May 4, 2015

Happy May!!

Hello my sweet family,
How are you all doing? I cannot believe that we are already into May! Where did April go? All I know is that it went really really fast! However, I am excited for a new month and am looking forward to what the Lord has in store for me.
First off, I want to thank everyone for their letters, love, and support! I was able to get a surprise package of taffy in the mail from Tricia, a surprise package from sweet Dallas Harris, of some essential oils and yummy snacks, and amazing letters and emails from many. Thank you SO much for everything. You literally don't know how happy it makes me and how grateful I am for all of you guys. To a missionary, it really means the world. Every time I get something in the mail, I am so happy and have such a stronger desire to get out and serve my savior! So, thank you! Your wise words of encouragement and love get me through the week! I look up to each one of you and am grateful for your testimonies and for your words! Keep em' coming! :) My home girl Mak, I hope that you had a wonderful birthday, and I hope that you are enjoying your cruise! Live it up darling! I miss you so so much!
This week in Waxhaw was full of miracles and little victories every single day! It was pretty rough during the beginning of the week, but it picked right up and we were able to accomplish a lot of our goals. We found a few new investigators this week and we are praying that they will all become progressing investigators within the next week or so! Sister Ekstrom and I were going through a list of former investigators and decided to stop by and see someone named "Franky". When we knocked on the door, a sweet lady answered and was not Franky. Her name was Rosa. She is so sweet, and has 2 little boys. She lives in a trailer home and was just the sweetest thing ever! However, she only speaks Spanish. Her younger son speaks English and Spanish and was able to translate back and forth, but me and Sister Ekstrom didn't stay long and left her with a pass along card because we didn't really know what we could do... or how we could help them, so we decided to just get on our way. Well the very next day, I couldn't get Rosa off my mind, so, I decided to follow my prompting and go with it. One of our Ward Missionaries just returned home from the Santiago Chile mission and speaks Spanish, so I called him up and asked if he wanted to go out teaching with us. He said yes, and we headed over to Rosa's. When we got there, she let us right in and said that she was so happy that we decided to come back. She said that she just had a really good feeling about us and she was sad that we left. Our ward missionary was able to translate our whole lesson on the plan of salvation and she was just blown away! The spirit was so strong! Although we didn't understand anything that was being said, the spirit was so thick you could feel it! We are going back over there on Mother's Day and we are so excited to see where it goes! We left her with a Plan of Salvation and Restoration pamphlet in Spanish, as well as the Book of Mormon! Anyways, just a simple miracle!
This past week I also had the chance to try Grits, so that was fun! A member invited us over for dinner and decided that we needed to have a true, southern breakfast! It was pretty decent and I enjoyed it! We also went to Chick Fil A with a member because he was introducing us to some of his non member friends and I ran into one of Kaiden's friends older sister? Her last name is Wattcot? And they live in American Fork? Colton and Gage are her brothers? I went to school with Gage and so it was so fun to make the connection! Mom, she said that you know her mom? We took a picture together, so if you see her mom, or know who I am talking about, ask to see the picture! :)
Let's see, I am looking forward to this upcoming Sunday.. and do you know why? Because I get to talk to everyone and hear your voices! YAY! I am going to be setting up my skype account today, and then am planning on calling around 3:00 pm my time, so 1:00 pm your time, on Sunday, May 10th. If that doesn't work for some reason, let me know and I can switch the times. I will have about 45 minutes to an hour to skype and MAN- I am excited! Not only is it Mother's Day and I get to talk to my sweet mama, but it is also her BIRTHDAY on the 13th! YAY! It's mama Coco's week... so everyone better spoil her like crazy for me! Dad, what is your skype name? I can read emails throughout the week I just can't respond, so if you will get back to me sometime this week and let me know of your username and give me an "okay" on 1:00 your time, that would be great! :) I am looking forward to talking with y'all and couldn't be more blessed to be able to skype! Technology is fantastic!
I want you all to know how much I love you, truly, and how much I love being a missionary! This last fast Sunday was incredible. A brother in my ward got up and shared a quote from Mother Teresa that I really liked, so I thought I would share it with you.
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
I just really enjoyed that because he went on to explain that a lot of us don't think that we are doing enough. Or don't think that anything we are doing is worth it or being noticed. I want to promise you that YOU ARE ENOUGH, and every good thing you are doing, is being taken note of. How many sins did Christ suffer for that won't be repented of? How many times did Christ teach and minister, although people chose not to listen? How many times did Christ heal and bless, although he wasn't thanked? I promise that it will be worth it to keep going and have a "do it anyway" mentality, because in the end, it is between you and God. I want you to know that I have a testimony of the savior and his redeeming atonement. He lives. He is real. and he will always be there for us! I want you to watch the Mormon Message this week entitled "Hope of God's Light" and "Because of Him". I bear you my testimony that he lives and that he loves us, and that it is never to late, and WE ARE ENOUGH! Thank you all for everything! I hope you have a wonderful week, anddddd Kaiden Troy, Happy Birthday on the 6th! Sending you all my love and birthday wishes! xoxo Can't wait to talk to you all soon!! Keep the faith, the church is true!
Until next week,
Sister Worthington

I get to Serve in Two States!!