January 14, 2019

Heavenly Father knows us 😊

HOLAAAAAA

     I feel so so blessed. This last week Elder Stanfill from the Seventy came and did our mission tour and our stake conference. We got to hear from him Saturday and Sunday for Stake conference, that wasn't as enjoyable because we had to translate and wow, it was a tough meeting to translate. One of the speakers was so southern that finally into the translator I said "hermanas, I am so sorry. It's just that, I can't understand him either." Spanish is easy, it's the thick southern accents that you start begging for the gift of tongues and interpretation. 

     Elder Stanfill is awesome!! We were with him Tuesday and Thursday for Zone Conference and Mission Leadership Conference. For our zone conference he had us all come early so that he could take a minute or so to talk to each of us and get to know us. Later on in the meeting, he would call missionaries by name and he truly knew and cared about each of us. It made me think a lot about our Heavenly Father and how well he knows and loves us. Elder Stanfill answered so many of questions that I had and it felt like he was just reading my mind with all that he shared. 

     This week we had HERMANA EXCHANGES! That's the first time I have ever been on exchanges with other Hermanas and it was so fun. I got to go back to Columbia (my last area) for the day and be with Hermana Rusinsky who'd just finishing up training. I got to surprise a couple of the people they're still working with. Carlos was so excited and we had an awesome lesson with him. He really wants to be baptized but he just doesn't have a way to get to church so it's pretty stressful. I have never seen anyone more excited to see me than Cesar. He saw it was me and literally ran to me shouting and crying and there was no way to block the giant hug. It was so sweet and I really miss all the people on that side of the river. They both are close to baptism but just can't settle on a date. In our area, we have so many people right on the edge and we are really praying for them and working for them to progress to baptism. 

     Wahoo go Clemson. I live 2 miles away from USC (University of South Carolina) and so honestly, I didn't really know about Clemson winning the college football championship. We are too deep in Gamecock territory. Clemson is in the west of the state.

     We did weekly planning at a cute little Mexican restaurant that one of the members works at. While we were planning there was a sweet lady that kept passing by us, looking at us, and almost dancing because she wanted to talk to us. We said hello and she just plopped down at our table and talked about how much she loves Jesus and how she wants us to stop by to teach her family. Her name is Sandra and her husband was really cool too. They do love Jesus just like we do. 😊 They sang a couple of worship songs to us and we sang a hymn for them. We shared something, they always wanted to comment on it and expound. It was cool because they had a lot to say, but they also listened and hung onto every word. God puts us where we need to be exactly when we need to be there. 

I know Heavenly Father loves us and helps us to see his hand guiding us. 

CON AMOR

Hermana Crofts 

Hermana Exchanges

Sister Larsen

I came out with Elder Clark and Elder Hill. I'm dying and they get to stay 6 more months. We took a picture when we hit 6 months. We took another one a year later but this time you'll just have to add up our hands.

Priesthood on Sunday was huge! They got to ordain or progress 8 young men in the Priesthood. Oh, it was such a glorious day to be in the Branch.