October 27 - A week full of short hair!

Dear family and friends,

Hi!!

This week has been a week full of short hair. #shorthairdontcare

First off, Mom, I don't know if I told you, but your short hair is so cute!!! How do you like it?

Second, Sister Kwan kept asking me for two weeks if I could chop her hair. Finally, Monday night, I did a test-cut of about 3 inches of her hair and after that, she said, "Okay, I call someone to cut for me."
Haha. Cutting hair is harder than you'd think!
#whereisjeneewhenineedher So we called a member of the stake who cuts hair and Sis. Kwan got it cut cute and short on Wednesday at lunchtime! Yay!

Next on the short hair list: Holly Yoho from Napa YSA! We had a tri-stake FHE activity and I got to see Holly, since the Napa ward and the Fairfield ward joined the Vacaville ward for Monday night FHE.
Turns out, Holly also chopped her hair off! It is so cute! She is so fun :)

Also, a girl at church yesterday, Irene Bonner, came up to us and told us we'd inspired her to chop her hair off again haha.

Everyone chops their hair off after they spend time around me ;) Haha nah, but for some reason this week everyone was cutting their hair.

Highlight of the week: I got to Skype in for Holly's baptism on Saturday!! <3 She looked so happy and excited. She was smiling super big and said she just felt GOOD inside. She is such an amazing, sweet girl. And she brought 5 nonmembers to her baptism!! Her grandparents, her parents, and her mom's best friend. SO amazing - she gave her grandma a Book of Mormon and her grandmother is enjoying it. Already a missionary! So proud of her!! I am also so grateful for modern technology so I could still be a part of her special day.

Other random fun things that happened this week:
-Sis. Kwan and I sang all 9 verses to "Follow the Prophet" in companionship study just because we can. It was great. Learned about Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Jonah, Daniel, and prophets today! Very informative and fun.
-Sis. Kwan ate oatmeal for breakfast on Thursday and it just killed her stomach for some reason. In our prayer to end companionship study she said, "Dear God, I am sorry that I had to take time out of studying to poopoo, but thank you for letting my body poopoo so I can feel better and do your work." HAHA :) She is the best. By the way, don't tell her I told you that story...ha.

Guess what else happened this week? It rained!!! Fall and winter are coming in, which means 6 months of rain...whew. I may need to invest in a better raincoat. And new boots. I found out last winter my raincoat does squat. And my boots are rather grungy now from two winters of use. But the rain was fun - Sister Kwan and I contacted people outside when it started to POUR. I love the quote, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it is about learning to dance in the rain." So I was having a good ole' time getting soaked and Sis.
Kwan next to me hates rain haha. She was all grumbly the whole time.
It took away from the happiness of the rain a little bit, but when the rain stopped, there was a HUGE double rainbow across the whole sky :) Tender mercy of the Lord.

My studies have been so loaded and awesome this week! I made some goals for the last part of my mission that's coming up, and as I prayed to know how to accomplish them, I was surprised to receive an answer by a thought that popped into my head soon after: "Make your daily personal study count." So I was able to make some great goals and plans to help my personal study turn from a basic baked potato to a loaded-with-goodness, heaven-worthy potato. ;)

As I've been striving to achieve my goals, my study in the scriptures and other Church materials has deepened and widened - I have been feeling more patient, loving, understanding, and obedient. I know that the promise in the Book of Mormon is true about studying the scriptures daily: "...Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3).

We have started teaching a few new people this week and they are awesome! Destiny - a 19-year-old young woman who is so open and willing to learn. She came to church on Sunday and loved it!

Also, we started teaching this sweet 20-year-old girl named Dulce who is also super open and kind. She has the strongest faith in God, even through some traumatic experiences in her life.

I know this Church is true and that the Book of Mormon is evidence of the Restoration of Christ's original church on the Earth once again.
If you want more lasting happiness than anything else in the world, come and try this out. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ you will feel something new and amazing enter into your life. You can have full access to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He and God love you. You matter to Them. They want you back!

Have a good week, everyone! Be safe this weekend!

Love,

Sister Kolee Decker