Another Great and Eventful Week!

Family!!!

It's been another wonderful week in Santa Maria! It has just been a great experience this week to keep finding amazing people. It seemed like so many people we met told us that they had been thinking about great questions lately, like if they will see their deceased family member again, or why there are so many churches if there is only one truth. We just met some of the greatest people and all I kept thinking was that this gospel can answer all these questions they have! It has been so great to meet people here that are excited to talk to us.

I have also been really impressed with one of our investigators. Sister Snow and Sister Higgins met him a few weeks ago, taught him the Restoration, and gave him a copy of The Book of Mormon. We met with him again last week and he told us that he is reading The Book of Mormon and has just been fascinated by it! It seriously is a struggle for most investigators to read The Book of Mormon but this man is just soaking it up!

It is freezing in Santa Maria. Plus the sun now starts
to set around 4:30pm. LOVE IT!

This week has been a little bit of a bummer because a few of our investigators dropped us and really just weren't willing to accept what we were teaching them. One of them told us that she wouldn't want to pray or read The Book of Mormon to find out the truth and that she also only needs her relationship with Heavenly Father. That relationship is one of the most important things but she is against going to our church (or any church) and refuses to read The Book of Mormon or the Bible.

We taught another woman about The Plan of Salvation. She has a daughter who is LDS and throughout the lesson she basically said that this isn't what she needs, and that she is counting on her daughter to do all her ordinances for her after she passes away so she can be "roped into" the Celestial kingdom. We tried to explain that it won't work that way because she has had the chance to accept the gospel now and she isn't taking the opportunity. Plus we tried to explain the unending blessings she could have now just by living the gospel.

It was just a little frustrating because I just wanted to yell to them "THIS is where you can find your all your answers! Complete, utter happiness is RIGHT HERE!" We try and try and try with some people and at the end of the day they do not understand what we are trying to tell them. Anyways, that's all for my little frustrations. It is mostly just heartbreaking to see that people do not want to sacrifice for their own happiness, but then again, everyone is given their own agency.
 

Exchanges! I lucked out to be with Sister Bennett 3 out of the 4
exchanges I've had! I love love love her!

I had such a great exchange with Sister Bennett this week! I wanted to work on using more personal experiences in teaching, and also use that to bear more sincere testimony. I decided that I really wanted to work on that because I feel that many times I bear testimony, but it doesn't have as much conviction behind it. I know that this church is true and it has richly blessed my life but I just want everyone else to feel how much this gospel means to me too!

I learned so much this exchange by Sister Bennett's great example. She taught me how to use the Book of Mormon in declarations and how to feel comfortable again in the area. Remember how last week I said that I wanted to feel back to normal? Well I definitely do now! I just felt shy being in a new area but now I feel completely adjusted so I can bring Santa Maria my all!

We also have had great lessons with some less-active members this week! Some of these families we meet with have great potential. We also have been meeting with this woman who just had back surgery. She has been in and out of activity over many years but has been very open to the gospel lately. We have been teaching her the missionary lessons and reading The Book of Mormon with her. It has been a great experience to work with her because at first when we would read with her, she would nit pick what we read, but now she is really trying to apply The Book of Mormon to her life and use it to give her peace through all the pain she is in.
 

The Jennings at the ward party!

For Halloween we had to be in our apartment at 7pm. Our ward had an awesome combined trunk or treat but sadly we had to leave early! We moved one hour of morning studies to 7pm and then we had an extra hour of studies at 8. We watched The District training videos then I carved a little pumpkin. See the glorious picture below! 
 

I carved a tiny "CTR" pumpkin at our apartment Halloween night.
Also, take note of the awesome "Bone to be Wild" shirt. Hahaha

This Saturday was Sister Higgins's birthday! It was seriously such a great day, and the members we ate dinner with went ALL OUT for her!
 

Sister Higgins' birthday fest!

Since it's her birthday month we get to go to the LA temple tomorrow. Sis Jennings (seen in the ward party picture above) will take us to the temple. It takes about 3 hours to drive there, so it's 6 hours round-trip. It will be almost an all-day event but we are excited and so blessed to be able to go! I love that temple and I love the joy and peace that the temple brings! Mostly I just feel like I am too blessed here!

I honestly love it here, and I love Sister Higgins. She is just incredible. She is such a hard worker. She's dependable and knows how to push herself. I admire her and it has been a breeze working with her. We get along very well. I am so happy with where I am and who I am serving with!
 

Our own Halloween dress-up. Um, I think we had a little bit too much fun
back at our apartment with our ugly sweaters we got from Goodwill

Much much love,

Sister Mason