Peach My Gospel: 2.1.16 A whirl of a week!

Hey Yall! First off, Happy Birthday today to my beautiful mother! I am so grateful for her example and wouldn't be who I am today without her! Love you tons mama! Hope you week wasn't as crazy as mine but maybe as wonderful! I am loving it here and happy to say that I am staying for at least another 7 weeks!(:

Tuesday was the best! It started out with an awesome district meeting. President and Sister Bennion came and they helped a lot. We went through our progress record and got a lot of great feed back from President Bennion. Then Sister Fuller gave an awesome training on finding. Overall it was a great district meeting! That afternoon we were finally able to meet back up with Ben and had a great lesson with him! He is still on date for the 13th and I am so excited for him! He
is getting baptized in his home ward which is a couple hours away so we wont be able to go. I am still so grateful that I have been able to teach him, he is so great! Then we check up on Justin and he was so happy! It was wonderful, he was having a great day and really noticing God's hand in his life! We are still working towards this Saturday! Next we had a great lesson with Derrick! He is the one who came to church on Sunday and is so elect! We taught him the restoration and
invited him to be baptized! He is now on date for the 27th of February. How can the day get any better than that?? After that we had an incredible lesson with Baylen. He had a lot of really good questions and we had some great discussion. He just kept saying how "everything makes sense!" It was so cool! Elizabeth, Jocelyn and Will all came along and they were a great help! They are all converts and have amazing stories! We taught him the plan of salvation and it went so well! The spirit was strong and he is on date for the 20th! That night we were able to have a lesson with Andrew and be there for when Alphie gave him a priesthood blessing! It was a beautiful blessing and Andrew is doing better! We got to sneak into the last little bit of institute and then talk to Justin for a bit after! It was the most wonderful day and we came home exhausted! There is so much potential here in Big Shanty and I feel so honored to be a missionary here at this time! God is good and this is his work! The field is white, ready to harvest.

Wednesday was another wonderful day! That morning we were able to go meet up with Yasmine, one of the girls we met at tables. She is the cutest and I already love her so much! We were able to talk to her about missionary work and the Book of Mormon. I will never forget the look on her face when I told her that she could have a copy of the Book of Mormon! She was so happy it was almost as if she was going to cry. It was an awesome lesson and I am so excited to start teaching her. After that we did tables, which just means we set up a table under a tent outside of the commons and talk to everyone who walks by! It is so much fun and I love it! We were able to get 4 new investigators and plant over 150 seeds! After tables we went and ate lunch with leighton and Will. Then we had a great lesson with Colleen and an awesome lesson with Jocelyn! That night we went to dinner with Justin K and Jocelyn and it was delicious! They are the best and we always have so much fun together! We are like the 4 amigos and I love it!(: That night we got to meet with Amanda and hear all about her
wedding plans! Her dress is so gorgeous and I wish we could go so bad! I miss the temple so much and am already looking forward to June when we get to go again! We had a really good lesson with her and it was the perfect ending to a fantastic day!

Thursday had its ups and downs. But as always the ups make up for the downs. That morning we had a great lesson with Jocelyn and then she came with us to another lesson with Drew. He believes a lot of the same things we do but has small but very important differences. We talked about the importance of the BoM and asked each other questions. It was good! Then we went and had lunch in the commons! It was fried chicken Thursday, it was so good! After that we had a lesson with Sarah, the girl we met a couple weeks ago. It didn't go as well as we had hoped, she is a very logical thinker and is set in her ways. I am still so glad we met her that day and were able to plant that seed. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for her and one day she will join the church. Next we met up with Justin, who is still super happy and it was awesome! Still working towards Saturday and feeling good! That evening we went to the branch to have a lesson with Baylen. It was so
amazing and the spirit was so strong! We gave him a church tour and showed him the "Because of Him" video. Jocelyn, Elizabeth and Will came along and we had a mini testimony meeting. It was so wonderful! Even though Baylen said he didn't really feel the spirit I know that it was there and that Heavenly Father is working on him. He is such a great guy and has already come to love this gospel. Then we went and had a yummy dinner with Jackie and Heather! We thought we were just meeting with Mario that night but Tiffany came along too and it was a great surprise. (Tiffany is his girlfriend who is not a member.) We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it went really well! It was another peachy day in the Lord's vineyard!(:

Friday morning we went and met the guy that we met at Golden Corral and was able to hand him over to the Elders! He is now on date, so that is so awesome! After that we went and visited Marie, she is so cute and although she isnt really interested we are just doing service and loving her! After that we went to get Justin and met the Elders for his baptismal interview! He passed with flying colors! Next we went to institute which is always great and then did so contacting! Then the spanish elders came and gave Justin a blessing, which was great! While they were doing that we were able to run into the girls, Chasity and Allison! It was a little tender mercy and was so great! That night we taught Derik the plan of salvation! It was an amazing lesson and he is so elect! He kept saying how this answered all his questions and he felt "complete." It was the best! We wen to a late dinner with Jocelyn which of course was a blast! Lets be honest, we are pretty much in a trio!(:

Saturday was a CRAZY day! It was a lot of back and forth between Justin and trying to get everything in place for the baptism. At one point we weren't sure that it was actually gonna happen but we got him out of bed and got him all ready to go! It was the most amazing thing! I have never seen him so happy or full of excitement. The baptism was beautiful and it went so well! I couldn't stop smiling! After three years of being taught, he finally did it! I am so proud of him and so honored to be able to have taught him! There were so many little miracles and I know what was all because of our loving Heavenly
Father. I was able to give a talk on the Holy Ghost which was a great experience. A day never to be forgotten. Let's just say at the end of the day our phone was out of battery and so were we! But we did go to bed smiling, thats for sure!(:

Sunday was a roller coaster of a day! In the morning we had a great meeting with President Stevens. He is now in the mission presidency and is so great! He was able to give us some great advice to help further the work here in Big Shanty! Justin arrived early to church and all was well..not for long. He went to talk to president Murdock when his dad called very upset. Things went down hill and fast we sat through sacrament meeting but Justin wanted to hold off the conformation. The Spanish elders, President Stevens and both of us talked to him and did everything we could. It was really tough and very stressful. While we were talking he got a call and had to go. We then had branch correlation and a meeting with President Murdock. After that we went home to do some weekly planning snd then headed to the Mourdocks for Sunday dinner! It was taco night and it was delicious! All there family was there and then some members of the branch. It was so much fun! That night we had President Murdock give us both priesthood blessings. It helped so much and I am so grateful
for the power of the priesthood! It is an amazing blessing in my life and gave me the strength I needed!(: It was a rough day but ended on a great note!(:

As you can see it was a crazy yet incredible week! How mission life goes! I am excited to see what the future holds and loving every day of being a missionary!(: You are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you have a blessed week!(:

Peach out!

Love, Sister Hosman