I hope your weeks were wonderful! Mine was. And it was probably the single most insane week of my life as a missionary, as well! I haven't stopped once since last Tuesday. It's been a whirlwind of movement and adventure and the Spirit. Sister Moss and I have needed to rely upon the enabling power of the Atonement, because without Him we wouldn't have had the stamina to make it through these last few days (hence the subject line). We've truly had tender mercy upon tender mercy that has carried us through this week, and strength beyond our normal capacities.
Let me see if I can give you the highlights! Last Tuesday we had another Night of Light event in Billerica (goodness, was that really last week??). It is so different each time, because I've always had a different companion. This time it was Sister Bybee, Sister Cruz and I! It was really neat to hear their testimonies in that kind of a setting. Tears were shed, the spirit was strong, the videos were beautiful, and the event was combined with a baptism! This woman has been investigating for a long time. It was a special occaision.
Wednesday was transfers! We didn't stop! We had to get up early to help out with different missionaries luggage, finish packing, frantically clean the house, get to the Weston chapel to set up displays for transfer meeting. . . and THEN Sister Moss came and met us early! We had permission to go shopping before our long road trip. Oh my goodness. She's the best. Sister Moss is a burst of sunshine! She's happy and a beautiful, tall blonde. She's consecrated and outgoing and so excited for her last 6 weeks. I'm glad we're not stopping. It's perfect for her sprint to the finish.
So for the first full day together we went to Springfield for an Open House! All of the displays went up, all of the missionaries in the Zone came and hit the streets. There was a lot less foot-traffic there, but they worked hard, and we had success! There was a slow, steady stream of people who came out for the Open House. It was beautiful. One man named Pierre walked in and took a tour with Sister Moss and I. He came because a member in the ward sent out a Facebook invite! How cool???
That night we drove down to Canton and spent the night there. Hahah, we forgot our air mattress, so we ended up crashing on the armchairs. Not the most comfortable night. But it was perfect, because we were close for the next day--another Open House in Hartford. Remember how amazing it was last time? Well this time it was specifically for the Spanish group, and it was every bit as awesome! I love those people we contacted! It was a beautiful day, so many people stopped and watched the videos and took tours. We taught ministers and teenagers, families and single grandparents. I contacted one woman in sign language!Tour after tour was so powerful, and we were backed up by the whole Hartford Zone. I'm so happy.
We had to break everything down and head out so late. We got home at 1 AM, and then we had to wake up EARLY to get ready and scramble out the door for a trip to Billerica! We hardly had time to shower, and we were getting really tired. Also, Sister Cruz and Sister Couto helped us out and attended a different event we couldn't get to, so we had to pick up the displays. And when we were setting up for the Family History Convention in Billerica, we were going crazy because we couldn't find the Allen wrench. Amazing how one little tool can be detrimental to a whole display. But the Lord loves us and we found it! It was neat to set up some displays there. And the Bishop bought us lunch from the Boy Scout fundraiser. :)
Next stop was Worcester! We set up God's Plan and Temples for a Wedding Reception. My first Wedding Reception for the PVC! And you know what? It was so successful. Because the missionaries were determined to make it so! They had 52 non-members at that event, and they pulled out over 15 of them and gave them mini tours, complete with beautiful videos about God's Plan for us and how significant we believe marriage really is. They got return appointments and contact info and Book of Mormons passed out! It was in Spanish though, so I wasn't of much help.
We headed BACK to Worcester the next day, which was Sunday. As we were driving, the gas light flicked on. YIKES! We were so unprepared for the Sabbath! We prayed and held our breath and drove all the way there. Once there, we set up the whole shebang for their church. It was a different experience. We taught separate classes about the PVC as a missionary aid and gave lots of people tours through. It's very different when you're teaching members, though. I like to emphasize how inspired it all is, and how blessed we are to have it in the MBM. I was about ready to collapse at that point, though. We were there ALL day. When we finally got all the equipment taken down and loaded in the Spaceship again, it was about 7:00. And we had to drive all the way home. Our van said that we had just a little longer drive to get home than we could make on the gas we had. But we had no other option, so we prayed and crept home. . . we drove the last five minutes with 0 miles left to drive.Tender mercy that we made it back.
