last email

Sister pawluk and sister casa at MLC. I just got done crying because I
bore my testimony

Sister Redford and I watching Josh creepily in the kitchen waiting for him to come into the church 

well this week was a wonderful week like usual:) i went on my last exchange and my last ever MLC meeting where i had to give a 20 min. talk and i was so nervous that i didnt eat like that whole day! and then bare my testimony at the end of the meeting with everyone else who is going home. To an investigator named Elsa Montemayor who i love so much that commited to be baptized on jan. 16th which is this saturday!!:) so pray that all will go well and that elsa will end up getting baptized!:) that is my dream, to have a baptism a day before i go home:) yep! i believe it will happen!!

this week is going to be awesome though. im so excited to just work my little tail off and get some work done up here in the amazing La Porte:) hahaha and this sunday i will be giving a farewell talk to the ward here talking about Jesus Christ. 

i just want to bare my testimony, i know that Jesus Christ lives, i felt his presence throughout my mission. i know that miracles happen as we have faith and are faithful to what heavenly father asks us to do. i know that i am a daughter of god and that we are all brothers and sisters. i know my heavenly father loves me, and knows me better than i know myself. i know why i am here and what my purpose is. and i know that as i live the gospel of Jesus Christ by having faith in my savior and repenting daily, and then taking the sacrament weekly that i can live with my heavenly father again in his presence and truly have that eternal family. i know that Joseph smith was a prophet and that the book of Mormon is the word of God. i know that through prayer and scripture study that you can find guidance and joy. i know that heavenly fathers plan is for us to all come back to us and that is why missionary work is a commandment and it is something that brings great joy and happiness and a sense of belonging. i have loved to learn on my mission and to learn who my savior is. he is my best friend and someone i can count on. i love bring born and brought up into this church. i love the spirit and the power of the spirit. i know that all of this is true because the spirit has born witness to me that it is true as i have experimented on the words of the lord. and i can promise you as well that if you experiment upon the words of christ you may come to know these things and by the power of the  holy ghost you may know the truth of all things. 

i love you all and i will see you next week!

love, sister turpin

Sister Redford's letter

Hello Y'all

The more time I spend on my mission the more and more i want to stay a missionary FOREVER.  Esspecially because my trainer is going home next week and that means I will be leading out the area which makes me quite nervous but i am read for the change.  It has been crazy to see the progress in the La Porte area since i have been out here.  The area of La Porte is the best and seriously has some of the best people i have ever met.  I am glad to be staying here for another transfer for sure.  This week has gone by so fast that i can hardly remember what has happened.  On Tuesday I was on exchanges in spanish land and i now on never question why spanish missionaries gain so much more weight then english missionaries.  While i was on exchanges from 10am-4pm we had breakfast was fed quesadillas at a lesson,  then we went to another lesson and we had the opportunity to make homemade gordidas and before be could finish the first one she had a second on our plate and tried giving us a third one!  Lets just say by the end of the night I was soo beyond stuffed.  It is different going on spanish exchanges because their lessons are usually all in spanish and i cant really voice an oppinion or teach anything and i cant even bear a short testimony.  But i can not deny the spirit that it there.  It is amazing that no matter what language or what part of the world you are in that this gospel is still the same.  It is never changing in an ever changing world.  This is the exact church that Christ himself set up and that is such a belssing to know and have the opportunity to testify of.  Oh yeah and then after we were fed gordidas we then were fed Tostatas from a member that we stopped and saw.  Filled to the brim with mexican food and the spirit!

This week Elsa accepted a date of Jan 16 and we know it is possible that she can be baptized by then.  She has the STRONGEST testimony of the book of mormon she even started reading D&C!  How crazy right.  She listens to it for 45 minutes while she is driving to work.  She knows everything is right and has been to church 4 weeks in a row.  The only problem is she is afraid to tell her mom.  So we invited her to fast and pray about it and we told her we would fast with her and then it turned into her, us, and the missionaries in our district and then the bishop and then the members in the ward and lastly President Drake.  We are going over tonight to see how it went.  We honestly believe that this is the right thing and if she is holding back just because of her mom she is Holding back from her Heavenly Father as well.  She is the best and the spirit is so incredibly strong in all her lessons.  

This is my last week with sister Turpin and it is really sad.  It is crazy to spend 24/7 with someone for 12 weeks and now it is just going to be all over and she is going home so I wont be able to see her ever again on the mission.  I wish you all could meet her and she what a wonderful person she is and to see what a wonderful missionary she is and will continue to be.  Her family is very lucky to be getting her back even though i wish i could steal her for a little while longer. 

