I'm all settled into my new area, and I realized that it is probably the area I will "die" in. It's a really weird feeling, but I'm glad I still have a lot of time left. I'm in the Temple View Zone with Sister Ulziiduuren. She is from Mongolia, and she is the sassiest person ever. We have a lot of fun. We cover two family wards, and so far I just love it. I'm trying to hit the ground running, and I'm loving every minute of it.
I also live with Sister Ogawa and Sister Sattler. Sister Sattler just came out to the mission field. She's from Utah and we know a few of the same people. Sister Ogawa is from Japan, and she actually served part of her mission there until her visa came. I asked if she knew an Elder Thomas O'Reilly, and GUESS WHAT? He was her zone leader while she was visa-waiting. I'm not sure if this email gets to any O'Reilly's, but if it does, Sister Ogawa said Thomas is very smart and a VERY good missionary.
Sister Patrick and I spent Monday and Tuesday running around trying to say goodbye to everyone. It was bitter-sweet to think about how much I'd grown and how many people I'd met and came to love while serving in Cortina, but the good news is that if I want to go visit, it's 5 miles down the road.
Now that I'm in Temple View, I've been focusing on three goals that I'd set for myself back in Queen Creek. I wanted to get to know and work with the youth, go out and work my hardest, and love the people. With the new smartphones, we've had a lot of training, and I found a quote in one of the trainings that I've thought about a lot: "Your responsibility is to let people know of the Christlike love you feel for them and to teach the gospel clearly and powerfully by the Spirit". I feel like I've been trying to do that, and it's put me in a place where God has allowed me to see even more miracles. I feel like I've spent most of my mission thinking, "If I'm bold then I will be more loving", but I am learning that when we are loving, then we naturally become bold.
One miracle we had was finding an Easter Egg. Sister Ulziiduuren and I were going to contact someone, and there was a man wearing scrubs holding a glass of water in his driveway staring at us. The Spirit was like, "probably go talk to him", and I said, "Okay". We talked to him and he pretty much told us he doesn't like any organized religions . . . except for the Jehovah's Witnesses. As we continue to talk to him, we find out that he had been baptized into the Church, had received the Melchizedek Priesthood, and then gone less active. As we talked to him, Sister Ulziiduuren bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon to him and invited him to read (which was not the direction I was going to go at all). He told her that he did need to start reading, and when she gave him a copy, he said it reminded him of all the feelings he had when he was first learning about the church. It was a touching moment.
We also met with Laura (mom), Alyra (11-year-old), and Anthonee (8-year-old). Sister Ulziiduuren had set an appointment with them, but this was the first lesson. They are so prepared. The two kids both want to go to church, and Laura said that if the kids wanted to be baptized, that was okay! We taught them the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they were completely receptive. It was such an amazing lesson.
I'm so excited to be in this area. It's going to be so much fun. I'm excited to take what I've learned from my mission and try my very best to apply it. Teaching about Jesus Christ is the best thing ever. I love you, Family!
Sister Emily
1001 N Burk Street
Gilbert, AZ
85234
The Tates :)
The goat kept licking me
This is Sister Ulziiduuren
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