This is the LORDS work, NOT ours.

I learned a LOT this week. This week we worked as hard as we could. We didnt have ANY free time and I prayed more than i ever have in my entire life. I feel like I was CONSTANTLY praying. We felt at the beginning of the month that we could baptize 5 people last week. So we worked as hard as we could and focused on those that were qualified. But... the week ended and we didnt have any baptisms. Sunday evening I just sat in the car so confused. If Heavenly Father told us we could baptize 5 people, why didnt we? Because it wasnt the Lords will. I learned that lesson that I have had to learn every month. It doesnt matter what we want to happen. Because it wont happen if it isnt the Lords will. It would have been great to baptize 5 people, but the Lord didnt want that. We did everything that we could do and its all up to the Lord. We saw lots of miracles though! we know who to focus on this transfer and we created a stronger relationship with the people that we thought were going to be baptized. Now we have an even stronger desire to work hard and do exactly what the Lord wants us to do this transfer.

So Sunday night, we got home and I said the first prayer for our daily planning. In the middle of the prayer, I just broke down. I started BAWLING. It had never hit me so hard that my mission is coming to a close. I never ever thought that this would come. This had been my life for the past 17 months and I love being a missionary more than anything. It scares me to have to be a normal person. But me and Hermana Taylor talked about it and we are just going to work harder than we ever had this transfer and make it the best 6 weeks we have had. SO STOKED. I love this work so much :)

So this week we worked a TON with Erica and Xavier. The hardest thing is when people know that this church is true, but they just choose not to accept it because its too hard. With these 2 wonderful people, they just cant see beyond how hard the commandments are to keep. Erica has struggles with the Word of Wisdom and Xavier has to get married. It is so sad because people these days want easy religion. They want a church where they dont have to do anything. Xavier said, "maybe i just need time to look for another religion. I didnt know i was going to have to do so much." . When I heard that my heart just broke in a million pieces. If only they knew. And we could tell them so many things but they are really never going to know if they dont have those desires to change. Its sad. So please pray for these people! We arent giving up and we know they will be prepared! and we are going to keep working hard with them!

One day this week, we decided to go on bikes. Its SO hot here, just so you know. So we live on one side of the freeway and the people we had appointments with were on the other side. In texas they are doing construction like ALL the time (just like Utah) and so it was either go on the road with tons of construction or bike along the freeway for like 5 minutes. We decided the freeway would be safer. Until we got on it and people were FLYING by!! haha I wont ever do that again. Promise. but it was an adventure. We get to our first appointment just drenched with sweat. it was disgusting. Then we get to our dinner appointment with Bishop and his family and my entire back was wet. I was like man... we are so gross. Then later that night we had to bike back from seeing all our recent converts and Dora gave us burritos!! the most delicious burritos EVER. It didnt even make it home. I ate it while riding my bike home. ha what an adventure. 

The work really is moving along great here! We have been finding lots of new investigators that are really prepared! We got to see Yuri again this week and she is AWESOME. We watched the Restoration video and she loved it. Everyone lately has been so open to Joseph Smith and they immediately believe that he was a prophet of God. This has never happened so much on my mission. The Lord is preparing these people! Then we saw a former investigator who is the daughter of a less active. She has a date for the 20th of september! She came to church on Sunday and really wants to be baptized. But she needs her moms permission and we are praying her mom will let her and her brother be baptized! Then last night we FINALLY got in to teach the mom of a recent convert in the english ward! She has a lot of family members that are members of our church. And she only as a 2nd grade education so we are going to have to teach her slowly but she is so excited for us to teach her more and she committed to be baptized when she learns more and knows its true for herself! Shes the sweetest lady ever. :) 

Well, that is how our week went! Hope yall have a great week!! Love you all!

Con amor,

Hermana Dorian!