Hey Hey!

Ok, so there is a lot that happened this week! This was seriously one of the best weeks I have had on my mission so far! It's been very amazing!

First off, Happy birthday to Sarah Jane Dudley tomorrow (the 18th) and Sarah Alder on the 21st and Diana Fleck on the 21st! Hope you all have amazingly wonderfully fantabulous birthdays :) Love you all!

So last Monday, the 10th, we had transfers. In my email last week I mentioned that and that my new companion is Sister Carrell. She's from Lehi, UT and she is a very good missionary! I have already learned so much from her! She's been out for less time than me and I thought I was going to be the one teaching her and training her a little more but I think she has taught me more than I could ever teach her. She's very outgoing and bold and it's just been fun to have her here. It's also been a little rough just because our personalities are so different but that's ok! That's what is good about us as a companionship. We both bring different things to the table! And things are really looking up here!

Monday night we had a lesson with a new investigator, Chris. It was a very good lesson and the Spirit was there. He had so many questions that it was hard to get a set lesson plan in but that's ok! We were able to answer his questions and also do a mini lesson. So that was cool! And we set up a return appointment with him for the next day. He really didn't want to have too many days in between lessons so that was cool!

Then on Tuesday the 12th we had the lesson with Chris. This time we had the Elders over the Singles Ward, Elder Lindsay and Elder Nielson, come with us because Chris is 19 years old and he would probably be better off in the YSA ward than in the family ward. That lesson didn't go as well as we had hoped for (he was a little high...) But he accepted a church tour with the Elders for the next day and now they are teaching him.

Then that night Sister Carrell and I went over to Dirty Dennis's house. Dirty Dennis is a man just down the street from where we live who does metal work. Sister Davidson and I, when we first got to this area, noticed a bunch of roosters in peoples yards and one day we asked someone about it. So we went to Dirty Dennis's and talked to him for a little and he said he would make us one! We thought that was so nice! Well, that was when we first got to the area so after being here for 5 1/2 months, we figured he forgot about us. We saw him a couple weeks ago and he said, "Don't worry girls, I haven't forgotten!" And then on Monday night, he text us and said that he was finished with our rooster! Sure, right after Sister Davidson leaves haha So on Tuesday we went to pick it up! He is such a nice guy! I offered to pay him a few dollars but he said, "No, I just want to show that there are still people in this world who actually do something when they say they will." So that was really nice! And now I have this rooster to carry around while on my mission! I wish I could send it home but it's way too big! I might have to leave it with a member wherever I leave from and come get it sometime after my mission LOL ;) But it's pretty cool!

Then Wednesday the 12th Sister Carrell and I had a lesson with Kellie. She's a member of the church but has been inactive since she was 17 and a couple weeks ago she texted us asking if she could have the lessons again! So of course we said yes! And the lesson we had with her was amazing! The Spirit was so strong! We both started crying within the first five minutes of the lesson! haha It was just amazing! Kellie is a wonderful person and I'm so happy that she wants to change her life back around! She has a two year old boy and she knows that she needs to give him a better life. And she also said that she's never been able to imagine herself getting married anywhere other than the temple and she knows that in order to do that, she needs to be going to church and living the life that she's always been taught to live! It was just amazing! I could really see the Atonement of Jesus Christ working on her that morning! It was so powerful! I've never seen anything like it!

Then that night we had a Relief Society enrichment activity on Emergency Preparedness! I was so excited! I've decided that mom has ruined me ;) During the whole thing I just felt like I was back at home! It was so fun for me! I was talking to a lady in our ward, Stacie, and her friend Erin about it after and I told them about learning about most of these things while back home and that I have bought my own food storage supplies and water containers and they just started to laugh and said, "Wow, I'm married and I don't even have that much. I guess I better get started quickly." It was just kinda funny! It was just so fun to go to that!

On Thursday the 13th we had a great District Meeting on working with the members. We've had this topic before but it was just something that really hit me this time around. That's what we have been trying to do since we came to this area but it's been kind of a slow process. But I know that things are working out the way they are supposed to and that working with the members will increase! I'm so happy that I'm able to be here for so long to see the growth of the area and the ward! It's very cool!

And that night we went and visited a former potential investigator, Beverly. She is super nice and she was going out of town but she said that we could come back this next weekend! So we are excited about that! Sister Davidson and I have tried a few different times to see her but weren't very successful. So it's cool that we were finally able to talk to her!

Friday the 14th, that was a long day! We had weekly planning and that took us a while! And then that night we went out and visited some more formers and we got to talk to one, Sonny, who seems like he's interested. He said he's busy but he knows that he needs something more in his life and he's happy that we stopped by. So he accepted a church tour and we're going to do that this week!

Saturday the 15th was another long day! Our stake put on a Family History Seminar and we as missionaries had a couple booths in both of the church buildings set up. We weren't able to talk to people unless they talked to us (I guess President Hinckley said something about that in the past...) so we just sat around for four hours. It was a very long time but after it was all over, Brother Collinwood told us yesterday that another set of Elders got a new investigator out of it so that was cool! And while at the seminar, Emily Sabins' aunt came and I was talking to her and she told me her name and I was like "Wait, you're Emily's aunt?!" And I just got so excited that I finally got to meet her! And we had a very nice conversation! She is so amazing! But I should have known that since she is related to Sister Sabins and Brother Walch!

Then that night we were about to go do thank you cards because we didn't have any appointments set up for the 8:00pm hour and we're not supposed to be out in the dark knocking on doors that late but before we did that I felt like we needed to go to one more formers house. So we went to see Mr. and Mrs. Hoch. And they answered they door and we talked to them for a couple minutes and set up an appointment to see them tomorrow (Tuesday.) So that was exciting! Just when we were about to call it a night, Heavenly Father leads us to one more house!

Then Sunday the 16th, that was a good day! Church was good like always! Sabrina wasn't able to come because she and her parents were out of town but she text us and said she wanted to go to church in Anahiem Hills where she was but wasn't sure if she should (we of course told her that the next time she wonders, yes, she should go!) She also said that she feels "lost without church." And that's not the first time she's said something like that. So I thought that was really cool! Sabrina is an amazing girl! She has such a strong testimony already! She wants to get baptized now but will more than likely have to wait until she is 18. But she keeps saying that she can't wait til she's baptized!

Then last night we had a meeting with Brother Holland. He's our new ward mission leader and OMGOSH!!!! He's incredible! He has so many wonderful ideas about how to get the members going on their missionary work. He has a theme for each month of the year to help with getting non-members to come to church acitivities, or to have members give out pass-along cards, or things like that. He is just wonderful! I know that as soon as we get these final plans set, there's going to be success in the Carbon Canyon ward area! I wish I could stay in this area for my whole mission! I have loved seeing the growth so far and I know that it's only going to get better! I can already see it! This church is amazing! I feel so blessed to be apart of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I have seen so many wonderful things happen in my life because of it. And I've said it before but I feel so lucky to be here in the California Arcadia mission at this time in my life to be a full-time missionary! There are so many other things I could be doing back home, but I don't know if I would learn the same things that I have learned while being out on my mission these last six months. It's just amazing! I love this work! I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. If I didn't know that, I wouldn't be here right now. If there is anyone out there who is wondering if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, whether you were born in the church and your testimony is a little rocky, or if you have been investigating the church, do as it says in Moroni 10:3-5, read the scriptures and pray to our Father in Heaven with real intent and He will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that He will. He never breaks promises!

Love, Sister Rachel Anna Wheatley