. My love for the Savior has been deepened this week and my desire to work and increased even more. I've been trying to study for the goal sheet that I got in the mail, but I've realized it's a lot harder to think about than I thought it would be. It scares me a little that for some of the areas of focus I really don't know what to put down, but it's comforting to know that I have the ability to pray to ask for help and guidance and peace. I don't think I've ever loved my mission before as much as I do now.

This week we were able to do a little service while we were on exchanges in Solvang. We went to a Lutheran church and helped some older ladies make quilts that they send out to different parts of the world. Afterward, they provided refreshments and because there was more missionaries there than normal, they asked us to tell them a little about ourselves and where we're from. It was neat to see the openness and warm welcome that these women gave to us as we helped them serve others of God's children.

Thanks for all the love and support!

Con amor,

Hermana Halliday

Also, if you haven't seen Meet the Mormons yet, GO SEE IT! It's really good!

 

Sister Hegstrom, Hermana White and I at MLC 

 

Exchange with Hermana Hurley

 

My birthday dinner with my companion at Applebee's