Here's To Round Two

Exchange calls came this week, and guess who gets to stay in Odenton with Sister Larsen!!! This Sister! Yup. I'm pretty excited about it. We both get to celebrate big milestones together this transfer. I'll be hitting my 9 month mark this week and she'll be hitting her year mark on the 25th. We'll get to celebrate Easter together, watch General Conference together, and celebrate my birthday together. It's like a match made in heaven ;) Ha-ha. For real, though. This is going to be the best transfer. And our entire district stayed the same and only 3 people in our whole zone are leaving. It's crazy! So that's been neat! 

This week we had an amazing opportunity to pick up a GOLDEN investigator! Her name is Sarah and she just asked us questions for the entire hour we were over there! She wanted to know everything about prophets, and why we had them and all about why our church is unique and it was the best! She was really testing us with her questions, but apparently we passed the test (obviously, because it's true) because we get to teach her again on Tuesday and she wants us to teach her fiancé, too. So that was amazing! 

We got to go on exchanges this last week with the Fort Meade sisters, meaning my last companion Sister Brown and Sister Gudmunson, one of the Sisters that came out with me in the MTC! I went to Fort Meade with Sister Gudmunson while Sister Brown went to O-town with Sister Larsen. It was such a good exchange! Sis. Gudmunson is just so awesome :) She's making a timeline of the Book of Mormon, too. She's so smart! We saw exchange miracles as we talked to these two ladies on the street. They'd had a bad day, but as we were talking with them, they just loved what we had to hear! We gave them a Book of Mormon, testified like bosses, then got their number and address so those Sisters can teach them! Boom! The Lord's work is Hastening :) It's so cool to be a part of it, too :) I learn so much from these sisters. I think I say that every time after exchanges, but it's always so true. They teach me more and more each time. 

One thing I've learned as a missionary, is that people recognize you as a missionary, even without seeing the tag. Three separate people at the grocery store this week have stopped to talk to us more about the church, just by seeing and knowing who we were. It was sweet :) 2 of them said they'd come to church, too! 

We also had an amazing MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) this Friday! Elder Perkins came to talk with us and help us out with our mission. And I just found out that I'm apparently (distantly) related to him. But not all that distantly. So that's cool.

One huge take away from that meeting: The Lord's work is TRULY hastening! More and more people are requesting missionary visits than ever before. Our new investigators are increasing each week. More people are getting baptized and the quality of our teaching is improving. Nothing but good things for the Maryland Baltimore Mission (The BEST mission in the world!). Seriously, though. This work is Hastening. And I'm so grateful to be a part of it right now. A fun thing, too, from that meeting; Elder Perkins was interrupted by Elder Holland calling him (I'm totally not complaining) and Elder Holland got to tell us he loves us and is praying for us all! How neat! I feel super special right now :) So that was just awesome.

And that was our week. Our other investigators are still awesome. It's a long process with them, but they all know it's true. It's just a matter of whether or not they'll chose to live it. We're also working with some great less active members who are working on coming back! One of them came to church yesterday and got up and bore her testimony. Her son got baptized on Saturday and later that evening had asked his mom (this woman bearing her testimony) if she was a member of the church. She answered affirmatively, then, without missing a beat, he asked, "Then why don't you go?" BOOM! She said it was like a slap in the face, a huge reality check. Kids can be bold like that and the parents still love them :) So she set her mind to go to church. No matter how much she hurt sometimes (She has a lot of health problems) because she knew she could either hurt at church or hurt at home, nothing would change except for the strength of her spirit. SO she's coming now. All because of her young son's example. There's a reason each and every one of us are in the families we are in. It's to strengthen each other and to help each other. We're all in it together, and it was so cool to see that change of heart.  I LOVE THE GOSPEL! Okay, that's all for now. I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! Send me your miracles! 

Quote of the Week: "We learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass." - Thomas S. Monson

Scripture of the Week: Mormon 5:23 (Thanks to Mom for sharing that scripture with me).

 Also, shout out to one of my best friends, ALEXIS WHEELER for getting married (I guess it's not Wheeler anymore...)! Congrats!!! I love you!

Love, 

Sister Humphrey