Sister Olivia Sparks: Week 17

Hi! Okay, so, it was a hard week! 4 of our investigators dropped us, so that was really really really hard! Sister Wade and I decided to fake cry for five minutes while drooped over our kitchen chairs to make us feel better...for some reason it worked, and we ended up laughing :) I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of his precious children, so I know those individuals will be taken care of! How amazing is it to know that our Heavenly Father is tender, merciful, loving, and everything that the word "Father" stands for!? Oh man, I just love Him!

By the way...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!! I am so grateful for all of the Father's that have influenced my life! Excuse the cliche phrases, but I know I would not be the person I am without my dad. He has taught me so much about how to become a true daughter of God. I am so grateful I was born into the family I was. Families are so important!!! If you haven't seen the Mormon Message "Earthly Father, Heavenly Father," WATCH IT!!! It beautifully shows the similarities between earthly fatherhood, and Heavenly Fatherhood! He loves us even more than our earthly fathers...if you can even imagine that!!

This week I have really noticed the unity between Sister Wade and I, and I KNOW that comes from the Spirit. We have been able to teach very well together, and it just flows! Before I was very anxious/nervous about teaching, and I didn't believe my mouth would be filled with words if I just opened my mouth and spoke! I know for a fact now that the Lord truly does give us the words to say. Another cool experience I had this week was in a lesson where nothing was going as we had planned, and a scripture came to my mind that I had read in my last area, but I had NO idea where it was. I decided to flip open my scriptures, and GUESS WHAT!? The scripture I thought of was right in front of my face. It was such a confirmation that this is the Lord's work, and He knows what His children need.

3 of our investigators are still set with baptismal dates, so we are very grateful to be teaching them and helping them progress toward making those sacred covenants with God! Some things our investigators' said that really touched me:

1."When I took the sacrament, I felt like a new person. I just felt such a change within me. I know I need to be better at reading the Book of Mormon, and I'm going to do all it takes!" ....yeah. #nuffsaid

2."I enjoyed the way the speakers were able to share personal experiences! It was very cool!"

3."Yes, I enjoyed the talks. It's like I already know it's true, so it's not so important that people tell me." haaha I had to laugh at that one. So cute.

This week we took a tour of the green houses on campus, and it was SO COOL! There were hydroponic (probably didn't spell that right) that were just floatin' in the water. The roots weren't even connected to anything! I guess the plant is able to grow because of the minerals in the water. Guess where the minerals come from? Fish poop. That's right....fish poop. They had two huge tanks of fish, and they pump the waste into this other tank and then into the plants' water! I was so amazed! We fed the fish too :) 'Twas fun.

Well, this transfer was a short one because we're getting a new mission president on Friday! Sister Moss (in my district) is getting transferred. She's been in State College for 6 months! I absolutely love Sister Moss. I instantly got along with her. She knows who Miranda Sings is!!!! You bet your bottom dollar we talked like her 24/7! hahaha the best. This Chinese convert in our branch added me on Facebook and watched my Miranda Videos. At Institute he says, "Oh, hi, miranda!"

I am so sorry for the emails/letters to which I haven't been able to reply!! I wish I had more time! I'll probably only be emailing my family, but whoever wants to write me letters, I would love them!!! 10 Vairo Boulevard Apt. #32B State College, PA 16803.

I'll leave you with a spiritual thought: I hope I haven't shared this one already. I have recently been OBSESSED with this scripture: 3 Nephi 9:13-14, "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." Come unto Christ. Be perfected in Him. Repent. He will receive you. I have learned so much about what Christ does for us! I have experienced life without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and I have experienced my life with it...let me tell you somethin'...I'm never going back!!! I was burdened down my mistakes I made, and I can only tell you the happiness and joy that comes from repentance and forgiveness. Those feelings of guilt and shame have been replaced with peace and joy! We are infinitely more than our mistakes. We are sons and daughters of the Most High! All I can say is, come unto Christ! You will find eternal life!

Love,

Sister Sparks

. this is garret! he got baptized a couple weeks ago!