Life's An Adventure!: S. Turley this week--WEM

Dear Family and Friends,

Last week, we helped one of the Recent Converts in our ward with some math homework for service, so I have been in math mode all week. Here are some statistics for you since the transfer:

>Record number of transfers with one companion (for both of us)--3

>100% increase in the number of missionaries in the Mt. Vernon zone (doubled)

>60% decrease in the number of missionaries in our district (It is Sister Holt and I and our District Leader and his companion...)

>44% increase in the number of companionships we will be serving as Sister Training Leaders (we will now be covering 9 compared to 5 last transfer)

Good things are going to happen!

This week was rather slow. We spent most of the end of the week indoors because Sister Holt was sick with a really bad cold and fever. However, we did set some ambitious goals for this week. Haha, they became even more ambitious when we were informed on Sunday night during accounting with out District Leader that we have an all day conference on Wednesday and Zone Conference on Friday up in Bellingham and two exchanges this week (Sister Holt calculated it out and we have around 25 hours of actual proselyting time this week--practically nothing). But we are excited to go and learn how to be more effective missionaries. We will be busting our booties to reach all of those goals! Every second counts!

We had two lessons with Dominick last week. During one of them, we took him and Alejandra to the Family History Center. Dominick asked his parents for some information and I think that he already has four generation pedigree chart! His parents were really excited about doing Family History as well. We have been trying to find a way to help them receive the Gospel, and we may have found our way in! I am grateful that they opened up the Family Tree website to non-members as well so they can get in and feel the Spirit. Dominick has his community service lined up for March 26th, so hopefully we will be able to get a move on after that time. Favorite Dominick quote from last week: "I used to never think about God. Now I think about him every day."

During one of the evenings that we were able to get out and work this week, we had some miracles. We were not able to have any lessons right then with anyone, but we were able to set up FOUR appointments. Two less active members and two with potential investigators. We have made an effort of praying for them so they will be prepared for the message that we will share and that we will actually get some new investigators. But the fact that they were willing to even set up an appointment is encouraging to me.

Our District Leader, Elder Shaver, mentioned that they are having similar finding problems and as we were accounting on Sunday night, he shared with us a brilliant idea! He said that when people are humble they are more receptive to things of the Spirit and more likely to accept the Gospel. True. So, as a district, we decided to pray that Mt. Vernon will be humble. It is great because I had never thought of that before, but every time I do, I feel a really strong confirmation that it is the correct thing to be requesting of our Father in Heaven and that good things will result of it. Sister Holt mentioned that she felt kind of bad praying for that because some terrible plague or problem might hit Mt. Vernon. But, God gives us trials so we can come closer to Him, so it would probably be a good thing?

One interesting thing that I learned in my personal study of the Doctrine and Covenants is that "Power" is an attribute of God. At the start of most of the sections in the beginning of the book, it says that God is "powerful". I have pondered quite a bit on what "power" is and how I might obtain it. We are likewise instructed to go in the "power and authority" of our calling in Preach My Gospel. In our zone meeting on Wednesday, one Elder said that "power" is the ability to change lives, because it is through God that change is possible. I am still on the search for what it really is and how I can apply it to fulfill my purpose as a missionary, but I do know that the only way I can obtain it is through the Spirit and asking for it, like any of the other Divine Attributes. And I need to more fully purify myself. It is so hard and it is taking forever. But we are promised in Doctrine and Covenants 50:29 "And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever in the name of Jesus and it shall be done." Through the cleansing power of the Atonement, I will be able to have power, exercise that authority, teach, find, and meet our goals.

Love you all and I hope you had a great Valentines day! Favorite Valentines scripture--1 John 4:9

Sister Turley