Called to Serve Him: Just another week in paradise :) (7/10/2017)

Dearest loved ones!
Due to a shortage on miles we didn't head to the church to email today which means y'all get a real email ;) A blessing in disguise perhaps?
    This week was wonderful and I love my companion to the moon and back. She is so wonderful and I am so grateful to be her companion. We've become very good friends and we've been having some wonderful gospel conversations about faith, baptism, covenants, honestly our studies have been incredible. As a servant and disciple of Christ Sister Beecher is inspiring. She is filled with compassion and Christ-like love. She is so focused on our investigators and loves them so much. When she listens, she listens with her heart.
I am so proud of her, let me share a favorite moment from this week. We were out and about and had just parked to pray and walk to some less-active members when Sister Beecher noticed a lady in a pink shirt outside with her dog. Sister Beecher prayed specifically for help in teaching her and then jumped out of the car to speak with her. After introductions Sister Beecher began a lesson, with prayer, and we taught this lady (Teresa) the restoration. She was happy to listen to us and accepted a Book of Mormon and a return appointment. I love my companion! She loves being a missionary, she's fearless and spirit filled. Honestly I am learning from her every day and I love it!
    Serving in Oak Leaf has been very different than anywhere else I have served. It's a lot of new development and very wealthy housing. For example I still pick up coins every day but I frequently find dimes and quarters here. It's been an interesting transition. The ward is also very different. It's only been a ward for about a year. Basically the stake took two wards and sliced a bit off each and put them together. So everyone is still working on getting to know each other. Honestly there's a bit of a lack of unity, but we're working on it! :) Our auxiliary leaders are awesome though and most of them haven't had the calling more than 6 months. So we're all learning together. I am grateful though because I'm learning the physical area rather quickly. So we don't get lost quite so much... haha. It is a big area though. Lots and lots of empty space, so miles are tight and Sister Beecher still doesn't have a bike. We walk a lot and plan really carefully, which is all good. I'm happily working on my tan ;)
   An incredible miracle from this week was Judy. We met her Monday night after having an appointment bail on us and she was in her PJ's so she wouldn't let us in however we stood in her doorway and discussed her faith for a good half hour. She recently found the song, Praise to the man, sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and she loves it. We were able to set a return appointment with her. She has been so prepared for the gospel. She also has a deep faith in Christ but has had some questions and because of them hasn't been going to any church. When we taught her the first time she said she had done some studies and decided she'd like to come to our church. That lesson was awesome and the spirit was so strong. She readily accepted all we taught and when we talked about the Book of Mormon she asked where she could get a copy. We gave her one and she said she'd get started reading it. We taught her again at the end of the week and she had already read to First Nephi chapter 7! It was amazing! And we were able to have a member present, Sister Harrison who is serving as a family history missionary from home and she's adorable. They became fast friends and when we left they were still happily chatting. I really feel like she is prepared for the gospel, and although she didn't come to church this week she said she's going to come next week. And I'm excited to help her get on the gospel pathway. Truly she was an answer to prayer.
     During my studies this week I've spent some time studying faith. It's been very good. Something I've learned about faith came as I was reading an Ensign article from last year, August 2016, by Elder Bednar titled Accepting the Lord's Will and Timing. The article talked about having the faith to not be healed. And how our faith needs to exist regardless of results or outcomes. For the couple in the article they needed to maintain their faith regardless of if the desired healing came. It was such a powerful perspective change. Sister Beecher and I have discussed faith in depth this week and we talked about the prayers that don't seem to get answered and why that is. In the article I mentioned before after the couple goes through the trial of cancer the man is healed, however a few years later he gets cancer again and once again is faced with this trial to his faith. This was my favorite part:
"I knew that having faith—at least in my circumstance—was not necessarily knowing that he would heal me, but that He could heal me. I had to believe that He could, and then whether it happened was up to Him.
As I allowed those two ideas to coexist in my life, focused faith in Jesus Christ and complete submission to His will, I found greater comfort and peace."
And that is my testimony for the week. If we have our faith focused and forever centered on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and have complete trust to submit to his will we can have peace and happiness. I know he lives and loves us. I love you all! Have a blessed week.

Pictures!!

1. Happy fourth of July! We spent it our caroling. Yup we sang America the Beautiful on peoples door steps and it was awesome. And this was my favorite mat of the day. :)