Forgive me for making this a short one. I really did have a great week, but I don't have a lot of time to write.
Ummmm...... so much happened this week, but I'm super tired so I'm having a hard time forming coherent stories. So I'm just going to randomly say stuff and I hope it makes sense. :D
This week... I rolled down a really steep hill just for the heck of it, yes in my skirt. It was actually super fun, and my comp told me after I stood up that I was surprisingly graceful. Ok. Well, apparently I can roll down hills gracefully. That's a talent, right? :)
This morning we went to a trampoline place and we jumped for an hour and it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Plus, they had a rock wall over a pit and it was possibly the most effective stress relief ever. But now we're all exhausted.
Thursday we were driving past this little old man carrying a bucket of paint, so we rolled down our window and asked if he needed some help since he looked like he was going to paint his fence. He smiled and asked, "Is your name Tom Sawyer?" :) We are going back to help with his fence tomorrow, but we had a nice conversation for a while sitting on his porch. His name is Ellwood :)
I got my flute this week and I'm practicing to be able to play for the next temple musical devotional in September. :)
This week was kinda long, but Friday was incredible. It was like the windows of Heaven just opened and we found two new investigators and set a baptismal date with Paul! Paul is trying really hard to stop smoking so that he can be baptized in two weeks, so please please pray for him!
I'm really sorry I can't think of much to say. I am doing well, the members here take pretty great care of us, and I'm loving it.
So I'm just going to give you the list of people we're teaching, prayers are so appreciated! Remember: specific prayers get specific answers. Have faith to pray for specific things in your life!
Paul, Chris, Tyler, Scott, Trish, Kelly, Ellwood, Saydie, Shanel, Jasmine, Palmer, Alex, Ximena, Tara, Tessa, Wally, Kaveh, Camille, Susan, Victor, Jessie, Josie, Josh, Kami.
I think that's everyone. As you can see, we have our work cut out for us! We are working hard trying to teach all of these wonderful children of God. Here's some background on some of them.
Paul is a sweet man in his fifties who works as an advisor for stock investments, which means he keeps odd hours at night. He is trying to be baptized on August 29, but we need some prayers to help him stop smoking!
Chris is another older man, maybe forties, who is going through a really tough divorce right now. He is so close to being baptized, but he needs a spiritual confirmation. He also needs to find some healing and comfort through the Atonement.
Tyler is 16, and she is so excited about the gospel! She finished the Book of Mormon this week :) She is sort of frustrated, though, because she really wants to be baptized, but her mom said she will have to wait until she's 18. We are praying that her parents will be more involved, want to learn more, and soften their hearts to the gospel.
Trish used to work out with us every morning, but we think her Catholic priest must have told her not to talk to us, because she's been avoiding us for a couple weeks :(
Jasmine is such a sweetheart. She's 19, but she doesn't really have a family, and she's struggling with her first job and trying to figure life out. She had some pretty bad depression for a while. But she wants to be baptized, she just doesn't feel ready yet.
Palmer is so close to accepting Christ in her life. She's about 23, but she knows that if she believes in the gospel then she will have to make some changes in her life, and she's scared to do that.
Alex is another sweetheart, about the same age as Palmer. She's a bit lost, and wants to know who Christ is to her personally. But she is adopted and her adopted parents are going through a divorce, and although she knows her birth parents, she doesn't have a really great relationship with anyone in her family or adopted family, so she's just trying to figure things out on her own.
Tara is a freshman at UCI and she is excited to learn more, but guess what?? She's a math major :)
Those are really the specifics we are praying for, and I would really love it if you could pray for at least some of them, too. :)
I love you all and I'm praying for you. Don't let your faith waver. It's not always easy to follow Christ in this world, but He always helps us when we try our best. You can do it! Make a new commitment this week. Read your scriptures every day, or just remember to stop and pray.
I love you :)
Sister Heather Bambas
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Sister Heather BambasCalifornia Irvine Mission
heather.bambas@myldsmail.net