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

Week 50: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY #BLESSED

WELL I AM SO GRATEFUL TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY AND TO BE SO BLESSED. GOD IS GREAT. AND AMERICA IS GREAT.
Well this week was pretty good! We did lots of finding and got to talk to TONS of people which was awesome. Our investigators are all kinda on the struggle bus but that's okay! The time will come that it will all work out and they will get baptized. I really came to realize this week that the Lord's work will be done in His way so as long as we do our part, it will all work out.
I've also learned that God will guide us to where we need to be if we will just do it! We saw that a lot this week that God leads us to who we need to talk to. Sister Kastner said that we should bike a different way home one night and I was like okay sounds good. And we ended up contacting this lady we've been trying to contact for weeks and she was interested and invited us back! #tendermercies. God truly does prepare a way.
best part of the week though, we got to go hiking in this beautiful canyon on the 4th of july. I've never been happier and it was so fun. I felt like a baby goat hahha oh man it was great. Colorado is so beautiful and God truly did  create the best world for us to live in. #blessed

ps we got matching bike necklaces to wear while we bike. too cute.

Week 49: 11 months #whatishappening

Well this week I hit 11 months and that is craaaaaaazy. Time is flying.
We had a great week. It was a little slower but things all worked out! We got to do a ton of service this week and it was awesome. We were out doing yard work for like 3 hours in the middle of the day and MAN was it hot. But the mom, who isn't a member was like, "I'm so glad you came but most of all, I'm so glad that you want to be here! I can tell that you are so happy to be doing this!" And I was just like of course! Its the best! So its been great.
Funny story from this week: we were biking a TON this week and we had to cross through this huge field but we didn't want to ride our bikes through it because then we would get these satanic little thorns called goatheads in our tires and it pops them and they've been popped one too many times. So we decided to carry them through this field and then back and man were they heavy but it was soooo funny hahaha
We went on exchanges this week and that was fun!
Valerie came to church this week for the first time and we were SO HAPPY. She loved church and assured us she would be back next week!!
Also, Richard and Diane should be baptized this weekend and we're so excited! Pray for them that all will work out there! they are the best.
I really came to know this week how much God loves us. I love Elder Holland's talk from the last conference. I love this quote:
"My brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and keep extending that grace to our neighbor."
Never forget how much God loves you and that I love you too!
Sister Tracy

1. a large jar of chocolate someone gave us. #blessed.
2. CHICKEN
3. she's so cute
4. accidental twinning on exchanges
5. CARRYING OUR BIKES