Sister Breanne Turpin : Week 5

I can not believe that it has already been a month since I have left on my mission. It feels like I have been gone for ages really, but it's gone by so fast!! I hope that everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July. They let us stay out until 10:30 (WOO, a whole hour and a half past our normal curfew!!) and watch fireworks. We went with our member friend Audrey to a park and watched a firework display so it was fun. Not quite the same thing as "the biggest show in Idaho" but we had a good time anyways!

I feel like I have a problem every week with remembering the things that went on so hopefully I can share all of the important stuff!!

On Tuesday I got to go to my first zone conference!! It was super awesome. It's always so nice being around a lot of missionaries because they just help your testimony grow even more. Plus Sister Bishop, my comp from the MTC, was totally there so I got to see her again which was the best:) President Morgan gave us a pep talk about being half way through the year and working even harder to achieve the mission goal of 453 baptisms at the end of the year. 453 is not just a number of baptisms, but 453 souls that we are helping to gain salvation. It becomes more meaningful when we think of the individual people that we are helping come unto Christ.

Also this week me and Sister Reed have been trying to take advantage of unplanned opportunities. During the week we have a lot of plans that fall through and sometimes it can be discouraging. However, when plans fall through it's because Heavenly Father has something better in store for us. On Wednesday none of our plans worked out the way that we had planned for, but it ended up being the greatest day! We ran into some people who needed help moving stuff from their basement so we were able to help them for about an hour and the whole time they kept saying "y'all are such a blessing, you girls are really God-sent" haha we thanked them for letting us help them! Nobody ever wants our help so we were really grateful! Then after that we ran to the gas station to use the bathroom and we ran into Tim. We only talked with him for probably less than 5 minutes but we told him what we do as missionaries and he said that we just have a glow about us. I love when people tell us this!!! I just want to be like YES it's because of the happiness the gospel brings us and you can have it to!! haha I told him that, but in a more toned down version. We gave him our card and he said he would call so we are hoping he does here soon! It was awesome to see how the Lord has prepared people for us to help and if we aren't aware we can missed out on those opportunities if we are too focused on what we had planned.

So fun thing we got to do yesterday. We met with one of our recent converts, Christian, and he has like tons of pet snakes. So he asked us if we wanted to hold one of them and of course I said yes. Sister Reed was not quite having it! haha he brought the snakes out and I totally got to hold a snake. Sister Reed eventually gave in and held a little baby one. but I am just crossing off tons of things from my bucket list while being here in Missouri! I love it here and I love the people I get to serve.

If you haven't watched the Mormon Message "LIFT" go do it! Elder Christofferson says that as we lose ourselves in service there is more of us to find because we can more substance to us as we serve others. Okay he says it much better than I do but it is so true and I am coming to learn that more and more as I serve those around me!

That's all for this week but I hope that everyone back home is doing good! Remember to pray and read your scriptures. Don't forget to put the Lord first and he will always provide.

XOXO

Sister Turpin