All is Well

Hello everyone!

The weeks and months are flying by and I can't believe that this Sunday I'll be 9 months through my 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There is still so much more that I want to do and become that I can't believe that I'm already half way through! I have just fallen in love with the desert of Utah and the beautiful rose it has blossomed into thanks to the sacrifice and dedication of the early Mormon pioneers. What a blessing it is to serve here on Temple Square.

1. Austin got baptized! Austin is Amanda's son - Amanda is our recent convert that we took on a 999 tour a month or so ago who got baptized a week or so ago. One of her sons, Austin, is 10 and he decided he wanted to be baptized. So that happened Saturday and he was confirmed Sunday! It was such a blessing to get to be a part of that. Her family will definitely always have a special place in my heart, and we really love them a lot. They have all grown and progressed so much as they come closer to Jesus Christ every day.

2. The office is going great! Now that I've been in there for a few weeks I have a better idea of how to explain to everyone what we do - we are basically just normal missionaries who take care of a few loose ends for the missionary department. Every week we collect a bunch of data from the companion ships here on Temple Square including how many members and nonmembers they talked to that week, how many new investigators they found, how many baptisms they had, how many people they were teaching were going to church, etc.. and we take all that information, make a bunch of graphs, explain what they all mean to the mission presidency and the missionary department, and brainstorm different ideas and possibilities on how we can improve and help the numbers better. Of course, it's not about the numbers. But the numbers are a good indication of how we're doing holistically as a mission. So it's interesting! I really like it!

3. Chet! Chet is our new investigator and he's from the Bible belt! He's really cool, he came on chat and he just had a couple of questions about what Mormons believe and about whether or not we're Christian. I had a really good conversation with him, and he told us at the end that he felt like God had led him to mormon.org and that he was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and ask God for himself if it's true or not. We're really excited to get to call him later this week and get to know him better.

4. Alora and Andrea! Basically, they're both super golden and super solid investigators that we really love. Andrea is getting baptized on the 26th and we're pumped for her! Alora is a little harder because she lives so far away from the church and the local missionaries, but we're going to figure it out and help her too. It really is amazing to me how God leads so many prepared people from every corner of the earth to Temple Square - online or in person - to hear the gospel.

This week I've been pondering on the hymn "Come Come Ye Saints". It's currently my favorite hymn in the hymn book. It was the "battle cry" of the Mormon pioneers as they struggled through hardship after hardship and eventually came to be in the Salt Lake Valley. My favorite part of that song is that throughout the lyrics, it talks about trusting God and how they can put their faith in Him. The last line of every verse says "All is Well, All is Well". I love that. I know that when we put our trust in God and do what He would have us do, that all truly will be well. Even if it may not seem like it right in that moment, God really does take care of His people and He really loves each and every single one of us.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you!

--Sister Black