Sister Breanne Turpin : Week 35

This last week I hit my 8 month mark! It's crazy to think that 8 months ago I was saying goodbye to my family and entering the MTC. It seems likes just yesterday, but also feels like forever ago! Time is super weird.

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Reed this week. It was the best!! I love her so much. It's weird because she is going home in a couple weeks. I can't believe it. We are both so different from when we were companions 8 months ago. It's cool to see how we have both changed and grown as missionaries. That's one thing that I love so much about the gospel is that it allows us to change. We don't have to be the same person we were a year ago, a week ago, or even yesterday. Because of Jesus Christ we can be born again and become a new person. My mission has changed me so much already and I still have another 10 months to go;)

We taught Abrion the 10 commandments this last week. She has a lot going on in her life. She's a single mom of 2 and doesn't really have any family or friends close to her to help her out. She told us that it's hard to take care of her kids and she doesn't know how to discipline without getting angry or yelling but then she told us that she doesn't think she can be Mormon if she's yelling at her kids. hahah! She is working hard to make changes. It was her birthday this last week so we made a cake and brought it over to her place. She cried and told us that nobody had ever made her a cake for her birthday. It was really sweet.

Shaniah Za'nyra and Isiah are on track to be baptized. They are the sweetest kids ever and I am so excited for them. We taught them about tithing this last week and we gave them 10 skittles each and told them to give us one back. Then we had them close their eyes and we poured skittles into their hands until it overflowed. So this goes along with the scripture in Malachi 3:10 that when we pay our tithing God will give us blessings that we won't even have room enough to receive them all. Ain't that the truth!! They loved it plus they got to eat skittles so it was a win-win for us all:)

We started teaching our recent convert Bernice's grandson. His name is Stephen and he's come to church a few times before with Bernice so we asked him if he wanted to learn more and get baptized and he said yes! His two younger sisters started coming to primary too but they are only 6 and 7. We set a date with Stephen for March 12th to get baptized. We taught him the POS yesterday and he asked if we had super powers when we die and his younger sister said "With God all things are possible." it was so tender!!

I've been thinking a lot about little children. We are teaching a few kids right now and they are my favorite! I love how innocent and willing to learn and quick to do good they are. I read in 3 Nephi this last week when Christ comes to the Americas and blesses the little children. He tells them to "Behold your little ones." I think we can learn so much from the example of the little ones around us. We should all do as King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 3:19 to put off the natural man and become as a child "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

I hope that everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl yesterday! Since we don't really watch TV as missionaries, some members in our ward invited us over for the "Sabbath Bowl." They had a football field set up on their table and we split into teams and had to answer trivia questions about the bible. It was so fun! Plus they made yummy super bowl food too:)

I love this work and I love being a missionary. I love that I am able to change and become the person Heavenly Father wants me to be. Change isn't easy, but it is necessary! Have a great week. I love you all.

XOXO