What a Wonderful week!!!

Hello all,

So guess who's training again. I still couldn't believe it when I got the call from President on Saturday. I though for sure that I was going down to the valley right in the middle of the summer, not what I wanted. But to my surprise he informed me that I would be training another brand new sister from the MTC. It's a little nerve wracking and I can see all of the ways that I can improve and I hope to be able to apply all of those things in order to best help this new sister. I can still remember my first day and how terrifying it was. My goal is to help her have the best experience and to help her see all of the amazing things that are going on in the area.

We have been teaching 27 year-old named Mateo and he is going to be baptized at the end of August. It was seriously the coolest experience to see him change. We've only met with him a few times and he's really been struggling with faith. Sister Brown and I had prepared a lesson solely on faith and how we can build it and really test our own faith through our actions and decisions. We were talking about faith and what it does for us and we asked him about his own faith and how he has felt his faith grow. As he started to answer I felt the spirit just guide us to ask if he was prepared to be baptized and to commit to an actual date. It turns out that he had already asked someone to baptize him and that they were going to come out at the end of august. I was so excited. I knew that the lord had been preparing him and that he now has a testimony of God's love for him and that Heavenly Father really does listen to and answer our prayers. It's so cool to be able to see people change and the different things that they can do to make those changes. It's really humbling to see how we really are just tools in the Lords hands and as we study and are obedient and act upon promptings that it's really between the investigator, Christ and Heavenly Father. We really don't do anything and we just have the privilege of seeing people change for the better.

We also had a great experience with Tom. He is 74 years old and has been an atheist for most of his life. He has been coming into the visitor’s center since before I even got here and just in the last four months has really grown and we have been able to see a great change in him. He is softer and more open to the gospel; you can see the joy in his life when he learns about the gospel. Jesus Christ really does change people’s lives if they allow him in. That through sincere change we can find such joy. It's true that the only real convert on your mission is you. My testimony continues to be strengthened by those around me. I know that the spirit really is what allows these people to feel of Heavenly Father’s love.