Mission Call

Mission Call

Monday, January 4, 2016

First Day of the Rest of My Mission

It's my mission year! For those of you who don't know, my mission got extended by a month, so 2016 will now be my full mission year!! YAY! And I've officially been out for over 200 days. Craziness. I hope you all had a great new year! Make those resolutions and STICK TO IT! It'll be great :)
This week we got to have Zone Training! President and Sister Christiansen came to feed our zone lunch because we won a contest at the Christmas party! SO MUCH FUN! I love our inspired leaders :) Then we went on exchanges! I went to Hagerstown for the fourth time, and got to be with Sister Blanchard for the second time! I guess Hagerstown really likes me, but not enough to actually have me serve there. Sister Brown and I have really been working on being purpose-focused missionaries, so on exchanges we got some new ideas on how to accomplish that :) We've been talking about the reason for each visit we have and we've been able to see miracles!! We found 7 new people that we will hopefully be able to start teaching this week!!! YAY! Miracles do happen. The work is finally progressing and we will be able to teach more people! Two of those people came to church with their family yesterday and LOVED it! So awesome. 
We got to see our former investigator Tammy again this week. She's now learning about the Plan of Salvation. She's taking things at her own pace, but hopefully she's feeling the Spirit more in her life as she continues to learn. We knocked on the door of a Baptist Pastor the other day and had an interesting conversation with him. He was able to point out the homes of all the Mormons who lived in his neighborhood; that just goes to show how much people watch our actions. But he was very friendly and he even said he'd check out Mormon.org. So, that was cool. We also had a miracle lesson at a less-active's home! We stopped in and her 12 year old granddaughter was there. We call her Sissy. She was asking us a whole bunch of questions about the temple and about what Mormons believe and she was just soaking it up! She wanted her very own Book of Mormon to read (which we gave her) and she wanted to learn more! Now we just have to talk to her mom (who we've met before and she actually likes us) to get permission to teach her. Maybe her mom would like to learn, too :) But Sissy was just amazing. She was so open to learning and by the time we left, we knew she had the Light of Christ in her eyes. I told her that I've been able to find true happiness in this gospel and she looks at me with sincere eyes and said, "This sounds like happiness. I want this." AAHHHH!! YES! Planting seeds and hopefully we'll be able to harvest :) She's awesome. I love that little girl.
For New Year’s Eve, I got to perform at the D.C. Visitors Center at the Festival of Lights! It was so much fun! It's like a miniature Temple Square ha-ha. We even got President Christiansen to take selfies with us! We didn't make it back until midnight, but as soon as we heard those fireworks popping, we opened up our Martinelli's, took a sip, and went to bed :) 
New Year’s day was not a normal proselyting day, but we did get to visit with a few members and enjoy the holiday with them as well as do some service. 
On Saturday we had a miracle lesson with a less-active and her family. I just love her and her family. Seriously, they're the best. We encouraged the girls to come to church on Sunday and help their mom out, because their mom has had to drag them to church, but we had such a good lesson with them and they came to church! And made new friends! The 6 year old twins made friends with a 6 year old named Alexis who came to church for the first time with her mom! So, now they both have even more reason to come back next week :) It's amazing how the Lord works in our lives. There are no coincidences. 
We also had a few amazing lessons with less-actives yesterday, including a couple who invited us to ride in their Camaro (I'll be taking them up on that offer) and in his flight simulator he's working on at work. So that's cool. The people we meet out here are pretty awesome :) That's basically been our week! I'm so excited for next week and what is in store for us and those we teach! Keep looking for those miracles because they're happening! I love you all lots! The Church is true; the Book is blue; God loves YOU! 
Quote of the Week: "When you feel somewhat desperate, when it seems like your prayers aren't answered and the winds still blow, take comfort in the knowledge that He is on the hillside watching. Remember, you might not know that He's watching as you struggle in the boat, but He is on the hillside watching, and He WILL come. But He generally comes after we have done all we can do." - S. Michael Wilcox "When your prayers seem unanswered"
Scripture of the Week: D&C 11:8
Love, 

Sister Humphrey