Hello all!! My emails won't usually be this long but we have some extra time today and I have a lot to catch up on!!! It's September 19th! I've been on my mission for over a month now and I've been in the field for exactly 2 weeks!! I didn't really get to email for the blog last week so there's a lot to tell!


I don't think I stressed it enough before that it's waaaaaay ghetto here. I'm living in the hood. haha. Sister Sprouse and I love it!! She has a ghetto book with all her crazy stories and I'm definitely gonna copy her! We have adventures all the time and let's just say I'm gonna have some legit street cred after this area. haha.


And it all affects how we teach too. Hearing about some of the other areas makes me realize the awesomeness that we have here. It's way different. People are waaay more willing to listen. But there are addictions of every kind and pretty much everyone is looking for a job and needs money help. Most people don't have much of a religious background (or the best education) so I'm learning to teach SUPER SIMPLY. It's so awesome here though! I love the uniqueness of this area and I'm so excited to be here!


I LOVE Sister Sprouse. She's pretty much perfect for me! We crack up all the time and we're so happy to be missionaries. Being with her is effortless. We're pretty sure we were bff's before we came to earth. haha. And I'm learning SOOOOO MUCH from her!! Yesterday someone gave his homecoming talk in one of our wards (we cover two wards). It was way exciting to hear but when the Bishop presented his plaque it was like a horror movie. We were so sad to think about that being us someday. It hurt our hearts and we wanted to cry. We just love our missions SO MUCH! I wanna be companions with her foreeeeever. hehe.


Seriously the phrase to describe this transfer is BEST OF THE BEST! I've been blessed SO MUCH to have such greatness at the beginning of mission. This is the best most misionaries have in their whole missions and I'm starting out here! Crazy!! I really don't understand why Heavenly Father has given me so much!! But I do know that where much is given, much is required! I'm trying to be worthy of His great trust.


For example: we have TEN people set with baptismal dates at the moment!! RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME!!! Like this is suuuuuuuuuper unusual. And we should have more soon. My head is exploding!!
One person is getting baptized this week. The sisters were working with him before and he's WAY awesome and SUPER solid. I'm sooo excited for this Saturday! We're teaching a family of 7 (6 are set with a date, 1 wasn't there when we taught), a few individuals and a few couples. I know that they've all been prepared by Heavenly Father. This work is COMPLETELY guided by Him. Seeing the changes of heart these people have had and the way the Spirit works has strengthened my testimony so much! I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's true church on the earth and that the power of the Priesthood within this church is REAL. We have such authority as missionaries only because it's given to us from God. I love being the messenger of the restored gospel for these people. In the MTC they talked about missions being so great because it's like a front-row seat to seeing the atonement work in the lives of people and that's so true!! One of my faaaavorite things is hearing investigators pray. I love hearing people sincerely talk to their Heavenly Father and strengthen their relationship with Him! THERE IS REAL JOY IN MISSIONARY WORK!!


I've been so blessed to start my mission off busy and with all these progressing people. I'm working on having real faith that shows my complete trust in Heavenly Father. I think this has really been the struggle of my life up to this point and I know it's something that I'll have to continue to work on. But it's all about FAITH. It makes ALL the difference. I don't even know how to explain. It just makes ALL the difference.


After so much confusion about what to do with my life these past few years, I'm SO happy where I'm at and I know that's because the Lord is happy with where I'm at. There are so many evidences of this in my life right now! I CANNOT express how grateful I am to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I'm learning so much about Christ and I'm striving to be like Him. He is my Savior and I love Him. I'm so grateful for prayer and for the knowledge of my individual importance to Heavenly Father. He has watched out for me in so many ways leading up to my mission and so much while I'm here. When thinking back about how I got here, I don't even know how I made the decision to serve. It was all Him gently guiding me to where I NEEDED to be.


Even when I doubt myself and my abilities to teach, I have complete confidence in the message that I have to share. I know it's real and it will CHANGE people's lives! The gospel of Jesus Christ is for EVERYONE. Heavenly Father SO wants His children to hear and accept the gospel and to receive the great HAPPINESS and BLESSINGS that come from it. That's why it's so important that we open our mouths. We carry a message with us that people are so desperately searching for. I'm so blessed to have it and so I must share it. Missionary work is the best work on the EARTH!!!
Sister Aubrey Ruth Dillistone