Another week already?

Hey everyone!

I am so beyond shocked that we are already done with another week. Things are so crazy busy here and time just keeps going faster and faster. I am so excited for everything that is going on here! The Lord really is hastening His work. I'm pretty sure I say that in every letter, but He really is.

We had another great week this week. Guess who has another baptism coming up? Yes, we are seeing so many miracles! Her name is Kim. She is amazing. We met her sister a few weeks ago and gave her our number, and Kim called us because she felt like she really needed some help getting her life back in order. So naturally, we were like, um yes! We hadn't really been able to teach her until this week, but when we did, the Spirit was SO strong. During the Restoration lesson, we were talking about how we must be baptized by the Priesthood authority and how important that ordinance really is. Kim was like, "Okay, I want to do it. I want to get baptized. What do I need to do? I'll stop smoking, I'll stop drinking, I'll do whatever I need to so that I can get baptized." We hadn't even said anything about that, and she just knew right away what she needed to do. So yeah, she's incredible. She just really wants to get her life back in order so that she can be a good mom and a good example to her kids. She's so wonderful, and we are so excited for her to get baptized on August 17!!!

There's a lady in our ward here named Janice Clark. Oh my word. I have never met anyone with more faith than that woman. She recently became homebound because of her health, but she has done SO much with her life. She has converted SO many people and is still doing missionary work, even though she is sick. She knows that she can be healed, and that she will be healed. She is incredible. We went over there, and I told her my story about my back. She was in tears, and said, "That story is beautiful... You're beautiful... I'm so grateful you came out here so that I could meet you." Yeah, I was bawling. She is the cutest lady in the world, and I am so grateful that I was able to meet her! It's crazy to think that all these experiences come together and work together to create a miraculous journey. Missionary work is so cool. The Lord really does use all your talents and all your experiences. It's amazing.

I gave a talk yesterday in church. Mom, I think Mike sent you some pictures from the pulpit or something. Haha. I had no say in that, and I guess it's not against the rules...? I have no idea. But I bawled. There is something about that pulpit that make me cry like crazy. Especially because my talk was on families. Let me tell you all, I have the best family in the world. Pretty sure most of my talk just consisted of me crying and telling the ward how amazing my family is. But really, you guys are amazing and I miss you everyday. 

Other than that, there's not too much more to report. We have been seeing so many miracles. We are so blessed. I am so blessed. I've been given this amazing life that I take for granted every day. When I sit down and I think about all the things I've been given, I ALWAYS fall to my knees and just thank Heavenly Father with tears running down my face. I can't believe that I'm here sometimes. I think about where I've been and who I was, and I am just so beyond grateful that I got to this point. It was all part of the Lord's plan for me. I know He does have a plan for me, because without Him, I wouldn't be out here now. I am so grateful to be out here now. I love being a missionary. Sister Jensen and I started crying the other day because we are hitting our four month mark this week. We will be coming home in a year and two months. That is nothing. And I haven't even made it to Brazil yet! I can't believe how fast this is all going by. I'll be home before you know it. I think I might stay on my mission forever though. Do you think they'll let me do that? Nah. But I'll do my best. 

Life's great. The church is true. I am so grateful for my life, my friends, my family, my Savior, and my Heavenly Father. We are so blessed. All of us. 

I love you all. I am so grateful for you all. Everyone is coming home from their missions now and I can't believe I won't be there for it. Russ Walker comes home this week, Brayden Matheson and Taylor Dolbin come home next week... Time goes by way too fast. So crazy. 

Well tell everyone I say hi. I love you guys. Keep us in your prayers. I'm figuring out that there is so much I need to work on so that I can be a better missionary. Things are great though. I love you! Write me letters. We keep thinking that something happened to the mail lady. Then we realized that it's just because no one is writing us anymore... Awkward. We're getting to that stage of mission work when everyone at home forgets about you. Ha. Love you guys. The church is true.

Sister Card

xoxo

Javaris, Little Willie, Kim (the one getting baptized) and I. 

Aren't they the cutest little family ever? 

Oh my word, I love them so dang much. 

They are so cute. This is the first time 

Little Willie ever smiled in a picture! Kim was so pumped haha.

Little Willie, Kim's son. Cutest little boy ever.

Javaris, Kim's son

Tell Alex that yes, I still drink Dr. Pepper like crazy. 

We just found a gas station that sells any size soda for 79 cents!!! 

Best day of my life.

Today for P-day, we made treats and did puzzles. 

Alicia, me, Sister Jensen, Chandra and Necie. 

I love them all so much. Best P-day ever.

Alicia and Corey Nielsen, Elder Taveuveu and Elder Redd and I. 

The Elders (since the beginning of the mission) 

have been making fun of me because apparently 

I play tennis so gracefully. 

They say I play ballet tennis. 

Hence, the way I'm standing. Elders are the worst. 

Ha. Gotta love them.

Playing tennis at 6 am... Looking so good, right?

Isn't my companion the cutest ever? Love her so much!

I have a recipe for the best S'more dessert in the world. 

Be jealous. Oh, this is so dang good. 