We crashed for an hour nap, then had to wake up again for a conference call with President Haight (at 9:00 pm) about our New Member Brochure! Sister Moss actually didn't wake up. :) I don't blame her. We got things figured out, then I made a few frantic phone calls to figure out splits for the next day. The Lord really really loves us. Somehow we got it worked out, so that Sister Moss could go to the recent convert temple trip yesterday with her old companion to see all these people she loves in the temple, while I went with her old companion's companion to Newport for a Memorial Day Barbecue! Make sense? I know it's confusing. But Sister Moss was so excited! So my companion for the day was Sister Black all yesterday! We set up two of our displays for the barbecue and had a lot of fun outside. Less-actives and part-member families came through to see the videos, and even a woman who lived across the street! It was wonderful!
So that's been my hectic week! I probably bored you with all the details--sorry! It was just so hard to condense it all! I love Sister Moss so so so so much! Can't wait for 5 more weeks with her!!!!
It has been an incredible week! I love being in a trio--my companions are the best! We had so much fun, did so many great things, and have some crazy news!
First of all, off and on throughout the week I was a normal missionary with teaching appointments. :D That was fun. We went out to Marlborough to help Sister Cruz in her area. Mostly for member dinners, which was nice! We had two teaching appointments where I contributed absolutely nothing, though, because they were in Portuguese. Haha. I can probably say about 50 words in Portuguese now! I'm slowly improving. ;)
We went up to Merrimack to give a PVC training during district meeting, which went well! The next day we split up. Sister Cruz and Sister Bybee went out to Springfield to train them and help prep them for their upcoming tour, and I went with our Sister Training Leaders in Weston, Sister Couto and Sister Asay, for half the day! We were able to meet up with Kevin and Katie LaBarge for breakfast, and that was so fun. I love them. :)
Later in the day we were driving to Nashua for a wedding of one of Sister Bybee's investigators. . . when we got a phone call from President Packard. TRANSFER NEWS. Can you believe it's already been a transfer??? Okay, here's the big news!!!!
. . . Sister Bybee is leaving me already. Going to Boston Spanish.
Sister MOSS, who I know and love dearly, is coming into the PVC. But she goes home in 6 more weeks.
So Sister CRUZ, whose life dream was to be a Visitors' Center Missionary, gets to go back to her area (Marlborough) for this next transfer and show someone else around REALLY REALLY well, because after this transfer, she'll come back to the PVC and be my companion until I go home.
Get all that?? :D :D :D :D :D :D I'm so excited!!!! I love these people! It's so weird that I already know all of my companions. And that I've been companions with Sister Lima, Sister Cruz, and Sister Couto, all who came out together. It's crazy that I'll be spending half of my mission as a Portable Visitors' Center missionary. But everything feels right and makes so much sense. I needed Sister Bybee as a companion. She did great things with the PVC, but she belongs in the hub of typical missionary life, teaching constantly. I'm so excited for her in downtown Boston!
The next day we drove two and a half hours out to a teeny little town called Chester in Massachusetts. They had a parade they wanted us to set up for! It was nice. :) I'll have to attach some pictures. We contacted a lot of people, but it was interesting how none of them seemed to have any religious background or interest. We did have a couple of potential investigators, though. One of the Elders contacted the clown on stilts.
There was a baptism in Brockton we attended. Sister Cruz had the opportunity to stand up and testify of the content of the videos we showed, because everything was in Portuguese. One of their investigators stayed after and watched every video we had. :)
So the last big news is that Sister Bybee and I were asked to sing at transfer meeting! Oh my goodness! I'm really excited. We're singing Alive by Natalie Grant. It's a beautiful song and really powerful. I'm praying that we'll be able to sing our hearts out and bring the Spirit into the meeting. I've only heard spectacular musical numbers at these meetings, and not only do I want to live up to it, but I want to contribute. I can't wait to share my testimony through song!
