Valentines day was Tuesday!

Hello Everyone!

This week was full of adventures! To start off, Valentines day was Tuesday! Not much happened there except that I got a wonderful package from my daddio, my perpetual valentine, full of candy and goodies! 💖

Wednesday was a normal day. We had a lesson with our investigator Paige. So far she understands and loooves the gospel, but she really wanted to be sure about whether or not she should get baptized. We weren't really sure exactly how to help her reach that conclusion, but we knew it had to be HER decision. So we told her to pray about it.  Wednesday night we had our lesson with her and she said that she wanted to be baptized soon, like in 2 weeks!!! She seemed so excited about it too!! So now, Paige Smith, is set to be baptized March 4th! We are so excited for her- keep her in your prayers!

Thursday we had Zone Conference and it was all about the Book of Mormon. We were supposed to read it in 63 days and talk about our experience. Well a lot of us didn't make it in 63 days, me included.  However, it was because i had gotten so immersed in the study and really understanding it and marking it up that i fell behind. BUT i got more out of it than i ever could just reading it, and i truly know what it feels like to "feast" upon the Words of Christ. 

Friday was a normal day, but that night we went on exchanges with some other sisters.  I got to go with Sister Slaughter and as soon as we got together, i realized how much we click! She is an opera major at BYU-I, as well as a dancer.  So we talked and talked and talked about all things pertaining to that. She was like a walking musical too- i would tell her to sing something and she would sing it as if she were the actual person singing live! So good! We tracted almost all day but it was a super fun tracting experience! 

Sunday we went to church and saw some people. Monday was pday so all the sisters in our zone got together and went on a hike! It was straight up a mountain to the very flat top! We had lots of fun! Our mission Presidents wife came with us and we talked about lots of stuff. Some of that stuff included how she used to be a dance teacher and a drill team teacher!!! I had no idea, but she told me all about it and it just made me want to do it even more :) Thanks Sister Mendenhall! The hike was gorgeous and i couldn't help but think of the pioneers. It was hard enough carrying just myself up the mountain, so i cant imagine pulling a hand cart. I have so much respect and admiration for those saints.  Well after we got done with our hike we dropped off the Sisters and drove home. On the way home, however, was a mall. 😍 We had to stop. We went inside and window shopped at the stores, and THEN..... we saw.... THE DISNEY STORE. We practically ran inside. We looked at all the crazy expensive cute merchandise and even saw a few new princesses!? Sister Nelson ended up buying a Disney journal- i may or may not have coerced her into buying it. We did not regret it though!

This morning we woke up suuuuper sore! But life goes on.  We did dishes at a Retirement home and it is always so much fun! They are the cutest too! Now we're emailing and then its back to work! 

This week I've really relied on the scriptures to help me.  There are times in life when we feel like they cant help with our specific situation, or that its too much effort and time to try and delve in and search for answers, or really we just have no time to read.  Let me tell you that none of these are true! The scriptures actually do help with very specific situations in our lives- that's what the Spirit is for.  You can be reading a story when all of a sudden you feel exactly what they felt or what you needed to feel- this is the Spirit's way of teaching. Often times i experience this, get an answer to prayer or feel comforted, and look back later on the chapter and realize it had nothing to do with my situation. The Spirit will help us read between the lines and receive what it is we really need.When it comes to searching for answers, yes sometimes we do need to delve in. But sometimes, a lot of the time, all we have to do is open and read. Something in the scriptures will always highlight a principle of the Gospel that can help inspire and give answers to whatever you need! The Lord inspired the words and He will lead you to them. He knows them and He knows you.  And as for time... this is a tricky one.  Satan is very clever in his ways now-a-days.  One of his biggest tricks now is distraction.  Think of the time we spend looking at the phone, checking the news, tasting somebody, sitting at a red light, etc.  These small and insignificant moments can be filled with meaningful readings and pondering! Imagine dedicating the small time we have in between our day to the scriptures. How much more focused on the Lord and His will would we be? How much more patience and love would we obtain? How much more would our thoughts be turned to the Lord instead of the world? There are really endless possibilities to the blessings that come from dedicating even the smallest of time we have to reading God's Word!!

This week I invite you all to try it. Alma 32:27, "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." Exercise that particle of faith and just watch.  See how it changes you. See how much renewed hope you'll gain. See how much peace you'll have. The blessings can and will be yours, if you just "experiment" and see! 

I love you all very much! I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and that we find happiness wherever we are! Have a great last week of February!!! 

Love Always,

Sister Loyd