HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

June 9, 2014

My Dearest Family!!

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I hope it’s a good one. I wish I could be there for it!!! Next year, for sure though!

Also, you all failed at writing me your missionary experiences. I prayed all week and nothing. Mom, you asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I decided what I wanted. Will each one of you pray for an opportunity to have a gospel-centered conversation with someone before the 1st of July?? It doesn't have to be anything elaborate or complicated. I pray for easy, simply ways to talk to people ALL THE TIME. And guess what, the Lord puts them in my path. So I promise you, that you will have those opportunities, if you sincerely pray for them. And when we take advantages of those opportunities, our own testimonies grow. So... will you all do that?   

I'm almost out of time, complications with a black out at one library and having to drive forever to find another. But just so you know, this week is transfers! And I'm leaving Lawndale. I'm a bit sad because it really started to grow on me and I had just started to really get to know the ward members. Oh well. That's life for you. Sister Diaz is staying and I know she will take good care of it. I'm off to the Santa Fe Springs Ward, speaking Spanish, and I will be a Sister Training Leader. I am so stoked to be in the Downey area again. Sister Olson always told me to go back there, because "its fertile ground." Ha-ha, but I'm really stoked for my new companion. Her name is Sister Landon. She is friends with my MTC companion and Kristine B... at BYU-I, and she's soooo cool! So I'm hoping it will be great. I'm a little nervous to be a STL. But I have to say that I am excited for the chance to grow. So just a lot of feelings I guess. We shall see how this will go.

This week was brutal. We tried so hard to find new investigators and nothing. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but our area is huge and not a lot of Spanish people live in it. So the areas where there are Spanish people, know exactly who we are and see us coming. This man actually closed his blinds when he saw us walking up the driveway to his house. Obviously, I still knocked to make sure, and no answer. O well, hopefully he will find the church some other way.

So last night was the departing missionary fireside. Have a I told you about those? Anyways, all the departing missionaries bear their testimonies and invite all the people they served with. Investigators, Recent converts, less actives, members, etc. Well I saw a TON of people that I knew, one lady in particular. Remember when I served in South gate for like a week? Well she was in that ward and in that time had given the Sisters a textbook to help with Spanish. Apparently she LOVED this book. We had tried to give it back my first day there, but she was like "you are new. Do you want to use it” and was so nice that we kept the book to refer to.

Well I was there for a week right? So we have the mid cycle transfer, and I'm sorry the book was the last thing on my mind. I'm pretty sure we asked the Elders in our ward to return it to her. Well they didn't.

That was 8 MONTHS AGO!! She remembered my name and came up to me asking if I still had her book because she would like it back. I was like.... uhhh no. And then it was this whole big ordeal and I felt TERRIBLE!!! She was going up to all these Elders that use to serve in the ward asking if they knew where it was. But I feel like it’s my fault. I offered to buy her another one, but she said she bought it at a book sale and doesn't remember the name. And I'm like great... what am I going to do know? I feel so bad and wish I knew how to replace the book.

 We did meet this really cool lady named R... this week. She lives on the same street we do. We started talking to her because she has the cutest pit-bull I have ever seen. It’s still a puppy and it’s gorgeous! (Simple, easy conversation starter. Prayer answered!) Anyways, she told us that she was spiritual and believed in Christ. I shared my testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it had changed my life. She was interested. And had the English Sisters over the next day! Hopefully good things will come from that! 

Sorry this email is so short, I'll have more news to tell next week. The Church is true. The Spirit is real. Christ lives!

Love you all!!

Hermana Mik Pillar