Week 55 - San Rafael

Hola! Qué tal? Espero que todo es bien con ustedes.

This week has been pretty full. We got transfers! Hermana Méndez and I will be staying together in Novato! We are excited to have another transfer together, we are really hoping to find people who are prepared and in need of the gospel so your prayers would be appreciated!

The power of prayer is an amazing ability that we have and when we join together miracles happen! I have definitely developed a testimony of prayer on my mission. It's something we can do all day every day and it's an opportunity we have to talk to our dad in heaven who is listening waiting for the opportunity to bless us with what we need, whether that be trials or blessings.

Let's see I'll give a few highlights from the week: 

• We woke up early one morning and went to the beach to do a personal study. It was amazing! If you've never studied in a peaceful part of nature you should, the spirit is able to reside so strongly in a quiet part of the Lords creation. 

• We went to urgent care for Hermana Mendezs back and found out she has a pinched nerve and strained muscle. So we rested some this week but she's awesome so we really didn't stay in all that much and she received a blessing that helped her a lot a lot. 
• We got drenched at a service in the rain and then soaked again in church clothes while running to a lesson with an investigator. We met with the Elders and taught a women while it was literally pouring so hard. We taught her the restoration and as we talked the storm slowly but surely left and we walked out into peace. I mean it was all the spirit but pretty cool that the spirit calmed a storm :) The power of the gospel is so great. 
• We got to see President Wright because he just wanted to talk with us for a bit so we visited with him and it was awesome, I love him and am so grateful for him and his wife and all they do for the Lord and us.
• We had an awesome lesson with a less active we randomly found. It's amazing to feel the love the Lord has for everyone at all times. He's always there just waiting for us to go to him so he can reach down and love us.
• We got to do service at a part of the redwood forest and holy cow those things are massive, so so beautiful though. We helped clean out all the mud in the cracks of the boardwalk and move mud from off the trails so that was pretty fun. 

That's all I can think of right now but it was a full and good week. For this transfer I've decided to focus on a certain thing each week so I will try to remember to talk about that each week this transfer. This week is motivation. The quote behind it is: "Find happiness in ordinary things and keep your sense of humor." From Boyd K. Packer. I guess I don't ever really talk about hard times in these emails but I can promise you that they are there, it's just not what one tries to focus on as a missionary. Missions are the greatest. Quite possibly the greatest decision I've ever made was to serve a mission. But that doesn't mean it's not hard, it still sucks sometimes. It's hard, trying, tiring, stressful, frustrating, confusing, overwhelming, and yes sometimes there are points when you lay down and think wow I don't want to do this anymore but guess what? That's life, so you suck it up, of course offer a long prayer because those always help, and then you continue. Because that's the secret the Lord asks for a broken heart and contrite spirit, so to grow and become who we need to be it doesn't have to be hard and it does have to hurt.

So this week is really focusing on motivation and the reason I am here. No need to worry I'm doing fine. Everyone has hard days in a week though and it's no different for missionaries. But I'm here and I'm here because I have seen the change in me because of this gospel and I feel of its truthfulness and the blessings that come from it, and how selfish of me it would be to keep that to myself. Everyone deserves to hear what gives me so much hope in life. So, I invite you all to think about what you do and why you do it this week. Find the why, look at who you are because of what you do, and then continue to find and see why you have the motivation you do. 

I love you all and hope that your week has been awesome!

Seguir adelante!!! :) Have another great week. 

Con amor

Hermana Foster

PS - Sam and Elder Field sang at a zone conference.  This is a mash up of Come Thou Fount and If You Could Hie to Kolab.

This one I guess is exercise but appears to be Yoga and the lighter side of being a missionary:-)

Dora who provides dinner for them once every week.

Weird Selfie!