Shayla Tilton's Mission Blog: 2014-10-19

the subject just says it.

MY BEST FRIEND IS GOING HOME THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOo!!!!!!! And that's not funny that y'all are gona see her before me! Jokes on y'all though! She's coming to Texas and staying with me till I go home. >:) Ha! ;p I wish...

Oh where is the time going??

Speaking of time, this week was incredibly great and incredibly full!

First off, we had a SLEEPOVER with our STLs this week! IT WAS A BLAST! :) We did this because Sister Meinors is going home with me and we were going to the temple together. Here's the reason why - So since the temples going to be closed here for a month because there's a leak, and will be closed when I go home, all of us departing missionaries went this week to the temple with President and Sister Ames. OH MY GOSH!!! I just love the temple!!! We were there all day and had the greatest spiritual day in the whole entire world! We did all of the above that we can do in the temple. We even did sealings as a child, which was my first time and it was so cool! Don't worry, Pres. Ames had us watch a couples sealing and told us to prepare for this cuz it's going to happen. No pressure. Thanks President Ames.... that is just too weird. I'm still a child! And imma stayyyin' one! Oh it was just amazing! It felt like I was actually going home :(

Then to add on to the wonderful week we had Elder Cardon from the 70 come and speak with our mission and even had a fireside for all our investigators, less actives, and recent converts to come. We had Charlie and Chuck come and it was amazing!!!! I'll say more in a minute about that! When we had the whole conference with all the missionaries it was nice to see them all for the last time! The conference was SOOOO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL!!!! The Spirit was so strong and I learned so much from him! Hey guess what?? They're from Gilbert AZ and guess what??? Sister Cardon knows you mom!!!! Whats new though right?! President Ames combined with Elder Cardon = best day ever! At the close of the conference, President Ames bore what I think was the most powerful thing ever, words cant even describe. I started bawling! That was the moment it hit me that I was actually going home and that I wouldn't have President Ames with me anymore. He is the closest thing to the prophet. No questions asked. I am really going to miss my mission so much! Despite all the challenges I'm facing right now with just everything, I would not trade this time for anything!

I am so so so happy that I have this opportunity to serve the Lord and the people in Texas. As my time is coming to a soon end, I keep reflecting on my life as a missionary and really seeing and pointing out where I have grown and where I still need improvement. I do know that I am not perfect whatsoever, but I am trying to get to that point one day.

For being a busy week with going to the temple, having conferences, firesides, planning, etc. it has been such a busy week! We were able to visit so many people and see them progressing. We have a less active part member family that we had dinner with last week and the wife(member) went to Enrichment night for the first time and her and her husband and daughter(not members) came to sacrament. Whoa!!! So cool!

Charlie, 5 out of 7 days this week, has been sober. YEAH!!! And he's been taking everything in! Last night he did have his friends get ahold of him after church and he ended up drinking and tried dropping us again...it just amazes me every time. You think I'd be use to it by now, but how much alcohol changes you COMPLETELY!! Its soooo annoying!

Chuck is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ready to be baptized!! When we went to his house this week we sat down and he just started talking. He was like "So I watched General Conference and I liked it very much. The prophet's talk was my favorite, he did a really good job! And I just need to quit coffee and I'll be ready." ...."uhh...for baptism?" "yeah!" WHAT? Ok shocker!! It was crazy!!! And AMAZING! He we told him that we were excited for him and he thinks he'll be done with coffee by November. So I'm hoping so much that he gets baptized before I go home! So exciting! So back to what I was saying earlier, he and Charlie both went to the fireside and they both loved it! It definitely made a great impact on them and they could recognize the Spirit completely. Great things are happening! And I'm so glad! :)

This week we also were given Coor's Light cups for free... "compliments from the restaurant" ...does it look like we drink??! :p it was hilarious! We were with some members which Gentry (in the pic) lived in Thatcher and went to school with Miranda! Weird! I even met her before the mission haha small world! :p

Anyways, love yall! Have a great week! LARISSA YOU BETTER WRITE ME A MILLION TIMES!!!!

Sister Tilton :)

pics:

Kara, an investigator, we went to her house and she showed us her pumpkins "Look guys, they have Ebola!" hahahahaha it was hilarious!!! She had been sick for over 2 weeks...I wonder why...