July 23, 2012

Hi my Family!!!

I'm so glad you were able to go to the Saylins Homecoming! I'm sure you were able to see how amazing they are. They have made such a big impact on my life, and they have set a great example to me of how I want to be. :) Their homecoming here was very sad, but President kept telling us, "It's not a funeral!" haha

As for our new mission president, President Ashton... he is very young like President Saylin, and they just had their 7th child 3 weeks ago. So Very similar to the Saylins. Not going to lie... at first I didn't know what to think about him just because I missed Pres. Saylin so much, but he will be good (I'll get to that in a bit). He is very strict on Obedience so that is good! The first thing he asked was "how many of you exercise 30 minutes a day?" So at least he doesn't want his missionaries to be fat! ;)

 The day we welcomed President Ashton was the day I sent Sister Rozas back to SLC and picked up my new companion, Sister Perez, from the airport. It was weird, but fun getting to be back at the airport. I went with another Sister Companionship and we got lots of comments at the airport about being a nunhood welcoming group. :/ Oh brother!

Sister Perez is awesome! She is from Mexico City and she is a temple square sister. I have to opportunity to train her here, but she is already picking everything up quickly so it won't be hard. She is very very driven and a hard worker. We are going to do work work work this transfer and I can't wait. The only thing I hope doesn't get in the way is one of our wills. Because we are both very strong willed people. But so far so good! It's funny though cause about 2 weeks before she came I have been realizing more and more how impatient I can be.... and I have been trying to work really hard on it. I pray that I can have patience with everyone including myself. So she told me a few days ago she is so grateful for me because I am patient. She said as she was on the plane ride here she prayed that she could have a companion who is patient... So I guess Heavenly Father knows I can really work on this at this time.

Anyways, so on the way home from the airport we get a flat tire on the freeway, and all the sisters in the car didn't know what to do. I told them to get to the gas station and I can handle it. haha So it was a downpour of rain (rainstorms here are way worse than Utahs!), and I'm out checking the tire pressures and filling the tires with air. People were looking at me like I was crazy being in a skirt and working on a car, but it made me think Grandpa had to be up in Heaven smiling down saying, "That's my granddaughter!" :)

We finally got back to the mission office for Sister Perez's interview with President Ashton. I still wasn't filling so comfortable with a new president yet, but I wasn't closed off. And after her interview he calls me in with her. He told us that he trusts both of us so much and had something he wants us to do. He said there are going to be changes in the mission, but he wants to try them out first. So he is letting US do a "secret mission" to try his ideas out. After talking with him for 30 minutes I felt a lot better about him and his direction of where he wants the mission to go. He is having us focus so much on members and less actives and a lot less on tracting. He doesn't want us to contact how the rest of the mission is contacting people right now, and he wants us to work a lot more with the bishop to get direction from him of where and who to work with. We have seen so many miracles in our area as we've applied this the past week. President Ashton will be a great mission president. I know that Heavenly Father knew I needed that interview to feel better about everything.

One inactive in particular, Bridgett, hasn't been to church in 4 years since her daughter got killed. But as we went in to visit with her she explained to us that she receives letters from her visiting teacher, Sister King, every month. She told us that has helped her through so much. She told us because of that she wanted to go to church this Sunday. So after that visit with Bridgett we went to tell Sister King that Bridgett would be coming to church, and to thank her for her sweet letters she sends out to so many sisters in the ward monthly. She told us that because of another sister in the ward, Sister Eccles, who never gave up on visiting her while she was inactive she knew that is what she needed to do. That day changed my views soooo much on how inspired visiting and home teaching is! It is sooo important! It helps so we don't lose any one of God's children.

Sunday came around and Bridgett and her husband (who isn't a member) came to church. Even though I was so busy trying to find classes for each of our investigators who were there on Sunday it touched my heart to see Bridgett and Sister King hug. Bridgett was in tears and I know her heart is changed!

I've got to get off but I love you all sooooo much!!!!!

Love, Erianne

P.S. Dad, thanks for your letter!!!! I loved that poem!