I am so sorry that I didn't email yesterday! Due to Memorial Day, we had issues. But I'm not dead, and still working hard here in San Clemente. 

This week was super cool! 

We went to see Stella this week,  she asked us why we never go see her on the weekdays, or at night, so this week we went on Wednesday at 7. She is so awesome. She doesn't really have a lot of people to talk with, because her husband and her son both passed away. So we go over. She was telling us about how her grandson committed suicide, and then a few weeks later, her son died. She was crying, and I started crying, and as I was listening, I thought about the lesson that we had planned the night before. It was John 3:16, and I was going to sing He Sent His Son. For a split second, I thought, how can we share that with her, when she feels so alone and forgotten? Then the thought came, that the message of his love was exactly what she needed. The Spirit was so strong as we testified to her that Heavenly Father was looking out for her, and knew her personally. 

Thursday we had Zone Training Meeting. It was so good. So many wonderful trainings. We learned a lot about having unity with your companion, and doing everything you can to help them. That was super cool. 

FRIDAY was AMAZING. Seriously, so many miracles happened. I will try to be brief. We started out our morning by tracting. We then get a call, asking us to go pick up some Sisters who couldn't drive, because their appointment fell through. So we went and picked them up, but rather than getting back on the freeway to go home, I took a different route. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going, other than I knew that we were heading to the Stake Center. On our way, we happened to be driving up Bob's street. If you don't remember who Bob is, here is an excerpt from my email from Week 23.

 "So on Tuesday we were on exchanges and I was with Sister Hollenbeck, At the beginning of this transfer, we promised to go tracting for an hour every single day, so the first thing we were doing was tracting. We were finishing tracting a street, and we went up to one of the last houses on the street, as Sister Hollenbeck went up to the door and knocked on it, I saw something, and I realized that we had already knocked on this door. Most people aren't happy to see us the first time we come to the door, so I was worried that we were about to get yelled at. So when the man opened the door, I was relieved to see one of the nicer people that I've talked to. His name is Bob. I started out with the genius line of, "Hi! I've met you before!" He laughed a little bit, and responded with, "I know!" It was pretty funny. We had a really good conversation with him, (because he hadn't been able to talk to us last time due to a conference call) and gave him a Book of Mormon. He was really touched that we would give that to him, and he promised that he would read it. We invited him to learn more about the Gospel, but he said, "Let me read the book first, then we can talk about it." !!!!! It was so exciting. We will stop by sometime in the next few weeks and see how he is doing. :) We also went contacting down on some hiking trails where we contacted 80 people and handed out 9 Book of Mormons!!  (Books of Mormon? Still don't know the plural of that) It was awesome!"

 

So that's Bob. So we were driving up Bob's street. I would also like to point out that that excerpt was from over 3 months ago. We have stopped by many times trying to see Bob since then, but no one was home. As we were driving up his street, Sister Phinney says, "Let's go see Bob." And I was like, sure, let's go see Bob! So we go up to the house, and guess what???? Bob was there!! He invited us in, but we had two other Sisters waiting for us in the car, so we are going to see him tomorrow with a member of our ward!!!! I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high, but it's just so darn exciting! 

Saturday was amazing too. I was on an exchange with Sister Corpuz, and we saw so many miracles together. First miracle, we taught a lesson on the Book of Mormon to a girl in our business center, because Sister Corpuz needed to print off a talk, and started talking to her. We later found the book we gave her on the book shelf there, which was sad. But it was a cool lesson. :) Second, we were able to go and see a LA in their ward who they have been trying to see since I was in their area two transfers ago. We finally met her! She wants to feed them dinner. :) We went to a Filipino dinner, because Sister Corpuz speaks Tagalog, and is working on getting to know members to fellowship their 4 Filipino investigators. It was so fun! Then we went to dinner in the Liberty Park ward, and had an awesome lesson with the family. At the end, the wife told us that she felt inspired to ask if we needed anything, like sweaters, or shoes. We said not right now, but thanked her. In the car, Sister Corpuz told me that she needed a sweater, and hadn't wanted to ask for it. It was really cool that that woman had been inspired to ask about that. Sister Corpuz said she would ask for one. It was just such a wonderful day.

 I learned so much about following the promptings of the Spirit from her.

That's about it! We did take a road trip out of the mission with our roomates yesterday to go to Deseret Book, (with permission of course) to get some much needed things. It was so fun!  Oh, and Sister Phinney gave a great training today on faith. She used Hebrews 11. Thoughts from that are these: 

verse 5- By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

verse 7- By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

verse 11- Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

verse 23- By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

verse 29- By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

verse 30- By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

But my favorite of all is verse 6- But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It was so good. Also, the reason for the title of my email. Things have been a little bit rough this and the last transfer but we made it through. So, I thought these verses were very fitting. 

 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

I know that if we press forward, relying wholly upon our Savior, having a perfect brightness of hope, we will be blessed. I know that Heavenly Father is watching over us every day. He is always there for us, and will help us every step. I hope you all have a good week! Love you! 

Love, Sister Wood :) 

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