March 10 - My first week training

Dear family and friends,

Guess what?!  I begat a child this week (my new greenie came in!).  It's been craziness, but so far so good!

Monday night Hermana Kaiser, Sister Harston, and I drove to Santa Rosa and dropped Hermana Chavez off - she "died" (aka her 18 months were up) so we wore all black that day haha.  Then Sister Harston, Hermana Kaiser, and I were in a trio for Monday evening and half of Tuesday.

We headed back down to Santa Rosa Tuesday evening - Hermana Kaiser and I are training, so we were able to meet all the new missionaries and go to a devotional with them.  We dropped Sister Harston off at another companionship's dinner before the devotional and dinner and ended up sleeping at the Funk's house that night, a senior couple who did my laundry when I served in the Redwood YSA ward!  That was fun :)  Sis. Funk and I caught up a bit and she made us these BOMB German pancakes the next morning.

Then Wednesday came!  It was psycho.  We had to be at training at 8:45 that morning.  I didn't realize this, but after training, the APs and President and Sister Alba go into Pres. Alba's office and pray and talk about the trainers and the new missionaries, and that's where they decide who is training who.

So then the trainers and the greenies got called into a room together and we sang a few hymns and had a little pump-up devotional...and then I found out who I'm training!  Disclaimer: Sis. Harston, my last companion, called that I was going to be with a Sister Petersen (there were 2 Sis. Petersen's that came in this transfer).  And guess who I'm with?!  Sister Petersen haha.  She was right!  I am so excited!  Her name is Devin Petersen.  She turned 19 the 26th of February while still in the MTC, so she is BARELY 19!  She graduated in 2013 and is from St. George, UT.  One of her good friends, Elder Morley, is in the mission and we found out at zone meeting Friday that he is also in our zone!  So that's been fun for her :)

Hmm, what else about her?  She's basically amazing.  She invited Jim Kelleher, one of our investigators, to be baptized yesterday!  She is a bold greenie.  And I just love the greenie fire!  She's definitely helping me to step up and out of my own comfort zone.  She is also doing great at contacting.  The first time we went contacting, though, (Thursday) was not good haha.

I BIBLE BASHED!!  Nooooooooo!!!!  It was not a good example.  The Spirit left and we both just felt so icky inside.  Then we walked back to our car and sat inside for about 20 minutes singing hymns and reading scriptures until we could feel it again.  It's so true that the spirit of contention is of the devil (3 Nephi 11:29), because I definitely felt the Spirit of God leave me when I was getting upset.  I don't really need to talk about the man we bashed with...he was the meanest man I've met thus far on my mission though haha and he called us delusional and corrupt and a whole bunch of other really mean names...I repented though, and I've been praying to feel more charity for people.

It was such a good lesson for both of us to learn.  I've never "bashed" with someone before (it's frowned upon - it's basically just throwing Bible verses back and forth at each other to prove the other person wrong, and that's not what I'm out here to do, so it was not good), and I realized that for the first time in 6 months, I didn't have the Spirit with me in the mission field.  It felt all sorts of wrong.  But what's so amazing about repentance is that we can get the Holy Ghost right back when we strive to have it with us and are doing the things we need to to feel its influence. 

The next day, because of that,  Sister Petersen and I made a "vision board" with what we wanted to accomplish, and I'm so excited for this transfer together!  Our vision statement: "Lead like Christ."  I really want Sis. Petersen to feel comfortable in the area, and to feel confident in her abilities so that she could train a new missionary next transfer, if she had to.  She is already rocking it out here in St. Helena!  I am so impressed by all the new missionaries who came in.  They all seemed so mature and ready to roll :)

Sister Petersen and I are also teaching really great together.  We're definitely feeling united as a companionship and it feels great!  She has a POWERFUL testimony of prayer and of the Atonement.  We've had a couple of member lessons, and with the two of us and the Spirit teaching, we were able to get 7 referrals in 2 lessons!  That's pretty solid :)  We're excited to contact all of them this week.

I feel super overwhelmed and tired right now, to tell you the truth, but I think it's because I don't really know how to "train" a new missionary haha.  I do trust that God knows I can do this, and that Sister Petersen and I will do amazing things together.

Sister Petersen is seriously so amazing - I'm so privileged to be her companion!  She has such a sincere desire to serve and is more than willing to work hard and be exactly obedient.  I can't wait for what this week has to offer for the two of us!

Cool story from this week:

We were teaching a recent convert (Jack Brannan, 87 years old) at the veteran's home yesterday, and he told us that he had a stroke earlier that week!  It was hard for him to talk and I could tell the stroke definitely did some damage :/  We asked him if he needed a blessing and he said yes.  The leader over Sacrament Meeting at the vet's home - Bro. Graham - gave him a POWERFUL blessing and said that "tonight you will rest in peace - the hurt will go away."  I felt this feeling that Bro. Brannan was going to pass away soon, but I have never felt so calm in my life.  I am so grateful to know about the Plan of Salvation and that I know where I go after this life.  I don't know if he will pass away anytime this week or the next, but I do feel at peace with whatever does happen. 

Funny stories from this week:

The first night Sis. Petersen came to St. Helena, it started pouring buckets while we were inside a lesson.  Sis. Petersen ran to the car to unlock it and I was walking because of all the puddles.  All of a sudden her feet slipped up from under her and she goes "SMACK!" and lands right on her bum in a puddle haha.  THEN promptly after that I sat down in the car and the phone slipped off my lap into the gutter-river and I had to run down the street after it...needless to say, the phone is dead.  We got a new one on Saturday, though, so all is well!

Yesterday while contacting Sis. Petersen and I talked to these odd, interesting fellows named Clay and Sasha.  At the end of our conversation, Clay, a 20-something-year-old, said, "Group hug!" and tried to hug Sis. Petersen and I.  Sis. Petersen made the WEIRDEST sound I've ever heard (almost like a half-scream, half-throw up sound)  and jumped back.  Haha the guy was so confused!!  It was great.

Well fambam, life is good.  I am feeling really happy and excited for the weeks to come - I love being with a new missionary.  I'm supposed to be the one training, but Sis. Petersen is training ME!  She is just helping me to be better, and I love it :)

I hope you're doing well, and remember that you are a son or daughter of God!

Love from Napa Valley,

Sister Kolee Decker