Week 74 - Temples!

Happy Monday family and friends!!

This week has been nuts! Heres what I did: (bolded are the highlights!)

Shopping at target on Monday! I got a new dress! first dress I have actually bought on my mission. Kinda fun :)

Exchanges with the French sisters! So that was really fun exchanges! I got to be present for their language study and I knew a little about whats going on! Too bad I am on my way out, the DC mission has a great need for french missionaries. They are the only two Sisters in the mission who speak french! One of them had her last companion for 10 months and she has been in her current area for about a year. Man I dont think I could handle that much consistency, I have loved the change on my mission! Also, if I had to really learn french on my mission, it would give me a head ache for a while, by brain would be working really hard! While there we met with their investigator (who got baptized this weekend) and helped her with some service and then she told us her whole life story! She is from Africa and has been through so many things to get to where she is today! I am so grateful she has found the church and continuing to do so many good things for her life! We also met with her at the church later that night so she and two of her three children could get their baptismal interviews! The youngest is only 7 but after the interviews he asked if he could also go get an interview! Their District Leader was great and said Sure! And took some time to give him a little make-shift interview! While we waited we were playing basketball with the kids! They were pretty darn good! :)

On exchanges a member had a HUGE iguana!

Had a Sister Training Leader Breakfast with President and Sister Johnson! This was fun! The 6 of us went to this cute deli that had breakfast and we talked about ways to help the sisters and ways to help  the mission improve! It is so good to spend time with them!

Went on exchanges with Sister Brown and her new companion, Sister Greenhalgh. Oh! This was the BEST! Since I am in a trio I got to join them and make a trio! I loved spending time with them! Sister Greenhalgh cut my hair! Which was really great because it needed a cut really bad! We had Rita's. They got to visit with 2 of their investigators while we were their! One who is on date for later this month! It was really good to see that Sister Brown and her new companion are getting a long so well! It is defnintely different for her being pretty engulfed by a different mission culture where things are done a little differently that you are used to. But luckily Sister Greenhalgh is being flexible and they are doing an awesome job together!

Went to two temple sessions on Friday! One for the departing missionaries at 10amthe temple is closing for three months in a few days so there wont be one the actual day I go home, and one for STEPHANIE MARCIL! A recent convert I taught! So this would probably be the best part of my week! While at the temple and visitors center, not only did I get to see Sister Marcil dressed in two white outfits 😇 but I ran into SISTER STOLWORTHY, a past companion! We ended up in the same endowment session! This week was the Maryland Baltimore Mission's week to go to the temple! I also saw some elders I knew! The Lord loves me and is aware of me, I gained a stronger testimony of that because with that session my "departing missionary session" there weren't any missionaries from the mission I started in, the way I had always imagined it was totally ripped away, but He blessed me with familiar faces. That could have only had been divine intervention! I love the Lord! I also saw many many members of past wards I've served in! I also saw Sister Asplund in the visitors center! Then! I also went to Stephanie's first endowment session! Ohh how I love the temple and the incredible bliss, peace, serenity, and reverence experienced at the temple. 💜

Visited with a ton of members and investigators on Saturday. We saw Theresa, she wants to be baptized within the month! I pray and hope she truly is able to change though the power of the atonement when she enters into the covenant of baptism! We also saw Madaney! She is very curious about our religion. Her biggest hold up is a prophet on the earth today. So as she is off on vacation for the next week and a half she will be (hopefully) doing her studies and figuring things out more. Then when she gets back we will be going to the visitors center! Very excited for her :)

Had all three hours of church, the power was back on. Got to see our friend Hannah again! I don't know if I told you about her the other week. A member that used to live in the word when I served here the first time referred her neighbor, Hannah! I told Sister Spencer that I got transferred back and she said "go see Hannah!"  Always seen her twice now and both times she welcomed us with open arms and we are going to get her to read the book of Mormon (by the spirit of course!) She is so ready! She is such a strong testimony God and that He is there for us through our trials!we will be back next week! It's super exciting! :)

Anyways there's an update! Pictures will come! Love you all!

Sister Nakata 🍉

Pics

1. Giant Iguana

2. My hair cut

3 and on -Sis Greenhalgh, Sis Brown, and me!