Find, teach, BAPTIZE

Familia!

So much to say, so little time. We're going to have three baptisms on Saturday!!! I went on an exchange this week with the English sisters in Folsom. I left Novakovich in East Sac to hold down the fort, and she did it with ease! ... despite some crazy things with finding companions, switching companions, all those fun things. She had a lesson with the Ro family, our ward missionary leader, and her companion who is a return missionary (went to Guatemala). She said Lu (the mom) was almost in tears by the end of the lesson and we learned that a few days ago, Ra and Lu knelt down in prayer and asked if this was the right thing to do and had an marvelous experience. Ra kept saying in the lesson, "I'm ready. I'm ready." Sister Novakovich said this is the best she has ever felt on her mission and that she almost cried. We love this family so incredibly much--don't worry, you'll be seeing plenty of pictures! Oh, and the best lesson Sister Novakovich has had... yeah, I wasn't there. I was in Folsom. But Sister Fernandez always used to say that miracles happened while the exchange sister was gone or with your companionship, and it's true! While I was on the exchange, we visited a woman who randomly came to church (and it's really hard for this area to add new investigators) who is from India who came to the church to find service opportunities (oh she can find it there!) and wants to learn more about Jesus Christ. She said she stays at home all day while her husband works and is very lonely. I couldn't even imagine. She was a true angel.

I went to a funeral on the exchange of a 10-year-old boy who died of cancer. It was a bad sign when I started crying during the opening prayer... I don't even serve in that area! The service was absolutely beautiful. The mom said that he was diagnosed with cancer May 27, 2010 and died two years later to the day. He fulfilled his mission on the earth. They shared wonderful memories of him and talked about the Plan of Salvation. I was filled during that funeral. Somehow they always make you want to be a better person and live your life to the fullest--that's how I feel.

We had a training from President Lewis after district meeting on Thursday. After the training, Sister Lewis came out with us to visit some of our investigators and potentials. We were thinking, "Great! We have two appointments that she'll be able to go to. This is perfect." And then the two appointments CALLED (somewhat rare) and cancelled. So we did our backup plan and met a man who just lost his job and moved to the area with his wife by his side, reassuring him that there is something even better to come. (Answer: the restored gospel.) He was telling us about trials in his life, how he knows that Christ is the Savior and that's how he found peace a few years ago, how we need to LIVE the gospel of Jesus Christ (didn't use those words exactly but that's what he meant). He just talked and talked and talked and Sister Lewis and I would look at each other and think, "He has no idea that what he's describing is the Church. This is what he needs!" It was a sweet experience and the exact reason why our two appointments cancelled. Goodness me, love the little miracles that happen every day.

Oh, I meant to tell you last week that I got my hair cut. My first haircut in seven months. Siiick. So yeah, chopped off a good 4, 5 inches maybe. Also, I mentioned to Sister Schow that I wanted some new t-shirts a few weeks ago and she pulled out a shirt that was too small for her, so I'm wearing my 81-year-old friend's t-shirt from Daytona Beach, FL as we speak. :) I'm sure there's something else random I wanted to mention but forgot.

Love you all!! 

Love,

kates