Saturday, December 19, 2015

Merry Christmas from Santa Ana!

It's almost Christmas and Savannah has been out over 6 months now!  It's been an amazing experience for her and we love to hear from her every week about the challenges, rewards, tears and joys!

After five months in Costa Mesa with the same companion, Savannah has transferred to Santa Ana with a new companion, Hermana Whitney.  She is loving the new & improved apartment (this one has heat!), but misses everyone in Costa Mesa.

Savannah has seen some great success in her missionary work and in the work of others.  For the most part, people are anxious to hear the 'good news' and learn more about Christ and Gods plan for us. 

She gets especially happy when investigators come to church, but has also had weeks when everyone cancelled on them!  Ups & downs!  Here are a few excerpts from her emails...


"Blessing in disguise: Saturday night I wasn't feeling so hot, my stomach has been really upset .  I basically had the choice whether to ask Hermana Whitney if we could go home early (was 8:00pm
ish..) or go out and work. So I decided I was going to tough it out and work, so we went to go find a investigator named Cornelia, she lives in the kind of sketchiest part of our area. We were able to park right next to her house and we went and knocked only to find out she wasn't home. We got back in the car only to realize that the battery was dead.

"That was weird as we didn't leave our lights on or anything.  We both got in the car and locked the doors, called Elder Anderson ( Senior Missionary in charge of the cars.  He came with his truck and tried jumping it, nothing. Elder Anderson found that an important part of the battery had corroded to the point of collapsing, so he made a first aid repair and we drove it to the Mission Office so that he could legitimately repair it, we didn't get home till 10:30ish. 

"Now that doesn't sound like a blessing I know, but if we had gone straight home we wouldn't of found out about the car until the next morning and I would of missed the confirmations (of people she was teaching) in Costa Mesa. Super awesome blessing <3."

Those are grapefruits from a members garden
and from another week...


"We went to the elder's baptism yesterday, his name is Rojelio, he looked like a very serious business man, not someone you would ever see cry. He bore his testimony and was crying so humbly, it was so powerful, the spirit was so amazingly strong. I started reflecting, during the ward party on Saturday and during the baptism. What would I be doing if I wasn't here? If I decided not to serve a mission, it made me a little sick. I am so thankful for all the experiences I've had here and the people I've met. I thought to myself. "I wouldn't give this up for the world." No I wouldn't, my faith has grown so much here and I'm so thankful I had the faith to come out here in the first place. I know I have touched hearts and they have touched mine, I am seeing my patriarchal blessing fulfilled before my eyes, how great it is! How thankful am I!



Savannah LOVES Christmas!

and another email...
 
In the face of adversity and fear, Savannah remembered this scripture...
"Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."
Joshua 1:9 

Savannah asks for continued prayers for her and for the work they are doing and their investigators.  Thanks for all your support, love, letters and packages.  They mean so much to her!






Her decorated Deck for Christmas
 
The Spanish Speaking wards are close knit and have many get-togethers and celebrations.

Savannah and her old companion, Sister Rodriguez