Week 8

Wow. All I have to say is missions are amazing. straight up incredible.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

I have already grown more in just 2 months than I ever thought possible.

Missions are hard. There have been many tears shed, but missions are also so fun. Everyday is another adventure, trying to find those people who are prepared and ready to follow the example of our Savior.

I am so so happy.

I'm not just happy, but I have joy. I never want to come home hahaha (kidding and not kidding)

This week was so good.

It just seemed like the Lord was throwing all of these people in our path every single day. 

Last Monday night we taught a man named Steve. He was from the Elder's area that we have now, and they had taught him once before. Steve is someone who has been so prepared. He was raised Catholic and when he was in his 20's he moved to Europe and studied there for a year and learned a lot about religion. We taught him the restoration and he was so receptive to everything that we were saying. He said that he believed it. I have never felt the spirit so strong in a lesson before. It was such a neat experience. We invited him to be baptized on May 23rd and he accepted! I was so excited for him. We taught him the plan of salvation last Friday and we are teaching him tonight too. Please pray for Steve. He such an incredible person.

Jerry is one of our other investigators. His son, Brayton was baptized about a month ago and is 13 years old. Ah that kid is going places (he is now getting a temple recommend so he can do baptisms! ah I love Brayton). Jerry didn't want Brayton to get baptized at first, but now he has a baptismal date for May 30!! (miracles!!) He comes to church with Brayton every week and even came to stake conference yesterday!! He also makes sure Brayton is always going to mutual and other youth activities. Every time we meet with Jerry he just seems happier.  Brayton has been such a great example to his dad. That kid is just amazing.  They are such a great family. Please keep them in your prayers. ah i could talk about them forever.

Michael, another investigator who I met my first day here is the one who is addicted to pain meds. We are still working with him! haha he is such a character and makes us laugh all the time. He is coming to family home evening tonight at the stake president's house, so that is exciting! He even wanted to bring an appetizer! haha he's such a great guy! Please pray for him, and his family especially.

People here are just so wonderful. I love getting to know them and then watching the gospel change them. It is such a special thing.

Our district meeting this week so spiritual. It was all about knowing who you are to God. We read in Moses chapter one and discussed how God kept calling Moses, "my son". He calls him that 3 times. And when Satan comes and tries to get Moses to worship him. He calls Moses, "son of man". 

But Moses knows who he is and because he knows he is a son of God, he does not give into Satan. Because Moses knew his own self worth, because he looked at himself as a son of God, he was able to overcome Satan. We have more power over Satan. But yet we still give into his temptations at times. But when we know who we are, when we truly know that we are God's children, we can turn away from Satan. We can say, "I am daughter(or son) of God". When we really know who we are we do not give into Satan's temptations. ah i just loved it. This is one thing that I have really come to learn on my mission. I have come to know who I really am and what it really means to be a daughter of God. We are told to look at our investigators not as who they are now but who they can become. And I have now started to look at myself that way too. It's not about who I am now, but who the Lord knows I can become. It's about who I have always been, and am starting to find.

Missions are amazing. There is so much more to life than the amount of likes you get or the followers you have on social media. Life isn't really about ourselves at all. It's about those around you. It's about helping others. I know we are told this all the time but it's true, the moment we decide to start caring more about others than ourselves is the moment we become happy.

Sister Stigen has been wanting banana muffins for the past 2 weeks and yesterday she finally made some. hahahah. She saved up about about 15 bananas and put every single one of them in her concoction.... needless to say it was quite a show and they turned out terrible. hahaha we were laughing so hard. I attached a picture of her making them. She had such a high hopes! I love her so much.

Okay, I love you all so much!!!

Have such a great week and don't forget to pray!

xoxo

Sister Taylor

Sister Stigen making banana muffins

In-N-Out