Serving in San Antonio Texas: Philip // 75 lessons!!! May 11, 2020

Hello everyone!!! This week we have continued seeing soooo many miracles!!! Also happy mothers day yesterday to all of the wonderful amazing women in my life who have been like another mother to me!! I hope you all had the most amazing mothers day ever!
Personal life : This last week I was able to talk with my soccer coach at Dixie State, and we have decided it is best for me to take this fall season off and personally prepare :) It would've been difficult for me to come straight back because I get home August 5th, and season starts August 3rd, and it's quite difficult for me to get in soccer shape on the mission with only 30 minutes to workout every day, so I've prayed about it and I've decided that I will be staying home this fall, and doing a CNA course at Bridgerland and doing some training with an amazing personal trainer and also helping to coach the Sky View girls soccer team! I'm super excited for this fall and even though I'm very sad I won't be able to go straight back into the game I love, I'm happy and relieved I will be able to have some time to spend with my family and friends :) so I'll have all fall to hangout so hit me up :) my mom also got my flight plans this last week and WOW it's coming wayyyy toooooo soooooon!!!
This week was SPECTACULAR though!!

Monday we met our miracle for the week!! We got a text from Amanda, and long story short her ex (her son's father) was putting grass in their yard and needed help so we ran over there (we were in the middle of talking with our families but felt it was a good opportunity) so we got there and helped them put grass in and layed it all out (i got absolutely fried cause it was at 2 in the afternoon and i forgot it was 100 degrees outside hahah) but it was SWEET. So amanda's ex is a member, but his best friend Phillip was there helping him and Phillip is not a member! Well we got to talking while we were laying out the grass and he was asking soooo many questions but they were such good and sincere questions! He asked us why we feel he should change or anyone should and we both got to share our testimonies and it really made him think and the spirit was so strong and it was so weird to be teaching in person again hahh but we were also doing service so it was nice! He took a book of mormon and pamphlets and it was just so stinkin sweet!
EVEN BETTER was that Monday evening we had a video lesson with Amanda and President Tveten and he talked to her about what he wanted her to talk about in the mission call and it was so sweet to have President Tveten call into a lesson! Then we had the mission call and Amanda told her story on how we met her and how she decided to convert and it was just so special! We had so many missionaries tell us that was super uplifting and inspiring to see a witness that the work is still going on even inside the house!

Tuesday I hit 15 months and WHEW it's going so fast and I truly never thought this time would come hahah. That morning we went back over to Thomas's house and helped them put more grass in their backyard. Then we sat and talked for THREE hours... hahah we literally taught Phillip and Thomas (even tho he's a member, it was a good reminder for him of everything we believe) and we taught them EVERY PRINCIPLE that we teach as missionaries except for what happens after death hahah it was sooo sweet and just like the conversations flowed, it wasn't that we were shooting all this info at him but he was truly soaking it all in!! He even told us he knows how he feels the spirit and he felt it while we were all talking! He also said he had a moment that he just sat back and was listening to us missionaries and Thomas talking about the gospel and Phillip said it felt like everything in the world was revolving around this moment, "like it was all coming together" and he related it to shooting a gun and how you wait for the perfect moment and you take that last breathe and then shoot and he said it felt like everything in his life was leading up to this lesson, it was so amazing and was so sweet to teach in person hahah
I had a sweet exchange with sister pieper and it was super fun to visit with her again!
That evening we went to the Morales house and did service with them and it was sweet to see them again! Sister Persia had to say goodbye and it was sad :(

Wednesday I went on a Facebook frenzy and added everyone I could and that was a huuuuge mistake hahah.
We finished the Living Christ video that we did as a zone and it was awesome!
We had district council and set suuuuuper high goals as a district and one of them was for us to reach 100 lessons as a district.. with TWO companionships.. insane!!

Thursday we filmed my companions "hear him" video and edited it and it has been fun improving my editing skills! Then the elders drove down to Carrizo and brought us some masks and said goodbye to my companion and it was sad!
That evening was CRAZY!! We got home that night and our neighbor told us that there had been a shooting about a mile and a half from our house and the guy was on the loose in a blue shirt with a tattooed face and had a shotgun... we were scared. We locked ourselves inside and an hour later our neighbors dogs started going insane and it absolutely frightened us.. we are still alive though so we are all good hahha.

Friday was SO FUN!! We had zone council that morning and talked about our goals as a zone, and we also went and did service with Ms B and helped her with paperwork!
We had a mission call and were reminded of the safeguards we need to have while being online so much and how many crazy people there are out there!
Amanda's family REALLY begged to feed us since we helped with their yard, so Friday evening we had a bbq and it was sooo sweet. We had Kathy and Chito come and Kathy was able to share with Phillip (they are classmates) why she converted and we believe it was just enough to help Phillip on his journey :)

Saturday we were messaging back and forth with Phillip and we put him on date for baptism!! He is now on date for June 16th and we are literally so pumped for him. He could be baptized this next week literally because he knows everything but he said he wants to come to know it and learn it for himself and so he wants to take time which we understand and we are still excited for him! It is super sweet because Amanda was talking to him and told him he should learn about the church and it was just so sweet to see her work continue!!
I had an exchange with Sister Anderson in Del Rio and it was awesome as well!

Sunday was mothers day and we got to talk with our families and it was so sweet!! The Russos also came back and SCARED us soooo bad!! We were sitting in our room and they walked into the house and we were super scared because of the shooter a couple days ago hahah my comp even broke the door trying to close it with a pull up bar on it... hahahah sooo funny!!
Phillip is so super sweet and he brought us over BBQ that his family had cooked and they had extra! He got to see the Russos and chat for a bit and it was just super sweet! He's gonna be one of the best members ever!!
We had 75, yes SEVENTY FIVE lessons last week here in Carrizo... hahah there were moments where my fingers couldn't move fast enough hahah it was insane. It was such an amazing week though and a great way to send of Sister Persia :)

Today we are headed to San Antonio so I can show Sister Persia around the city before she heads back to Utah on Wednesday, so if I don't get to respond to your emails, please forgive me as today will be a crazy day!!

We got transfer news last night and I am staying in Carrizo again (YAYYY) and I will be receiving Sister Brooks (my niece in the mission)!! I'm still a Sister Training Leader and I'm just super excited for this transfer and all of the amazing things to happen!!

Thanks again to all of you for your love and prayers. You've all changed my life and I love you incredibly much!!

Have the best week ever!!
love hermana griffin :)