Thanks again for everything! All of your love and support means the world. Hold tight, I'll be sending some great pictures, because Sister Cruz is a talented photographer!
It seems to me that every time you feel like you're getting something, Heavenly Father makes things more challenging. Which is so good. What a blessing that we can keep learning all the time, and still feel dependent upon Him for constant guidance. The challenges this week were positive, too! We're upping workload and responsibility. :)
So guess what?? It was Sister Bybee's 20th birthday this week!!!! How great is that? We had so much fun together. :) We went to a cute little seafood restaurant to celebrate Monday night. Tuesday was her actual birthday. It was the best, because we were supposed to give a training to the whole mission via. WebEx that day. Sister Bybee wanted to be early to the office to be prepared, but I was desperately trying to stall, because I knew that the district was decorating the whole office for a surprise! Hahaha, it was so funny to see her reaction when she walked in! The Packards and the Weston Sisters and all of the office missionaries were there! And we had a lunch celebration!
As for the WebEx, it was really good! I thought I'd be nervous, training 300+ missionaries, but since I couldn't see them I was just fine! The Hartford Elders testified of the miracles from last week, we explained how everyone can effectively use the PVC, and President basically told everyone that it would be SILLY to not use such an incredible resource. Wasteful, even. :) He also told them to call us and invite us to district and Zone Meetings to train them on how they could use the PVC in their specific areas. So neat! So we got slammed with a bajillion texts after. We are BOOKED for the month of May! It's going to be so great!
The next day we went to 3 different things! Bright and early we drove to Nashua, New Hampshire and set up a couple of displays for an Interfaith Council. Then we left the displays there and ran to MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference). There we gave another training, this time to all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. It was more personal with all of them. We set up the Restoration display and showed them some of the new videos we have. We talked more about the miracles and how they could make it work even if their building is not located in a high foot-traffic area. President got all excited and told everyone about the inspiration behind the Portable Visitors' Center. It really made everyone appreciate what we have more.
That night we went all the way out to Springfield again! This sweet sister just got off her mission, and we set up a display for a fireside she was doing to tell everyone of her experiences. :)
Thursday we picked up the displays from Nashua again and stopped by someone Sister Bybee had taught. IT was good for them to reconnect! We're going to her wedding soon! Anyway, because of the visit we were running behind to a baptism in Boston. . . and then we hit rush hour. I kid you not, a 1:20 drive took us nearly three hours. We were so so so late. It was terrible! The blessing, however, was that so was everyone else. I should have guessed. Portuguese baptisms always start sooooo late.
Friday was Zone Meeting. There we gave another training, this time to our very own Zone! We discussed the strengths of the wards in the Boston West Zone, and how we could capitalize on those for successful events with the PVC! And the Zone Leaders put together the cutest lunch for everyone! :D
Saturday was INSANE. Okay, so we double-booked ourselves. We were supposed to be at a Family History Convention in Madison AND a Meet the Mormons movie event up in Peterborough, New Hampshire. At the same time. And the Weston Sisters couldn't go on splits with us, so we called around frantically until the Worcester SP Sisters told us they could help us! They spent Friday night with us. Then, bright and early Saturday morning (6:00), we loaded some of the displays into the office Elders' truck, then split up. Sister Bybee and Sister Martinez went to Peterborough, and Sister Frei and I headed out t oMadison for the day!
It was a beautiful day, and Sister Frei was great! Not as many people interacted with the displays in CT, but it was still successful and fun. I was also able to catch up some more in my journal! Whew! It was just great. :)
And yes, of course, I got to Skype home yesterday! It was wonderful. I love my family. Families are the best, right? And mothers. Crazy to think that the next time I'll see them is when I go home. . .
