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!

Best week of the mission. Really.

Hi everyone!

How is everything? I hope life is being kind to you all. It sure is being kind to us. This week was the greatest week of the mission. By far. I have never seen so many miracles in my life. Oh my lanta, I just love being a missionary and seeing all the amazing things that I get to see every single day. We exceeded our past numbers by a lot this week. Things are moving so quickly, and I feel so blessed to be here.

We had a great Family Home Evening with our investigator Michelle and the W family in our ward. Michelle is still waiting for her husband to get home in August to be baptized, but we are really starting to get her into the church and meeting all the ward members. Total immersion (just not by water yet... haha). We had an amazing lesson with them about faith. We read Alma 32:27-28 about how faith is like a seed. So we decided to do a little "experiment" with them. We gave all 6 kids there a little pot and some seeds. We decorated them all cutesie. Then, we told them that they could only water the plant when they read their scriptures. So now, they will be able to see their "faith" grow as they read their scriptures. We are so clever. We thought of that one all on our own. Hahaha. But really, it was a great lesson, and now all the kids are super excited about reading their scriptures every day.

The N family is doing AMAZING. They have been reading the Book of Mormon almost every single day, and really starting to love it. They have been to church the last three Sundays, after not having been in years! So they are doing so many amazing things. We are most excited about them and their growth in the church. They are an awesome family, and I still cry almost every day because every time I see her, J tells me that I was sent to Alabama to meet them.

Here's our real miracle of the week. We had a referral from Salt Lake about two months ago, for a girl named RW. She was someone who requested missionaries from lds.org. We tried to reach her aaaaaaall the time. She changed her number and we never were able to catch her at home. So we kind of gave up on her. Then randomly, on Saturday night, we thought, maybe we should stop by and see if she is home. AND SHE WAS. We went in and talked to her and just kind of got to know her. These were her exact words, "Religion has never been a big part of my life, but I know I am supposed to be a Mormon. Everything in my life has been bringing me back to Mormons and the Book of Mormon. I've been reading it since 2006, and I'm finally at the point in my life where I feel like I should do something about it." We had tears in our eyes! Have you ever heard of anything more amazing than that? GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR. Honestly. She is the best thing to ever happen. We saw her again with a member last night, and she is so into the church. Oh my word, it is amazing. We are seeing her again on Wednesday! I am still just so shocked that it all worked out like that. There are people who are truly being prepared for the gospel, we just need to find them!

We had four of our investigators at church yesterday, and two less-active families. This was SUCH a huge accomplishment. (Especially because the Elders didn't have anyone... Sisters are killin' it out here!) We are seeing so much success, just because we know how to love people and trust in Heavenly Father. I don't know how to do much, but I can love the people so much, and I can trust in the Lord. He is doing all the hard work, I'm just helping out a little. There are true miracles happening in Alabama, especially in Prattville. We taught the most lessons out of our whole district this week. We are seeing miracles! If two little visa waiters, with no trainer, can figure this out and actually be successful at it, you have to know that this work is entirely the Lord's. There are SO many miracles!!!

I am so grateful for my mission. I have learned more in the last three and a half months than I could have ever imagined. Heavenly Father loves each of you so much. He cares for you. He knows you, and He wants to help you. Trust in Him. Use the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life. It was done to HELP you. Let it. Life is incredibly hard. There are things that you are all going through that I can't help you with. But your Savior can help you. He wants to help you. He has already suffered so much, just to know you and to know your pains. And now, it's easy for Him. He can and will help you if you let Him. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).

I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some days, I still can't believe I'm out here serving. I think about where I was a few years ago, and where I am now, and the change is drastic. The Lord has led me to this point in my life. I am so grateful for it. The gospel has changed my life more than I can explain. I love it more than anything else in the world, and there is no place I would rather be, than in Prattville, Alabama, serving my Heavenly Father.

I love you all. I pray for you all. I hope you have an amazing week. The church is true. It's perfect, and I love it.

