Testifying in Tucson: August 24th - Finally finished writing this beast...sheesh

Hello hello! I do not know how it is Monday already. This is the last week of the transfer too! We are getting calls this Saturday to see what to expect for next transfer! Since we have both been here for 2 transfers I really am unsure what is going to happen.

On Tuesday, we and the elders here were picked up in Willcox by the Assistants and the Passeys to go to the Zone Conference in the Gila Valley which was with our zone and the New Mexico Zone. I played the Arizona Tuscon Mission song for the conference haha, I haven't played it since last October. The Conference was great and I learned a lot. I really am working on making sure that the Atonement is brought up in every lesson. Great trainings, and then from there we went on exchanges! I stayed in the Gila Valley with Sister Thomas who will be my airport buddy when we come home haha. Right before leaving I realized I still had the keys to the truck. I ran them to the elders and told them to give them to the sisters in Willcox, once they realized that they didn't have them (because I am super hilarious). This is a critical part of the story that will be coming later.

We had great exchanges and there I met their 16 year old investigator Sheryl whom they had talked about in a Zone training a few weeks ago. At the beginning I just asked her question after question. Eventually we were able to learn that her father died when she was 7 and it had hurt her relationship with God and she didn't feel like she was receiving answers to her prayers when she asked about her dad. We were in the chapel for the lesson and I played "Families Can Be Together Forever" on the piano and she was so touched. We ended up having an AMAZING lesson with her and she really wants to be baptized :)

We had a fun 2 days of exchanges. Between finding a scorpion under my desk, getting our trunky calls together (which made us both want to cry) (she is talking about the phone call with her travel info for coming home in November), and just teaching a lot of lessons we had a good time!

So we headed down Wednesday afternoon to exchange back and the sisters were there at the meeting spot but Hermana Whetton had brought them. I was confused but then was told that the other sister had forgotten her Tiwi card and so she couldn't use the car SO the past few days they had been needing to get rides from members. Sister Kiesling, Sister Rios, Sister Jocelyn Allred, and now Hermana Whetton. Wow, they had been through quite the adventure.

Hermana Whetton took us home and when we pulled in, Hermana Garcia said, "no tengo las llaves" (I don't have the keys). Going back to my story from earlier, I thought this was payback for my joke played on them about the keys. I told her "very funny" and such but then....I realized she was serious. Our keys were with the other sister back up in the Gila Valley. Yep....SO we called Sister Cadaret who was supposed to come with us to an appointment in 10 minutes and asked her to come pick us up! She was such a life saver that evening. The sisters weren't answering so we just went to work haha. They eventually did answer and Hermana Whetton went up AGAIN and got our keys for us. I have no words to describe my gratitude for all the amazing members here that helped the other sisters out and me too when we were in a tight spot. We are very very blessed missionaries to be among such great people We saw 2 families with Sister Cadaret before we went with her to her house because she also was making dinner for us that night! She then also took us to the church to get our keys from Hermana Whetton and then took us to our home. So so grateful for all the help. Glad we survived that day!

The car fun continued when on Thursday the elders called to see if we had jumper cables. We didn't but we found someone that did. We went to their rescue but the cables didn't do anything. Then the elders remembered that they had been going with the gas light on for quite some time now. Yep! We went and got them some gas and that fixed the problem! Bless their hearts. That is all I can say.

Well the next four days after Wednesday I don't really have much to report on. Hermana Garcia was sick and we spent the majority of the time at home. On Saturday we spent pretty much the whole day there. It was honestly a pretty rough day on Saturday. (Saturday also happened to be Sierra's birthday.) We had a whole day filled with lessons and I had to call and cancel them just like Thursday and Friday. I got to spend my birthday watching Ephraim's Rescue and 17 Miracles, updating the area book, making phone calls, reading, and just being here haha. My goal for my birthday had been to find 3 new investigators. Next year! But the best part of the week happened on Saturday! Melissa told us that she knows that she needs to get baptized and she has decided to get baptized on the 5th of September!! Melissa is amazing! She has so much faith and a desire to follow the Lord. I know that it is no coincidence that sisters came here to Willcox right now in order to meet her :) Sister Garcia was sick yesterday and Melissa picked me up and was my companion and we went to have the lesson we set up with the Douglas's to talk about her interview and then went to 2 other homes haha. She is already a missionary :)

On Sunday we had 4 investigators at church! 2 we found this past week. Liz and Shelby are so fantastic! I saw Liz drawing last Monday at a park and I felt strongly that we needed to go talk to her. Organized me thought, "We will be late for our appointment." Thankfully missionary me yelled from where we are, "Hey! How are you!?" Haha she is great and we are teaching her and her little sister. Her mom is a less active and it has been such a miracle that we have found them.

The other investigator that came was Kelly. We showed her "The Restoration" this past week and she loved it. She said she really needs a change in her life and she know it is no coincidence that we are here right now. She is really sweet and thanks to Josh Collins she had a ride to Church! He has also picked up Virginia for church. He was baptized earlier this year. Such a great missionary!

Okay I need to stop writing! But I can't stop talking about this place. No one else is going to get emails this week haha oh man. Thank you so much for the birthday package :) I loved it! I waited until Saturday even though it was super hard. Sister Garcia made me...also the members took SUCH good care of me! Seriously I am so beyond spoiled. I want to spend all my birthdays as a missionary haha they make you feel so special. If only they knew how ordinary I am haha. They are the ones that are so amazing and make life such a joy.

Love you so much :) miss you like crazy!! Talk to you soon!