Paul is getting baptized (for reals) on Saturday!!! :D
Also, I just found out from the Elders in the next ward over that an investigator I passed off to them is getting baptized Saturday as well :) Sister Phinney and I actually contacted him while on an exchange. Super cool to see miracles like that.
Tyler is still waiting for permission to be baptized from her mom, but our young women are ON FIRE. Half of the girls who come each week are not members, and Tyler's mom bore her testimony on the power of prayer in Sacrament this week. We are really hopeful that she will let us teach them as a whole family soon!
Wednesday was cool. We did a "Zone 24." That means we went on exchanges with someone in our zone for 24 hours. It was pretty fun. I went on exchange with Sister Clements, and we had a really good day. She really helped me learn how to have more meaningful contacts.
Friday we had a tri-ward trunk-or-treat at our building, and it was so packed! People showed up who haven't been seen in months! It was the most fun ward party I've been to in a while, and Paul and Scott both came, as well as several less active members we've been working with. Paul was just ecstatic going from car to car talking to all of his friends in the ward. He really has made some amazing friendships, and the whole ward is so excited to see him get baptized. Scott and Justine were enjoying themselves as well, and it warms my heart everytime we see Scott's happy glow.
Saturday was possibly my favorite day on the mission so far. We had a lesson with Paul after he took us to get sandwiches at his favorite place (Gallo's) and he decided to be baptized on Saturday. :) Then we met up with Sister Hixson, Elder Gough, and Elder Dayton to practice a song we're singing next week in temple music devotional. Pretty funny, actually. It started out as just Sister Hixson and me singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives in french, but now it has grown to the four of us singing Come, Ye Children of the Lord in French. It is going to be amazing... once I learn the alto part. Prayers wouldn't hurt ;P
Saturday night we weren't allowed out after 7pm because of Halloween. So our zone had a party on our own :) We all met up and played volleyball, chair soccer (during which I may or may not have taken a soccer ball to the face), and tomahawk ball. Chair soccer is where you all take a chair and set it wherever you want in the gym, then you all begin sitting on your chair, and when someone says go you all jump up and begin trying to hit each others' chairs with the soccer ball. So if someone hits your chair, you have to sit down on it. But if the ball comes near you, you can pick it up and throw it at someone's chair. If the person who got you out has to sit down, then you get to go back in. It basically just goes on forever unless you set a time limit or if someone gets a certain number of people out without having to sit down (we said 5). Tomahawk ball is a mix between ultimate frisbee, football, and basketball. So you split in two teams, and you play with a football. If you are holding the football, you can only take three steps before you have to pass it. The goal is to get it in the basketball hoop. There are no dead balls. You just pick it up and keep playing. It's SUPER fun. :) We all ran around and got energy out for two solid hours before going home and - this was possibly our favorite part - getting an extra hour of sleep from daylight savings. :) For once, we weren't falling asleep in Sacrament meeting the next day.
I feel so much happier this week :) I can testify of the power of repentance. Repentance isn't a negative thing. It's simply changing yourself, your actions, and your heart to be more in line with God. And that really does make you happy. I promise. Even if it's just little things. Even if they seem inconsequential. If you start fixing all the little things that twinge in your conscience, and really commit to letting God be a part of every part of you, then it frees your soul and brings deep and lasting happiness.
My ponderize scripture this week is John 12:46. "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." I love you all so much! Remember this week where the light comes from!
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Sister Heather Bambas
California Irvine Mission
heather.bambas@myldsmail.net