Loving, living, and enjoying life :)

Hola Hola!!!

This week has been great! :) Transfers were this week and that means a lot of changes in areas and people. It really has made more of a sense of urgency in our zones which is fantastic! They still haven't called Sister Training Leaders in the Madison zone so we are now over 11 companionships of sisters. That is A LOT of sisters to try to help, but with lots of prayer and the Lord, all is possible :) Most of the sisters are brand new or have only been out a few months and are now training so they are all a bit frazzled at the moment. That's where we come in and I just hope and pray we can help them all. They really are all so amazing, they don't need any of our help. All of the new missionaries have been prepared for this time because they are excellent missionaries. They train me more than I feel I train them! The new spanish sisters have amazing spanish as well. Suffice it to say, we will probably be traveling all over north east Alabama this transfer, not spending too much time in our own area, going on exchanges. Woot!...

We had a baptism this last Saturday!!! Juanita Palomino. She is a daughter of a Less active, and has some kind of learning disability. She is great, and I am so glad I got to take part in this blessing from the Lord. Miracles happen all of the time. This baptism was pretty much dropped in our laps. We had a lesson with her this week with a member from the branch, Hermana Lopez (the branch presidents wife) and she is one of the most powerful woman I have ever met! Juanita's sister, Dionicia, was not to happy with the fact that her sister was getting baptized (long story), but Hermana Lopez bore the most heart felt testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel and the blessing it has been in her life. I was just so aww struck I didn't know what to say, thank goodness we had Hermana Lopez there. She is an inspiration to me on living my life worthy ALWAYS so my testimony can be that strong someday. She was definitely an answer to my prayers :) It's funny how the Lord answers our prayers that way.

Besides the baptism, which was WONDERFUL, our week was a little rough. Almost all of our investigators have not been answering the door and we are sure a couple of them have been antied :( it makes me sad that there are people out there who would spread lies like they do. I don't know why people hate us so much when all we spread is love and hope. The hard part is that our investigators will almost never just tell us straight to our face that they don't want to meet with us anymore. They just want to hide in their apartments and act like they aren't home. It is a happy day when someone just tells me straight out they aren't interested. Then I don't have to waste the lords time trying to get in contact with them. Satan works hard when things are going good (like a baptism). I've definitely seen that this week. But! I am not letting it get me down :) We just have to attack with a different tactic I guess.

I got on family search and found my Decker line. Turns out Elder Decker (in my district and branch) and I have the same great great great Grandpa. Zachary Bruyn Decker :) That makes us like 5th or 6th cousins right! He was actually named after Zachary. Cool stuff huh? It's a small world, mormon world is.

I've been studying a lot about "healing" this week. I know I've talked about this before with the church being like a hospital, but I have just found so many things in the scriptures that kind of helped me take off with it. Christ, being the ultimate physician, healed not only the physical wounds, but the spiritual wounds too. And that is why we need the Church. We need the healing that we can't get anywhere else. It's the same reason we go to the hospital when we get sick or injured. We know we need a doctors help and Christ is our spiritual doctor. I was reading about the gadianton robbers this morning and I was amazed how quickly they spread eventhough they started off so small. It's like a virus. If we don't stop a virus right away it will spread until we are "ripening for destruction". That's the same with sin. If we let one small sin pass and we don't stop it before it grows and "infests" our spirit, we will be ripening for distruction. We are sinners, which means we are all sick. We need the ultimate doctor to heal us. The great thing is, he will never fail us. We CAN and WILL be healed if we turn to him.

Anyways, just a little spiritual though there :) It sounds like the family has had tons of fun this summer! I'm so glad. Lots of good memories :) If you all could, please just pray that we find those people who are ready. Our brothers and sisters who are searching for us. Those who are "bleeding out" and need the healing only the savior can bring.

Love you all mucho!!! I am grateful for your prayers and support. I can feel it every day! Miss you all! I am praying for you as well.

Love, Hermana Masey Decker.