EM: I Love Being a Missionary!

Dearest family,

How is life in Utah? Can you believe it's almost summer time? I was reading in my journal my entries from last year and I realized chels has been home for a year!! What?! crazy! Also that right now I would be taking finals! So weird!

This past week was AMAZING!

I had my first zone conference this past week and it was amazing! President Pingree is incredible! Sister Jones always says "he's one of the three nephites" and honestly he's so amazing he could be! He has such enthusiam when it comes to missionary work and he is so loving towards his missionaries! One of the things he talked to us about was staying motivated as missionaries and he said something that I really loved, "The way we feel is up to us" SO TRUE! It's up to us! I chose to be motivated, and to be a good missionary. No one and nothing can discourage me unless i LET it discourage me. I realized that Satan has no power over us unless WE GIVE IT TO HIM. We can keep that power from him by being righteous sons and daughters of God. So simple right?

Then we got to hear from Sister Pingree and she said something I really loved as well, "Hard work is the key to happiness!" I really love the both so much and I have learned so much from them!

Guess what they made us for lunch that day? Home-made Cafe Rio! It was so good, boy do I miss Cafe Rio!

It was neat because Pres. asked us to all prepare a 3 min. talk on what the Atonement means to us. Then he called on a few missionaries to speak. I didn't get to speak but it really made me think a lot about what the Atonment means to me and here's what I've realized, To me the Atonment is what is saving me, and our family. It's what gives me strength to overcome hard things. It's what motivates me to be better. It's what motivates me to love more fully, and love everyone. It's what helps me forgive others. It's what comforts me. It helps me understand my worth to Jesus Christ and God the Father, and my nothingness compared to them. It's what helps me see the worth of others. It's what gives me hope in my own life, in the lives of my family, and in the lives of those we're teaching. I am beginning to realize how all the joys and knowledge I have gained and put my trust in all these years is centered in, and built on the Atonement, or in other words Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be here on a mission. I am grateful for Jesus Christ. I am grateful for this gospel. All this is the greatest joy of my life.

Anyways now that I've gone all missionary on you...We'll talk about Marla!! I love Marla!

This week our lesson with her was so good! We've now taught her all the lessons and commandments so we really focused on how she is doing and if she is ready to take the step of baptism. She said she she is so close and would get baptized toorrow, the only thing holding her back is that she just hasn't gotten her answer yet, or she hasn't realized she has. She's so close!! I know it's going to happen! I've been praying SO hard that she will get her answer! She watched some of general conference and is really excited to finish watching the rest of it!

We made plans to take her to the temple grounds next week and were planning on bearing our testimonies to her and asking her if she would like to be baptized. We're hoping to set a date with her! I KNOW it can happen and I'm exercising all the faith i have! She is amazing and she's been acting in faith. I hope and pray she can get the answer she is looking for! I know she's ready! She's really excited to go.

It was great too because on Sunday she came to church! It was fast and testimony meeting so all before church I was just praying that the people who bore their testimonies would say things that she needed to hear, and let me tell you they did! It was a miracle! Every testimony that day touched on what Marla needed. I felt the spirit so strongly and I was pleading with Heavenly Father that he could take that feeling I had and give it to Marla! It was the first time she has stayed all 3 hours and the ward was so good to fellowship her. I can't wait to meet with her this week!

You know what else is cool!? Roberto bore his testimony yesterday and he finished by saying "I KNOW the gospel is true" amazing isn't it? We knew that he knew!

On Wednesday night me and Sister Jones got to go eat dinner with some Young Women in a ward in the Cypress area. They wanted to talk to some sister missionaries about serving missions! It was so much fun! They asked us all kinds of question and it was a neat experience to share my testimony to them, and to help them see how wonderful missions can be. I tried to empahsize that they needed to make that decision with God and that it takes just as much faith to do what God wants you to do and stay home, as it does to do what God wants you to do and go on a mission. Whether they choose to serve or not God will make them great. They were such sweet girls and I'm so gald we had the opportunity to be with them.

Thursday was the best day though! We saw miracle after miracle!

We've been praying so hard that we would find someone to teach. Right now our only investigator is Marla and we really want to find more people. We had been blessed with 3 referrals to visit so that's what we did Thursday. First we went to visit Frank. Unfortunately he turned us down pretty quick, but we left him with our number and a pass along card. I'm praying that card will stay intact and that some day he'll see it again and want to know more.

Then we went to visit a girl named Montrice, She is younger and reffered herself on Mormon.org. When we got to her apartment her mother cracked open the door open and said that Montrice would not be home until 6. Well it was 5pm and we didn't have enough miles on our car to go elsewhere until 6 so we got back in our car to try and figure out what to do. Sister Jones hates knocking doors and we were especially hesitant because it was a really sketchy area. But as we sat there in the car i felt this the spirit urge me that we needed to knock doors. I was nervous to do it so I stayed quiet, but I could literally feel the spirit pressing me to suggest we go knock doors so I did, and immediately the pressing feeling went away. So off we went knocking doors. Out of all the doors we knocked on only one door answered, but they didn't listen for long. With no success we were pretty bummed as we walked back to the car. As we got to the car a man walked by and we said hello. He looked for a minute and then asked "are y'all mormon? (at this point i'm thinking "yes! this is the best question ever!")

His name is Carlos. We got to talking to him and found out that he has a friend who is a member. We asked if he would be willing to have us come back and teach him and he agreed! He gave us his info and we gave him ours!! We're hoping to go visit him next week! Can you believe it!? I honestly believe it was because we decided to be obedient and knock doors (even though we were very hesistant to that) that the Lord blessed us with Carlos.

When it got to be 6pm we walked back over to Montrice's house. Her mother - Debra- again answered the door only this time the door came all the way open and we got to talking with her. Turns out we missed montrice, but Debra is amazing! She is this beautiful black woman and she has the best personality and a great love for God. We found out that a few years back she had met some Elders and they had really left a great impression on her. We got to talking about God, and she just loves Him so much, I know he loves her too, how could you not love Debra she's so great! She has quite a few health issues and she told us how God has helped her get through the pain. She loves us so much and we love her! We only got to talk to her for a few minutes but i feel like we're already best friends! She kept saying how sweet we are, and how our parents must have raised us good (thanks mom and dad). She is so beautiful, she just beams with joy and love for God. She even offerend to feed us right then and there, she said we could come by anytime and eat with her. She wanted us to come back and see her again! She was so excited when we asked if we could pray with her. When we left she gave us a big giant hug and a kiss on the cheek! She is so wonderful and I can't wait to meet with her next week! The Lord answered out prayers and gave us 2 new potential investigators! It's amazing! I can't wait to meet Montrice and teach her too!

Grandpa just so you know that whole night I kept thinking "Nothing happens in missionary work until you FIND someone to teach" Now I realize just how true that is!!

As you know me and Sister Jones both had our Birthdays and as you also know the Thayer's threw us a little surpise party! They were so nice to do it! We walked through their door and there were 2 cakes, one for each of us, and two boquets of flowers for us both. Not only that but they were our favorite colors! As you also know they even had our baby pictures hanging up on the walls! Too funny! It was so kind of them to do that for us. I am so grateful for the Thayer family. They are one of those tender mercies the Lord provides to make you feel at home even when you are far away. They were even kind enough to give us one of their couches and a table for our apartment! They're amazing! Mom Tammy Sue is the best! don't worry she takes good care of me and Sister Jones!

Well anyways it's been an amazing week and I can't wait to see what this week has in store! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to meet such amazing people.

I love you all and I hope all is well back home!

Go out and do some missionary work!

Love ya lots!

Love, Sister Gregson