Hello

Hello friends and family,

Okay so this week was really slow. Hermana Washburn and I kind of took turns being sick. I'm fine, just the same stomach pains... So I've been living off herbal tea and I love it!! I hated herbal tea before my mission, but my companion has converted me. :) She also converted me to all the essential oils. Got to love all those weird hippie things people do now days. You should see some of the stuff she eats... haha.

Some really cool news that I forgot to tell you last week is that Franisco (my best friend) finished the BOM, and he saved the last chapter until he got to church so he could read it with me and Hermana Wilzbach. I love him so much and he received assignment from the ward and he goes out with missionaries and the ward mission leaders all the time now. He is so LEGIT!! I have been so blessed to have him be part of my life and mission. I have really learned a lot from him.

This week I went on two exchanges. The first one Hermana Wilzbach came to my area and it was really fun being back together and talking about all the investigators from my first area. My second exchange was with Hermana Groves (my baby) and I got to go to her area, or my last area, and we went to Margarita and Serio's wedding. I was so happy to see them finally get married. The pictures I got have really bad lighting,but the family looked so beautiful and happy... until their daughter threw up all over the restaurant.. reminds me of Alesha and Andrews wedding reception where either Matt or Mackay threw up.. haha good times.

This week I probably had one of the most spiritual/ hardest lessons of my life. We are teaching a mom and her daughter who is eleven. The mom prefers to go to church in Spanish, but her daughter only speaks English. Our initial plan was to have a really good lesson with them and then give them over, but the spirit told us other wise. I can't explain how powerful the spirit was. Hermana Washburn and I were both really prompted to ask certain/random questions from the spirit and the little girl then started to cry and she then told us that her father has been abusing her mom every night, and she says she can see a demon in the eyes of her father. This is the little girl that I talked about before that is just really in tuned with the spirit and is super ready to be baptized. The little girl said she knows its a commandment to forgive, but she just doesn't think she can forgive her dad. Her mom on the other hand just told us that her daughter doesn't understand that this is life and these things happen to everyone. I am so grateful for the spirit and the direction that it gave me. All I wanted to do was take them out of that home and show that what a good life is. As missionaries we're not allowed to counsel, and my heart is  broken. The spirit also testified to me how truly blessed I am. I don't have a perfect knowledge of why these things happen to people, but they do and I am happy that I can be here to show them that they can have something even better, and something that will change their life.

Well time is up... :( other news is we found out that Elder Russel M. Nelson is coming to speak in our Stake and talk to all the missionaries in January. YAY!!!! I'm super excited. Oh and I forgot to tell you, but I'm allowed to skype for Christmas.... :)

Happy Birthday Mom. A year ago on your birthday I submitted my mission papers. I can't believe how fast time has gone by .

I love you all soooooo much. Thank you for your prayers.

Les Quiero

Hermana Watkins

ps. I don't have time to send pictures any more so next week you will have tons :)