Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the start of summer! Things here have been great! Well, mostly. Haha
I'm sorry this one is a little shorter than normal, but I promise I'm doing great, loving the work and am really happy!
- Sister Fernandez caught a cold and I sprained my knee. We'll be fine but it made this week . . . interesting. Haha
-I sang "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul" last night at seminary graduation with an elder on piano and an elder on violin. Went really well!
- We're teaching tons of people now that we cover the entire area of the ward. So we now have six, count em, SIX investigators with a baptismal date of June 20th!! We've got John and Kristina, a married couple, Vanessa, a young mom of three, Mario, a new investigator and Francisco and Alexis, two young men that the elders had been teaching. We are SO incredibly happy! If you'd like, we would appreciate any good vibes and prayers you could send our way to help strengthen these amazing people as they move forward.
- So one of our investigators, Kristina had set a baptismal date for June 20th but we were all a little unsure if she would take that step forward. Two days ago we found out- SHE WILL!! We went over the baptismal interview questions with her just to make sure that she understood everything and boy, does she have an understanding of this gospel! She bore testimony to us that she knows the gospel will bless her life. She said, "I would wake up in the morning and I could feel that something was missing. It was this. This is what will make me whole." I also know that this gospel can and will make us whole. I know that this gospel is true. I know that it can bless our lives. It can strengthen us as individuals and as families. I know that we have a Savior. I know that He lives and that He loves us.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, encouragement, love and support to me and to my family.
Sister A

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, CALLI!
And ONE TRANSFER DOWN.
It has been quite a roller coaster ride but it has been great. My trainer and I are staying the our same ward but the elders are being transferred. So Sister Fernandez and I will cover both areas in our ward and will be the only missionaries here. It sounds a little daunting right now but we are excited!

- "You're Talkin' Jibberish!"
A crowning moment of my life- eating at the diner, Watson's, where "That Thing You Do" was filmed!!!
Not sure which scenes were filmed there but it was really fun being there. My other Sister Training Leader, Sister Fulton, took me there for dinner on a short exchange.
"Those guys don't know squat about service!"

- had some lemonade after a baptism that reminded me A LOT of my Dad's lemonade. Those of you who have had Dad's lemonade know exactly what I'm talking about!

- So my companion and I went to visit a woman my companion had taught just before I came in. We rang the doorbell and knocked twice but no one was answering. For some reason I thought that somebody was there but we turned around and started to leave. Just as we did, we hear the door open. In the doorway, we see this young man in a wheelchair. We talk with him for a little bit and find out that the woman we were wanting to see was his mother. As we kept talking I felt a very distinct prompting to ask him how he ended up in a wheelchair. I thought, "No way! I don't need to know that. It's something personal and he might feel too uncomfortable talking about it with a total stranger." But I made a promise to myself recently to not ignore spiritual promptings, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient. So I asked, "do you mind if I ask you what happened?" This twenty year old told us how a year and a half ago he was being robbed and got shot in the spine paralyzingly him from the waist down. I felt so much empathy for him. My companion shared a video with him entitled, "Mountains to Climb." The video, which I recommend highly to everyone, explains that even in the most difficult times, we can rely on our Savior Jesus Christ.
After the video I asked "How do you feel right now?" "I can't really explain it. I think I feel good." We were able to share with him the unique message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before we had a chance to ask he said, "When can you come back?"
This gospel is true. The Lord knows us and loves us. That does not mean that trials and difficulties don't exist. It means that we can rely on the mercy and grace of Christ in those trials and difficulties.
Thank you ALL for your love, encouragement and support.
Sister A

Micah would kill me for posting this. But I love it.
Not only is it one of my favorite Micah faces, I think it shows an aspect of being a missionary that is often overlooked:
it's so hard and stressful! But it's the best. Plus Micah has her animal crackers in this one. Heavens.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BENSON!
- got an email letting me know that they are still working on my visa and that if I'm in Anaheim 9 months without it then I will finish my mission here. So we will see! But two other sisters going to my mission just got their visa's after two transfers, so there's still a chance I'll have it within the next six weeks!
- I've been asked to sing "Oh How Lovely Was The Morning" for a stake musical fireside next Sunday the 31st. I'll sing with an Elder on piano and another Elder on the cello. So excited!
- I'm also speaking next Sunday in the ward I'm serving in about the Holy Ghost.
- my companion and I drew this board for an investigator so that he could better understand the doctrine of Christ. As we were taking it back to our apartment I asked my companion, "what if I just stood on the street corner with this sign like some of those people who hold advertisements and danced around?!"

We had been inviting two of our investigators, a married couple, to church for a few weeks. While they had both been maybe two or three times within the last several months, only she had been able to come lately. But yesterday, THEY BOTH CAME! And what a wonderful day it was for them to come! The talks given were about covenants and temples. It was such a great meeting with an awesome spirit. Afterward, we asked them how they felt about the meeting. Kristina, our investigator said that John, her husband, wants to go to the temple and she wants them to be sealed! They are still investigating but it was SO nice to hear her say that. She even said, "we both want to keep moving forward." I nearly cried happy tears! I just want to say that no matter what happens after today on my mission, I will remember what Kristina said and the feelings I had from the Spirit and it will make it all worth it. That is exactly why I am here; so that others can have the opportunity to experience the wonderful blessings of this gospel. I am so glad that they know and understand the importance of the temple and making covenants with Heavenly Father. I love this gospel and the light and blessings it brings to so many people, including myself and my family.
Love and miss you all!
Sister A