August already???

Hey everyone,

  I hope that you all have tons and tons of fun up in Grace this week. Yay for the fair, but where on earth has the summer gone?  I can't believe its August already!!

  So yesterday, I felt like my heart was breaking.  I had to say goodbye to Sister Ward, and thus far, it was the hardest thing I have had to do.  I was crying almost all morning. I knew it was coming but I didn't realize how hard it would be.  My poor companion wasn't really sure whether to try and talk with me, or let me be in silence.  It was hard for me especially since I'm not super emotional, and we had to go to Ward Council during the middle, but luckily I hadn't broke down completely at that point....that came later.  Suffice it to say I was devastated, but she said she would write me, so I'm holding her to it.

  So the theme of Sister Palmberg and I's companionship is potential to zilch.  No one is ever interested in progressing beyond potential.  However we have been really focusing on finding in our companionship study and we did a joint finding fast, and we are already seeing the benefits from it.  So I can't wait to tell you are miracles of the week.  But first off, I've got other news.

  On our weekly conference call last Monday we did a BoM read together.  Holy cow I have never got so much out of the first 3 verses in 1st Nephi.  It was so powerful, and the spirit was so strong, and more good news, its supposed to be a weekly occurrence.  Yay for that! So since our mission is so young, and it will only continue to get younger President Porter has instititued a new thing where the Junior and Senior comps switch off every other week, so everyone will be ready to pick up and be a Senior companion.  We have 35-40 new missionaries coming next transfer, crazy huh?  So this week, I guess I am supposed to take charge of few other things.  Slightly scary. 

  Random sidenote, we have not almost died in the car lately.  Idk if I'm getting more used to these crazies on the road or not, but we are doing good so far.  Also I really really really love driving, it's great to have the privilege.  And the car, it is fabulous, and I'm only the second driver, we hit 4000 miles this last week. Kinda cool.

  We met this awesome guy named Dave on Tuesday, he was stationed in Idaho when he was in the Navy, and has read the BoM so Sis. P asked him why he isn't a member and he said I don't know, what do I have to do to become one?  I really hope we can teach him, because he isn't going to church right now, and he has been thinking he should, so what better church to go to eh?  Also Elder and Sister Johnson took the 4 of us Sisters out to lunch on Tuesday, and it was so great. They serve up in Georgetown and they are wonderful!! They told all of us that when we get home from our missions we need to come and visit them. They actually live right next door to the Idaho Falls Temple. Soo cool huh?  I love them!! Senior couples are the best.  It definitely makes me think of Aunt Maxine and Uncle Jim and I can most definitely picture them doing the exact same thing.

  Miracle time!!

  Wednesday we went out on a visit with the Bishop's wife, and then we didn't end up having enough time to do what we had planned after, so we were heading home from the church house and we decided to choose a random road.  We choose the next right that we came to, and then as we were driving down the street Sister Palmberg said how about this house, but at that point it was too late to turn into the driveway, so I said we will do the next house.  We saw someone in the house as we pulled in, so as we prayed we asked that they would open the door.  Our prayer was most definitely answered.  Nick came and opened the door and we were able to talk with him for quite a while, and gave him a mini Restoration lesson.  We were able to set up a return appointment for the next day.  Nick is quite rooted in his faith, but he is willing to meet with us again, which I am so grateful for, because I can see so much potential in him, like I can literally picture him as an Elder one day, helping someone come to the gospel as well.  With as strong as he is in his faith now, I know that if we can get him to accept the Book of Mormon as the word of God, that he would absolutely flourish.  He is a Baptist and there are a few challenges with him, but he is soo nice and we told the Elders we would pass him off to them, because we both felt like he might respond better for them, but they told us we can team teach him.  They know that we have been really looking for someone, and we have passed off a few potentials to them already, so I don't think they wanted to take the best thing that has happened to us since we got to Cherry Grove.  Bless them and their kind hearts huh? :)

  We had dinner with the most awesome family this week.  I really love them, because they made us feel so comfortable and it was so nice.  I have enjoyed every family though, but you know how you just click even more with some people, it was that sort of experience for us.  So that was fun.

  We had a district meeting on Wed. as well, and it was super awesome.  The assistants were there with us too.  But we did Role Plays....gotta love them. and the DL and I were together, he is really awesome.  The training was just what I needed as well. Isn't it great how Heavenly Father works?  We did it on BDAW....Before, during, after warning. Basically we help them rec. the spirit and warn them that distractions are coming up and such. It is super powerful when we do it right.  I was really glad that I was able to see how Elder Barnett teaches, because he does it really well,  I was learning better ways to intensify, as I was listening to him teach me.

 Anyways back to miracle time.

  I'm going to skip to last night.  We went to try an unknown on the ward directory, and there was no answer, and since we had just finished a finding fast how much better a way to close our evening than by doing a bit of tracting?  We tried a few houses and got a lot of silence...aka no answer. One lady had her kids in the bath tub so she said we could come back during the day sometime.  We had 25ish minutes left, and we went to this one house and this guy came to the door and asked if he could help us.  We gave him our we are new to the area spill and then I asked him if he had a few minutes that we could share a message with him.  He told us yes and then he went to get his wife.  I was flabergasted!!! Say what? Someone actually wanted to listen to us, and then went and got his wife w/out us asking if anyone else would like to join?  It was a miracle!! Heavenly Father really blessed us, by leading us to Donny and Amanda.  We taught them an abbreviated version of the Restoration and were able to address some of their/mostly his concerns w/ a previous church, and it was fabulous.  We were almost able to get a return appointment, but they both work 60-70 hour weeks so we have to coordinate with them this week about when they can actually do it. But I'll let you know what happens.

  I am so grateful for miracles, and I love that Heavenly Father never gives us more than we can handle, but He gives us enough that we are able to realize how much we truly need Him.

  This week you should try and ready some in Mormon, because it is really fabulous! I love you all lots!

 Love Sister Julie Ann