So you know how I said I was going to report about a ton of events this week? Well let me tell you. . . opposition is real. So many of our events fell through this weekend. It was unbelievable. I truly think that something big is going to happen in the PVC soon. This tool is going to bring a lot of good to the world, and Satan is trying to stop it, and I intend to see it happen! I'm really trying to discover what Heavenly Father would have us do to help the mission catch the vision and to truly make a difference. We spent a lot of time on our knees, counseling with our district, and with President about it.
President suggested that we train the mission via. Webex on how they can most effectively use the PVC. That'll be great! Please pray that we'll be able to say the right words to inspire all of these missionaries! This isn't to help us feel like we're busy. The PVC can really be pivotal for missionary work in an area! I love President Packard. He's an incredible man, and he and his wife have earned my love and loyalty forever. He was able to speak directly to my needs this week and provide me with a beautiful blessing.
We went to round 2 of the Billerica U-Nights, or as they're now calling them, "Night of Light"s. :) Two investigators and a non-member attended, our 4 best videos were shown, testimonies were born, and Sister Bybee and I were able to stand and testify of being able to receive answers to our questions through the Book of Mormon. It was beautiful! Sister Bybee has an amazing testimony and an incredible spirit. We have become great friends.
We also drove out to Gardner for an event. They were showing "Meet the Mormons" at the chapel, and we set up our largest displays. I was skeptical of the level of success, but people were drawn to the displays and watched video after video! Sister Bybee and I made friends with a man who had a lot of the right questions. I love sharing what I know to be true with others. We told him about modern-day prophets and revelation, and a light seemed to flick on in his eyes. :)
We did a lot more projects! Which was kind of cool! Do you remember how I said we did Haitian Creole audio recording so we could put it to the videos we have? Well we met up with the Haitianaries this week (that's what we call the Haitian missionaries) Elder Walker and Elder Rice. We all sat down, and together we were able to match up the recordings, piece by piece, to the videos! And when they left I was able to cut and loop and match music tracks to the videos. Now we have two, almost three, COMPLETE Haitian videos. Powerful ones, 100% developed in the MBM. Isn't that so cool??? I'll see if I can send out the English version and the Haitian version of one of them, so you can see what I'm talking about. It's called Christ's Church, and it's the best one ever done. President Packard thought of the whole script in a dream, and it's his voice speaking in the English version. (Missionary friends, feel free to use this video!!! Greatest Restoration in a nutshell I've ever seen!) Anyway, when we finish all of the videos, we'll be able to start attending Haitian events and running Haitian Open Houses! :) :) :)
Oh, and there was a Regional Broadcast for the North-Eastern US on Sunday, streaming from Salt Lake! It was really cool! Elder Hales and Elder Anderson spoke to us, and somehow it seemed much more personal than General Conference. We're so blessed to be able to uplift and strengthen each other from such distances.
I hope you all know how much I love the gospel. I'm so grateful to be here on a mission. And even though I'm not doing typical missionary work, everything I do is still centered on bringing others to Christ. That has made all of the difference, and I wouldn't trade my experiences here for the world. I've changed so much. I hardly recognize who I was, and I hope I can keep changing through my Savior and His teachings. I am a witness that the Atonement is real; I am a witness that Christ lives. And that's the best news in the world.
I feel like I've learned so much this week, but a recurring theme that has really imprinted itself upon my heart is that everything happens for a reason. For example, at the beginning of the week Sister Bybee and I called all of the scheduled events for the weekend to confirm and work out details. Every single one of them cancelled. That never happens. It was crazy! Apparently there was something else the Lord needed us to do! So we prepped ourselves for a long week in the office and tackled some of our projects!
Luckily the weather has been nice of us for us to walk to and from the office every day. I think I would have gone crazy if we didn't get a chance to stretch our legs! And that gives us a chance to contact people. :) At the office, Sister Bybee and I worked on creating a new temple video, did lots of research for our Primary event, worked on the New Member Brochure and re-vamped our Facebook page! (You should check it out--it has pictures of the PVC, some videos we show, and we're going to start updating our statuses to show off what we're doing at events! www.facebook.com/mbmpvc .) Lots and lots of great things that would probably bore you if I explained. . . but the end product you'll love!
In the middle of the week, randomly, we got a call from the Longfellow Park Sisters, who wanted to see if we happened to be free Sunday to attend a baptism of theirs! I am so grateful they called us. That was definitely a huge part of the reason our other events cancelled. That baptism was amazing and so worth going to. This sweet, sweet woman named Nadia was baptized. Sister Couto and I had given her a tour through the PVC before. Her story is amazing and she is a very special person. She recognized truth when she saw it, and she understood the importance. She invited so many of her friends to come, and while she was getting changed, we showed the videos on our Jesus Christ display. One of her good friends was in tears the whole time. I love when the PVC makes a difference. I wish you could all have heard her tender, emotional testimony. The bishop also, surprisingly, turned the time over to us after we showed the videos. So we had the unique opportunity to verbally testify of the Savior at a baptism. I love my Savior. I am grateful for that opportunity.
