Transfer 4 Week 1 - 11-21-11

Hello everyone!

Well, there is no better way to start off a transfer than with a baptism and that's what we did! D. was baptized on Saturday, November 19, 2011. The baptism went really well, he was really happy.

Last Monday night, we had a member present lesson with Bro. B. (he's the ward mission leader) and he helped D. realize that he did have a testimony and that he truly does want to be baptized. That lesson was exactly what D. needed, someone other than us to speak to him. I feel like we were stuck and didn't know what to do but Bro. B. stepped in and then we all made it official that D. be baptized the coming Saturday (he's been taught all the lessons like 3 times each). One of the fellowshippers and friends that D. made in the church baptized him, his name is B. B. was so excited when we told him that D. wanted him to baptize him. We never got to announce the baptism the Sunday before because it was stake conference, so we made some calls and ended up getting around 15 people who knew D. to come to his baptism, which is a pretty good turn out for a baptism out here. It really lifted his spirits to see all those people there for him. He doesn't have any family out here and so it was really cool to see Bro. B. conduct the baptism and say at the end that we are his family now. D. seemed very at peace and happy, it was amazing. On Sunday, D. was confirmed and it was a beautiful blessing.  D. is the 19th convert baptism this ward has had in the last year. This area is greatly blessed and ready to harvest for missionary work.

We got our usual 15 lessons this week, so pretty good week. Saturday was also good because there was a Relief Society craft day and we were able to get a less active to the activity. I think she had fun and enjoyed it, she made almost everything available there to make.

On Friday, we helped one of the ladies we teach (R.) paint her kitchen. We were there for awhile and it was sooo much fun! It reminded me of all the projects that seem to constantly be swamping the family back home, haha. When we were about finished painting for the day, we gave a lesson and at the end of the lesson her 8 yr old son, G. (who she calls G-man ha), said he wanted to be a part of the prayer. It was so adorable, he is so in-tune with the spirit, I love it!

Let's see.. what else... oh, on Wednesday at District mtg we got some news from the zone leaders. We are having a surprise zone conference this transfer, usually he does ZC every other transfer and we just had one. But here's partly why.. the president wants everyone to drive their car there because they are installing a "little black box," which tracks everything we do. This "little black box" tracks where we are, when the car starts and stops, how loud the music is (if it gets too loud), if we are speeding, if we run a stop sign or don't stop completely, if we put on our seat belts, heck it probably records our conversations too for all I know. So yeah... that'll be fun (barf). We get those installed this transfer on Dec 1st, yuck! Anyways, so that's my week.

This week, for Thanksgiving we have 2 meal appointments (1 with a member and the other one with our favorite investigator R.). I'm kinda excited for Thanksgiving, the appointment with R. She is inviting another friend who she wants us to teach so we may be able to make a friendship there that hopefully will lead to a new investigator . For the holidays, my companion and I are going to be working harder than ever to teach and find and find and teach so that we won't be able to have down time. Neither of us want to get homesick so we are just going to work even harder and be even more busy.Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving and give the NY Giffords big hugs for me when you see them. I wonder if I could get their addresses? HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

-Love Sister Gifford