Mitzi Gates: Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Fifty-One

Another great week!!

On Monday we taught Wanda, we had some members from the Smith Springs ward there. We watched the restoration movie. She still doesn't really understand it, she likes the social part of us coming over and teaching her. So we'll see what happens with her this Monday!

On Tuesday when we were tracting, we just opened up a new area, so the only way we are going to find people is tracting. Well we ran into another Wanda! She is golden. So I'll call her Wanda Golden. So we knock and she peeks her head out and says "Hello LDS people!" We were like what the heck? Haha we talked to her for a long time. She went to school at the U. Had a lot of Mormon friends, went through the Bountiful temple before it was dedicated. She is related to Lorenzo Snow. LOVES family history. Is such a golden investigator I can't even tell you. We went back on Thursday as well, she pretty such said she wanted to join. She said if she married into our church she would of been baptized. So we were talking to her about baptism, then her mom comes out! Kind of ruined it.... But that's okay. We'll get her next time!

On Wednesday we were right by the mission office and we needed supplies. So Sister Godfrey waited for us to get there. We had an appointment we were late getting out of. But we met her there, and she gave us our supplies. Then we asked if she wanted to go to dinner, because we weren't going to be able to make it home. She was like come here! When all the departing missionaries are leaving they fix dinner. So she hooked us up with some dinner and we ate it outside. It was so nice of her. I love Sister Godfrey! We have the best senior missionaries.

I went on exchanges with Sister Traughber to her area, Smith Springs. She is my age, and from Idaho. I love being able to go with so many sisters. We absolutely did not teach one person that night, but that's okay! She's a hard worker. They share an apartment with the Hermanas. So it's fun being there with all the Sisters! It's a spiritual party.

While I was on exchanges I went to their ward correlation with their ward mission leader. He asked me to share a spiritual thought. I had just read Alma 5, it really makes you evaluate yourself. And it's been a year since I've been out and I was just thinking am I where I wanted to be a year ago? I kind of have been thinking to long about it. I just want Heavenly Father to be proud of me, so I've been praying to see if he was.mi hadn't gotten an answer. But when I shared that in the ward correlation, their ward mission leader told me how proud Heavenly Father was of me. Like I teared up, he just talked for like 10 minutes to be about it. It was seriously an answer to my prayers. Like I can't explain it. God does work through people to answer our prayers. He is so aware of us.

This next week we are doing Zone Meeting... And I will be training, or speaking for 30 minutes to our zone. It will be on Wednesday. Then on Sunday, Sister Cook and I are giving talks about Prophets in sacrament. I prayed to be able to serve on my birthday........ I didn't mean I needed to give a talk to serve!! Haha it's fine though. I could talk to someone all day, but when it comes to speaking in front of people it's hard because you can't carry a conversation with them! The Lord will help me though. I'm grateful for these opportunities I have.

The ward is awesome!! Every time we go over to dinner at a members home they give us either less active members to see or a referral! It's a great ward. There are a lot of returned Sisters in the ward. It's cool to see how strong their families are.

Last night it was 8:40 and we had 20 minutes before we go in, I just had this burning desire that we needed to tract. Everyone goes to bed so dang early. But we found a street we thought was right, a guy opens and we start talking about our church. Long story short he said he was interested and we could come back and talk to him! It's amazing to see how the Lord will bless you as you work hard until the end.

We have an awesome ward mission leader as well. He called us last night and said he wants to know all of our appointments because he will help us find a member to go with us to every single one. The statistic of investigators being baptized doubled when you have members there. This ward is great. I have such high hopes for the Old Hickory ward / Nolensville area.

We just did a lot of finding this week! We tracted our hearts our, followed up, and now we are seeing miracles! It's amazing how much people recognize our message, "yeah that's what I believe,I'm just didn't know that!" I love hearing that. I love seeing the gospel change people. I love seeing families as well in the ward that are doing there best and living the commandments.

I love my mission. This has been the best year of my whole 20 years I've been a live!!

I pray for you all daily. Pray for missionary opportunities!

LOVE YOU ALL

Sister Gates