...6 months to go!

This Thursday will be my ONE YEAR mark! Sometimes I feel 80-years-old and overwhelmed by the amount of things that I have learned, and other times I feel like a toddler who knows absolutely nothing about anything. I am so so so so happy to be on a mission! I am so excited for Shane to go! When does he leave? It is the best decision ever. I am a better version of myself (still completely imperfect, but better). I love feeling guided and directed by the Spirit in every way, and I never want that to leave! I am striving to make the last 6 months of my mission worth something. I love the Savior, I have strengthened my testimony, I can confidently say that I am bold, and I am so grateful for the experiences that have helped me trust the Lord. 

Monday:
We taught a Spanish speaking woman how to pray in English. There was a lot of typing words into a Translator on her phone, but overall it was successful. Sister Kiser remembers some Spanish from highschool and was able to communicate a few simple words. 
I made Noelia a book for her baptism. It's very simple but I think it's cute. (Thank you for your artistic and creative ideas, mama!) 
Noelia's baptism book





Rita's.. Lookin' like a mess
We got FREE italian ice from Rita's, mmmm.
And we had Family Home Evening with Noelia and her family. Her husband came!! It was so so good. We played Gospel Memory and everyone participated... Even Lorraine, the baby, who gathered all of the matching sets and put them in her mouth. Noelia used her new set of scriptures (a quad, with the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants). She was so grateful to the ward for getting them for her after baptism.

Tuesday:
Sister Kiser went on exchanges with Sister Zeiner while I went to a training meeting with the Zone Leaders, District Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, and other missionaries training new missionaries. I sat with some sisters who have served in Park City, Sisters Marlow and Pacheco. There's just something special about Visitors' Center sisters!
Sister Summerhays and I before the Training meeting
Sister Kiser and I came together after the meeting and had a lesson with Janie, and then had dinner with the Daniel family.
That night, Casey and Dylan made the final decision to be baptized on Saturday!!

Wednesday:
Service
We did a service project with a few other zones in our mission. Sister Kiser and I rode to the service project with some other sisters, including Sister Zeiner, remember her??! (Side note: She is in my zone and we get to see each other often!) The service project was doing some cleaning and tidying up at a new hospital in Salt Lake. They are opening it up as a hospital for homeless people to come and get help. Sister Summerhays was there!!! We hugged and talked and served and laughed. (Ahhhh, I miss her! I cannot wait to be missionaries with her outside of our mission!)
That night, we had a lesson with our 26-year-old investigator who has been struggling. The ward mission leader and a ward missionary came with us. They gave him a priesthood blessing at the end. It was sort of a weird lesson because the WML and ward missionary took over, but it was nice to hear their testimonies.

Thursday:
We had meetings and things. Some elders played the ukulele. Nothing too exciting.
We had a really good lesson with Noelia, our recent convert. She is SUCH a good missionary! I love her so so much!! She told us that she talked to her non-member sister and said to her, "You know, you should be baptized!" She told us about all of the people she's been talking about the gospel to-- her family, her friends, her co-workers. She told us she just wants to share the happiness! She continues to tell us about how vividly she remembers the feeling of being baptized. It's so amazing. I love her.
We had lessons with Casey and Dylan every day this week to prepare them for baptism. They listened and asked questions and grew so much!
We got a text from our other investigator, the 26-year-old, cancelling our appointment because he was going to a concert. It was so weird though, because our appointment with him wasn't until Friday. We texted him back to tell him but didn't get a response...(To be Cnt'd)

Friday: Casey and Dylan's baptismal interviews were supposed to be in the morning, but they rescheduled. She got a new job and was leaving town on Sunday for a training in Philadelphia, and so she had so many things to do to get ready for her trip and also her baptism. 
Sister Kiser and I felt a little rough after the morning and so we went to Zuppas for lunch. Sometimes it's nice to just eat out at your favorite place and talk. 
That afternoon, we did service for a woman who is pregnant with THREE babies! There are triplets in her belly.... How wild. We just cleaned and tidied up around the house because it's difficult for her to move, let alone to clean.
That night, Casey and Dylan had their interviews and were cleared for baptism.
So, I don't know what day to insert this information into, but our 26-yr-old investigator went missing. He hasn't called/texted us or his grandmother, who is living with. He hasn't been home or anything. It's so bizarre and we are so so sad. We've talked with one of his friends, who went to the concert with him, and wouldn't tell us any information, but basically said that he is safe. We talked to his grandmother and she is worried sick and we are trying to be positive, but it's in our heads that he has slipped back into some of the mistakes that he was making before. Ahhhhh. I am so sad because he had SUCH a light about him. He was growing and learning and soaking it all in, and Satan knew that. Satan is so stinkin' evil.

Saturday:
Casey & Dylan's baptism. Casey was so nervous and Satan had really been working with her.. As soon as we started though, she felt the Spirit. And when they were finally baptized, she said that she felt angels with her. She said that she had built it up too much in her head and that it was a really good experience. She said that she and Dylan were so so happy! They were confirmed right after the baptism because Casey was leaving town on Sunday.
With Sis Kiser, Casey and Dylan and Brother Brown
They had a family friend do the baptism and confirmation.
That night, we went to the 8th ward's pizza party. It was in a member's home and they had a Dutch oven. It was a really good event! Sister Kiser and I felt like we were speed dating the whole night, because we sat at a table and the members would rotate and take turns talking to us! 

Sunday: 
We attended many ward council meetings. We went into the Primary and talked about prayer. I read part of a letter that Grandma Brocious sent me about how she had a prayer answered. Her letter says that after her third child was born, she said a prayer, asking for help to raise her children. She tells that about 3 weeks later the "girl missionaries" knocked on her door, and shortly after, she was baptized. Ahhh, I just love that story. I think that the little children liked it, too :) I want to know so much more about the experience! Please tell Grandma to write me more! 
That evening, we saw Evgeniy at the park and learned some new Russian words. We also learned that "Huh?" is a universal word. 
After our dinner appointment, we walked outside towards our car, and saw a few deer and bucks just crossin' the street. I've never seen deer with antlers in real life before! They were so big!

Overall, a gongshow and enjoyable week. I am continually learning patience and humility. I am continually learning that there are few exceptions to rules. I love the scriptures, I love Preach My Gospel. My companion thinks that I am strict and probably a little controlling, but I have such a strong desire to be exactly obedient. I have 6 months left. I have 6 months to use the Lord's time wisely. I don't want to waste a second.

I love the Book of Mormon story about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and I've been reading and re-reading it all week. There is no such thing as laying down just one weapon of rebellion and becoming converted. There is also no such thing as laying down all weapons and keeping just one. Every weapon is a gateway to another. We cannot "make any preparations for war." We cannot day-dream about our weapons or make excuses for why we might need them. I want to think like these people, that "perhaps is we should stain or swords again they can no more be washed bright" (Alma 23-24). I am here. I am on the Lord's errand. I am continually recalculating. Always repenting. Laying down my weapons of war, giving my all to the Lord. 

I love you and miss you so much!
All my love,
Sister Wall

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