Oh, one more thing! A Sister in our Zone got her Visa!!!! So today we took her to the airport to fly out to Brazil for the rest of her mission. And NOW. . . her companion, Sister Cruz is with us in a trio for 10 days, until transfers!!!!!! CRAZY!!!!!!!! I'm in another trio right now! It's fabulous. I love Sister Cruz. I already know her pretty well. She was Sister Lima's companion in the MTC. Another Brazilian. :D
Shout out to Erik, my good friend who just returned from his mission in Wisconsin!!!! :D
Thanks for everything! I know there was a lot of info on this one. Hope you enjoy it! I love you all!!!
It's a bright and cheerful day here in New England, and I have EVER so much to tell you!!! Our schedule wasbooked this last week! We were determined to not have any empty space again after all the opposition over the last couple of weeks, and our efforts and prayers have paid off. Running from event to event is exhausting, but so fulfilling. :)
First of all, we had our final interviews with President Packard this week. Can you believe that? It's breaking my heart. He held interviews at his home this time, and Sister Packard was also able to meet with us individually. I loved the one-on-one time with them. Their last formal counsel is something I'll cherish and remember. They made this place home when I thought I'd left home far behind; they have my love and loyalty. Through inspiration, they have helped shape me into who I am, and forever changed my trajectory on who I want to be.
My favorite event this week was in Hartford, Connecticut! I'd never been there before! The Spaceship was packed up tight with the entire shebang, and we set it up throughout their tiny building (bottom floor of another building, really) for a stand-alone open house. It worked out beautifully, because the weather was perfect and we were able to set up our Jesus Christ display right there on the busy street! Because of Him was playing as people walked by. The PERFECT eye-catcher. The entire Zone came together to support this event and personal contact like crazy. It was amazing. The open house went from 3-9, and we had a steady stream of people coming through the entire time! We tallied it; over 60 non-members from foot-traffic came through. Everyone did all of the jobs--personal contacting, guiding tours throughout the building, and navigating the videos on the displays according to the Spirit and the needs of the people they were teaching. I loved every moment of it. And you know what? Miracle upon miracle came of it. There was one family that had been looking for a church. By the end of the tour they had committed to baptism. Another woman broke down in tears when the Elders approached her, saying that she had just been praying that God would send someone to talk to her. Otherpeople hardly said a word, but cried as they watched the videos. I can't describe how it feels to watch someone discover Heavenly Father's love.
We stayed with the Canton Sisters that night. It was a cute little house. :) We loved our time there. Then the next day we drove North, back into Massachusetts for a Springfield Event. We set up an open house with Elder Cathcart and Elder Sanabria. They are so cool. :D I'm telling you, the missionaries here in the MBM will be my life-long friends. All of them. Their ward had a fundraiser for Boy Scouts, which included dinner and a talent show. It drew quite a few non-members! The talents were amazing, and it was a lot of fun, but understandably not very many people came through the tour. It was still so worth it--the Elders took a recent convert and his wife through, and we were able to talk to the leaders about future events! We got to bed by about 1 AM, though. We certainly have different schedules than typical missionaries. . .
Next events: baptisms! We went to three of them! The first one was in Worcester (Wuh-stah). The man, Rajiv, had quite the conversion story. President Packard actually ended up attending. (Which was nice, because we told him all about our successes!) From there we went into Cambridge for a Portuguese baptism. We went back there again on Sunday for another Portuguese baptism. All were neat experiences, and they loved our Portuguese displays and videos. I had lost my voice though (from a mild sickness), so of course that's when the Elders asked Sister Bybee and I to sing a musical number. Hahaha, it was rough. I squeaked my way through it. :)
And then last night, we set up two of our displays at the Longfellow Park chapel. They had an incredible Men's Chorus singing for a fireside. It was beautiful! That, too, drew a number of people, and many of them perused the video selection afterward. :) I met one man who went to the same Junior High as me. How funny is that? It's a small world.
So that was my busy, successful week! I have an even more busy one coming up, and it looks like the success level is just going to keep climbing! Tomorrow we're training the mission on the Portable Visitors' Center via Webex, and then we're training the leaders during Missionary Leadership Conference! It will really be exciting! Prayers would be appreciated. We want the rest of the mission to catch the vision.
Thanks again for everything! Happy Mother's Day, and make the most of every moment!
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!
