Week 57: CAN YOU BELIEVE IT

ME AND SISTER KASTNER ARE STAYING TOGETHER FOR ANOTHER TRANSFER! WE'LL BE TOGETHER FOR 6 MONTHS AND I'LL BE IN THIS AREA FOR ALMOST 8 MONTHS. WHAT IS LIFE. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? I SURE CAN'T. we're so excited!!!!!!
life is great. this week was great.
first things first, WE GOT TO GO TO THE FORT COLLINS TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE this week! It was AMAZING and we got to take our recent convert. also in other news, WE GET TO BE VISITOR CENTER MISSIONARIES FOR THE FORT COLLINS TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE. how sweet is that?? we love life.
Also, it got SO cold this week. one night we were sitting having a lesson outside and it was raining and it was 46 degrees and I thought I was going to die. we went home and had hot chocolate. in august. what is life.
Richard and Diane came to church this week and they're getting baptized this week! we're so excited and its going to be great.
Cool experience this week: it was really late and we didn't know what we should do because it was raining and dark. So we went out walking in a neighborhood, not sure of what we were doing. and we walked for a while, and then the last house on the street, we stopped and talked to a girl getting out of her car. and she said that she doesn't have a strong relationship in God but that she would love to strengthen it so we're going back this week to talk with her! it was definitely a miracle and super cool!
I am just so aware of how much God loves each and every one of us! Never forget!
I love y'all! have a great week!
Sister Tracy

Week 56: Reflections

#blessed
I've been reading through my old journals every day from 1 year ago to date since I hit my year mark. And as I've been doing so, I've really been reflecting on how much I've grown but also how much I have loved being a missionary right from the start. My entry from a year ago yesterday, August 14, 2015, having been in the mission field for about a week and a half, perfectly describes how I feel about missionary work still today:
"We saw so many miracles today. We felt the Spirit so much today and really just felt God's love. It is such a blessing to be a missionary. Its the happiest kind of happy and I am so blessed each and every day!"
AMEN. #blessed
This week was good. We are loving life and all is well.
We had zone p day this week which was good! We had to plan it last second of course because the elders didn't plan ahead haha but what else is new?
We got to spend a lot of time finding this week which is always great.
We had stake conference and man it was sooo good!
Sorry I really don't have too much to say haha but something I came to realize this week is that we truly are never alone. that really, we always have God on our side and He'll prepare a way to make it all work out! I was reading a talk by President Eyring from the last conference because my lovely sister, Katie #shoutout inspired me to read all the general conference talks before the next conference. But he says: "Our desire to serve others is magnified by our gratitude for what the Savior has done for us. The first thing you must commit to do is to go and serve, knowing that you do not go alone. When you go to comfort and serve anyone for the Savior, He prepares the way before you."
how true is that? He really is watching out for each of us and He will help us as we strive to serve others!
Hope you have a great week! I love y'all!
Sister Tracy

1. in a bus like
2. we found a baby cactus in the middle of the street growing out of a manhole. you don't want to know how much effort taking this picture took
3. animals love me
4. we bike a lot.
5. pretty accurate representation of every day of our lives

Week 55: God is too great

This week was BEAUTIFUL.The weather and everything that happened. Oh man, I love being a missionary.
We had sisters p day and we went on exchanges!
And we also went to the TEMPLE. I love that place with all my heart. It really is the house of the Lord.
We got to dig a hole in some random nonmember's backyard this week and it was sooo fun haha I got to use a pick axe and it was great. He kept calling us his "white mexican crew" haha it was so fun.
We biked a lot this week and I got distracted while riding my bike and I ran straight into a street pole hahaha it was hilarious and of course, a member was driving by when it happened and saw and it was pretty great. We laughed for like 20 minutes over that one.
One cool thing that happened this week. So we've been trying to find new investigators and we talked about this week at district meeting how if we're doing what we should and do our best, investigators will just "fall into our laps." I was like okay, I'm ready for that man. So last night at like 10:00, the stake president from another stake calls us and is like I found this golden family that live in your area and I want you to come to my house and teach them. There are 4 of them and they are all older than 8 and he was so excited about them and said that they are so prepared. So we're teaching them soon and I'm so excited! Its so true that God provides a way :)
I hope y'all have a great week!
xoxo,
Sister Tracy

1. i love to see the temple!

2. all our sisters!
3. biking like a pro
4. i'm so strong :)
5. we made waffles on exchanges!
6. every day of our lives. sister kastner loves animals so much.
7. when i ran into the pole with my bike

