Week 15:

So sorry I didn't send out an update last Monday! Because of the holiday, the libraries were closed. We went to a member’s house to email, so we didn't have as much time. It was pretty crazy, because they had kids who wanted our attention at all times. So I didn't get to focus on emailing too much, but that's okay!  

This last week has been so good! Because Sister Anderson was going home, she had to go to the mission home on Tuesday, where she would meet with our mission president and all the other missionaries going home before leaving on Wednesday. I got a temporary companion on Tuesday until we had transfers on Wednesday. Hermana Hiatt came to Prior Lake with me for just over a day. It was so much fun! We had a lot of appointments, so she got to meet a lot of the people I serve in this ward. She left saying that she hopes she will get transferred here because she loved it so much! But that won't happen, since she is Spanish speaking and there are few members or investigators here who just speak Spanish. I was able to realize just how awesome this ward is! We had dinner on Tuesday night I had the worst meal I have had on my mission so far. It was fish; well it was supposed to be fish at least. Usually I like fish. She set the plates down in front us and we started looking around thinking a dog went poo because something smelt so bad. It turns out, it was the fish. It was rubbery and just rancid. Plus there was hair in our rice and floaties in the water. I am proud to say I ate every bite. It was so gross! But hey, what is a mission for if not to eat disgusting food, with a smile on your face? 

 

On Wednesday we had transfers. How transfers works is Monday we get an email with a picture with all the areas and missionaries on it. It is like I spy, trying to find yourself and see what area you are in. Then Wednesday we all go to the church chapel across from the mission home and have a little conference with the mission president and his wife. We then find our new companions and we are good to go. 

Sister Bone is my new companion and I absolutely love her! We actually knew each other from before our missions and we use to talk a lot, which is pretty cool! When we got to our apartment, she was looking at pictures on my wall of me and some of my friends and actually recognized a few of them. Let me tell you, this is such a small world, especially if you are Mormon! Anyways, she and I have been having a lot of fun! We get along so well. If you know the personality colors, I am a red and she is a yellow, which are just a good combo! We are a very interesting companionship. I am definitely so much happier. It has been a lot of fun with her, yet I am working harder than ever. She is such a great missionary. This transfer is going to be great! We have been working really hard and finding people, with no success thus far. We have been spending a few hours each day, just about, tracting (knocking doors). That could be fun or terrible. It was been very cold lately, so that is definitely a downfall. A lot of people who answer are not very nice. But I know it will all pay off in the long run! 

Beth has been doing so well! We have been working on Personal Progress with her. Lately, we have been focusing on faith. I'm not sure if it has been helping her or me more! We have been reading scriptures out of the Book of Mormon and the Bible on faith. One of my favorite chapters is Alma 32. Specifically, verse 21, which reads, "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." and verse 27, "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." As long as we have that desire to believe, everything else will come into place. Faith is an action. That desire will make us strive to find that testimony. There is a song with the lyrics that say, "Live like you believe, it's one sure way your faith will grow." Alma 32:27 is the formula of how to develop faith and gain a testimony. I love those versus. 

I forgot my camera at home today, so I don't have any pictures, unfortunately. 

Until next time, have a great week!

Always,

Sister Emma Zimmerman