Sister Card

xoxo

P.S. Transfers are this coming week... I could be leaving Prattville. It'll be major depression. But I'll go where I'm needed. Love you guys <3 (:

Sister Jensen put up all these hearts with things she loves about me for my birthday. 

If she's not the cutest thing ever, I don't know what is.

It's been pouring rain all week. Don't mind that I look like a wet dog.

Sister McIllece - the Relief Society president. We love herrrrr!

Weekly Email from this 20 year old missionary!

Hi everyone!

So yes, I'm 20 years old. Thank you SO much for all the birthday emails and letters and treats and gifts and everything! I am SO blessed. I love you all so much and I am so beyond grateful for every single one of you. Thank you thank you thank you.

This week was amazing. My birthday was the best birthday I think I've ever had (and my last one was spent sliding down waterfalls in the Dominican Republic). So yeah, it was an incredible day.

This week we focused a lot on service. Our new Mission President got here (and he is the sweetest man in the entire world, next to my own dad), and in our "Meet the President" meeting, he talked a lot about service. So we went out, and we served like bosses. I don't think a day went by that we didn't wash someone's dishes, or clean their bathroom, or fold their laundry, or organize their living room, or bring them flowers to tell them we love them. I have never felt so much love for the people that I am serving. They are the most incredible people I have ever met, and I feel so humbled that I have the opportunity to have met them. I bore my testimony in church yesterday, and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for the people that are here. They are such incredible examples to me. I love them more and more every day.

The members have been coming out with us so much more since the broadcast! It has been incredible to see how much influence they really have in the conversion process. This week, we are planning on getting members out every single day. I truly believe that we can do it. Oh, it was just such a great week this week. One of the ladies in our ward, Sister Fenn, came out with us twice. She is the Primary President, and she is the neatest person in the world. She is a convert to the church, and she has completely dedicated her life to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I look up to her so much. We took her to see a referral, Jerome. He's an 18 year old boy who just graduated high school. His girlfriend is a member in the ward over from us, and she is friends with Sister Fenn's daughter! We had no idea, but it worked out PERFECTLY. It was our first lesson with Jerome, so we started teaching him about the Restoration. The Spirit was so strong, and that boy had TEARS in his eyes. Yes. We made an 18 year old boy cry. Mission accomplished. If we come out of a lesson and we made someone cry, it was a successful lesson. Hahaha. But really it was so great, and I know that much of that relied on the fact that Sister Fenn came out with us. Members are SO important in the conversion process!

This week, we went over to Brother McIllece's home to teach him in Portuguese. He served his mission in Brazil, so we go over there to practice sometimes. My Portuguese is TERRIBLE. I need to work on it so much. It really is not good. It's going to be a major shocker when I get to Brazil. Pray for me.

So my birthday... What an awesome day it was. I'm running out of time, so I can't go into a lot of detail, but it was such a great day!!! We contacted a bunch of referrals, and were able to set up appointments with ALL of them. It was such a miracle, because we have been trying to get in touch with these people for such a long time. It was amazing! Then, Jeanine Nielsen, our BFF, cooked us dinner. She is the best cook ever, next to Dana Brooks. But really she is so great. I love her so much. Then we shared a lesson with her about the Book of Mormon. I have never experienced so many tears in a lesson. The Spirit was SO strong. I was able to bear my testimony that the Book of Mormon has changed my life and how special it truly is. It was the greatest lesson that we have ever taught. We were all bawling. So special.

This church is true. I am so grateful for it. There is so much work going on, and I love it. Keep being good. Keep writing me. I love you all and am so grateful for you all! You are in my prayers.

Read Romans 8 and the talk "Living for the Eternities" by Elder Keith K. Hilbig in the July Ensign.

I love you.

Sister Card

xoxo

First minute of being 20! Getting old. Love you. 

Happy birthday to me! I loved this package!!! So cute. Thank you!