Transfer Week

Dear Family and Friends,

Another week has gone by relatively quickly. It is also transfers week... I've been out in the field for 6 weeks now!?! Wow that went by fast! It doesn't feel like 6 weeks, maybe 3. The days are long, but the weeks seem to fly by. (Weird!)

For New Year’s Eve we had lock down at 6 pm. During that time we had a zone conference call to discuss our goals and how we can be better. We talked a lot on obedience and how we can always improve. I have made Exact Obedience, and improving my Personal study time my New Year’s resolutions! :) I'm pretty excited about them! 

It has been raining here a lot this past week. So we have has the opportunity to tract in the rain! (I really do love tracking!) Every door was a no or a bad timing, but it still was awesome! We were pretty wet and cold after tracking in this one neighborhood for an hour and a half. We also had a lesson with Roshanda. She is not really progressing and doesn't keep any of the commitments we have given her. We are very sad and frustrated with this. Our lesson with her was going really well! It was on the plan of salvation. We had decided to simplify our lessons and go over them again with her. Well in the middle of our lesson she notices someone pulling up to her trailer and says "excuse me for a minute while I figure out who this is." The she opens the front door and yell at this women sitting out in the car. (Just imagine this enormous black women yelling at you, demanding what you want... She kind of scares me. lol) :) The she leaves the trailer and heads for the car, leaving us alone inside. The next thing we know she is sitting in that random car and leaving us... yep that was weird. We were really confused and not sure what to do, but we decided to leave her the pamphlet with the time we planned on coming back. Ya that was an interesting experience but when we went back she asked us to reschedule but she will try and read the pamphlet herself... We will see what happens when we go back tomorrow! (She won't tell us, but we don't think she knows how to read... it’s hard to help her if she won’t let us address the problem.) 

On Friday we did service!!! All 6 of us missionaries went and helped Sister Cline deep clean and paint this disgusting old house so she can rent it out again. The last person who lived there trashed it! It was SO gross! Food was on the ceiling and walls, along with other unknown stains. So we had a good time cleaning everything and then painting over the walls and trim. It was a lot of fun doing service. We were there for almost 4 hours!  but we love Sister Cline and plus it was a good time being together as a district before two of the Elders get transferred tomorrow. :) We try and do some type of service each week! :)

I really love the ward I am serving in! Fast and testimony was so wonderful and pretty much focused on missionary work. About haft of the congregation are converts and hearing their testimonies of how grateful they are for the two missionaries who walked down that dirt road to find them. They also encouraged the ward to come out with us a lot more and to be bold sand brave about inviting their friends to Church/activities, etc. The spirit was so strong! I love sacrament meeting! :) That evening we (all 6 of us missionaries) held a Preach My Gospel class for anyone who wanted to come. We invited all ages because the Prophet and Apostles have asked us to study PMG in our families to help every member be a missionary. We had 5 young men and a single sister in her 30 come. It was a great class! (but I have forgotten how rowdy teenage boys can be.) We discussed how to keep commitments and then to extent and follow up on commitments. We also did lots of role play! Cause as missionaries we always are role playing to help us become more comfortable with teaching! :) 

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your support and love! :) Remember to study Preach My Gospel this year and if you don't have one they are only 4 to 6 dollars! No excuses! :) You and your family will be blessed because of your dedication to studying PMG, I can promise you this! :)

~ Sister Tara Willie

In front of the House!

 All of us inside of the Bathroom doing service....ya it was pretty fun :)

All the rain flooded our driveway!