Friday, October 2, 2020

Adventures in the CLAM: First California Earthquake?! (July 1, 2019-July 7, 2019)


Hello one and all!
LA LOVE:
Since we have to be within sight and hearing of our companions at all times, every time we stand up and walk across the room really fast, we say to each other "sight and sound" just so we know we're not leaving the other, hahaha.
We experienced our first California earthquakes! It was super crazy! I must admit it was really exciting for me actually, and almost kind of fun HAHAHA. Let me set the scene. Sister Along and I are making potato wedges on the fourth of July. My companion then asks me, "Sister Day, is this vibrating?" I realized that it was in fact vibrating, and we realized we were in an earthquake. It felt so cool! The next day while we were out street contacting there was another one! We were in the middle of a conversation with someone when he pointed at a power line and said "Earthquake!" It was so crazy to watch and feel.
EVENTS OF THE WEEK:
We spent preparation day with Sister Tomkinson and Sister Merkley! We went to Target where ya girl bought a heckton of pens so when I say I am HAPPY about that. We also got ice cream at Handel's, a place that Sister Sanerive and every other missionary would always rave about so I had to know.
We met President Cordón and Sister Cordón! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited we were to meet them. As soon as they walked in the room we all stood up; the love and respect for then was automatic. We could definitely tell they were ours. We got to meet them individually before the trainings they gave us and the first thing President Cordón said to me was, "Sister Day! You make my day!" What did Sister Cordón say to me you ask? "I see your name and I agree, it's a beautiful Day." Hahaha ugh I love them so much. President Cordón told us at the beginning of the meeting that he thinks he was called to be our mission president for three reasons: to take care of us, to love us, and to help us learn to trust the prophets and revelators. Sister Cordón and President Cordón each gave super awesome trainings. President Cordón is ALL about using Preach My Gospel for everything we do in missionary work which I love so much! Preach My Gospel is a great book! Later that day we had an interview with President. Fun fact about President Cordón: he is the first president of the CLAM to speak Spanish as his first language! So when he was in his interview with me, he said if he can do what he's doing, teaching a bunch of missionaries in a language he can barely speak, then I can do what I'm doing too!
I hit my four month mark! I am so insanely happy to be here doing missionary service. A lot of thoughts regarding my service have been on my mind recently, but I can't remember any of them, just the sentiment of them, which is that it is so great to be having adventures teaching people about Jesus Christ as a representative of His Church.
Independence Day was a party! Our ward had a ton of activities which was great to invite our friends to. One woman that we talk to a lot when she's out walking her dog, Annie, came to our ward breakfast. We seriously have the best and most welcoming ward ever. Also if you're ever in SoCal on Independence Day come to the Reseda ward because it is a whole party! Because not only do they have the ward breakfast, but then the Kerrigan family has a barbecue that goes like all day! It was super fun but sadly none of our friends came to that. We spent the rest of the proselyting day visiting people that we needed to find. On the fourth of July we have to be home by 6:00 because it is both unsafe and unproductive to be out later than that, so what did we do in the apartment that night? We had a talent show! The rules were that each person had to have two talents, but their companion couldn't know what it was, and then each companionship did a talent as well. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen, there was lots of crying (positive crying don't worry), and Sister Tomkinson definitely won with her performance of the Christmas Tree Santa Claus Walk--and I'll leave it at that.
We had a great district council with yet again the funniest street contact roleplays I've ever participated in, and where we reviewed what we learned from meeting the Cordóns. Sister Along and I also made cookies for the whole zone, which were loved by all. Elder Hammond bore his testimony for the zone as he is departing this transfer.
Another ward member had a barbecue thia week too and it was yet again so fun! Definitely fulfilled my summer aesthetic.
We had definitely the most exciting transfer call of my life. Sister Along will be moving on to the Redondo First ward in the Torrance Palos Verdes zone, but guess who her new companion is? SISTER SANERIVE! When I tell you I screamed. I am so excited for the two loves of my life to be companions. I am staying in Reseda, and I don't yet know who my new companion is, because I will be training a new missionary! What makes that even better is that Sister Merkley is staying in Van Nuys and also training! We are so happy to be moms together; I've been with Sister Merkley my whole mission, I love her to pieces, and I am so excited to enter this chapter of my mission with her. Sister Tomkinson will be going back to the visitors' center serving in the Los Angeles Young Single Adult ward for her last transfer. It has been a great transfer and I've loved living with those three sisters.
FRIENDS:
We finally met Cody! Cody is a referral we got a few months ago that we had a hard time contacting and every appointment we made fell through. But when we met him he was so prepared! He went to church where he used to live and in his words he is pretty much just waiting to be baptized. He has almost finished the Book of Mormon and already knows it's true. We met with him again and taught him the Restoration, and he committed to start praying every day. We love Cody!
We met with Steve and read one of my favorite Book of Mormon chapters with him, Alma 18. I love that chapter because it is about the work of the best missionary of all time, Ammon!
Sukki has been having a hard time understanding priesthood authority. But she always tells us while we are missionaries we are angels, so we said if we are acting as angels at this time, we would only tell the truth, right? And she agreed. We testified of the truth of our message and we got her to commit to pray about our message and about prophets. It was a miracle from Heavenly Father.
We had a training with the Dickson family about how inviting is success! It was awesome and they are a great family. While we were at their home we found out that a member of our ward, Brother Curtis, died. I only knew Brother Curtis for a few months but he is one of the greatest and kindest people I've ever known. His testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ strengthened mine and talking to him inspired me to be a better missionary.
We had a training with the R. family, Rosa and Jackie! They are so sweet. We trained them about living the gospel openly and they are simply awesome.
We helped the Kerrigan-Fornelli family set up for the big fourth of July barbecue! It was so fun to be with them and do some service for them.
This is a great time to be alive! The gospel of Jesus Christ is here and it's for all of us. No matter where you are in your life, the gospel of Jesus Christ has something for you.
Thanks and much love!
--Sister Day

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