one year? srsly? - 1/12/15

that may or may not be all I'm going to say about that. because I'm having a really hard time accepting that I only have 6 months left.

okay anywhoooo! THIS WEEK WAS AWESOME! I love glen carbon so much. you guys, I'm serious when I say my heart belongs in the mid west. We saw so many miracles this week.

so when I was in Salem there was a family there who had a daughter who was ex-communicated that I met and got to know pretty well last mothers day. but she lived in Belleville with her husband who also was no longer a member. I wanted to teach them so badly, but they weren't in our boundaries and then I left like right after that so I never heard from or about them again. but we were on exchanges this past week and I was in Columbia with sister Esterholdt and she was on the phone while I was getting ready for bed and then she came in the room and told me about a referral that the ward mission leader had just given her for a couple who was ex-communicated and had family in the Centralia ward! I freaked out and guessed their names and probably scared sister esterholdt. but it was amazing! It's amazing how great things like that happen daily. I just love it. ahh!

also we are teaching a way awesome family! The mom is a member and the three boys aren't, but they have been meeting with missionaries for a loooong time. they have never really come to church in the past though. so we challenged them to come to church every week in the month of January. and so we have a system with them of doing family night on Saturday and then church on sunday. they have made so much progress in the past two weeks! they have come to church on their own! like without their mom! they actually want to be there! it's been so amazing watching them grow.

Also yesterday after church a lady walked up to us and asked us if we could start teaching her son who is 11 and ready to be baptized! yay covenants!

Alright here's another cool thing. so my first day here we decided to go visit a lady that the sisters had briefly talked to before. we met her and asked her about her holidays and she told us that her sister had passed away and so we immediately started testifying of the plan of salvation and asked her if we could come back to share more. So we went back this past week and OH MY GOSH. she is so great! She has been doing family history work for a long time. Her reason for doing it has been because she feels like God needs her to do it, even though her family thinks it's dumb. She also told us about how she has ancestors that were pioneers! what the. craziness. She also told us that she believes in continuous revelation even though her church doesn't. I just love our new friend.

I am amazed about how many miracles I have been able to see the past year. I've come to see that someone even being on a mission is a miracle. and people accepting to meet with us is a miracle. there are so many to see in the mission field. I'm so thankful for the past year. I have learned things that have changed my life forever. I don't know how I would have learned most of these lessons if I didn't serve a mission, I know God loves me enough that I would learn them. I just don't know how.

I'm grateful for:

-a family that supports me so very much.

-companions that have each changed my mission for the better

-members that have showed me how to be a good member missionary when I'm home

-times when I have felt that prayer was the only solution (because most of the time it is)

-people that I've been able to teach that have come to love the gospel

-the clarity of mind that I've had because I'm focused on the work

-days when I've felt that I just couldn't do it anymore, and the strength that I'm given

-taking the sacrament each week and having a chance to be better

-opportunities to face my fears (talking to strangers, big dogs, walking on ice)

-chances that I've had to see people discover that God does love them

-fully relying on the Atonement of Jesus Christ because most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing

-being exactly where I'm needed at exactly the right time

-recognizing my weaknesses and having that resources to fix them

-being able to see people for their true potential

-feeling the love of Heavenly Father and The Savior on a daily basis

I love this work. so so much.

I love you guys!

sister oberfield