Called to Serve: week 19: somos las SHOVELING hermanas!

hola hola!

We had a storm hit on Monday and it just kept snowing for a few days, which was great for service opportunities! We were able to shovel a few driveways for NMs, neighbors, and our landlord. We even saw this guy shoveling in shorts and chacos (heck yeah!!!), so we obviously had to help him out haha. It was actually super fun and I'd be down if it snows again to go shovel some more! It helps that my cute Latina comp is obsessed with snow and gets SO excited every time we go outside and the ground is covered. It is the cutest thing!

Speaking of Hermana Gomez, she is an awesome Spanish teacher and pushes me to go out of my comfort zone and speak up more often. She encourages me to say prayers in lessons, talk on the phone, edit our weekly email, and send the Spanish texts. It has been really good and while I sometimes wish it was Spanish 24/7, I am loving it! We made a goal as our trio to read 5 chapters from El Libro de Mormon everyday for comp study and YALL, it has been such a blessing! Reading the scriptures has helped us to improve our pronunciation of words, better understand what we are reading, and to feel the spirit as a companionship. Blessings all around and I am so so grateful for it!

We also had zone conference this week that was fire!! It literally answered so many of the thoughts and questions I had and didn't even know I had. President Blickenstaff talked about the spirit vs. the holy ghost and how we can seek to have both in our lives. Our APs gave us finding ideas and encouraged us to really TALK to EVERYONE everywhere we go! And Sister O'Riordan talked about the difference between priesthood, power, keys, and authority and how we can access priesthood power more in our lives and especially now as missionaries(If you want to see the best video of Christ, respond to this and I'll send you and automatic spiritual experience!!!). Then President O'Riordan ended with a powerful message about Christ and how once we find our purpose as missionaries, the time flies and we come to love Christ even more. As he spoke, I was just so happy to be a missionary and it just hit that I am so so so lucky to be a part of the Lord's work. It is so not easy and this transfer has def had it's ups and mega downs, but in the end I am so glad to be where I am right now and want to take advantage of everyday I've got these next 14 months!! Missions are the best!

some other fun stuff:

-exchanges w the STLs and it was a blast to meet some of the other sisters!

-went to the HS basketball game as sis drapers finding idea...fun but probably won't be happening again lol

-trip to Provo to get the car checked, but the auto shop was closed soooo we just got chick-fil-a and elotes haha

milagro: okay so literally all week we had people cancelling on us left, right, and upside down. It was so frustrating bc right when we were starting to get a busy schedule, things would fall through and we would end up making calls or just sitting around reading area book profiles and doing duolingo for an hour. BUT Saturday night(after weekly planning and setting goals to be better), we got multiple referrals and return appointments set up for next week! And our week is filling up quite nicely with some solid potential. It just really goes to show that when we put in effort and make a plan with the Lord, he blesses us!

This is the Lord's work and He trusts his missionaries! Heavenly Father is working with imperfect people, so do you think He gets frustrated with us once in a while? Of course! Yet, He continues to let us help in His work as we turn to Him and give our best efforts. I am so grateful to be serving a mission right now and to be helping to further the work of the Lord on the Earth today!!

hope everyone is happy, healthy, safe, and warm!! Love you mucho!!

hermana dougall