Serving in San Antonio Texas: The week of parties! June 3, 2019

This week was AMAZING!! okay well actually it started pretty rough haha this week was actually quite the week full of stuff cancelling! But it ended so well!! Okay first thank you all again so much for all of the love and support, I know I say this every week but it truly means so much to hear from everybody and all that is going on in your lives!! This week was crazy and had a lot but I will try to keep it as small as I can!
We had another exchange starting the week last week! I went to Parkwood and it was quite fun! I said this week we had quite a few parties because the first one was that when the other sister that was staying in our apartment came back Monday night, Sister Cutler and I welcomed Sister Schallenberg and Sister Carter (the one on exchange in my area) and we had music playing (hymns obviously) and all the lights turned off when they walked in and it was so funny! Then after the exchange, when our moms (trainers/companions) came back home, Sister Cutler and I had made a poster for them and also had music on and the lights off, with other lights leading to where we were when they came in the apartment! It was so so funny haha they loved it!! We literally do anything we can to have a good time while still being obedient!!
Wednesday was my companions 1 year mark, and we had a BIG FIESTA for her haha well, as big as we could without her finding out (since I am with her 24/7) but Sister Cutler and I planned it out when we were on exchanges so it was perfect haha! We got up to work out that morning, and we planned that the other sister we live with would "wake up late" so then Sis Schell and I went to the gym while the other sisters hurried and put everything up, and then came to workout! Then we went back to the apartment, and it was like a huge surprise party! We had streamers and lights and a huge door sign and everything we possibly could haha! Then I made everyone french toast and some eggs! it was really good and just a really fun morning! Sister Cutlers companion has a birthday tomorrow so we are gonna do another fun thing like that! Another fun thing this week was that Sister Cutler's mom sent a package to all of us and the note said "wrap yourself up like a burrito and feel the love!" and we didn't think much of it, but she literally sent us blankets that look like tortillas! hahah she is so funny!
Like I mentioned before, everything cancelled this past week! We had our lesson with the member we have been teaching cancel on Tuesday, then Abimael cancelled on us twice this past week :( We weren't able to have a lesson with Xiomara and Hoffmara after our english class, and then our dinner on Thursday forgot they had us (even though we confirmed the day before) but it was all good because we understand how busy life is haha so we went to some gas station place and it wasn't too bad!
There was the baptism of the little 8 year old named Sebastian that we have been teaching the lessons to before his baptism, and it was so beautiful! He is in our spanish branch, and he bore his testimony yesterday about his baptism and it was just so cute!
We had another amazing lesson with Joel this week, and also with Will! Joel is still praying about being baptized, so we hope he gets an answer soon! Will is still progressing just a little bit slower.
We had SO MANY PEOPLE COME TO CHURCH and this is where my week got SO GOOD. Nobody came to our english ward, and we know we need to start working and focusing some more on our english ward because we have been trying to figure out the branch for the past while that we haven't done a lot on our english ward, but we will work on that! We went to our spanish branch hoping that people would come! It was so beautiful because Joel was able to come! He got a ride from one of our members, and he was so happy to be there! We helped him find a seat, and then a couple of our other members who are amazing and always help us went up and welcomed him, and he had the biggest smile on his face and was literally glowing. It was the most beautiful sight that I started to tear up. My heart was so full that everything worked out with his job and such and he was able to come! Then as the minutes went by, Kilber was able to come, as did Xiomara, Hoffmara and they brought one of their super adorable friends named Maria! I saw them continue to walk in and we were singing the song, "I know that my Redeemer lives" and I just started crying again. My heart was so full and I was so thankful for the faith of these people, and their effort to come to church, because it's not easy for everyone. Another beautiful part of church and them all coming was that EVERYONE in our spanish branch that bore their testimony, bore it about baptism. It was a lot about Sebastian which was good, but even the older members told stories and experiences about their own baptisms and how it has changed their lives, and we are just so grateful because we know all of the testimonies were meant for those 5 that showed up to church. God. is. SO. GOOD.
This week I hit 4 months in my mission which is CRAZY and it hasn't been easy but it has been SO WORTH IT. Seeing how amazing this gospel is and how it changes lives is so inspiring to me. I also got asked to give a talk this week in our english ward, so PRAYERS ARE APPRECIATED hahah.
Happy birthday this week to my cute cute cousin Brooklyn, and my grandpa Terry! I love you both so much and hope you have the best birthday!
I love you all so much, thank you so much for everything!
Hermana Griffin