Light on a Hill - Adventures in the Arizona Scottsdale Mission: January 2016

Some cool things happened this week. Last P-day when we went out to
see people we had scheduled to stop by one of our new investigator's
house. we had never been to this house we had one ever met her at her
other grandma's house so after we found it and we were sitting outside
getting ready to go in, Sister Pinto-Haynes said a prayer and I just
had this feeling like we shouldn't be there. It is kind of hard to
explain but I just felt bad. So I turned to Sister Pinto- Haynes and
asked her what she thought. She said she wasn't really sure but if I
thought we shouldn't be there that we should go. So on we went to the
next person we had scheduled to drop by, which just so happened to be
Erica, the former investigator. We have not been able to see her for
months it seems. She got a new job and has been working a lot and our
schedules never worked out, but we went over anyway. SHE WAS THERE! It
was so great to see her! And to make it even better, she told us that
she has been thinking about us and the church a lot lately, and she
wanted us to come back later in the week! It really was an amazing
experience. I had never felt like I shouldn't be in a place so
strongly before, so I am really glad that I payed attention to the
promoting so we were able to see Erica.
In other news, we have picked up a few new investigators lately! One
of the less active we have been working with for a while (who just so
happens to be the bishop's sister) has a husband who is not a member.
Every time we go over he has always left to go to another room and not
really payed attention to us when we were there. But the last few
times we have gone over I have really been trying to get him in the
conversation before he leaves the room and then HE SATYS FOR THE
LESSON. Imaging that, after talking to people and showing them you
care they actually listen to you! Well anyways, that was really cool.
We are seeing him again this week and hopefully he continues to meet
with us! Victor and Rozy are still doing pretty well. They are
actually moving this coming week! It is to another house in our area,
thank goodness, but we are supposed to help them do that later this
week.
The stake is putting on a road show this year! The youth are all
pretty excited, it is Star Wars themed and we have seen some of their
stuff. It looks way good. Nicole is in charge of costumes and everyone
is really going all out! They have the whole storyline scrolling on
the screen with all the stars and cool stuff. It looks way cool!
On a funny note, two of the guys that we work with (Steve and Wolf)
both told us that the love us this week! That is big. They show like
no emotions like ever even to their families. The most emotion they
show is when they are being sassy.... I guess that is usually how they
let us know they care, but they actually used their words this time!
We had interviews with President this week and pretty much everything
is changing.... He told me that I am leaving Papago :( As far as I
know I will be going into another part of Mesa, training and the best
part is that we will be white washing. That means staring a new area
from scratch! Phew I am kind of scared... But it will be good and a
new learning experience! President hinted at going up to the other
reservation in the mountains, it would be so cold!!!! Maybe he will
hold off on that it'll it gets a little warmer.... Haha
We have been able to have quite a few people to come to church the
past couple weeks! Most of them are less actives, we are still working
on the consistency of church attendance with our investigators, but it
still has been great. I will be sad to leave this place that I have
learned to call home and the people that have grown to b my second
family, but I really am glad for the opportunities I have to learn
more and serve other people as well.
All is good here, love you guys!

Sister Welch

It's a Wonderful Life!

So Sister Pinto-Haynes and I discovered that if pictures say a thousand words then imagine how much more a video can say! Therefore, we have been making silly little videos at the close of our days to share with you :) Some of them are pretty long, so it may take you till next week to finish all of them... but some parts are pretty funny! Well at least we thought so... So enjoy! Also: people when I got my call to Arizona said it is always warm. THEY LIED! It got down to 35 degrees this week during morning exercise! We almost died. Go to AZ they said. It will be warm they said. Jokes on me I guess! I have been wearing tights and boots almost everyday with a winter coat. Maybe I'm just a baby, but I was not expecting this!