The Salem Missionary Triumphs : Building & Growing

Week #56

You know you have a new companion who is tall when a little boy walks up to you in church and says in broken English "She, so big. You, so small."

Changes. They are good. Sometimes I can be stubborn and not want them, but when we get out of our comfort zone is when we grow.

A lot has changed here recently. On Tuesday, I said goodbye to my wonderful companion Hermana Jensen. I cried of course and the poor Sister who was my temporary companion did not know what to do ha ha. I explained that I cry about just about everything. So I haven't changed too much if anyone is worried. :)

This week was another week of "dropping" or stopping teaching someone for a while. That's always hard, but I definitely have a testimony that the Lord is in charge of the work. J has decided to stop meeting with us and my heart broke. We drove by this week and the chairs were gone from his porch. Prayer with my Heavenly Father has really become a solace to me this week.

We met some not nice people this week too. Honestly I don't get upset anymore though. If I know what I am doing is right then we can walk away from the people and laugh it off. It does make us sad because we know what we have could help them, but they don't want it. We had someone answer the door and say 'Why don't you go build a house or something and actually do something productive" and then close the door. I do have to say that building houses is probably a good skill that I have not developed so maybe I will look into that after my mission.

My new companion is Hermana Karren! She is so excited about everything and sometimes I just awkwardly laugh because she surprises me, but I absolutely love her. She also came out with Hermanas Hunt and Jensen so I officially been companions with all of the Hermanas from that transfer. I have had multiple spiritual confirmations during lessons and as we are working that we are supposed to be together and Hermana Karren is needed here. She is amazed at how many hispanics live here. Her last area they really had to go searching for people who spoke Spanish, but here is one of the rare places in the mission where we can really go tracting and talk to most people in Spanish. Both of the areas I have served in have been like that so I've been a little spoiled in my mission with being able to speak Spanish more than most Hermanas.

I feel like so much happened this week, but I can't pull my thoughts together with how little time I have to email today.

I want to invite you all to go to Mormon.org and watch the "Prince Of Peace" video. I haven't always been able to identify the Holy Ghost when I feel it, but every time we watch that video I can not deny the Spirit.

I am so grateful for a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. He really does know me.

I love you all,

Hermana Lauren Dickson

Pictures include last pictures with Hermana Jensen and a trip to the tulip festival. We also got a few from a cute surprise birthday party for my companion Hermana Karren. The birthday party I sneakily threw with some members because I knew she must have been sad to have been transferred right before. It was really fun and stressful because I had to be sneaky and when you share a phone and are in sight and sound of each other that is hard. :) At one point the member called and it was really funny as he realized that he was talking to her and had to play it cool. :)