Tyler's Mission: Serious time

Well first of all, I'm out of my first area! Which I'm pretty sad about because I've gotten super close to some of the members and it's going to be so hard to leave them. They've pretty much become my family. I'm also sad to leave the people I've been working with like those two boys who have the baptismal date, the two other guys who are super close and one of them actually told us this past week he had a dream where he pretty much talked with someone who told him the church is true and that's super cool! Then there's Cassandra who is the girlfriend of a less active and I'm really hoping she will have a desire to be baptized.

This past week was pretty successful too! We found two new investigators who seem super legit and one is the uncle of a less active so hopefully there can be some good stuff there and the other is the little brother of the kid who had the dream. They are both super interested and I wish them nothing but the best because that's what the gospel can bring.

I know I may have seemed a little less serious in previous emails but these past (almost) 7 months have really truly been amazing. I've truly began to have a true appreciation for this gospel and I've been able to see all the amazing things it can do for people. One thing we have talked a lot about has been the commandments and that we have them not to keep us locked in a cage but to help us progress and grow through this life and put our faith in our Heavenly Father and ask for His help in those areas that we need it. He knows us better than anyone else and he will always do His part as long as we do ours by striving to live and follow His example as much as possible. But because we are human and we are going to mess up, He will always forgive us. He will always forgive us then give us a 2nd chance to try and do better again.

Yesterday was a day filled with good byes because I had a pretty good feeling that I was leaving so I took a ton of pictures with members and talked with one especially who decided to have a big Ward good bye party for me and the other sister who will be leaving the area. So tonight we will go to her house along with like half the ward so I'm really excited for that! It's also going to be a little bitter sweet though because of how much they've all done for me. I spoke with the member who is having the party for me, Hermana Majano, and she said how happy she has been to have me serve in this Ward and that she has definitely been able to see an increase in my Spanish and it just felt super good to hear that since I wasn't sure if I've actually had an influence here but I guess I have!

So yeah! That's pretty much it for this week! It's been a crazy journey thus far and I'm so excited to find out where I'll be going tomorrow at transfer meeting, who I'll be serving with and all the experiences I am about to have these next few transfers. Obviously I have no idea what's to come but whatever it is, it's for a reason and it's going to help me more than anything. I actually had an experience this past week while talking with someone and they helped me realize that even the hardest trials we have help us in some way. Whether it helps us have more knowledge, more faith, humility or whatever it is we may need in that moment, we will be able to develop it. That's what trials are here for. The scriptures even say that Heavenly Father will never do anything save it be for the benefit of men. So there ya have it! One of my favorite scriptures because of the amount of hope it brings. To me at least.

I could go on and on with this stuff but I'll save more thoughts like that for the future! But for now, I will end this email with my testimony that I know this church is true, Heavenly Father loves us so much and because of that love he has given us a prophet to lead and guide us today and I share that simple testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Now for pictures!

1 and 2) the two girls who have been like my little sisters here (But no one can compare to Riley!)

3) The member who calls herself our "mama negra" (black mama

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