Dear Family,
Sometimes, I feel like the most noteworthy things that happen during the week that I would want to tell you always happen on Monday....after I have already emailed you. So, the last thing I think I told you about Sister Shepherd was last Saturday she was super pumped about realizing that she truly wanted to be out here. Well, Monday afternoon she just started feeling bad again and after a little bit I left her in our room to pray and ask whether she was suppose to be out here or whether it was God's will that she should go home(we have never really talked about the option of going home because we just focused on doing the best she could and try and get better while still dealing with all the work). After a while she came out of the room and we just hugged each other for the longest time, and she looked at me and said, "I think I need to go home." so we just sat there crying for the longest time. The difference between the way she "felt" before and after she prayed was a complete 180. There is no way either of us could deny the peace she felt about receiving the answer that she did good her and that she needed to go home. Her peace and the burden that was lifted off of her was SO tangible!
It's funny that last week I said that if she went home I would be lying if I didn't feel responsible if she went home, but I kept thinking after I sent you all that and in my heart I knew that was a lie. I did everything that I could and that God wanted me to do, and I don't regret anything I did to help her, and I don't think I could have done anymore. Those 7 1/2 weeks were one of the most spiritually enriching and growing time I feel like I have had on my mission. So Friday night we took her up to the mission office and she was home by Saturday afternoon. So right now I'm with Sister Young and Sister Jarmon in the same ward so we are covering their's and my area till Wednesday and then a new missionary from France is coming in that I will be training. On the way back leaving the mission office after dropping off Sister Shepherd I was just thinking how much God has been answering my prayers lately. Before Sister Shepherd and I became companions I had just been praying for someone that I could be a mother to and just serve so much! I don't know why I started to have the urge to just take care of someone but God prepared my heart to love her from the first day and he could not have answered that prayer anymore perfectly. And then the past few transfers I have been praying to be more diligent and just be a harder worker like I felt like I was at the beginning of the mission, and even though my work ethic shouldn't depend on the people around me they do:) And what do I get!? I become a trainer! I am super freaked out, but I can't complain because training is the perfect test and opportunity to be exactly obedient and just get rid of all those little things that I know I can improve on. I was super tired emotionally, so I was a little worried about having the energy and enthusiasm to train, but Sister Young is an endless put of energy and enthusiasm:) We have been joking about being companions since the MTC, but now that we are we know President Weidman would never put us together. We would have way too much fun:) Even though I'm with people I love right now I feel lost. Sister Shepherd and I had grown so close, and I enjoyed her as a companion so much! It's an adjustment and it's a hard one, but I'll see her soon:) I have never prayed so hard as much as I have these past few months to develop certain qualities, so I know that these 2 companions are just Heavenly Fathers way of helping me out with those desires:)
As far as work, we have a little miracle with an awesome new investigator! His name is Jose. We gave him an LA english one day really quickly in a little market because we were running late getting to the church, but he actually showed up to class, and during the spiritual thought he started telling US about Joseph Smith and told another student to read the Book of Mormon as he quoted Moroni 10:3-5! We were just thinking, "who is this guy!?" Anyways, apparently he had gone to church for 3 years back in Salvador about 5-7 years ago! So he came to church last week, and is super stoked for general conference. We taught him the next class about Thomas S. Monson and he seemed so surprised so it makes me think that there are still people in the world that aren't connected to this fast paced internet world. Weird right? Just kidding. We haven't been able to set a baptismal date with him yet:( BUT I have no doubt that he can be baptized this transfer.
I love you so much! Thank you for all your prayers! God truly does answer prayers no matter what they are as long as they are righteous desires:)
Love,
Hermana Ford
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