Love General Conference Week

Dear Family & Friends:

Can I just say how much I love General Conference?  I love it so much, and especially more as a missionary!  How great of an opportunity we have to not only know that there are living Prophets on the Earth today that lead and guide Christ's church, but that we have such convenient access to their words and counsel!

This week was another wonderful, exciting, crazy week on a mission!

Corn Field Picture

- Monday night after our dinner appointment we went to the street we had planned on tracting.  Now the 8:00 pm hour is one of my least favorite hours of the day as a missionary, because it is getting late, people are getting ready for bed and it is dark outside.  It didn't help either that the street we had picked the night before, had gigantic houses on it.  But Sister Chirinos and I parked the car, and decided that we would still venture the street since we had told Heavenly Father that that is where we would be at that time!  We went and knocked on the first house and ,Chad, answered the door, and allowed us to step inside!  We then had a good 20 minute conversation with him and taught him the Restoration.  It was neat because near the end he said "I didn't know that.  See you can learn things everyday!"

- Tuesday was crazy!  So during studies Sister Jensen called and said that she would be in town for the evening and was wondering if she could come out with us.  We said that we would try to set up a firm appointment so that she could come!  So we scrambled trying to find someone to meet with us that night.  And it wasn't until like 5:30 that evening when Rene said that we could come over around 7.  I absolutley love Sister Jensen and learn so much from her.  The lesson with Rene was interesting, because in Sister Jensen's words she said it was as if Rene is almost trying to convert us, but how we need to help Rene to read the Book of Mormon and feel the Spirit that it contains!

-Wednesday we were able to help out in the mission office again, but good news is that the Shelley's are back to the mission now!  So the office shouldn't be as crazy now, but they may have us still come in each week to help them :)

Another cornfield picture.  (If you look close, Sister Chirinos is in
 the bottom of the picture. She may have or may have not fallen down
 right before the camera took the picture )

-Wednesday evening we had a lesson with Olivia and one of the young women who has really fellowshipped Olivia, came for the lesson before they headed to mutual!  We watched the Restoration DVD and taught about the Book of Mormon!  Rachael (the young woman) bore a powerful sweet testimony of what the Book of Mormon means to her!  She mentioned about how the Book of Mormon gives her what she needs.  Like if she needs peace then she reads the Book of Mormon.  If she needs to focus, she reads the Book of Mormon.  If she needs to fall asleep, she reads the Book of Mormon!

- After Olivia's lesson we stayed in Grimes and went to try contacting the Coffin's or some formers.  We decided last minute to walk, but the Coffin's weren't home, and when we went to try Pam's, no one answered, but as we were getting ready to leave, this woman was walking through the hallway and said "were you knocking on my door?"  Sure enough it was Pam and we were able to set up an appointment for this evening!  Then as we were heading back we were almost to the stop light, when this lady yells from her car "Do you need a ride?"  And then she says "wait stop right there, don't move."  We were so confused, because we didn't recognize her, but then she pulled over, and it ended up being a member from Sister Chirinos' first area!  So that was exciting!  Another exciting thing from that night was that the Coffin's texted and asked if we could come by Thursday or Friday!

-Thursday was crazy because we called our Sister Training leaders saying that Friday may not be the best day for exchanges, so we decided that we would start exchanges that afternoon!  I was able to be with Sister Whipple in Des Moines!  And it was so much fun!  I love her so much and it was fun to see some of the people in Des Moines.  We stopped by Gary's twice, but no one was home either time :(  But we still had a good day!  Sister Whipple said that going back to your old area is like being a grandparent.  You come, you play with the kids aka (visit some of the people you know), and then you leave, and the parents (or missionaries serving there) still have the headaches that come from an area.

Exchanges  L-R  Sisters Chirinos, Call, Whipple, Barker

-Anyways Sister Chirinos and Sister Barker were able to go to the Coffins and had an amazing lesson!  Tommy had read all the way to 1 Nephi 8 and Karlie asked for her own copy of the Book of Mormon.  She gladly accepted the baptismal invite!  The only hold up is her work schedule right now.  She doesn't have any vacation left for the year, and so we and they have been praying that God will prepare a way for them to attend church as a family!  She was so sincere and said that come January she can save all of her vacation time and use it for a Sunday a month!  Anyways, please pray that a way will be opened up for them to attend church, and for Karlie to be baptized!

-Friday was fun!  So this week the mission presidents were sent a copy of the movie "Meet the Mormons” that is coming to theaters on October 10th!  So we had a "mission meeting" Friday morning where we were able to watch the movie!  It is so well done and so inspiring!  Please if you are at all possible, go and watch it in the theatres this weekend!

-General Conference was amazing!  I loved Conference and it was the first and only time on my mission that I have watched it in a members home!  Saturday morning we were at the Rundall's home, where the Laurels came and we had a big breakfast before watching the session!  Saturday afternoon we went to the Wadsworth's to watch conference!  It was really neat because when we arrived at the Wadsworth's home on Saturday Brother Wadsworth wasn't feeling well so he was upstairs, but halfway through the session he came down and he stops when he came to the living room and said "Whoah, Thank you sisters for watching it in our home. You can feel your spirit in our home."  It was neat, because it was a win, win situation because we were privileged to feel the spirit in their home, and apparently they were able to noticeably feel a spirit that we had about us!  Sunday morning we were at the Wadsworth's again; and David, Ming, and Oliver came and watched conference at the Wadsworth's!  Which is so neat, because we have not been able to teach them at all, because their schedules are crazy, but they keep coming to church, and they don't have much a religious background!  It is neat because even though they may not fully understand what is going on, or why they keep coming, they must be feeling some sort of pull (the Spirit) that allows them to keep wanting to come to church!

My first time using a type writer!

I loved each of the messages from General Conference and each of us can re evaluate our priorities and heed the counsel of our leaders to make sure that we have a strong foundation!  Much of what was said at conference reminded me of something that one of my MTC teachers said which was "keep your conversion current, by having powerful spiritual experiences daily."

I love you all!

Love, Sister Call