Letters from Reno: Bugs and Trucks

Crazy week. I'll start with the fun stuff first and then get to the awesome stuff. So. This week we got new beds in our apartment that had been in storage. With spiders. We woke up the next morning and Sis Sweany had about 9 spider bites that were pretty nasty looking. And then we had to spray our apartment to make sure all bugs and creepy crawlies were dead. Let me tell you, the next night we did not want to get into our beds! Then our car broke down. Twice. And it was Wednesday night so everyone was at meetings or activities so we were stranded. But then someone came and saved us and had our car towed. They have no extra cars in the mission and we live about 10 miles out of our area, plus having to do exchanges every week so President took away the APs truck and we get to drive it. So I'm ok with our car being broken; we can drive the truck, it's so awesome. And all the elders are super jealous :) Welcome to the week of a baptism, they are always crazy.

But the miracles always happen! So first off, Sandy was baptized. She is so amazing. She wanted to bear her testimony at the baptism and it was so strong and brought the spirit that much more into the service. Everyone that came said it was one of the best baptisms they had been too. It has been such a blessing for me to be able to be part of her life and being able to teach her. I definitely learn more from the people I teach then they do from me!

Another cool story about following the Spirit. So as you know, we took over the other side of the ward that I was in a year ago. Well we were driving around past a street that I had tracked last year and we see a girl sitting on her front porch. I get the strangest feeling that we NEED to go talk to her. So we park the truck (yes!) and walk back to where we saw her. And she was gone. That's always depressing when you think you felt the Spirit so you follow it and it doesn't turn out to be what you thought. We started walking back and we see a guy in his front lawn. I was going to just walk past because I distinctly remember talking with him last year when he was very drunk and very not interested in organized religion. So we start walking by and he calls out to us; he remembered talking to me from a year ago! He asked how we were doing etc. etc. and we end up inviting him to learn more and he says yes! We continue talking and find out he has been working on getting clean and has been for a little under a year. A week after I saw him last time, he went into rehab and had gotten all cleaned up and realized that he needed to make God a little more of a priority in his life. Then he saw us walking around and wanted to learn more about what we believed. So we set up another appointment and go back to see him and before we even start the lesson, barely even started the how to begin teaching, and he asks about baptism. So we talk about what it means and why we do it and then invite him to be baptized and he said yes! It was so amazing. It was a great testimony builder to me that God cares about all of us and will always guide us to the path we are supposed to be, we just have to trust his timing. Also that we should not give up on anyone. I was going to avoid him because I thought that he was still the same person but that was definitely not the case! Everyone can change and does. Plus, the Spirit always knows what’s up and how to get us where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there. Even if we don't always realize why.

Missions are amazing and the church is true! I hope you all are doing great and I will talk with you again next week!

Love,

Sis Rae