February

Hello my family! How is everyone doing?! It sounds like everyone is staying very busy. Good luck this weekend with the traveling to volleyball stuff. Kailey and Ally you will do awesome! Let me know how it goes.

I hope Dad's birthday was celebrated big time. I feel bad I missed 2 of his birthdays, but I promise next year we can celebrate!!! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I hope you get my letter in the mail. :)

I know it's Jaylee's birthday tomorrow too, so give her a huge hug from me!!

This week went by so fast, and I know this coming week is going to fly too. Sister Workinger is doing great! I think she may train next transfer since 12 new English sisters are coming in, and there are only 16 sisters in the mission! But we'll see. President talked with me and another sister about it last week at a leadership meeting I was invited to, and he has asked us to train our trainees in 1 transfer instead of 2. So when every new missionary comes into the mission we are supposed to do what's called the 12 week program. But he called me and one other sister, Sister Haertel, last week and asked us to train them in 6 weeks. So we now do 4 hours of studies in the morning instead of 3. Sister Workinger is learning very quickly, and it's so cool to see her personal conversion and testimony grow stronger each day she is here. I love getting to be a witness of peoples conversions to the Lord, even missionaries! In the Leadership meeting I was invited to there were 2 guys from the head of the Missionary Department that came, and they did a training for us. It was really helpful! They interviewed Sister Haertel and I afterwards cause no one else has ever done this training in 6 weeks. They asked us the pros and cons of doing it this way, and I think it may become something they may start doing worldwide for the missionaries that come in ready for it. It definitely depends on the missionary, but the 2 sisters we are training are doing great!

Today in my personal study I finished the Book of Mormon for my 3rd time. President has asked me to read through it 5 times before I go home so I'm hoping and praying I can finish in the next 5 months. I love the Book of Mormon so much! Every time I read it I get more and more excited about it. :) How's your Book of Mormon reading going? Any cool things that have stuck out to you? I loved the things you pointed out Dad! I love that chapter in Alma 5. It's one of my favorites!

We had a cool experience happen last week.... well several... but I’ll start with this one.

We went to an appointment we had scheduled and the person wasn't there so we decided to go try one of our other investigators who was in the area. Her name is Criselda. She wasn't there, but her boyfriend said she would be home soon. So we decided to go walk over to a member who lived across the street. (Weird that we decided to go over there though cause her car wasn't there...) But after we knocked and she wasn't there we started heading back to our car by Criseldas complex. When we were almost there we noticed her car in front and so we walk over there and she was sitting in her car crying. When she saw us, she stuck her head in her hands and cried more. We went and gave her a hug and asked if we could do anything for her. She aws having a pretty awful day. She let us come into her apartment and we shared some scriptures with her. I know that Heavenly Father led us there at that exact moment and so we could be there for her. I'm glad that He knows His children perfectly even when we don't understand why we should go somewhere or do something.

Another cool experience we had was on Saturday night. We were trying people right and left after our appointments fell through and no one was home or no one would answer. I was about to give up and call it a night even though we still had about 45 minutes to work. I felt bad for Sister Workinger because she is just as scared as I was at the beginning of my mission being outside after dark. We prayed to know who to try and we were led to this less active sister, Her name is Flavia. She let us come in and visit and we found out that she hasn't been to church since she was 10. She didn't have a copy of the Book of Mormon and she wants to come back! She just had a baby and she realized the importance of church and the gospel! We are going to visit with her again this week and try to rebuild her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Prayer is real.

Today in my reading I was reading about Enoch in Moses 6 and how inadequate he felt to be doing the Lords work. I feel the same so many times and wonder why he has me here when there are so many other people that could do this work so much better. But in that chapter he talks about how when he relied on the Lord for the strength and understanding he was able to do as the Lord has asked of him. I know that a lot of times we feel inadequate and those feelings come from Satan, but if we rely on the Atonement of Christ and on the opportunity we have to pray to our Father in Heaven they will make the weak things become strong in their timing.

I love the chance I have to be a missionary! It has helped me realize that so much as I'm able to help train Sister Workinger and remind myself.... as well as her.... that all the hard times really are worth it when you see someone come closer to their Savior.

I had a dream on my year mark about being at home, and I was hanging out with friends but I remember thinking still as a missionary. When I called someone I told them it was the sister missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints, and I told my friends we should go teach a lesson. I remember how sad I was to be home cause I missed serving. When the alarm went off in the morning I was scared to open my eyes cause I was scared that my dream was for real. Haha.... I really love being here! I've got to live up these next few months!

I love you guys and pray for you daily! Let me know if I can do anything for y'all!!!

Erianne