Sara's latest e-mail...

Keluarga Saya!

What a week! I forgot my journal, and I was going to just write what I wrote in there on here, but I guess I'll hafta tell you as much as I can remember...

So last Saturday in the TRC was a complete mess. Sis. O. and I prepared for it, and were completely nervous, but then that morning we prayed before we went in to give the lesson to Bro Leo, and THAT lesson went beyond good! We couldn't hardly believe how well it went, how we were able to say things that we wanted to, and how strong the Spirit was. I almost cried, it was that awesome. So that afternoon we were feeling really good about the TRC, and just went to it with hardly a second thought. and we BOMBED it! We both forgot tons of our vacab, couldn't focus well, and didn't understand a word the guys was saying (it was the Nielson guy that had the party at his house, mom). Really... It was awful. Afterwards we were trying to figure out what happend, and we decided that we had grown proud in ourselves, and that Heavenly Father was proving to us that we needed Him to make especially those lessons go well. So we have been humbled, and are working on Lesson 2 now..and we will definitely be praying before, and making sure that our hearts and minds are in the right place.

A quick funny thing...Saturday morning, we were doing our service in one of the buildings, and we were assigned to clean the stairwells (mop and dry). So Sis O mopped while I dried, and we sang the entire hour we wer doing it. It was so much fun ! She was a great alto voice, and she likes tha tI can still sing the soprano parts when she goes alto (apparently everyone else she sings with just follows whatev er note she's singing). I told her she reminded me of when I'd sit by Jen Hulse at church, and how much I loved the harmony we'd have when she'd sing the alto part. Anyways, it was fun, and we got a ot fo compliments. Don't be surprised if the Church calls ya in a few weeks asing for the information on when I'm coming home so they can sign us to sing for an EFY CD or something. Who knows...maybe the MoTab will come calling soon after that. Yeah. We're that good. ;)

Sunday, Sis O. got made the coordinating sister for our branch (which is hard work, considering its EVERY girl in our ROOM!). There aren't any new sisters coming into our branch for a few weeks, so hopefully we don't hafta go do much (yes, I am selfish I know..), but when there ar eother sisters, I hafta go with her cuz she can't be alone. She's gonna be great for this calling, and I'm excited for her!

The Mongols all left this week, which means our 2 districts are now the oldest in the branch. WEIRD! WE have another 6 weeks to go, and I guess we'll be seeing a lot of other missionaries come an dgo. Its gonna be crazy, but I'm excited to see how it goes.

Carter left Tuesday, and no worries, I got a few great pictures. He's gonna be such a great missionary! He's really nervous, and tol dme that he wished he was stayin gin the MTC...I laugh at him and said I'd switch him places in an instant. I like the MTC, but 6 more weeks of it is a lot. Plus he gets to go out and actually start teaching! I'm jealous, and can't wait to get started in Indonesia! Yes, I did hugh him, and yes, we DID get a dirty look from the girl that was their "travel leader" or whatever. Even after she found out we were siblings, she had this look on her face like we were the spawn of Satan. Oh well. I was ok with it. Plus it's a cut epicture ;)

SOOOO Tuesday was a great day. Not really for antyhing to do with what we were learning or anything but beacue so what happened in the RC. Mom, please send this e-mail to Connie, cuz I want her to read this, cuz I know she'll be proud! I've been in the RC twice before, and I've only REALLY talked to one lady that last time who was nice, and kinda excited about the DVD we were sending her. But htis week I talke dto 4 people, and the last guy literally changed my entire attituted about thing shere at the MTC>

The first lady was from Jamaica, and she was slowly getting through tthe BofM, and was meeting with the missionaries as well. She was upser cute, and we had 10 minute convesation about how God loves all of us equally and that al this crap about money making some people better than others was ridiculous. She was fun to talk to, and I got to bear my testimony to her.

Another girl was 21 and from Scotesdale actually (she didn't go to Saguaro tho...yes, I did ask:), and she had just had a baby, and been baptized but never active, and was just starting to become more interested in the church because of her friends from high school we had a nice conversation.

Another girl was 20 from somewhere I can't remember, but we talked for afew minutes, and she said she'd find the time to watch the DVD that she'd ordered on happiness...I don't remember the name, but that's what it had to do with.

However, the most incredible experience was one last call I was making before we went back to our class to Jerry from Butler, PA. Jerry had ordered a BofM, but hadn't received it yet, so I aske dif he wanted missionaries to bring it by. He said no, becauese he wanted to giure things out about the church by himself. I told him I understand this reasongin, and proceeded to make sure that we had the right infor to get him the BofM. Jerry then asked, since he had me on the phone, if I'd answer a question for him. I got really nervous, but of course said yes. He proceeded to aske me why it was that there were so many churches, because if there is only one God, he wouldn't have all these other churches. Jerry was afraid that if he followed the wrong pastor, he'd be following that pastor straight down to hell, and he wanted to know how he could make sure that he followed the right pastor that would get him to heaven. I , of course, then shared with the Joseph Smith store, and how Jseph Smith had had the same question nearly 200 years ago, and that if he prayed, God would answer his prayer as well. After I was done, Jerry thanked me for that, and then said he had anotehr question. He said he had always had a hard time reading and comprehending things liek most toerh perople, and he was worried that God wouldn't love himn as much or answer his questions as quickly as he would someone else who could read and comprehend things faster. He seriously tol dme to tons fo things that he was afraid of when it came to God's love, but when he was done, I bore my testinony to him that God loved him just as much as the next guy, and we had a great conversation about things. After we were done, Jerry then asked me how old I was, and after I told him, he told me how amzing it was that a 21-year-old could answer 2 questions that he'd had his whole life, after he had asked several people much older and more experienced than myself those same question and NEVER been satisfied with the answers. He called me an angel! that was so awesome, and he told me that he had changed his mind, and that if the missionaries that deliver the BofM were going to make him feel the same way I had, as well as answer his questions the way I had, then he wanted them to come over! I told him about conference, too, and we found the closest church house to him, and he said he was going to go watch that so he could get answers there as well! SERIOUSLY..the coolest missionary experience I'd ever had because it was SO real! And the craziest part..it was all over the phone! I was 20 minutes late for class, but whatev..it was worth it!

Let's see...the rest of the week has just been working on getting Lesson 2 ready for this Aturday. We worked ALL DAY yesterday translating and learning new words, and we were all so dead by the end. But its going well, adn I'm slowly starting to get the hang of things. Yay for learning languages and seeing just how much support we need from God to dos o! I know God is Heavenly Father, and that He loves me and wants the best for me, as well as His other children in teh world..shich is why HE is helping me so much as I'm preparing to go out and serve. I know Jesus died for me, and that He wants all His brothers and sisters with Him in the Celestial Kingdom, which is why he atoned for all of our sins. I know this Gospel is the same Gospel that Jesus taught in days of old, and that He will be here again in all His glory soon...almost too soon! I love and miss you all terribly (Jeanette sent me a family picturs and I almost cried lookoing at all the faces of the people that I love so much)!

~Sara (or should it be Sister Hewlett?)