Another reason why I've been thinking about how everything happens for a reason is Sister Bybee. She's the greatest. All of my companions have been so different from each other, but I love them all so much. I have learned so much from her already. She's really smart and makes connections I never would have made. She puts things into a beautiful perspective for me. We have the most meaningful talks and companionship studies, and we've already been able to be a much-needed support to each other. We came together at exactly the right point in our missions. I know Heavenly Father wanted us to be friends, I know that this is how He wanted us to bond, and I know He is in the details.
Now I have to tell you a little about today! Today was crazy!!!!!! SOOOOO crazy. Happy Patriot's Day! That's a big big deal here in New England. Which is so fun. :) Also, today was MARATHON day! And the Red Sox game. So here's what happened. President Packard looooves history. To the point where he gave all of the closest zones permission to see the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington at 6:00 AM! It's a big event. We had to be there at 4:00 AM only to see it! And that means I was awake at 3 this morning. Also, I drive a Spaceship, so I was the chauffeur for many missionaries. :) It was about a 20 minute reenactment of how the American Revolution started, right there in Lexington Square, where it really happened. It was really neat! The Revolution opened the doors for the Restoration! This is sacred history! I'm in a sacred place. :)
After the reenactment, we drove back, shopped, and headed into Boston! The roads were a nightmare. So many of the main roads were blocked off for the marathon. I must have turned around 20 times. We were all going crazy! But we finally made it, parked in Cambridge, and walked over into Boston to see the marathon and explore. We had so much fun! The only problem was it rained. Really really really badly. Combined with how far we had to walk, and the drop in temperature, it was pretty miserable by the end. Looked like I'd gone for a swim! I'm still warming up, and I'm pretty sure my hair hasn't been this curly since I lived in Florida! I'll attach some pictures though. It was so fun. :) Lots of missionaries went to the Red Sox game, too.
Thanks for everything! Keep me posted on life, and I'll report about a lot of events next week--we have a full upcoming schedule!
Wasn't Easter Weekend and General Conference wonderful?? It was the perfect upliftment I needed, complete with personal revelation and stirrings of the Spirit! I hope we'll all run, not walk, to take this inspired counsel to better ourselves and to depend more and more upon our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I have had a crazy whirlwind of a week. :) Lots of crazy news--lots of crazy happenings! Here's the skinny--
The first half of the week was a little less frantic. We actually drove to Belmont on Tuesday! My last area! On the way to a meeting, we stopped in to see Susan, if you remember her! She's the greatest. :) I love seeing friends again. Her tummy is bigger than ever, and she's glowing with excitement to be a mom! We had a great chat with her and her husband, then took off for our meeting with Sister Sattler, the Primary President of Belmont 1st ward. She's the greatest! She invited her secretary to the meeting, and we spent over two hours brainstorming and planning for the amazing Primary PVC events we're going to start! I'm so excited--this is so inspired. I'll have to share with you videos we're making and pictures of the activities we're going to do!
I can't resist. Skipping ahead to the big news. Friday morning, during companionship studies, our phone rang. It was President and Sister Packard. We were cheerful and totally oblivious, and he said, "Sister Couto! You're getting released as a Portable Visitors' Center Sister and called to be a Sister Training Leader! How do you feel about that?" Whaaaat???? We were sure we had another transfer together!!!! I'm always wrong, I know, but. . . still!!! We could hardly believe it. He told her she'd be close if I needed her help with the Adobe Programs and such. He told me my new companion was a "Spanish speaker with fire!" And then he hung up! So that left us speculating and going crazy for the next few hours, until transfer texts came in at 1:00. Hahahaha, Sister Couto is transferred to Weston 2nd ward! Which means she's in my old area, in my district, and now my Sister Training Leader! How crazy is that? As for my new companion, it'sSister Bybee!!!! Do you remember when Sister Godoy and I split up to train? Well Sister Godoy left me to train Sister Bybee. She's awesome and confident and funny and brilliant. I'm so excited!!!!
Okay, so we got T-texts when we were packing up the Spaceship at the Storage Unit, then we took off for our next events! We took the long drive to Norwich, CT. That's where the next Missionary Easter Fireside was going to be. I was pretty bummed that we weren't going to be watching it again. It was so good. Waterbury had booked us for a chapel tour, though, so all we could do was set up a display in Norwich before heading out to the tour. The missionaries let us in, then left for an appointment. Miracle happened here. While setting up, we realized we were missing part of the display, so we ran out to the Spaceship to grab it. When we turned back around, we realized a few things very quickly. 1) All of the chapel doors were locked. 2) Our phone was inside the chapel. 3) No one was even close to our area.
