Superbowl for Missionaries!

Hello!

I just realized that my camera is in a grocery bag back at our house....soooooooo.........I guess extra pictures for next week! Sorry about that!

So this week has been crazy crazy! Transfers and general conference and new schedule....etc. It has been crazy. But it has been great! I think that this week was the best week as far as Sister Garner and I getting along. We have been through some really hard stuff this week and it allowed us to be unified as a companionship. It was awesome. We have been laughing and just having fun eventhough we do have big differences from one another. Some trails have been hitting us this week with our investigators. They are being so flaky recently. Not getting back to us, therefore us pushing their dates back as to when they will get baptized. But that is totally okay with me because I want for them to have a strong testimony and see the need for the gospel rather than just get in the water and go through the motions. So right now we are praying as hard as we can to not have these investigators fall through our fingertips because of something we do. We are striving hard to provide all the feeling of the spirit and information that they need to make an informed decision. However, sadly enough, it says in preach my gospel that even some who receive a spiritual witness that it is true, they might still not accept it. But it instructs us to not be dissapointed in ourselves, which is my struggle. But I know that the Lord has a time and a place for all things to happen, and most likely it will not be in the time frame that we expect. However, WE ARE SO BLESSED to be teaching all the people that we are teaching. We love them so much and we are going forth, being bold and preaching the gospel. Though I was maybe in the beginning, I am not scared to talk to anyone about the gospel. They could be on their phone, taking a run, carrying a bunch of heavy groceries or have a mean look on their face. In reality, nothing can stop me or deter me from sharing the greatest gift that we as members of the church have been given. At some times I feel faithless, due to my companion struggles, but then again I know who is leading me and he knows exactly what I need to do. I have seen answers to my prayers every day. As we wake up in the morning and we go for our morning exercise, I look up at the amazing Las Vegas Sunrise and thank him for everything he has given me. I am so thankful for my mission. Although I have so much more progression and learning to go, I am grateful for the time that I have left to let the mission change me. I will not take this short time for granted. I t is so weird because Monday to monday just flies by like none other! And the next thing that I know, I will meet you somewhere in the midst of my mission and tour it with you. I hope and pray that I am making you proud. But most importantly I pray that I am making my Father in Heaven proud. I love him and I know that he loves me and HE KNOWS ME. I am so thankful for the knowledge and testimony I have gained on my mission. I love it with all my heart and I know that there is no other place that I would rather me at this moment in the span of eternity. Of course I miss all of you, but I will be a better sister Fine after I am put in this refiners fire and this time of great joy. I could go on forever. I do cry hard once every few weeks or so just to get the rollercoaster of emotion out, but then the Lord puts me to sleep in his arms and I am able to get up in the morning refreshed and rejuvinated.

General Conference was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUPERBOWL FOR MISSIONARIES! I tell ya! Wow I cant even pick a favorite talk. But I seriously loved the morning session on sunday. It was incredible. I was really missing hearing from Holland! He is my favorite. But I seriously had ALL my questions answered that I had. It was awesome. I love how bold they are being lately! Maybe I just didnt notice it before but wow were they bold! I loved it! As missionaries we love BOLDNESS! :] It is awesome.

So Bill (my 2nd baptism) came to general conference at the stake center to watch it with us. As soon as he sat down I smelled smoke as if he had just been smoking. My heart stopped beating and I was so upset. But I knew that he just needed encouragement. We didn't talk about smoking specifically but we just talked about the things that he is going through and giving him some spiritual thoughts from the scriptures so that he has tools readily available so that he can handle everything. Did I mention to you that before his baptism he was struggling for a job and AS SOON AS HE GOT BAPTIZED the Lord blessed him and he got a full time job just like THAT! Amazing. One counsel that I would give from me to you is be aware of the converts and investigators that the missionaries are working with and help them know that they are loved and cared about. I think back to when I was home and I was sad because I realized that I had NO IDEA who the investigators where in oly 4th. But I know that you guys offering that smile or hug or heart to heart talk with an investigator will strenghen them and help them to stay active. We are also trying to get all of our recent converts to the temple so that they can do baptisms and confirmations. Bob actually just asked me if I would do the honor of getting baptized for his wife and other familt members. I said yes and I felt so honored. I dont know when that is going to happen but I know that it will be sometime soonish.

So there is this lady that we have been teaching that is technically homeless. She is such a sweet lady and the church is helping her a little bit. But she came to conference (eventhough she slept through it a little bit hahaha) and then we had a lesson with her right after just because it is so hard to get a hold of her. Anyways, I looked at my planner and we actually had an appointment right after conference but something kept me and sister garner there so that we could teach the lesson to her. After the lesson (knowing that we were an hour late) we showed up to their doorstep and sure enough they had written a note saying that they would not be able to meet until an hour after we had originally planned. Coincidence? Not in the least bit. The Lord knows everything and guides our path every second.

Wow I have so many stroies and so little time! AHHHHHHH! One last one.....So we usually pray for random people to show up to church so that excitement of that helps us overcome the fact that our investigators didnt show up (which usuaully happens sadly enough...but I always have faith that they are! it doesn't get me down because we are so blessed...anyways....ahahaha) but this lady named Ling showed up to church last week and we met her and got an appointment with her. She is from china and she speaks pretty good english. We went to her house and she was really excited about the book of mormon in Chinese on lds,org. Long story short, we left her house on a good note and then a few days later she cancelled her appointment on us and said that she found a different church. We were so sad. But before that we had found a member of the church in our area that was from china and spoke the language fluently. She ended up going to her house anyway and they ended up talking for a long time. Ling apparently didnt understand who we were and where we came from. She was like who are these girls coming into my home and teaching me about Jesus??? But now she is going to meet with us from now on just because of the courage of a member to go over and encourage her. It was amazing! I miss you and love you all! I will listen to the tape and maybe send one back next week if I can. If not it will be in the next month or so!

Random fact, got my hair trimmed today, my hair is happy. :] Anyways I love you! Thank you for the letters and emails!

Sister Fine