Sister Fish-y and Conference :)

So some great things and some interesting things happened this week!  First of all, the interesting...aka funny...and a little fishy :)

Sunday night we ate at a members home and they fed us fish, shrimp, salad, and mozzarella sticks.  It tasted good, but you need to see the picture of my plate of food...I had to get past the look, but it tasted fine and we were grateful for their service.  They are some of my favorite people out here.  I love them!  They make us laugh, love us, stick to the gospel, and the husband is always telling people about the church and inviting friends and neighbors to come.

Good news for the week!  We got a washer and dryer, and a new table and chairs set!  We now have enough tables for each of us to sit at the table!  And the table is VERY nice compared to what we had.  We went from an outdoor small circle wooden table, to a nice rectangle dark burgundy wood table and chairs with white padding.  We felt like princesses!  We were SOO excited!  It was an early Christmas gift!

Conference also felt like Christmas!  The night before I was so excited!  I LOVE conference, and it went by all too fast.  So we were hoping to get a lot more investigators there then we did, but some ended up with sick kids, others with family issues.  However, [one of our investigators] watched some of it on her phone on Saturday and got the channel for a day so that she could watch it on Sunday.  Good news with [her]!  We visited her Sunday morning and she told us that she had been feeling that her birthday would be special this year (that's the date we have set as her goal for baptism).  Then she told us that she read the talk we'd given her to read in the August Ensign on Moving Forward with Faith and felt like that's what she wants to do.  She decided that that's what she would do with her baptism - move forward with faith - and if it wasn't right that God would give her a feeling of no.  I was so happy that I wanted to cry.  My heart melted and I was so grateful!  That had been the desire of my heart when I invited her to read that talk last week.  [This investigator] reminds me so much of me and my decision making process.  I want so much to feel a strong and overwhelming feeling of yes!  And yet, sometimes (and for me it's most of the time) the Lord wants us to judge for ourselves if it "inviteth and enticeth to do good," and then take a step of faith into the dark.  THEN He will direct our steps and we will receive a witness that what we have done is right, or a stupor of thought that we should go another way.  I know this is true.

So [she] will be getting baptized this Friday - her birthday!  We are more than excited for her!  She is a wonderful woman and her family is amazing and full of love!  We got to really meet and talk with her husband this last week and being with them and their 3 girls as we knelt in prayer together was one of the sweetest and most "home" moments I have felt on my mission so far.  It was crazy - [this investigator] was praying, her two older girls were wondering around playing with my water bottle and trying to give it to people (including [her]) to drink from, and Sister Walker and I were trying not to laugh - but it was a moment where the spirit was strong.  It was a sweet moment, as in soft and simple and happy. :)

Then [our neighbor investigator] came to the last session of Conference on Saturday!  He is such a strong man.  He has really been faced with some family challenge this last week, but has decided that no matter what, if he feels that this is what he needs to do, he is going to do it.  He said that at the end of the day, his Father in heaven is who matters most to him.  Also, he started the Stop Smoking Program on his own!  That's like unheard of!  We were going to start it with him this week and when he came to conference he told us he hasn't smoked  since last Friday night!  Wahoo! . . . Ah we all love this man and all of our investigators.  [This investigator] really inspires me to be more devoted and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ - to living it to the fullest.

A few thoughts from Conference:

• Look Up and Listen Up
• God Speaks
• The most important part of your service is your personal spiritual preparation.  Prepare yourself, prepare your lesson (plan), then be willing to let go and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
• Invite: If every member of the church were to reach out to ONE person between now and Christmas, MILLIONS would be touched.

I hope and pray that all of you were able to enjoy the blessing of General Conference - of listening to God Speak.  I know He does.  I would also add my invite to the one given above.  Please reach out to at least one person!  One of my favorite songs that has inspired me since high school says :

"I've never been the kind to testify.  I don't have the words His truth deserves.  But it's a simple thing He asks: a worthy heart and willing hands.  He says if I'll make the choice, He'll help me find my voice.  He calls me to serve and I cannot fail Him - the one who has given me all that I have.  I place my trust in him alone.  He knows the yearnings of my soul.  Because He believes in me I will go willingly.  How can I keep this gift to myself when I could lift somebody else?  I am a witness of His miracles and His mercies.  I put my future in His hands, knowing He's made me all I am!  I place my trust in Him and truth begins to speak.  His power is real.  It moves me until I will not be still."

I know that the Lord will direct you as you strive to reach out to someone around you.  He will let you know how, but you must take that step of faith. :)  I love you all so much!  Keep the faith and remember who you are!  May THE force be with you as you Listen Up!