"As Sisters in Colorado" : Best P-day Ever!

Hello All!!

Sorry my letter is a little later than it usually is. But it was for a good reason! Guess what we got to do today on our P-day!? I will give you a little hint.

YUP! I got to walk a llama!!! Twas amazing:) There is a bishop here who owns llamas and found out that I love them and so he invited us over to walk them on our p-day! Hahaha.

Anyway, so now I will get to my week and the great things that are happening in Berthoud.

First of all, it is a new transfer and so that means there are new trials but also new wonderful things! So I will tell you a little about both:)

We have a new Zone Leader that I am pumped about!! We had the best zone meeting that I have been to yet, this week. It was interesting. Our zone, I'm not going to lie, when I first got here, I was like...is this what missionaries are like? They were so unfocused and just...not what they needed to be like, it really discouraged me. But I learned to just learn what I could and improve what I had control over. But this zone meeting, things turned around! At first, everyone was making light of everything that was going on and then Elder Petersen stood up and started his training. Oh man! I felt the missionaries in the room mature about 10 years in just the course of his training. The spirit was there and he said exactly what was needing to be said. I got so excited!! Ha. He reminds me of Jarom a bit actually. So he spoke about becoming a Preach My Gospel missionary, a true representative of Jesus Christ and doing the work the way that He wants us to do it. It was so good. Then Elder Haywood spoke about changing our vision to baptism. If we change our vision, our goals will change, our actions will change, our thoughts will change. Baptizing IS the Lord's way. We all prayed right then and set goals for this transfer. We set a zone goal of 30 baptisms. That is a pretty high goal but we know that the Lord will help us as we move forward in charity and love. I really got SO excited at that zone meeting. I realized that this mission can change and that we CAN become preach my gospel missionaries and that there are others in this mission that want that and are striving for it. I just can't express how excited that made me:).

Ahhh I have so much to write. Good thing I have time. So we taught Megan again this week. The bishop's referral. She said that when she was reading the Book of Mormon she didn't feel a spiritual connection to it yet. She liked it but she didn't feel any spirit from it yet. So we talked for a while. That is a tricky one. And I have found more answers while I have studied this week about how to help her. But at the time we talked about praying sincerely along with it, and we asked if we could pray about it right then. I have found that there is great power in praying with them right then. She was hesitant but we said we would say one first and then she could. She was able to pray and ask if the Book of Mormon is true and she said she felt peace while we were praying. But she is still unsure if it is right. It will come with time. We have a lesson at the church with her next Tuesday. Keep her in your prayers as she continues to read the Book of Mormon.

This week I have been striving even more to follow the spirit and teach by the spirit. I have had some neat experiences as I have done so. I have learned a few things. One-the spirit is most able to testify when I teach things are near to my heart and when I personalize what is being said instead of just speaking the lessons I know. Two-The Lord will fill your mouth and give you answers to others' questions that you didn't even know you had. I had an experience with this principle this week while teaching a member. She asked a tricky question at the end. She asked something about the priesthood and history with the blacks holding the priesthood. I can't even remember the exact question. But I just know that I opened my mouth and an answer came out that I didn't even know that I knew. And as I was saying it, it made total sense to me and to her. When I got done, she said, that makes complete sense now. And I was like...woah...did I just say that? haha. And my comp is looking at me like...what? Ha. So it was such a neat testimony builder that the Lord will fill your mouth with the words that need to be said.

It is also neat to see how we are able to receive revelation for the areas that we are serving over. This week, Sister M and I have been able to receive revelation on how to best help the work move forward, especially for this next transfer. One goal we have for ourselves, now that we have our focus on Christ, tangents aren't happening as much, haha, we have decided to set goals to say and do as Christ would say and do. Teaching by the spirit what the Savior would have us say not what we want to say. It is hard sometimes teaching with a companion because I have had times when I feel prompted to say something and then my comp keeps talking and then, my moment is past. Or she goes a different direction. But we are learning to "yield to each other" as it says in Preach my Gospel. It is just a tricky situation sometimes.

On Saturday we were able to teach two other lessons that were unplanned. It was amazing to see. There was a random potential investigator that we found the other day in the area book, which is weird because we have looked through that book so many times and didn't see her. So we decided to go knock on her door. She let us right in and started talking to us. Then she said she'd love to hear what we believed, so we taught her the whole first lesson about the Restoration of the church. She really loves the church she is a part of right now but was really interested to hear about Joseph Smith. She is a wonderful women and said she would stop by the church sometime. We are planning to go visit and teach her again soon.

Sunday was also a neat day. We stopped at a less-active's house, the one where the cops were at last time. :) And she was on the porch. We have been trying forever to talk to her. So we start going up and at first she was really mean. We asked, are you C? She was like, "Yeah, who's asking?" So we introduced ourselves and then we could tell she was a little cold towards the church when she told us that we would be wasting our time, but I just felt like we needed to keep talking to her. To let her know that she was NOT a waste of our time. So we just kept talking and I just asked her more about herself and slowly she became pretty warmed up to us and we had a good 15 minute conversation on the porch. We didn't feel like it was quite time to talk about the church all the way, we slipped in service and missions and some church related topics but she said we are welcome to come back and see her. It was neat to see her heart soften a little bit just by talking to us. We will continue to get to know her and see what she truly needs. Also that day, I was looking through the area book at the less-actives and a family's name stood out to me, which was weird...but I told sister M and we decided to go visit them. We got there and she invited us in and said, "Wow, you all are lucky to catch us home, we are NEVER home." That was an incredible blessing and an indication that the spirit was speaking to me. We talked to them and met their whole family except the dad. They have 4 kids 8 to 16. I think only the mom is a member but less-active for quite some time. But they are great! We got to know them and then said we would love to come and teach their family, and she was just fine with it. We shared a message with her that night and she was really touched by the spirit. It was neat to see. Hearts really do soften through the spirit.

This work truly is amazing and I am learning what it means to be a representative of Jesus Christ. It is such a testimony builder of the work and that we are doing the things we need to do when we go into people's homes and they let us know that they feel a special feeling when we are there. There have been so many times this week that we have heard that inviting us into their homes is like inviting the Savior into their homes. That is such an incredible honor to be a part of this great work and strive to say and do what the Savior would say and do. I love this work, and I love representing my Savior and Redeemer. I know that I'm not perfect at it, but I strive every day to become better and that is all we can do! Keep moving forward and always strive to do the things that our Savior would do. 3 Nephi 27:21 21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my ^agospel; and ye know the things that ye must ^bdo in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do.

I love you all!!! Thanks for your prayers. Also, here is my address for you all. Have a wonderful week!!!

Love,

Sister Young

Sister Karissa Young

Colorado Fort Collins Mission

5285 McWhinney Blvd., Suite 100

Loveland, CO 80538