Hot Dog!

Parent Note:

Seems I'm always apologizing!  So here I go again. Erin emails weekly and often those emails are short with the primary part of her letter being her report to the Mission President.  As I have said before they include people she is teaching and accounts of her work with them.  Needless to say she is busy and teaching a great many people. She appreciates everyone's support. She was transferred from San Luis Obsipo to Newbury Park.  Her address for mail does not change, it gets forwarded from the mission home.

It's a small world

OH! I ran into Ashley, Holly Romaniec's friend, from California.  We ran into her in Costco during lunch time.  She's going to Cal Poly.  It's amazing how small the world is.  It was good to see her.

 We have zone conference this week!!! YAY!!! Zone conference is when the whole zone (and actually a couple other zones too) all get together and President Castro speaks and we get some sort of training too. It's all day long, and it is a great time to try to receive revelation for our investigators. I am doing well, don't worry. The ward feeds us, and we feed ourselves haha. We have way too much food in our apartment right now. But! it's a blessing :) and I love blessings. So I hope everyone has a good week! I haven't been able to hear much about what happened in the Philippines recently, but if you aren't already make sure to include them in your prayers.

 This week we had exchanges and I was with Sister Kiyotani! She is from Kyoto, Japan and is super super sweet.

Hot Dog

Last Sunday, an older gentleman(91) walked into sacrament meeting and wanted to know more about the church.  He had recently lost his wife and wanted to know what we believe about where she is and life after death.  It was so funny when they introduced him to Sister Kemp and I as the people who would be teaching him he said, "These are my teachers?" Hot Dog!"  He was so funny!

Transfer This Week (Newbury Park, CA)

Holy Moly this week has been CRAZY. In like 17 zillion good ways though! So I am PINKwash(Sisters taking over an area where Elders use to be) training a new Sister! Her name is Sister Hardman and she is so sweet. She has a lot of love for everyone and such a positive attitude, so we are getting along great :)

Baptism 

We have a baptism in two weeks!!!!!  Her son joined the church about a year ago and that prompted her to start coming to church and investigate the church. She has been attending one of the wards here in Newbury Park and she lives in our area! She hasn't been taught any of the lessons officially (but knows and has been living the gospel) so we have A LOT to teach in less than two weeks!! So pray for us!!  We are so excited though. Our first lesson is tonight :)

Apartment and New Area

My new area is really condensed. There are a lot of families here and a lot of less active members.  We are working hard to meet them and work with them. We have already knocked into quite a few members of our ward (oops!) but that's what happens when you are new. I will admit, I do miss San Luis and I was sad to leave Peggie!! :( she bore her testimony at church last week by the way) but there is so much potential here. OH OH OH and our apartment has a DISHWASHER, our very own WASHER AND DRYER, and a FIRE PLACE. We feel spoiled.

Things are going well though, we are slowly but surely finding the Elders investigators (many of whom have been taught for several years) and are working to see where they are at in their conversion. So we have a lot of work to do!

 We have a car too! But is shakes like no other. It really scared us when we first started driving but then we realized that that was just how the car ran. I am happy here and learning a lot. I love being a missionary and I know that this work is real and that we can accomplish great things when we let ourselves be instruments in the hands of the Lord. Love you all, have a great week! :) OH! And Happy six months!! :) To me!!

We all have great potential

Something I really realized this week was the potential that every single person has. Something neat that really set in for me on Wednesday was that I can literally become and do anything that I want. I have the potential to baptize monthly. I have the potential to be the best trainer. I can teach with power and authority. I can know this area and remember the names of all the ward members. The only thing that is holding anyone back is their own uncertainty. I know that this is something everyone knows and hears all the time, but for me I came to the conclusion that I am going to become the best missionary I can possibly be. I will be effective and hardworking. I can and will try my hardest to develop those Christ-like attributes that we study is the scriptures . But I will also make sure not to take on too many goals at once. I am just so grateful for the drive and motivation that I am developing to do this work. I am working hard to let Heavenly Father mold me into the missionary he knows I can become.