Dear family and friends,
This week was great! All weeks are great, of course, but I had an especially good week :)
Honestly, we struggled lesson-wise. We got at least 1 lesson every day, but our investigators disappeared from the face of the Earth! We've been trying our best to get members to lessons, and when we show up for the investigators' appointments, they are not home. That has been hard, but Sis. Petersen and I have been keeping positive and doing our best to keep working hard and being exactly obedient.
We had a funny situation happen to us the other day: we needed to watch videos for 12-week and were in St. Helena. We stopped into the St. Helena library and asked the library lady if we could use some headphones. She replied, "That's creepy." Well. Sorry we are poor and can't afford any of our own! So we watched our 12-week training videos in silence. It was probably more fun than hearing it, to be honest. (Oh,and 12-week is an extra hour of studies that we do when we are either being trained or training)
Then, when we walked off, this boy walked by and took a giant bite out of the hugest chocolate bunny I have ever laid my eyes on! Odd situations in the St. Helena library. They're the best.
The biggest highlight from this past week was this amazing thing called CDA Cares (California Dental Association). It was so neat! It was a huge, state-wide free dental clinic in Vallejo, CA for two solid days from5am-8pm. It is 100% volunteer-run. Dentists, dental hygienists, everyone was a volunteer! The clinic provided free dental care for anyone who usually cannot afford it. The clinic provided fillings, extractions, cleanings, x-rays, even dentures. There was even a sterilizing crew cleaning equipment consistently throughout the day.
Sister Petersen and I had the privilege of escorting patients out to the exit when they were completely done with their treatment. We volunteered from 1-7pm on Saturday, and I loved it so much! I have never seen so many gauze-stuffed mouths smiling so big. Even though everyone was sore or numb or plain in pain, they were so grateful. One man said to me, "Next time I'm going to come back and be a volunteer. Give back a little bit." We received many hugs and smiles and some teary-eyed thank-yous, and all we were doing was escorting them out! One man and his wife came out and his wife was crying. She said, "My husband got his front teeth knocked out when he was 9, and now he is 60. We could never afford to get him two front teeth. But they gave him two today, for free!" He smiled and had such a pretty smile, with two new dentures in the front :) I had a smile pasted on my face the entire time we volunteered there. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to help my fellow brothers and sisters.
So...yeah! It was a slower week, but such a good one :) I love you all and hope you make good decisions this week. Remember that God loves you! Just as Alma 41:10 says that wickedness never was happiness, the opposite is true: righteousness ALWAYS brings happiness. Remember to CTR this week and be truly happy :)
Love,
Sister Nikole Decker
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