This week was great...

This week was great. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful companion... and especially to have been with her for 6 months!

Highlights:

* SNOW! (yeah seriously, it snowed... AGAIN! not much though)

* Sister Larsen doesn't like coconut. We were at a members home and she was giving us cookies FULL of coconut. Sister Larsen took a bite as the member said "Do you hate coconut?" Sis. L responded "These are so good!" I then chimed in saying "We have an appointment soon and will probably need to take these to go..." Haha.

* While going over "Beware of Pride" by Ezra Taft Benson I read that "selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride." I then thought to myself "I don't want my downfall to be 'common'!" ... and then I thought "What am I saying! I am being prideful about my PRIDE!" ... I am obviously still working on my Pride...

* There was a lady who was taught by the missionaries a few years ago. We have been trying and trying to get her to let us come back. We would call and drop by. We have been doing this for MONTHS. Then finally she opened her door to us! She said that she didn't know why we were there.... but she knew it was obviously important and that God must have sent us there. She thanked us for not giving up on her. (:

"We will get our way more often if we don't have to have it." -Sister Martin

Have the best week! Love, Sister Starr*

Companions

at "Devils Punch Bowl"

The Palmdale Zone

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Highlights of the week:

* Having a "love song war" with the other sisters in our zone today. This involves leaving love songs on each others voice mails and then saying "tag you're it".

* While eating dinner at a members house their kids were playing "operation" Their 2yr old walks over to the game. Eats a bone from the man... I didn't do anything because I was in shock... and it was in his stomach before we could get it back. He thought it was a tic-tac! Now it's like REAL operation!

* Prayer at the end of a lesson "I'm grateful for the sisters and all that they have taught me. And how happy they have made my life. I want our meetings to go on forever." (:

* When Sister Larsen told me what one of my spiritual gifts was. I'm so lucky to be her companion.

* One of our Investigators descriptions of the Book of Mormon " All they do is receive revelation. All they do is wanna repent and get baptized" ... yep! haha (: she is getting baptized at the end of this month!

Enjoy the week! Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*

I cannot believe that tomorrow is FEBRUARY! So excited!

Confession. Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. Pink is my favorite color. I have recently made a connection between these two and why maybe I love Valentine's ... No, I do not feel ashamed of this realization.

We asked a less-active member if he had recently read his Patriarchal Blessing.
His response: "Front to cover?? ... Probably not. Maybe a few years ago."
...Front to cover? hehe.
 I just don't get why people fall away. I know that people do and that we have been told that people will be blinded and confused. But why can't people just join the true church, love it, gain and strengthen their testimony and stay.  We need them so we can continue to gather Israel! I feel like most of our time is spent gathering those that have already been baptized rather than finding those that haven't! Sorry. Small rant. I am still trying to understand this.

This week I officially felt tired. I just need a day (or 2 or 3) to sleep. That will have to wait a few more months (like 13). I've done soo good these first 5 months. Not dozing off. But it's been really hard lately. I just have to think of the wonderful people we are teaching and how much I would be missing out on if I were in bed.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week. Don't forget those resolutions you set! Now is the time that many people start to lose steam. Keep working toward your goals. Goodness, Heavenly Father is so mindful of us. We all truly are blessed. One thing that I have learned is that many of the people we come in contact with have problems that I have not experienced in life. Recent death, divorce, abuse, or other hard things. At first I felt inadequate to give aid. Then I realized that all though I may not be able to understand their problems exactly, I still know the answer.

The answer is simply always the Atonement. The Atonement, Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, can provide comfort in all situations. If we were wronged or if circumstances of life just fell in our laps and we feel like we got the short end of the stick. It can also provide peace for the repentant sinner. The burdens, weight and shame that come with sin can leave if we humbly repent. I always know the answer though I may not know the circumstances. I am grateful for this knowledge and for my testimony of my Savior. He truly did come to save us. Not only from our sins. But also from our heartache.

-Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*