Week 54: still blessed

I don't really have anything to say this week....
we went on exchanges twice and that was super fun! I love the sisters so much.
And ummmm yeah. that's pretty much it.
We did lots of finding and talking to people.
one cool story from this week:
We finally got in with an investigator we've been trying to get in with for weeks! In the past, she's said that she likes our teachings but that she would need a "neon sign" from God to join the church. So she said that she was talking to her dad the other day who is a pastor for another church and she decided to pull out the Book of Mormon to see how he would react. Obviously, he wasn't super happy to see it and tried to start contradicting it. But she said that she would just flip open the book to a random page and point at a verse and it would answer his contradiction in favor of the Book of Mormon. She said it happened time and time again until she finally left her dad's house that night. She said that she thought about it all night, and couldn't sleep that night. It was really neat to hear her talk about the power of the Book of Mormon, even though she doesn't know its true yet. So we're excited to go back and talk to her again and help her realize that that was probably the sign she has been looking for. #blessed it was a really neat experience.
We also were able to get in with lots of people this week that we normally don't. And we figured out that service is the way to peoples' hearts. We're digging a hole in some random guy's backyard this week and we're pretty stoked.
I've been flying through the gospels in the New Testament these last couple weeks and can I just say that I LOVE JESUS oh man. Like for real, He is so amazing. I love learning about Him and learning of His amazing example. He truly never forgets about us. One story that has always touched my heart since the first time I heard it when I was little was the story of Zacchaeus in Luke. He wants to see the Savior so badly but he can't see because there are too many people! So he climbs into a tree and Jesus Christ sees him and calls him down and spends time with him. It has always touched me how aware Christ is of all of us, no matter where we are! It is amazing to me.
That's about all I have to say this week! Hope y'all have a great week!
Love y'all!
Sister Tracy

Week 53: Happy 1 Year Mark!

Well I hit 1 year this week! Where in the world has time gone? It's crazy but I'm so grateful for all that I've been able to do and all I've learned in this past year. It sure doesn't feel like its been a year but I'm super blessed. I've never been happier than this past year!! #blessed
Well this week was great! Valerie got baptized this week! She is so amazing! She had to get baptized 3 times because she kept not going under the water haha but she said she felt super special because of that. It was so funny. She's come so far and she is seriously amazing. I love her so much! She is the best example to me! She was baptized into another church in the past and she said that when she was baptized before, that she didn't feel anything and so she went and got a beer. When she got out of the font after baptism in our church, we asked her how she felt and she said, "I don't feel like getting a beer!" She is so cute.
So we had a great week. It rained a lot but that was great.
This week in gospel principles class at church we were talking about the restoration of the church and how so many people made it possible. We were talking about Christopher Columbus and how he was very important in the restoration of the gospel. The teacher shared this quote by him:
"God gave me the faith and afterwards, the courage." -Christopher Colombus.
I love that! We have to have faith in God and then he will give us the courage and strength we need. I can promise you that!
Have a great week!
Love you!
Sister Tracy

Week 52: week of miracles

Oh man people. I know how much I say this, but this week was the best week ever. First of all, it started with me and Sister Kastner staying together! so unexpected but the greatest surprise of ever. we were so happy.
We went and talked to our investigator named Scott this week. And he went and read 1/4 of the Book of Mormon in one night! And then he told us he tried to come to church but turns out he actually went to the wrong church. He turned out at some jehovah witness church hahaha we laughed for days.
We got our investigator, Aaron on baptismal date for August 13th! It was amazing and he is making so much progress. We are so excited for him and the changes he is making in his life.
ALSO, one night, maybe a month or two ago, we were getting in our car to go home. And we look out the window and we see this guy and we look at each other and jump out of the car because we both knew we needed to talk to him. So we jump out of the car, we don't have anything with us and we just stop this guy named Jackson and talk to him. So we taught him a couple times and then we passed him off to YSA and he got BAPTIZED on saturday and we got to go and give talks! It was an incredible experience and he was so prepared!!!
Then, another cool experience. We were street contacting a bunch in this big park this week. So we're there for a while and then we decide to get going. So we hop on our bikes and start riding away. And as we're riding away, me and this guy, maybe late 20s? make eye contact and then we keep riding. And as we're riding away, I can't get this guy's face out of my head and I get this sick feeling in my stomach, the further away I get! I had this mental image of us in heaven and him coming up to me and asking me why I didn't talk to him. So I slam on my brakes and call Sister Kastner back and we go back and talk to this guy. His name is Dylan and he's so nice. He's really open and it turns out his mom tried to commit suicide this week and so we were able to help him and gave him a Book of Mormon and it was incredible. And I felt soooo much better after we talked to him! The Spirit really does lead us. Just follow it, okay? You'll feel so much better!
Hope y'all have a great week! I love you all!
Sister Tracy

1. with a plant hahaha
2. wearing our hair nets after we helped package food for children in Haiti!
3. at the baptism!
4. and again!
5. here's to 6 more weeks together!

Week 51: birthday week

Well this week was awesome!
We got to do lots of service for people and wear old woman clothes. That was super fun.
Also I had my birthday this week so that was awesome. I have the best companion in the whole world. She got up at 5 am to decorate for my birthday. Oh man I love her. Also I got to go to Texas Roadhouse for my birthday with a member and I got to eat a steak and it was the best day of my whole life. I love steak. We got to have 2 zone meetings and that was great.
All right so best story ever.
We stopped by this man's house. He was only semi interested and so we start to talk to him more. And we talk about the Book of Mormon and he became super interested. So he said that when he drives past our church, it makes him happy. So he said he wants to come to our church. And when he told us he wanted to come, he asked what to wear? We told him that most people wear white shirts and ties. And he was like a black tie? and we were like any colored tie. and he was like REALLY HOW PROGRESSIVE!!!!! hahaahah it was hilarious. so we're hoping to go back and see him this week! he was awesome!
my favorite scripture this week:
"If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful."
-D&C 136:29
Amen. God can give us all we need!
LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Tracy

ALSO PEOPLE ME AND SISTER KASTNER ARE STAYING TOGETHER!!!!!!! 3 TRANSFERS TOGETHER! ALSO 6 MONTHS IN THE SAME AREA. #BLESSED.
LOVE YOU ALL. GOD IS GREAT