The mission has taught me so many things; therefore, I cant imagine where my life would be without it.  I continue to grow in love for my Savior each and every time I am able to talk about the restoration with anyone I see.  I have become more confident in my testimony of Gods plan for each and every one of his children as i continue to grow in learning how to teach those clearly and boldly, i myself know that my testimony grows.  I can stand and testify of the truthfulness of what I share and about missionary work and the love i have for those i meet everyday.  I am able to feel the love god has for then and I am truly grateful for the ability i have to share the things I know to be true and for the Holy Ghost to be my constant companion as I continue my journey through this time.  I pray that all of you might come to the testimony of your Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and to devout more time this year to him then you ever have.  I promise that as you do this your lifes will seem simpler, more joyfull, and you will feel more peace as you live his gospel and continue to strive to become more like him.  

Have a great week y'all and stay safe :)

Sister Redford

Baptism!!!

Hey Y'all! 

This week has been a whole big roller coaster! It has been amazing at times and for a short amount of time we thought the baptism was going to have to be cancelled.  Lets just say a lot of prayer and fasting and trusting in Heavenly Father that he would prepare a way.  

To start off the craziness we get a text from Josh Wednesday morning that went something along the lines of... " I am sorry I am going to have to cancel the appointment for today and also my baptismal date.  My uncle has taken me and we are over a hundred miles away somewhere in Louisiana and he says we are not coming back."  As soon as me and sister Turpin read this we were bawling.  It was terrible, we prayed and prayed and we decided to fast that day for guidance on what to do and to know what way we could help if there was anything for two young girls to do to help him.  We contacted everyone and all the missionaries were praying for him.  I have never had to trust on my Savior and Heavenly Father so much or relied asking them to please prepare a way for Josh to be able to come back.  It wasnt Josh who was the one who was holding himself back but his uncle and the adversary works wonders when people are so close to entering the waters of baptism.  He knows they are doing the right thing and will do anything to make sure they are farther away from Heavenly Father.  But anyways.  Me and sister Turpin were able to receive priesthood blessing from our district leader Elder Kuepper.  He Is amazing!  Anyways after I had received my blessing I felt so calm and i knew everything was going to be ok.  He said everything i needed to hear and gave direction and guidance for what i could do personally to help me understand why things like this happen. We were on our way to our last appointment when we received a call.  it was from JOSH!!!!!  He called and said his uncle had a change of heart and decided to turn around and come back home.  It was an answer to so many prayers.  Sometimes all you can do is leave it up to Heavenly Father and hope that the best comes out from it all.  I know that me and sister Turpin were blessed beyond means that day and it is a day i will never forget.  Prayer and Fasting really do work.  If you are determined and willing to put everything on the alter of sacrifice He will prepare a way always like it says in 1 Nephi 3:7.  But on the plus side that day we also got a text from our investigator Mike that said he was reading the Book of Mormon and that he is even more interested in being baptized!  How awesome is that?!?!

Well now for my favorite part of the week!  BAPTISM :)  Boy does it bring me so much joy to be able to see someone accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and follow his example and be baptized by someone who holds that priesthood authority.  Well we told Josh to be at the church at 5 when his baptism wasnt until 6.  But we know he is bad with time and so when we told him 5 we know that he wouldnt show up until 5;30 but turns out it wasnt until 5:45 that he showed up.  There were so many people there to support him and it was awesome to see him shocked by how many people came.  The spirit was so strong and everyone was crying by the end of the night.  It was absolutely amazing.  When he was actually baptized he had the biggest smile on his face when he got out of the water.  Me and sister tuprin recited the Joseph Smith History while he was getting dressed and the spirit was incredible.  Bishop made some remarks and told him to go on a mission!  That is what we are hoping for anyways.  At the end of the night when we were leaving he told us thank you for bringing him into this gospel.  What an honor it was to help him find the truth and act upon it.  

Sunday when he was confirmed was even more incredible.  The blessing that he was given was so powerful and talked about missionary work and the many opportunities that he will have.  He had such a bright light to him.  One that was not there before.  Oh how much we care and are so proud of him and his decision.  He is awesome and will do wonderful things if he continues to follow the covenants he has made with his Heavenly father. 

I know this gospel is true and i love it.  

Be safe and Have a good week!  Happy 2016

This is sister redfords email home but I took hers this week because I was to busy doing missionary work so this is what happened. I know she's a lot better at telling what went on then I am but here ya go!:) love you all!! I will talk to y'all next week!!:) 

Ps. Congrats on getting married chau I love you!!!:) 

Love sister turpin