Jan. 5th- HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy 2015 everybody! As I reflected on this last year I thought of all the changes I have experienced- I finished my first year of college and said goodbye to my second family in Provo, I left on a mission, and I spent six wonderful months in Coquille with two wonderful companions. It has been a year of growth, learning, and... CHANGE! I don't care how cheesy this sounds, this past year I have grown closer to my Savior than ever before! He overcame the world! We can rely on Him for strength! I am FOREVER going to love the year 2014, because that is the year God changed my heart! No matter how painful the process, the end results are worth it. I am so excited for this next year, however, and all the adventures and growth it holds! I still have so much to learn! I get to spend 2015 serving God! How cool is that?

Now for the nitty gritty of my week!

Miracle: I lost the keys to our house, apartment, and my name tag. The miracle? I at least found the nametag. #dejavu

Funny Moment of the Week: We asked a little boy at dinner how he can do missionary work. his response was not exactly what we were looking for... "I am going to do missionary work by teaching people about Satan." Maybe I wasn't speaking clearly...

The lessons of the week worth noting:

Janette- the most organized hoarder I have ever met. Her house has PILES and PILES of stuff-but everything is color categorized. And dusted. And vacuumed. 

Ray- Prayed about the Book of Mormon. The answer he received was, "Not now." Is it appropriate to tell someone, "EH! Wrong answer?" Probably not. THE CHURCH IS TRUE THE BOOK IS BLUE.

SO, we probably had our biggest miracle on Saturday since being in this area. There was a non-member who has been coming to church the past couple of weeks, and we keep trying to set up appointments with him, and they keep falling through. On Saturday he called and asked, "could you come by at four?" ALVIN IS GOLDEN AND SO PREPARED. He asked SO many questions, our lesson with him took 2.5 hours. Testimonies were born, tears were shed, and experiences shared. I felt bad that we were there for so long... but he wouldn't let us leave. He had so many questions- many of which we told him we would address another time! He wanted to know President Monson's entire life story... every prophet in the book of mormon... whenever we bore our testimonies, he would ask, "WHY?" Sister Carter and I have been praying and felt strongly that we could have someone ready for baptism by February 7th. Alvin is an answer to that prayer! 

Second biggest miracle since being in this area: Sometimes you go through all your plans, and all of your back up plans, like a piece of tissue paper in a fire! Sunday was one of those days! I always think, "When everything falls through it is because God needs us to go somewhere we wouldn't go otherwise." Sister Carter and I pulled the car over and prayed! A house popped into my head, clear as day, of a lady which we had gone caroling to a couple of weeks prier. She had told us that she had cancer, and couldn't stop crying when we showed up at her house to carol. We stopped by her house and she broke into tears at the fact we remembered who she was. She couldn't stop thanking us for being an answer to her prayers. I will forever be grateful that I got to be an answer to her prayer. 

Third biggest miracle since being in this area: We got a missed call from a random number. I called it back and he said, "Hey this is Scott." (WHO IN THE WORLD ARE YOU SCOTT?) " I am Amy's husband (Amy is an investigator who loves the book of mormon, but her husband has always avoided us like the plague.) Could you come help me take down my Christmas decorations? ok bye." We went by this morning and he was sick, but he said, "Come by another time! That way we can take down the decorations and then talk after." MIRACLE. MIRACLE.

I have a testimony that God pushes us to our breaking point- and then showers us with miracles!

LOVE YOU ALL!