December 17, 2019

Hello hello!

Alright everyone, this week was probably the greatest week in the mission because SO many great things happened! First off, we had our Christmas zone conference this week and it was so much fun! WEdrove up with the Yarmouth sisters which was a party. Sister Call is sister Christensen's new trainee and she is just the cutest! I am so lucky to be over such great sisters. We each brought a gift and did a gift exchange. It was wild! There was a talent show and I was so impressed by all of the talent that is in our zone! I love all these missionaries. I never thought I would ever have so many friends haha!
We also had a really great lesson with Silvia! We showed up and she had presents waiting for us under her tree! It was so sweet of her! It said from Silvia and Loner (the cat) hehe! We had a super great lesson with her and showed her the Christ Child video. She LOVED it!
We had supper with a nonmember too! His name is Patrick. We met him a couple weeks ago because elder Hatch told us to go back and visit him so we did! and he invited us over for shrimp and scallops! When we got there, there was another couple from France!! French!! We get so excited when we get the chance to use our French! They said that we sounded fluent like we had been speaking for years. That made me feel so good about myself even though I'm sure she was just being nice haha! We had a really good conversation with them and watched the Christ Child video. (Seriously if you have not seen this video, go watch it right now! It's so powerful!)
We also met a cool guy named Doyle who said we could come back, so that was great!
One of my favorite parts of this week was that we had a super great lesson with Brian in a member's home AND my brother jesse got to call in and help us teach him! I am so glad he did, because when Jesse bore his testimony about fasting, it really clicked with Brian. He explained it exactly the way that Brian needed to hear it to understand it! Oh my goodness I am so so proud of him. He is going to be a stellar missionary!! I am so proud to be the sister of such a good young man. He is going to see miracles and become such a powerful tool in the Lord's hands.

We also got a call this week froma a woman named Darlene. She told us that she had some questions for us and that she was looking to "join the Latter Day Saints" I remember that she had been found several months ago by sister Clark on exchanges but we hadn't been able to get ahold of her so nothing ever really came out of it. But anyways, we went over and it turns out that she is the neighbor of one of the members here! In fact, this member had told us about her neighbor on several occasions. When we saw all of the ways this worked put we knew that this was no coincidence. I don't think I have ever met anyone so truly prepared. We came in there and she told us that she had already decided to stop smoking and drinking coffee and anything else that was required to become a member. She had been talking with her aunt who is a member in New Minas and she really wants to become a part of this church. She has been through some really really hard things and it is so easy to see how the Lord has been preparing her for this moment in her life. She has no idea how much joy and blessings await her. I have so much love for her and I can feel how much the Savior loves her too.

I know that the Lord knows us. He knows our trials he knows our victories, he knows us. he has known us since before this whole thing started and he has everything worked out for us to succeed gloriously. I can't articulate the love he has for us because it's not of this world. But I know how it feels and I never want to leave him. I just really know that he knows what we need and every single thing he does is for us and for our joy. I love my Savior. I know that he lives. I know who I am to him and it makes me want to be better

Love, sister Bates