Mon, Mar 30, 2015. Sister Gresham in...

RICHLAND! AGAIN! I am serving in the Desert Hills Ward (accurate description) and YSA Branch, which covers the Columbia, WHERE I SERVED LAST TIME!! Soooo crazyy and awesome and I love it!! We were visiting a Recent Convert who lives in the columbia ward boundaries, driving around there gave me lots of feels. BUT, then it happened, I realized that I had knocked his door before! I was told not to, people said he was mean, but when I was on exchanges I said to my self "even if hes mean, he needs to be invited, hes still Gods son" so we did, he was nice and accepted our invite to go to mormon.org! I hadnt heard from him since. But, he was baptized! He blessed my sacrament!!! How crazy is that?! It really reminded me that we never fully see the fruit of our labors, their is sooo much that happens and we will never see. What a loving God that let me see that!

Ok, rewind...

(our first apt)

So when I flew in, it was awesome! Presidents wife, Sister Ware hugged me forever and we cried and she said it felt like a homecoming <3 It was reallyyyy sweet! They both kept coming over to me the rest of  the day hugging me and freaking put hahaha I felt loved. When I met with President he kept saying that he knew I would come back and the Lord has revealed big plans for me in the mission but that I have to do some stuff first. Bahh. I wanna know! lol But hes great! I love them soooo much!

My comp is Sister Faulkner. She is from Tucson and Pheonix and is super awesome! Like, such an incredible teacher. I seriously am in awe of her. I am grateful to have her as a companion. And her pet dragon as our dashboard peyt lol. President released her from being a Sister Training Leader to finish my training. Shes been excited cuz shes been praying to train again but didnt think she'd get to :D She will mostly likey end her mission here with me, since she only have 2 transfers left. Womp womp.

Pizza from members = our manna from heaven cuz we both have no money...lol

We lived in a members house for 2 days then moved to an apt that was occupied by elders 5 months ago...Its been an experience...

shhh....

all our water is brown and nothing is helping....LOL. oh also, I was attacked by a coyote and survived...nbd...and people say stateside missions arent interesting??

Sisters in our apt complex gave us clean water to drink!

But onto the more imporant stuff. The work is great!

We went tracting right when I got here and the second lady damned us to hell....lol....sad day. Like, she reeeeeallyyyy hated us, which was sad, BUT it didnt hurt me, it was weird/cool. Last time that would have killed me, but I just kept on going. Blessings. Other than her, we've tracted into and street contacted some reeeally nice people! We've turned lots of OYM's (open you mouth) into lessons, like in the middle of the street or on their porches! Its been great! We've really been focusing on inviting people to watch General Conference (I invite all of you as well) which helps us segway into the lesson on the Restoration of the Gospel, and how just like Jesus Christ called apostles when we established His church during His mortal ministry, we again have living Prophets and Apostles! What happy news! 

We are teaching some cool people.

Ginny: Shes stuck on women not having the priesthood but after a lesson on the Restoration and talking about the divinity of womanhood, and the sacred unit of family, shes more comfortable. And she reads a bunch!

June, Shout & Jade were referrals and they are AWESOME!!! Shout, the dad is usually at work, but June and Jade (who is 6 and the cutest thing ever) are loving the lessons. June accepted the soft baptismal invite and says she knows she needs to be. They came to church yesterday and loved it! I'm sooo excited! They are wonderful. I often see them dressed in white going to the Temple <3

On satuday we had the Baptism of Joy Wells. A really sweet woman who has really overcome a lot and she knows how important that covenant is and and is sooo happy!

Theres so much more to share but I dont want to bore you guys but there is a really powerful experience that happened yesterday that I want to share. We had 2 ysa girls come with us to visit potential investigators. We went to this house to meet with a woman but she wasnt there, but J was, who happened to be one of the girls uncles. He has struggled much with the consequences of breaking the commandments and is living a reeeeallyyy hard life. He is the kind of man with vulgar tattoos, really big scars, wife beater shirts and empty alcohol bottles all over his trailer, that I cant tell is really harshly judged by the world. He seemed really beat down. But the whole time we were there I felt so overwhelmed with love for him. I didn't see him as a person who made stupid choices and is suffering, but rather as a beloved child of God who is an important part of His plan, who was broken and needs the Savior so badly and that Christ is reaching out for. I could barely speak when I bore testimony of how Christ can heal him. Its hard to really explain how I felt but it was VERY powerful and I am grateful that I got to experience it. I am such an imperfect person. I don't know this man, his heart, what hes been thru or what he needs. But God does. Jesus Christ does. I feel immensely grateful that even in all my extreme flaws that God used me, spoke thru me, a no one, to help this man know, that He is a Child of God and that Christ CAN and WILL heal him, if He only reaches out. Its brings a scripture from the Book of Mormon to my mind.
 Alma 26:12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

I know that is true. I am weak, in body, mind, spirit and in knowledge. I cannot heal anyone. But Christ does. Christ changes hearts. Because of His sufferings for us, we can have peace.

...And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people....And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. 
Alma 7:11-12
I testify that that is true. Christ suffering in the Garden of Gethsemene allows Him to know how to perfectly succor (to give assistance to in time of want, difficulty, or distress) us. I am grateful to be able to do HIS work full time. This is not my mission. It is HIS. His work is the work of peace and salvation. My job is to serve Christ by bringing people unto Him. To help them by inviting them to reach out to their savior <3 How weak is the servant, but oh how great is my calling! :D

EVERYONE WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE on BYUtv or lds.org!!

With lots of love from the never green of the evergreen (only half true),
Sister Gresham





My comp Sister Faulkner: