August 25th 1 Nephi 7:12

(Note from Taylor's mom: I just realized I got this post already to go, but it was saved as a draft. Sorry about that...so now it's posted!! )

This week was so jam packed full of awesome I don't really know where to start, so I guess I'll start with explaining the picture... This was on a random door we knocked on... they weren't home, but this was too perfect to not document. This week was AWESOME!!!! But what else would it be? We set a date with A____, guess what Daddy (Harold)!!!! SHE'S FROM BRAZIL!!!! I kinda freaked out a little inside, yay daddy!!! Hahaha anyways she's a foreign exchange student from Rio, and we've started teaching her and the other foreign exchange student from Finland. They live with members (that's how we met them) and they are so open and willing to learn. I learned how to say hello and goodbye in Finnish! Moy- hello, and Moykah- is goodbye. We also have been doing a lot of work with our Recent Converts and it's been such a testimony builder to me to see how strong they can be as they rely on the teachings of the Savior. The transition is so hard for them, because our learning and teaching style is so different... Like a buffet instead of spoon feeding (one convert said force feeding) and it's been really interesting to try and help them adjust to that so they can continually be fed by the good word.

  I also got to experience something kind of unique this week. Sister Thompson's dad is from Arkansas and his family still lives here, and aren't members of the Church, so we were able to get permission to have dinner with her Aunt's the night before Zone Conference in N. Little Rock. We went and it was interesting as we bore our testimonies of this gospel and did our best to just love them and share what we knew, while getting to know them. It was awesome... We were asked to sing at Zone Conference. It was a really cool rendition of Joseph Smith's 1st prayer put to the tune of Stars were gleaming. It went really well, cause the spirit was there. :D I love it when a plan comes together. We then had dinner with the Torgersons and played this game called the Law of Sacrifice... It's a ton of Index Cards with different things on them and you have to choose which things to get rid of. You lay out 5 at a time and get rid of 2, and then replace the 2 till you get down to the last five and get rid of everything but 1. You have things like "movies, video games, cute clothes... then it transitions to Health, Leadership Skills, then Family, then Scriptures, Temples, Church Buildings... till it comes down to the last card. A testimony of the Gospel. It's a really good game because it helps you realize that even though Scriptures and Temples and Families are all very good things... If you don't have a testimony of the Gospel then... none of it matters. I know that we can all gain a testimony through Church and the Scriptures... and that a testimony is the most important thing.

  Yesterday we were talking to a family about our childhood and how we came to be who we were and I was really able to reflect on how I came to have a testimony, and to be who I am... I know that the Family is ordained of God, and I'm so glad for my own special/awesome/out of this world family. Both Blood and Family by Choice... Y'all rock! This week was also super awesome cause we got to find a new family and I'm hoping that they will experience the joy the Gospel brings. Also in closing for those of you who are struggling, I'd invite you to watch "Patterns of Light" by Bednar and "Lot's Wife" from the Mormon Messages... they've really helped me. As well as will you read 1 Nephi 7:15? It's super good, our mission president has asked us to memorize it. I know that it will bring you extra strength :D Thanks!

Adventure to the End y'all!!!!

Sister Foster