Week 59 I will never stand down!

So I forgot to talk about what we learned in Stake Conference. They talked about missionary work, but in specific something I learned a lot about personally was our responsibility for our family members who are lost sheep. We're put in families for a reason, and it is our duty and responsibility to help them!! Uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, all of them. :) pretty nifty. Anyway.

Someone in the English ward before us gave a talk and said there is this sweet video on youtube called Idol Worship, in which it shows these tribes and their worship of idols (face paint, chanting, etc), and you think, wow that's crazy, I would never do that... and then it says something like, or let's put it this way: and then shows people in a giant football stadium with their faces painted and chanting and stuff. Sounded cool.

Also at Stake Conference they announced that this Fast Sunday all of southern cali is going to fast for rain. We're in a pretty bad drought, apparently! I made up a joke about it but uh... yeah. Maybe not.

We met this lady yesterday. Return missionary, sealed in the temple, but her life took some tough turns and said she's never going to come back to the church again. She helped me see exactly what I don't want to be when I get back., especially when things don't go how I want. I WILL NOT BE BITTER AND I WILL NOT LET OTHERS TAKE AWAY MY SALVATION. The Church is true, the book is blue. It's how it goes. I will never stand down, not ever!

This week I had two temple shifts in a row. Thursday we went on exchanges, and I went with Hna Milla, who has only been here for 3 weeks. We had temple shift, which means we were out there from 12-5. It's a long time, esp. when it's freezing (ok, I know I can't complain, but it's a wet cold. I'm still a desert rat, what can I say?) and no one is there. But we talked a lot and got to read some scriptures. Then, Friday I was back with Sister Amendola and surprise, we had temple shift again. Same story, except it was colder. Oh well! :)

Mormon Battalion Commemoration Day!

Oh! Last Wednesday we had interviews with President. I seriously seriously love and respect that man. He is absolutely incredible. :)

My favorite scripture from this week is Romans 8:31, the JST version. "If God be for us, who can prevail against us?" :) I also love the last two verses in that chapter. So beautiful.

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Hoping to make some enchiladas today. :) While we're planning our scholarship essays. haha. :)  Love you so much!!

I have no idea? Making all our guests at home?

Oh and I forgot. Saturday was the commemoration! :D It was a HUGE celebration of Old Town and the Battalion and all that. They had a re-dedication of the monuments on Presidio Hill. Sister Amendola, Wells, and Tucker sang the Star Spangled Banner and it was fantastic! Jeffrey R Holland's brother Dennis Holland spoke at it, too. Afterwards we went to Old Town State park and were in the parade. Sister Amendola and I got to push a handcart! It was super sweet. :) Anyway, then we wandered around Old Town and handed out Battalion cards, then came up, had lunch, took the most insane tour ever (all these little kids that would literally not stop talking) and then went back, had studies, then went back to the Battalion to take more tours. Good news: we had an approximate 1065 people in the Battalion that day! That includes short and long tours. But it was a record-breaker! :D Pretty sweet. Well, that's all. Gotta go! But I love you mom! :)

--Hermana Harris