Hermana Crockett was my first trainee. It was seriously such a blessing to be her companion. I think I learned more from her than she ever learned from me. One of my favorite things about her is that she was a spirit FIREBALL! I have never met and worked with anyone who is closer to the spirit and more in-tune with its promptings and more willing to obey him than Melissa Crockett. She is amazing! She taught me the power of relying completely on the Spirit; she taught me about the blessings that come from following through with the impressions we feel; she showed me how influential the Spirit can be in our daily lives and especially in our personal decisions. In addition to Hna Crockett's amazingly close relationship with the Spirit, she has such a great capacity to love and care for people. I was a recipient of that love and care, at times when I desperately needed it, and will forever be grateful for friendship. She is one of those people that has changed my life for the better.
Hermana Beecher was my second to last companion. She is one of the sweetest, most genuinely kind people I know. I remember the very first day we were together: I had been transferred into her area and, after picking me up, we went to a park to eat lunch--a lunch that she had prepared and packed for the both of us, just because she thought I might be hungry. That's how sweet and thoughtful she is! From the very beginning, I knew that Hna Beecher had a huge heart. We only served together for six weeks but I learned some valuable lessons with her. She taught me what it means to be compassionate and to love others unconditionally. She allowed me to be her friend and accepted me for who I was, quirks and all! She was a great example to me of what it means to endure to the end, no matter what your trials and struggles may be. She helped me learn how to open up and express my feelings in ways that encouraged companionship unity. Her humility, kindness, and ability to love are traits that I have come to admire and hope to one day develop.
This past week, both of these girls came home and I was able to go to each of their homecomings. It was so great to see them again and to hear them speak of their missions. Missionary homecomings always bring back fond memories of my own mission and inspire me to be better.
Thanks to Ally's graduation from high school, we all had an excuse to fly home and be together again. It's the first time in seven years! Our family dynamic has changed quite a bit since the last time we were all together; Cam and Josue now have two children, Erwin got married, and we're all quite a bit older. It's fun to be a part of a growing family. :) Throughout the week I...
helped Gma Wright make 28 plumeria leis,
went to Ally's graduation ceremony,
made a slideshow for her grad party and also performed a Tahitian dance with my sisters,
"The work of naturally and normally sharing the gospel with those we care about and love will be the work and joy of our lives." -David F. Evans
For the past three weeks I've been participating in the missionary discussions for Oswaldo Hernandez. Teaching with the missionaries felt so good! I remember sitting in that very first lesson with great anticipation and excitement--it was my first visit with the missionaries since being home! The Spirit was sweet, peaceful and familiar. I loved every bit of it: the Elders were both native Spanish speakers, I was the "member", Oswaldo was so open and receptive, I was invited to share my
testimony, and it just felt like heaven!
Today he was baptized...
...and it was such a blessing to be a part of his experience.
Me, Oswaldo, Elder Lopez, Elder Ramires
“Our missionary experiences have to be current. It is not enough to sit back and ponder former experiences. To be fulfilled, you have to continue to naturally and normally share the gospel.”
-Thomas S. Monson
