Sunshine Sentiments: SISTER DeGOOYER

So, A LOT has happened this week... I'm not sure where even to start.

I'm getting transferred over to Kimberly, which is over in the Twin Falls side of the mission. I am excited, but kind of sad to leave my first area behind, especially after the week we've had. Sister Osborne (I think I spelled that right) will be my new companion. Hopefully, next week I can tell y'all more about my companion, my area, and the transition.

Like I said, it's been a pretty crazy week and while I am excited for a change, I am sorry to leave the work and people of Highland behind.

This week we finally started having lessons with Andrew and Linda again. The first one was last Monday and it went pretty good. President Southward has been stressing more frequent and shorter lessons with less space in between them. So we had two more lessons with them after that first one. Sister Done really wanted to drop them, but I wasn't completely sold on the idea. So, we decided to go in and if they had kept our previous commitment we would continue with the lesson in the direction of what we had them read and if they hadn't our plan was to figure out why and what they want from meeting with us. Once in there we forged ahead with the latter, and tried to gain a feel for where they are at. It ended up being a really good conversation. Linda expressed the desire to be baptized! I was straight up with her and Andrew and taught them a short and direct lesson on the law of chastity. We left them with the commitment to pray about marriage. It was soooo good! The Spirit was strong and I really hope things go well with them. Our next lesson is this Wednesday and I am eager to see if they've prayed.

This week one of our wards split, so now we cover 7 instead of 6. Sister Done and I are working on getting all of the boundaries, bishops, and times, straight; so that her and her new companion can hit the ground running!

We had Zone Conference this week. It was, as usual, amazing! There was so much they covered, and I wish I could tell you all that I learned but I will stick with saying that I am super pumped for Light the World! It is going to be great! I invite all of you non missionaries, to invite someone to your home to watch the new "Christ Child" video, and also to sign up for the light the world daily text message ideas. If you don't know what I am talking about on either or one of those things, "ask the missionaries, they can help you!" (Who am I quoting?!)

We also got our new missionary handbook! It is so good; not too much has changed, but there have been some adjustments.

I had an exchange in Alameda this week, with Sister Harding- who is amazing! It was so much fun! Alameda is a walking area, and we WALKED. But it was good practice for my new area, which is also a walking area!

I also got to play racket ball this week for the first time. I think this might be my new hobby when I get home. Just kidding, I was pretty terrible... but, who knows?! A lady who is not a member invited us and the elders, she is in the elders area but we made a good connection with her. It was cool talking to her about her life and what she has been through.

"No missionary should ever fail to understand and appreciate the great price others have paid to establish once again the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. No assignment or challenge of any missionary should hold him or her back from boldly declaring the gospel truths that are ours to share." This quote is by President M. Russell Ballard, and I absolutely loved it. I invite y'all to put "member" in the places where it speaks to the missionary. This cause is a joint effort, and it works better as such. "Every member a missionary," this is so immensely true. While reading the talk I quoted above, I realized something. We are promised that if we ask, we will recieve. We can pray for those missiomary opportunities and recieve them, and that is so powerful and true. However, I realized something further, in reading that scripture and studying this talk. God will give us those opportunites, but he will also give us the ability to speak the right words in those instances. If we have the faith that God will give us those missionary chances, we must know that God will also give us the ability to handle them.

I love y'all! Sorry, I didn't write last week! I hope y'all have a good week!

Sister DeGooyer