June 12th 2013

Hi Family!

P-day is wednesday because we went to the temple today! Oh my goodness, it is gorgeous and huge! It was so wonderful to do a session and be reminded about the covenants I have made, it felt like going home just to have complete peace and comfort:) I guess Pres. Uctchdorf is coming here on saturday and having a meeting with all the temple workers. 

So this past saturday was Cynthia and Issac's baptism! I didn't really teach Cynthia, but I helped teach and prepare Issac to be baptized. The whole time I was just watching Issac and smiling to myself. He has autism, and Cynthia has said he has changed so much with his behavior! For a family that has tried everything and was ready to put him on medication it truly shows that "the study of the gospel improves behavior quicker than the study of behavior." I am so grateful to have been a part of their process and watch them change, and to hear her tell us all of the blessings she has seen just within the past 3-4 months. 

We've been working with a lady, Sonia since I got here but it's slow going and we're still not sure if she is going to put in the effort she needs to gain a testimony for herself and not just rely on her friends. It's sad, but we're trying our best to try and figure out how we can help her.

It's pretty easier to just walk around the street and find people to talk to, but like anything else you have to talk to a lot of people to find a good one:) Silverlake has so much potential, and we're just working on figuring out the best way we can find people to teach in the area. Most of the leaders in the ward live in our area, so every now and then we just focus really hard on establishing good relationships with the members.

The first counselor in the bishopric took us over to their neighbors house who is a less active family and introduced us to them. They are a great family, but went in active because they were offended:( We had dinner with them last night and we were talking about their missionaries, and she started to tear up and told us that she didn't want to fall in love with us because she knows that we all have to leave eventually. It was really sad because we love her already, and we really hope that we can find some people in the ward that will take her and her family under their wing, and they will feel comfortable enough to come back to church.

Spanish is...coming. This past week I have been really working on taking more advantage of the hour I have to study spanish with a textbook. My listening skills are improving, speaking slowly behind that, but my reading and especially writing are lacking a little but I guess those two will just come with time. 

Our new mission president is coming at the end of this month! It is so crazy that they are already switching! Yesterday we had a little bbq with President Baker and his wife with our zone as a little "departing missionary meeting". Time goes by so fast. Sure the days go by really slow sometimes especially when you are counting down the days till sunday or hours till you have a lesson with someone, but it comes and goes and the next thing you know it's weekly planning already! I hope I stay in my area for awhile because I feel like I am still just getting started and I don't want to have to start over, or put a halt on our progress so far.

It's hot every now and then but not too bad. I'm not complaining. They call this month June Gloom because it's so foggy(smog) and then I'm sure it's about to get really hot. I've been wearing my black shoes alot, and the bottom of one of them is getting a hole already! i should probably rotate what shoes I wear more frequently.

Everything else is going good, and I'm just trying to learn what I need to learn and grow as a missionary and a person. I am so grateful to be on a mission. I can truly say that I don't think I would have ever learned the things I need to learn if I hadn't come on a mission, and this is one of the most important things I can be doing right now. 

Love,

Hermana Ford