Called To Serve: Hard to Say Goodbye....

This week has been so good!! It started out a little emotional but it
is all good now :) Monday we had departing dinner with the Taylor's
and some of my favorite people were there that I haven't seen in a
long time so it was really good to meet up with them again. We ate and
then sat around to listen to president give us life advice. He talked
a lot about paying tithes and fasting and accepting callings. It was
really awesome. I can't quite describe the night haha but it was
awesome. At the end before everyone went home we let off lanterns in
his backyard. Two flew into the tree....thankfully nothing was let on
fire, but Sis Black ripped ours so it didn't really go anywhere. That
night we stayed the night at presidents and then went up to Longview
for zone conference the next day. We also had exit interviews with
president and departing testimonies. It was all just so much in two
days. At the end of zone conference we all went up and said goodbye to
President and Sister Taylor. It was rough. They leave next Wednesday
and then President and Sister Mccateer come in from Canada. We are
excited to welcome them in but so hard to say goodbye.

The rest of the week went good as well. We kept meeting with Alexis
and she is doing so great. She had her interview this weekend and is
all set for baptism on Wednesday! So pumped. It has been so amazing
being part of her teaching and teaching Ashleyanne. They are wonderful
young women and I have been able to see them change through learning the
gospel. That is why it is all worth it. The long and hard weeks that
turn into months so one person can enter onto the path back to our
father in heaven. It's amazing.

We were able to find a few new people to teach this week. We talked to
them just briefly in the porch but they were interested in us coming
back to see them! So hopefully that all goes well this week. We talked
to them about the Book of Mormon and the restoration and so now we
get to go back and testify more. We really feel the pressure setting
in to find and bear testimony in these last three weeks. It seems so
unreal and far away. But also coming so fast. But thankfully I have an
awesome companion and we keep each other motivated! Going hard until
the end.

We had an awesome ward party this week, it was a luau, and it was
massive. A lot of people brought non member friends and we may have a
new investigator from one of them. She was given a Book of Mormon and
invited to read it so we will see how that goes. But it was way good
food. We stood in the serving line and so we were super tired but the
Eddingtons took us out to DQ after. I'll miss them so much! And
everyone here, this has been an amazing area to serve in.

Some interesting facts from this week was we saw a vulture land in the
road....it was gross....and I accidentally ran over a bird....it was
just a poof of feathers. It was so sad. But then we got the left over
cinnamon rolls from Father's Day so it all kind of worked out :)

Life is good. The mission is good. I love you all so much! Have a
fantastic week!

Sister Stephens