Heavenly Father is watching out for each one of us!

July 8, 2013

Dear Family,

It is so crazy how fast the weeks are flying by!  I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks that I have been out here!  And this week FLEW BY!!  Transfers are this week, don't know what will be the outcome of that (probably just staying here), but it is just crazy to think that I have been here 1 transfer already. 

Lets see...the highlights of this week.  There were so many!!

We were really busy to say the least.

On Tuesday we had dinner at Outback Steakhouse with an older man in our ward, Brother Larson.  He is so sweet to take us out to eat every single week, and he always is finding ways to help us out.  He had a few people in mind, and we were able to help him figure out how to bring up the gospel with them.  It was a really neat experience.  We also met the host and hostess at the restaurant and we gave them "Thank You cards" which were pass along cards with a note on the back.  The host started asking me questions about the church and was interested, but before I could explain more he had to help someone else. So that was the end of that.  But I hope that he looks at mormon.org like I told him to!!

Happy 4th! We are matching! And it was a long and hot day.  This is at the end of our long day so we don't look the best haha

But I am wearing the bow you gave me!!! It was so cute...you just can't see it!!

THE 4th of JULY was great! And really hot, but that's better than rain!  We had a ward breakfast, and there were 3 or 4 non-member families that came.  It was so fun to talk to them and get to know them.  They are all so great.  It was really good to get to know the members better.  They are all so fun, and this ward is starting to feel like home. We then went to the Vienna festival and talked to a couple people.  We talked to one man who had restored his car that he drove as a teenager.  Way cool.  Then we had the miracle of the day:  We checked on a lady that Sister Hansen had met before I got here.  We knocked on her door and found out that she didn't live there anymore.  But we found someone else who seems really interested in learning more!! She said we could come back next week and teach her more. Miracle!  Then we went home and did our studies at night (kind of a backwards day) and then went to a members house to have dinner and watch the fireworks.  Yeah, we got to watch fireworks! President Riggs made an exception and said that we could as long as we were home by 10:30.  One of the girls in their family reminds me so much of Emily...it's crazy!!!! 

We have had 2 people call us back in the past two days (when we called them weeks ago) who have wanted us to come back over.  We had a lesson with one of them yesterday.  She is such an amazing and strong woman and has been through so much! I just hope we are able to help her see how much the gospel will help her in her life!!

I went to a New Member Fireside last night.  It is a fireside where recent converts speak and share their conversion story.  It was such a neat experience to hear how different each person's conversion was but really how the blessings are all the same and all glorious! I have had a desire to have greater charity, and last night at the New Member fireside I realized something really important. These are HEAVENLY FATHER'S CHILDREN that I am teaching and talking to! I knew that before, but it just made sense.  They are the same as me, they just don't have the gospel yet. But they all have their own challenges and concerns, and learning takes time for EVERYONE. I realized that I just need to do the Lord's work HIS way and take things on HIS timetable so that these people I talk to are truly converted. I just need to have patience with them and show them that I love them. That just clicked with me last night, and I pray that I can apply that to my efforts this week. 

We did get names from the members, and lots! It has been fun to see how the members are doing their own missionary work and seeing success! There is a lot we have to do to follow up with them now, but I love that we can help the members out with their efforts!!

We also got to help our investigator's family move last Saturday. It felt so good to do service.  I mean I am trying to serve everyday, but it was good to just work hard in a different sort of way.  We also had help from the ward! Yay! It made me feel so good to see the ward reach out and help.  I know that means the world to our investigator!

Today we went to GREAT FALLS! There are actually waterfalls out here! Pretty great!  It was so fun to hike and be out in nature.  That was my mini "weber trip" this summer.  And it's so beautiful there!!

Rachel at Great Falls, VA
July 8, 2013

Great Falls, VA
July 8, 2013

I am so grateful for all of the miracles that have happened this week!!!!! I know that Heavenly Father is watching out for every single one of us and that he LOVES us all so much!  I am so grateful for this gospel and know with all my heart that it is true!

Love,

Sister Udall

PS: Tell Tom and Karen and Julie and Cameron THANK YOU FOR THE PINEAPPLE!!! That was such a surprise and made my entire day!!

This picture was texted to me by Bethany Hartt.
Bethany is someone in the ward where Rachel is serving in Great Falls.
Bethany was running and snapped this photo of Rachel
and her companion street contacting (talking to people
on the street). To say the least I was thrilled to receive
such an unexpected picture.
June 22, 2013