Well, hello!

Good morning!

Transfer weeks is always pretty hectic, Sister Slade and I traveled down to the mission home to pick up our car.  It feels weird to be driving again but it's good, I was getting sick of public transportation :) It's quite an experience driving in a city like Sydney, and of COURSE our GPS is useless. We end up taking five wrong exits and it takes us 45 minutes to go a few blocks haha, that's an exaggeration. But I think we've all had experiences with frustrating GPS's. Good times ahead of us, we're really excited! We also have a new Zone Leader, he is from South Africa! He's really good, super funny but a very hard worker, we're all excited to work with him.  Our very first exchange as Training Sisters was with the sisters who live with us. Haha, we just had to walk a few steps, it was great! But we experience lots of miracles. 

I spent the day with Sister Mckinnon, she has only been out a few months but she's a really good missionary. Just SO sweet, wouldn't hurt a fly, so patient and loving. We were able to teach a first lesson to one of their investigators from Taiwan, it was one of the most spirit-filled lessons I've ever taught. We taught the Plan of Salvation, and when we talked about eternal families, how we can see them again after this life, we asked her what that meant to her, and she couldn't stop crying. Sister Mckinnon and I both testified that we know the things we were teaching her to be true, soon we were all crying. It was so amazing, spirit was so strong you couldn't deny it. It's lessons like those that make all the hard parts about missionary work worth it :) Later that evening we taught a girl who was recently baptized, she has a really strong testimony. We went through the different paintings in the art book and talked about the life of Christ, each taking a turn to testify or teach about each painting. By the end of the picture book, we were all in tears, there is so much power in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the things He did for us in His life. 

This Saturday was absolutely AMAZING! New record for our zone, we had 8 baptisms! But it's not about the numbers, I would have been just as thrilled had it only been 1 baptism. For Sister Slade and I, we baptized ________ and ________! ________ is our little miracle, we've only known him for about a month, maybe 5 weeks. He was so prepared, just has the strongest desire to follow Jesus Christ and do what's right. He's had a lot of struggles in his life, and lacks self confidence but he said after he was baptized and confirmed, he felt completely different. He felt he was changed and now had so much confidence and direction in his life, he even went in for a big embrace but I had to remind him that as Sisters we can't hug him, haha, bless him. He is amazing. ________ as well, he has come a long way! Made a lot of sacrifices to be baptized, but he said he has never been happier! And honestly, I can't explain the happiness that I feel personally when I see these people like ________ and ________ who are just SO prepared and ready to accept the Gospel, I was beaming all night, I still am. 

It has been a great week, a little stressful with this new calling and trying to get everything ready for the baptism, but so great!  I was reading in 2 Nephi Chapter 2 today, verses 6-8 talk about redemption and eternal life only comes through Jesus Christ, and how we all need to come before Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit, also talking about the importance to share this message, and I feel that is why I am here. I love sharing the message of Jesus Christ, how through Him and only through Him can we truly be happy and return to live with our Heavenly Father again. I encourage all of you to continue to strengthen your testimonies, and then to do your own missionary work. I love you all, have a great week!

Love,

Sister Raitt

Train Ride!