Natasha's Mission Letter: Week #8

Hi! 

This week I feel like there has been a lot of little miracles. On Tuesday we had exchanges with the STLs. That night we had a lesson with a less active member, Sister Perkins. Sister Perkins shared a personal story that I hadn't had any experience with, but the Sister from the ward who we brought, Sister O'dell, had and so had Hermana Anderson. They shared personal experiences that I really think helped the Sister Perkins. Sister O'dell was actually Sister Perkins ministering sister and Hermana Anderson said that originally I was going to be with Hermana Clark this transfer, but Hermana Anderson felt like we should be together for some reason. That right there was a testimony to me that God is aware of each one of us. If Sister O'dell and Hermana Anderson hadn't been at the lesson I don't know how we would've helped Sister Perkins.

On Wednesday we found out that Israel Hernandez, the dad of the family with a billion kids, broke his leg. Guess how he broke it... skiing. haha no just kidding, but he broke it fourwheeling. Guess how many bones he broke... two. Guess who has to have surgery... he does. I guess you could say right there that, that's why I broke my leg. I don't know how I'll be able to help, but hopefully I'll be able to since I relate so much. The crazy thing is though, is that he hasn't had his surgery yet because of swelling. He has been laying/lying (which is it? laying or lying?) in pain for about 5 days. Also they had to transport him from the hospital back to his house while his leg was still broken. When Penny Hernandez was telling us about it, it was like I had post traumatic stress or something just imagining it. I was almost having a hard time breathing just from her explaining it. I can't even imagine all the pain. Also they have like no money, no insurance, and he was the only one working in the family so I don't know what they're going to do.

On Friday we had a lesson with Bro. Walker again and it was great. He had a little hard time understanding the Spirit World, but the crazy thing is we ended up having a lesson in gospel principles on Sunday all about the Spirit World so I feel like he really understood it after Sunday. Woo! 

On Saturday we had a lesson with a new investigator named George. We taught him the Restoration and I felt like it was lesson like the ones you see in videos. It was very straight forward and there were no crazy questions that got us off topic or anything like that. It was weird because that was the first lesson I've had like that. All the other lessons we have had, had weird questions or interruptions. 

Sunday was like the crowning moment of my week. Ahhh! It was great. Bro. Walker got up to share his testimony, which he has said before he didn't want to do because he thought people would judge him. But he did it and it was great! I was smiling through his whole testimony. Definitely the best testimony in the meeting. We also had a lesson with Chris and Jennifer Lane. We'd had one lesson with them before like three weeks ago, but weren't able to meet with them until that Sunday. We were originally going to teach them the Plan of Salvation, but we switched to the Restoration last second and I'm so glad we did. They seemed to be taking in every word we said. After we shared the First Vision, Chris said, "That's amazing." Uh sorry what? Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that was amazing? May or may not have been the best thing I've ever heard so far on my mission! We also brought the Dudley's with us to the lesson. Brother Dudley who is my old seminary teachers twin brother... It's really weird being in the same ward as him. I don't know if I like it or not.

Well that's mostly it! That was my week. Love you all!

Love, 

Sister Schouten