To walk with God, no strength is lost. Walk on. To talk with God, no breath is lost. Talk on. To wait on God, no time is lost. Wait on.

Dear Family-

   I have some news for you- I have been called to be a Sister Training Leader. It is the female equivalent to a Zone Leader, so I will be at all the leadership meetings with President Smith and the Zone leaders, and we will also go around to all the sister companionships in our zone to do exchanges for a day so we can give them one on one training- needless to say I am excited and humbled for this opportunity and cant wait to begin. 

    

    This week we had some highlights- first is sonya. A member of the ward sister h gave us her name as a referral she said, " just you being in my home every week gives me the courage and desire to share the gospel with my friends." This elated me to hear because that's really what its all about- we miissionaries can't do anything without the members!! So we go to see her friend Sonya the next day- she let us right in. Come to find out this woman has interacted with latter day saints all her life. her daughters nanny was a member of the church and they loved her. she said, "everything good that has ever happened to me in my life has been because of a mormon person in my life." wow. now that is a powerful statement. She was full of thoughtful questions- temples, belifs, misioanary work- then came the biggie- she asked about the Book of Mormon. 

She thought only members could read it- how great was her surprise when we whipped one out gave it to her and told her it was hers! she just looked at it like it was gold....she said, "what is it?" we explained- we taught her the restoration and Joseph Smith and how it came to be. we read the introduction with her and she was amazed to read the invitation, "We invite all men everywhere to read thjis book..." and pray to know if the contents are true. Then she said, "hypothetically if I were to want to read this book..how would I start what is it about?" We told her that it was about the people alive in the Americas at the same time of Christ living in Jerusalem and before and after, we explained how it was just dealing with the people in the Americas not Jerusalem. She understood- then we read the Moroni promise with her- I read it- as I read I realized I had it memorized so I shut the Book of Mormon and just said it and I have not felt the Spirit that strong in...awhile...rarely have I felt the Holy Ghost there with such presence so I got a little choked up. Then after I asked her, "Now how do you feel?" She said (and I will never forget this), "Now I feel like I want to read this book." lump in the throat. wow. We left her with 2 Ne 31 to read (the Doctrine of Christ) and we will see her again tomorrow or wednesday. 

   Please pray that as she reads she will pray and know the truth. baptism will soon follow when this happens. Please join me in praying for this, for Sonya. At the end she said," I just dont want to live my life not knowing the fullness if there was more truth I could have had." This woman is an honest seeker of truth!!!!!!! The last people I met thast said that were baptized 3 weeeks later (the Hofers) What a beautiful thing!! I am here for people like this!! That is why I left my life for Florida for people who want the truth!!!

   After we left I told sis. Richardson we needed to pray to thank god for leading us to her- so we did- it was beautiful Things like that you don't forget- I will never forget that. 

Then this Sunday Juanita came to church- the 19 yr old girl who hasnt been to church since she had her son 3 years ago- it was a beautiful thing. She even brought a non member boy with her that i hope we can start teaching- he has no family to speak of and is only 16. her Grandma was so happy to see her there she got up (it was fast and testimony meeting) and thanked us for loving her grand daughter and not giving up on her. My heart grew 5 sizes...I love Juanita and I know God loved her too. Juanita was glued to me all Sunday and then at the end she said, "you're like my best friend." we are seeing her again this week and she said she wants to come to church again next Sunday. What a miracle- i was so overjoyed she came and she knows how much I love her, we love her, God loves her. 

I also went on exchanges to a small town called Milton- it was hard to leave my area, in Gulf Breeze even for a day- but it was fun to teach people I was just meeting for the first time. I was glad to come back though. The people here are my family-there are certain families here that leaving them will literally rip my heart out!!!!!!

  I have been really focusing on this Neal A. Mawell quote- "Empathy during agony is a portion of divinity." Some days i am personally in a state of crisis- or agony- but I have found when I take that to the Lord and just submit myself and my will to His- he sustains me, leads me, strngthens me, and blesses me and allows me to better be able to love and give of myself to others. When I am fully focused on other and their needs- my pains give way to empathy- and in the process i learn of the divinity within me. I see many others who exhibit this too- and to everyone I meet who I see giving of themselves despite them being in a personal state of agony- I share this quote with them and each person I have done this too has broken down in tears. I know that the Savior is the Master of this- He suffered the most acute agony of all- and throught it all he served and lived and died for US. He felt OUR PAINS AS IF THEY WERE HIS OWN. This is why he is the Savior, Master and Redeemer- most DIVINE being of all- he mastered empathy during agony in Gethsemane and on the cross, He is allowing me to experience this and understand this (on a smaller scale). 

I have been blessed- I  have known joy, i am happy, I trust in the Lord- sometimes its hard but it just spurs me on to want to work harder, be better, do more. I dont want to come home and wonder if I could've done more I want to KNOW I ALWAYS DID MY BEST AND GAVE MY ALL AND HELD NOTHING BACK. I want to be exactly obedient.I want to be the best missionary I can to everyone I can- it is overwhelming at times but I know God will sustain me because its His work so I fully rely on Him to be led by the Spirit. And miracles are happening. I am really learning, not my will but thine be done. 

Thank you for the letter dad and Michael- it meant the world to me. I love you all and respect you so much dad you work so hard. And mom i just love you fiercely. I love you all and pray for you. 

Much love sister B

look at that beautiful bay! dad- this made me think of you

We were teaching savon ( the cute girl sitting on the floor :) at a members home and it started storming and the power went out! So we read the Scriptures by candlelight! haha it was so fun/cozy we read about Nephi