I think our reaction was a mark of the faith we've developed as missionaries. In this dire situation, (we were also on an inescapable time-crunch) within seconds we were on our knees, praying on the sidewalk for guidance and direction. We expressed our knowledge that He is mindful of us and all-powerful, that He could help us, and then we stood to try all of the chapel doors, just to make sure. When we got to the last one and found it locked, I noticed a keypad by the door--one that I knew held a key to the chapel inside. It was one of those that you have to spin to the right number combination before it unlocks. I said another quick prayer in my head and followed the prompting to try changing the very last number on the keypad. I started at zero and started going up, and at five, it clicked open, and there was a key to the chapel. Before even unlocking the door, we were back on our knees, thanking our Father in Heaven for his hand in our lives and his immediate answer to our plea for help.
After that miracle, we raced over to the Waterbury Chapel (1 1/2 hour drive) and set up for a church tour there! We had a mixture of Spanish and English displays to accommodate the diversity. A lot of missionaries were there, and I was truly impressed with the turn-out of members and less-actives! We felt the Spirit as we gave tours in different languages. I love guiding tours and testifying of the truths I know.
When the event ended, we took down everything and drove back to Norwich. We must have gotten to bed at midnight (different schedule as a PVC sister) and had to wake up early the next morning! We hear the Fireside went well, and we took down the display and drove to Brockton to set up another! Then we drove all the way back home, making it in time for the first session of General Conference with the Algers. :) They're so sweet. They had a wonderful lunch out for us. General Conference was incredible! I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! Second session of General Conference we enjoyed at the Dowlings' home! They're as wonderful as ever!
Easter Sunday was beautiful--and the most chaotic. I'm grateful for the trust I have in my Savior making up for all of my short-comings and mistakes, otherwise I don't think I would have made it through yesterday! After a fabulous Easter breakfast with the Algers, the Johnsons, and the Marlborough Elders (picture included) we drove into Boston for our first ever Portuguese Chapel Tour! It was Sister Couto's first area, and she was so excited. Unforunately, we weren't as prepared as we should have been. While Sister Couto was setting up the displays, I was frantically trying to download the last Portuguese videos we'd created/cut onto all of the iPads. We finished setting everything up, enjoyed the morning session of General Conference immensely, then ran to start tours. Everything seemed to go wrong. Videos wouldn't play, sound would cut out, screens would go black, adapters wouldn't work, Apple TVs refused to connect-- everything. Somehow, somehow, the Elders giving the tours managed to play a few things and let those on tours still feel the Spirit. We still don't know what happened. We're going to test run everything before she leaves.
I loved the rest of General Conference. I can't wait to put what I learned into action, and continue to dance to the music of the gospel. I can't wait to become more of what my Father in heaven sees that I can become. I'm nervous to show a new companion what being a Portable Visitors' Center missionary is all about, but it's overshadowed by the confidence that I have in the Lord preparing the way before me. As I push forward in faith, I'll be able to accomplish with Sister Bybee and the Lord much, much more than I could ever hope to on my own. Please pray that I'll be able to figure out these advanced Adobe programs quickly, so I can create Haitian Creole translated videos successfully (among other projects)!
Thanks for everything! I love you and pray for you all, and I'm grateful beyond words for the support and love I feel from home!
Can you believe I'm on companion 11??? That's crazy. :) I have to tell you about my new companion! Sister Bybee is great! I love her lots. She's so smart, extremely good with people, confident, and funny! She's an English major, like me. We laugh at the same things, notice the same things, say the same phrases. We're both on a fabulous health kick, and I'm confident we're going to have an incredible transfer. She's already adjusting to the PVC quite nicely. :)
So transfer meeting was beautiful, as usual. The departing testimonies were inspiring and the greenies have fire! I said goodbye to Sister Couto (but not really--she's my Sister Training Leader) and we were off on a new chapter of our missions! Here's the really funny thing--our Open House Events this weekend were in Providence SP and Central Falls. Both of our old areas!!! Pretty great!
It was so much fun. Both tours had success, but not as much as they had potential for. We talked about training the missionaries instead of the members. I like that idea. If we go to Zone Conferences and explain to the missionaries how they can make the PVC the most successful in their area, we could really start moving mountains.
I got to see Bishop, the Frandsens, Sister Gaboriault, Diane, and I even stopped by the Barnwells and Danielle!!!! It's always great to see old friends. Haha, and at the same time we were at these events, Sister Couto and Sister Asay took another display to a Family History Convention. So great to have a Sister Training Leader who can really help out with the PVC! It was a little stressful, though, because we didn't give them the base for the poles and they had to drive down and meet up with us. . . Ahh! It all worked out. Our technology glitches are killing me, though. We can't figure them out. And adapters break so easily.
It's fun showing someone what being a Portable Visitors' Center Sister is all about! Prayers would be appreciated. We've got a lot to do!
