#stilltracting

Week 5: #stilltracting

I'm sorry I'm the worst at writing emails!  I just have zero time and
this week has been crazy. Tuesday we went on exchanges and I GOT TO
DRIVE!! Since we only have 4 sisters in our zone and one STL (Sister Training Leader), the greenies were companions for a day. Sister Smith came out the transfer before me but doesn't like driving, so I got to. So I got to experience driving with TiWi (a driving monitoring system). But yeah exchanges were awesome.

Thursday we had the Greenie meeting in Gridley, which is two hours
south.  So I got to see everyone from my MTC group which made me super happy!! So that meeting lasted 3 hours so we got back just in time for dinner then had an awesome lesson with Kurt, a less active in the YSA (Young Single Adult) ward. 

I'm sooooo excited for Christmas! Also the week leading up to Christmas is pretty much P-week. FRIDAY IS CHRISTMAS AND I GET TO SKYPE MY FAMILY AND I AM SO BEYOND EXCITED!!!!
Gunna be honest, Saturday's usually really stink, they are honestly
the hardest days of the week, but today was AMAZING! First of all
G. got baptized!! She wasn't our investigator, she's in the first
ward, but we've met with her and the other missionaries a couple times
and she's amazing. At her baptismal service, Sister Watson and I  taught the Restoration while she was changing her clothes, I was nervous but the Spirit was there and so it was all good! G. has had a super hard life, and when she was baptized when she came up she just started sobbing because she was so happy, I had never seen someone do that before and it just reminded of how special this gospel is and just seeing how happy she is makes me want to share it more. Then later that day, we had plan to see less actives but they all weren't home or couldn't talk, so what did we do? Yup you guessed it. More tracting. And it was awesome!! Okay well actually we went back to this one potentials house who Sister Watson and Sister Smith tracted into when they
were in exchanges, and she was home and she read the plan of salvation pamphlet, she said she's nondemonational but just confused with all the different church's and wishes she could go up to heaven and just ask God which one!! IS SHE PREPARED OR IS SHE PREPARED!!! She was busy so we couldn't say much, so we left her with the restoration pamphlet and plan to go back after Christmas!! Then we went tracting on a street a member referred to us (we were at dinner and we asked if they had any friends that we should share a message with, and they named off some houses and then we're like well you could try the whole street) so we tried the couple houses she referred and as usual no one was interested. And as we're getting into the car, I kept getting the thought that we should try this one house, and I tried shaking it off because we were freezing and tired, so we open up the car doors and I say what about that house and so we go up the house and she answers and SHE SAID WE COULD COME BACK!! I was so happy and sooo grateful for the impression! We have really been praying for new investigators so she is now a potential! It's amazing how the Lord works. Sister Watson and I were just venting this morning about how hard were working and we’re exhausted and it's been hard to see the results, and nothing may come of it , but we just pray that it will, but for right now the Lord knew what we needed as well to help us see that we are doing His work and that if we have diligence and patience and faith in HIS timing, that we will see the outcome of our hard work. I've only been out 5 weeks but it's hard work. We are always exhausted. I have no trouble sleeping haha. It's physically, spiritually, emotionally, and socially exhausting, especially these past few days. But I know without a doubt that Redding California is exactly where I need to be right now. He is with me and I can see it.
Especially at this time I am so grateful for this gospel and the
knowledge of the plan of salvation and that families are forever. I am
grateful for all the trials I have had to make me stronger, I know
that the Lord has been preparing me for this one. While all my family
is together in Arizona, I'm up here in California. And although I am
by myself (not actually because I have a companion, but none of my
family is here) I have never felt alone. I have been given the
strength to press on, to not fear, to endure, to rely on the Lord, to
trust in Him, and I cannot describe how it feels to be given that.
President Marston asked me to call my family and say goodbye to my
grandma. I am grateful for him and his love and concern for my family.
I am grateful for that tender mercy of being able to speak to Grandma
for the last time in this life, it was difficult but knowing that this
goodbye is not forever makes it easier. My purpose is more clear, most
people do now have this knowledge and I can't imagine the heartache of not knowing that I will see her again. I am grateful for Sister Watson
and her love and concern for my family. I'm grateful to be a
missionary, to have truth and to share it.
I'm grateful for my(our) Savior. I know that without Him, we cannot
have true happiness. I cannot express how grateful I am for the
atonement, that He knows exactly how I feel, because He has felt it
all. Don't forget why we celebrate this season.   I love you so much!
Merry Christmas
Sister Gore