Wooo!

Dear Family,

 

Wow this week was CRAZY.

 

First of all, my companion and I (and apparently our bishops' wife too) couldn't even sleep Saturday night we were so anxious and excited and nervous for our new ward! Our stake president said he felt like he was a kid again, sending out  birthday party invitations and hoping people will come. AND THEY DID!

 

We had over 180 Mid-singles show up for sacrament, then more who came for the food and fireside after. A lot came from outside the four stake boundries, for instance a lot from Sacramento had car pooled over and a few from San Francisco, and down to San Jose area. This apprently got out all over northern California, and there are so many who need this kind of ward. We had some people openly admit to not being active the past year or so once they got kicked out of YSA wards. We had some recent converts there as well as some nonmembers! It was mad house after sacrament got out trying to get a gospel principles class started. I met so many new people! Basically all the stake leadership was there as well. This is very historic, as there are few Mid-Singles Wards anywhere in the world in the Church.

 

Anyways, as we did what we could this week of street contacting, door knocking, and tracking down potential members for our ward, even though our own efforts only yielded referrals for other missionaries, the Lord truly blessed us. We got a call from one of my ward missionaries in Walnut Creek ward who had a referral for us! It was a mid-single lady that cut her hair, and she invited to come to church with her and she came and liked it. So she agreed to learn from missionaries and thinks she might like our ward. Wow, complete miracle. We will see what happens with her!

 

Sister Mitchell and I have also been taken out to eat all week from our old Singles Ward. We have been to some crazy places, including a Thai restaurant where I had some pineapple curry in an actual pineapple! I thought of Todd and Dad in particular would like that. Also, we had fried bananas with coconut icecream! It was delicious. And I only write about food if I think it was worth writing about!

 

"For behold, it is easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land." Alma 37:44. Just like the compass (called Liahona) would only work according to their faith to show them the way, reading the scriptures will only point us the right way according to our faith in them. No matter what stage we are at in our faith or age, hold true to that which you know and let that grow!

 

I REALLY LOVE YOU ALL.

 

Love,

Sister Martin

 

P.S. I know Elders burn a shirt or something at one year mark, sisters take 9 month pictures! I could of had a baby in that time frame hahahaha. So I attached a pic of my halfway mark. Also I included a picture of Sister Mitchell and I with president Meredith and his wife.