This picture doesn't do it justice. But trust me. 

It's amazing. I'm gonna get married as soon as I get home, 

just because I know how to make this thing. Not kidding.

Well, this week was ACTUALLY the best week of the mission

Hi everyone!

K, so I didn't think it could get too much better than last week, but it did. Every day keeps getting better and better. Oh, and we had transfers this week and we were almost POSITIVE that one of us was going, but turns out, Sister Jensen and I are needed for another transfer in Prattville. Almost four months together and still going strong!!! I'm not complaining. Especially now, because we have TWO baptisms coming up this transfer!!! I'll get to that part, but we are so dang excited about it. It took us a little while to get there, since our other baptisms fell through, but we are finally baptizing! TWICE! I'm getting ahead of myself, but I am just so excited about it!

First, let me start with our investigator R. She is the one that said, "I know I am supposed to be a Mormon." And yes, she is. We met with her a few times this past week, and it was absolutely incredible. We went over on Wednesday with a member and taught her the Plan of Salvation. She hadn't ever heard about it, which was good, because she knew almost everything about the Restoration of the church! So we actually felt like we were teaching her something this time! Everything was going great as we talked about where we came from and why we are here. When we got talking about the three kingdoms of glory, something changed. We all felt it. The Spirit just came into the room, and things got real. We were talking about the Celestial kingdom and how wonderful it is and how we all want to get there and how we can get there. Then, we moved into the Terrestrial kingdom. R started to sob. The only thing that she could even say was, "I don't have to go there anymore. I don't have to go there. Thank you. Thank you." We all started to cry. Imagine four girls sitting in a room, just hugging and crying together. That's what it was. The Spirit was stronger than I had ever felt in a lesson. We invited her to be baptized right then, and she accepted before we even finished the question. It was absolutely incredible. She is getting baptized August 10. She was really worried about telling her parents about it because they are Southern Baptists, and they are ROUGH when it comes to religion, but when she did, they were so supportive of her!!! R came to a baptismal service on Saturday and church yesterday. She loved it, and she might be more excited than we are about getting baptized! (And that is hard to do!)

Our other baptism... A.N.!!!  The family is our best friends ever.  A.N. never got baptized because her family stopped coming to church when she was 7.  We have been working with their family so much, especially with the Book of Mormon.  They have been reading almost every single day, especially A.N.  During our lesson Friday, with just A.N., we talked about how she is feeling about the Book of Mormon and about church.  She said, "I know it's true.  I want to implement these things that I am learning into my family now, and my future family.  I know it's so important to have a family based on Christ, and I finally feel like I'm at a place in where I am ready to do that."  So we started talking to her about baptism. And yeah, she accepted. Guess what day she wants to do it? August 10. So we have two baptisms on August 10 now! Talk about the best day ever. She's a little skeptical that she will be ready by that point, but wants to get there. Pray for her! She needs it. She's ready for sure, but she needs to feel like she is ready. 

This week was absolutely amazing, as you can tell. We have been seeing so many miracles, every single day. These baptisms are 100% because of the Lord. There have been a lot of missionaries, and even our Mission President, who have asked us how we are seeing so much success over the past few weeks. And you want to know how? We trust in Heavenly Father. He does all of the work. We just pray like crazy, read our scriptures like crazy, and don't take one second for granted. We work hard and we see miracles. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary; to see this work move forward. Ryan Devitt, heading out to ENGLAND this week, YOU ARE GOING TO KILL IT. I am so excited for you. It's crazy to think that all these 18 year olds are going out to serve, but it's so amazing. There are so many lives just waiting to be blessed. I love mission work. This time goes by so fast. I can't believe that we are starting our third transfer in the mission field. I was doing some mad calculating last night (mad calculating for me consists of a multiplication problem and a division problem...), and after this transfer, I will be 1/4 of the way done with my entire mission. That is no time left at all. I'm working so hard to make you all proud of me. I love you guys so much. Thank you for your love, your thoughts and your prayers.

The church is true. I will never deny it. I love my Savior and I love my Heavenly Father. I love my family and I miss them a little more every day. I have the best family in the world, with the greatest parents and the greatest brothers. There is not a day that goes by that I don't talk about them. I am grateful for the Atonement, for the knowledge I have that I can be clean. I can start over every day because my Savior has given me countless chances for a clean slate. It doesn't matter if you messed up today, because you have tomorrow. It's a new day, a new chance to start again and be better.

Eu amo voces!!!

Sister Card

xoxo

PS - FINN OFF OF GLEE DIED? It's all we've been hearing about, and when I first found out, I almost started crying. Not kidding. I loved him!!!

All the Sisters with "T"! We love her!

Sister B and "T"! They are the cutest ever!

Me, Sister Jensen, "R" (our investigator who is getting baptized soon!), and Sister B

 

Sister Jensen and I with "T"! So cute.

"T"

This darling girl who got baptized on Saturday!!! 

We have been teaching her a little bit with the other Sisters!

The "B" family

.  Never mind that I look like I'm 5. 

Hahaha it was a long day! But I love this family so much.

Dana's cute package!