Buenas Tardes!

Hola!!!!!!!!

I love being a missionary! There is nothing else to it :) I just love it. I had a dream last night that they sent me home early and I woke up in a panic! Definitely not ready to head home quite yet :) Alabama is just so beautiful and amazing. The skies are more blue here! De verdad! I love it. We always talk about how the clouds are like toy story clouds :) so perfect.

Well, my calling took full effect last week. This week we have our first meetings so we will see how those go. It's a bit overwhelming but president said that it's good that we are overwhelmed. It brings us to our knees :) I have been on my knees a lot this week.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to work here in the Huntsville area and to work with all of the sisters here as well. I have learned here on the mission that our prayers are always answered. Maybe not how we expect, but they are always answered. Each transfer is an answer to a prayer for me as each one teaches me something new. On our drive back from Montgomery this week, I remembered that I recently had been praying for an experience to help me grow as a missionary that would help me be a better disciple of Christ and lo and behold :) Here I am as a Sister Training Leader. It's amazing how the Lord works. I feel so much love for each of the sisters that we are over. I never thought I could feel so much love for people I hardly even know, but as I pray for more charity I can feel it take effect in my heart.

We went on two exchanges this week. One with some Sisters in our area. One of the sisters has been struggling... She seems to just be struggling with teaching. She gets stuck when she starts to teach, it's like her mind goes completely blank and she doesn't know what to say and then she gets frustrated and then she breaks down. Her companions (she is in a trio) are amazing companions and show so much love to her and I know she can feel that. She is such a sweet girl and is willing to learn. We ended up just trying to get her to teach simply and had one of her comps pretend to be an 8 year old and that seemed to help a lot. We tried to get her to understand that it's not a bad place where she is at because she can turn it all over to the Lord. We have weaknesses to make us stronger. I hope we helped. I learned a lot from the exchange about myself and about missionary work. 

I also got the opportunity to drive back down to Montgomery! A 3 hour drive!! President wanted us to go down though because it's our old companions and they are both new. Two greenies in an area :) fun.  They are doing great! They have come out ready to work and they are getting to work. They still struggle with the language but they are trying so hard and are not afraid to just open their mouth. I can see their testimonies being strengthened by the help of the Lord. They both are amazing missionaries! And they have a baptism next Saturday for Paulina who is progressing so much! Hermana Child and I found her. I LOVE THE GOSPEL! When we found her she was quite, wouldn't make eye contact, her husband had just left her and she had no job, never smiled. I saw her on Saturday morning while we were down there and it's like she has made a complete 180! She finally found a job and she is just so happy! She even said she was going to church eventhough she worked a 12 hour shift through the night. She's amazing. She is so excited for her baptism. I just wish I could be there to see it! But, I got a lot of work to do up here in Huntsville :)

Hermana Leahman ( Hermana Hazelgren's old comp, who I went on the exchange with) mentioned how she just loves it down in Montgomery because of the energy. So many things are happening! Huntsville needs a little bit of a kick start. There's not as much excitement for the work here as there was in Montgomery and I've been trying to figure out what the difference is. And it's not just the missionaries but the branch as well. It's not the people because I know the missionaries up here are amazing and I love the people in the branch! I was reading this morning in Matthew 12:25 Which talks about "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:" and I don't think that this district or area is divided against itself, but that it could use more unity. I think that is what made the difference in Montgomery. We were all working towards the same goal and praying for the same people. Hopefully I can help... not sure how quite yet :)

I have started to realize that this calling will probably change me more than anybody else. It's like a teacher learns more from a lesson they prepare than their students. It is definitely a humbling experience to be called and I trust that the Lord knows what he's doing :)

Hermana Hazelgren is a blast. We laugh so much! It's great :) I love her! It's crazy because we are so different. She is a gamer and is in love with the Avengers. Everything in our apartment is avengers! But she is so sweet and loving and it's been fun. I have learned that if you are not enjoying your mission you are doing something wrong. We are supposed to be having fun! a happy missionary is a working missionary, that's all there is to it. And the time goes by so fast! I'm almost to my half way mark! Crazy!

I love you all so so much! I am so grateful for your prayers! I can feel them each and every day! I hope you can feel my prayers as well :)

Con amor,

Hermana Masey Decker