Happy Valentine's Day!

I've gotten more roses as a missionary than I have in my whole life put together...

Dear Family,

Have I ever said how much I love being a missionary?! This week has been incredible!!! It started off with lots of meetings: Sisters Conference, District Meeting, Zone Training Meeting, and then taking our car into the auto body place since I totaled it. Jk it's fine there was a scratch on the fender from before I got here I PROMISE it was nothing I did. 

Okay Sister's Conference was the BEST THING EVER. They had several different workshops based on the talk "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence," one of my favorites from this last conference. The first one I went to was about taking care of our bodies, given by the mission nurse. I have noticed for a while now that she ALWAYS has a bottle of coke with her...EVERYWHERE SHE GOES. Disgusting. During her workshop she talked about how she was gonna eat healthier and work out more, so right after her workshop I grabbed her coke and dumped it in the drinking fountain and filled the bottle with water. I brought it back to her and told her I was gonna call her in a week to make sure she hadn't drank anymore. She was basically crying with gratitude haha it was hysterical. There were 6 workshops so I'll just give highlights: 

"Trials are like presents. They are actually blessings, you just have to unwrap them first! Next time you get a "present" don't ask "why???" Ask "what?""

Sister Calderwood gave a workshop about affliction and how we can get over our feelings. First she said to feel your feelings. We are human, and we are gonna get hurt, jealous, sad, depressed, etc. don't pretend like you're not. Whatever you're feeling, feel it! But then comes the hard part, you have to act appropriately despite your feelings. Second she said to compare your negativity to your blessings. Say someone offends you at church and you are miffed and don't want to go back. Feel it! But then act appropriately and do the right thing. You can ask: "who is this person in comparison to my blessings? My family, my friends, a roof over my head, clothes, etc?" It makes the offense seem pretty small in comparison to eternal life, doesn't it? I loved what she said, she is an incredible woman. President gave an amazing workshop but I might have to save that for a week when nothing else happened, because it will take like 10 paragraphs to explain it. 

Thursday was Zone Training Meeting, I got to make the refreshments for it! Yessss. I made chocolate eclair dessert and crepes. Sorry I didn't get any pics they ate it too fast haha. It was a great meeting as well, we did some cool role plays and I was able to receive some direction on where to go with one of our more difficult investigators. Friday we took the car all the way to Lynbrook (took us 2 hours to drive there) for a 5 minute inspection to get an estimate on the fender. Then we had an AMAZING lesson with our new Mongolian investigator and set a baptismal date! She was so excited to hear about the restoration and where the Book of Mormon came from, she has been reading it for a few months now with no background, but she was talking about Nephi like they've been homies since the pre-existence! It was soooo incredible to be in that room, the spirit was so strong! After that we taught our investigator who claims to be atheist, but you can tell by his prayers he knows he's talking to God. We talked about applying what we know. Seriously, you could know all the doctrine there is to learn, but if you don't live it you'll never benefit.

Saturday morning we met with Kiki, and before we started the lesson she told us that her family thinks we are brainwashing her and she can't meet with us anymore. Well I'm sorry but the Plan of Salvation is the greatest thing ever, so I told her since she was already here she should let us tell her about it. I had the visuals you made mom, and she was on the edge of her seat the whole time! She loved it, and even took a picture of the diagram! I know it will work out for her to join someday, just not now with everything that's going on with her family. We had dinner with the STLs and the sisters in our district...I made macaroni and cheese and we were all so full! And sorry but if I have the stuff for crepes I'm gonna make them...so I did. Anyway we were all bursting at the seams but it's fine. We had a lesson with a guy who the other sisters found. He is from India so we brought Neil and they hit it off! When we first got him at the door he was talking about basketball and stuff, he had just seen Kevin Durrant that day so I was dying but it's fine. Anyway we get into the lesson and apparently he thought he had come to talk basketball, not Jesus! But he was cool and the lesson turn a quick spiritual turn and he is going to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, as well as play basketball on Wednesdays with the elders haha. He seems pretty prepared so we are excited!

Sunday was just incredible as always with branch council and church. Our ward is so focused on missionary work in all the meetings, and it makes things so great for us! We set a goal for the first quarter and we still have a month but we have already hit all our goals! It's cause the members are so incredible at helping with the work. Sunday evening we had a dinner appointment that the elders had set up for us with someone in the family ward. Turns out they are from Elko and they know allll about our family. Well they tried to set me up with their son in Elko and I was kinda like thanks but no thanks, I got me a cowboy...but they wanted to see the family picture and they found Rebekah so the are like dead set that she marries their son and they've never even met her. I forgot what families are like haha they reminded me so much of Ma and Pa, just joking up a storm. Anyway it was good cause they actually have 2 kids who are supposed to be in YSA and we talked to them both and they're gonna start coming!

I have been thinking a lot about "virtue" this week and have been studying it quite a bit. I know there was a movie that came out this last weekend that is pretty inappropriate and I think a lot of people went and saw it. I just think it's so sad that people fall into Satan's trap that there is no right or wrong, and if there is it doesn't matter. It is such a blessing to see the world through the lens of the gospel and be able to know right from wrong. I know there are some things out there that aren't worth our integrity, no matter how many people (including members) are doing. I love the parable of the 10 virgins...yes they were all virgins, but they weren't all disciples. I think standing in holy places means more than being at church or the temple often, it means making wherever YOU stand a holy place. I am grateful for the gospel guidelines that keep us happy and safe. 

Thank you for everything you do for me!

Love ya,

Sister Wadsworth

1. Makin crepes #wifeystatus

2. My dear sisters after we stuffed ourselves..

3. Neil brought us roses on Valentine's Day!

4. Love these girls in the branch! RM and future missionary :)