Adventures Happening in Lorna

We have had a lot going on and this week flew by! We helped do a church tour on Tuesday which was really fun, helping people learn a little bit more about our church- and we did a musical number (we do a lot of those- but we have amazing sisters who can sing really well so it really brings the spirit.) Sister Simpson and I are having a lot of fun- we are a lot alike and the oldest child and so we have fun giving and taking- usually her ideas really are better than mine :) We had some really really neat experiences this week:
Met a part member family- and the mom wants to know more about the church because two religions are dividing her family, and she wants to know which one is the right one- we so are excited to work with her.
We were led to meet another lady and her two cute kids- she had a lot of questions and we taught her about the basics of the church and introduced her to the Book of Mormon and it all made sense to her! We are loooking forward to teaching her more- we clicked right away and she is so great, her daughter is 18mon and we had fun trying to entertain her during the lesson to-- the spirit was so strong, and we are excited to see what happens in the coming weeks.
We also had a great day on Saturday- all the things we had planned didn't feel "right" so we kind of changed up the day and did service for members, visited investigators with cookies, and while we were doing this we happened to run into a man who had a lot of extra canned goods, and we happened to be on our way to give other supplies to a family in need- it was such a neat experience - the Lord's hand was in it all!
The Members are amazing- we met a family who was going through some hard things, and had been to visit Utah and temple square when they were there- one of the members had been thinking about them all day- we stopped by to try to surprise and serve them and she said it would be better for us to go visit this family- we met their sister who also just needed to hear a message of hope and Jesus Christ- it was such a great day!
We have some good trainings coming up this week- President helps us a lot to keep us focused, and how we can become better missionaries. 
We are meeting a lot of great people, and getting the message of mormon.org out there- which makes it fun to talk and meet new people.
Sister Simpson and I are starting to realize how to teach the people better to their needs.  The first principle that we teach is that God is our loving Heavenly Father- he loves us so much he sent his Son Jesus Christ to go through everything we would so we could make it through this life with his help, and make it back to the next, only through Him! He is our help and advocate with the Father, we only need Him! He is everywhere in the Book of Mormon- that is the sole purpose of it, to help others understand their relationship with Christ and with our Father in Heaven.  That is what we are here to figure out, and that is what we are here to do- to help others come unto Christ. I am thankful for the little lessons, inspiration, and help my companion gives me.
I hope everyone is doing well, I love you all!!
Good luck with the weddings this week, and Megan I love you!!! Good luck, you will love the experience you have.

Love,
Hermana Coleman

Transfer 4 Lorna Branch!!

So this week has been crazy and busy and great! I got transferred to Pelham, Alabama.  Where I have an amazing companion- Sister Simpson who knows the Tanners and some of my friends at BYU.  We have a lot in common, she has already taught me a lot, and we have already seen some amazing things in the past couple of days. We cover Pelham and Alabaster Alabama, and the branch is in Hoover.  There are amazing members, who are so nice and patient with us- and Spanish haha.
Some highlights
We learned a lot at transfers about the Apostasy- and how to teach and understand it better.  I really am going to miss sister Belford and Altadena- it was weird leaving but we will be able to visit and help investigators there soon.
I still haven't unpacked- I guess you never really fully unpack on a mission- I think it is more exciting this way
Sister Simpson and I have had some great lessons, and great street contacting. Found some former investigators, and have been working hard on using Spanish more as a companionship, and memorizing more scriptures.
We found a great shortcut which saves quite an amount of miles- we were excited for 3 days haha- saving miles is one of the greatest accomplishments in respects to the car
There was another wedding on Friday!! Lots of weddings have been happening which has been great to see couples make a big step and commitment to each other. We had fun helping out with that, meeting members and friends of the bride and groom. There are a lot of kids in this branch as well, which makes it fun!
Saturday we went out with a member from the English ward who helped us teach an investigator named Maria- we were trying to help explain authority and what a key it plays to help us make promises to the Savior.  We had a great experience with the Spirit being there, helping her understand the importance, and how even though she is young- it will change her life! The member helped us by sharing great experiences and the Spirit was really teaching.
I have learned that as we are patient, explain things clearly- and drawing on their experiences,  and the spirit is there- amazing things can happen
This has been a great week- of learning and overcoming and finding and teaching and being taught by the spirit.
Hope everyone is doing well- the Lord needs us to be patient, enjoy life and be happy! We have learned a lot about letting go of things that didn't turn out how we planned- or "the right way." Our way is not always the right way- and holding on to things in the past will only inhibit us now!
Love you all!
Hermana Coleman

Semana de Espanol

This has been a great week- started out with Spanish training for all the Spanish missionaries- ways to study better, and goals to set so that we can better fulfill our purpose.  We learned a lot of good things, including that even though we speak Spanish, we are still in America, and how crucial it is for us to work together with the English missionaries. We all have the same purpose! So great week for the branch! There were 3 new members added to the branch this weekend- so happy, they were all nervous, but you can see the affect the gospel is having on them and their lives already.  We love them so much! They are all amazing and are on their way to growing and learning more about the gospel.  It was a great baptismal service, and it is amazing what spirit really is there.
There is a woman and she is one of the Elders investigators who Sister Belford and I have been visiting, and getting to know to encourage her for her baptismal date that is coming.  She has such a sweet spirit, and desire to learn more and follow our Savior Jesus Christ.  She has taught me that even though we have temptations, and obstacles to climb, the Lord will give us strength to do it- because he loves all of us! She is amazing, and helped us hang hearts and pictures of Christ all over her walls- it looks great and makes me want to do it to my room!
We still have been teaching Priscila, and have seen a lot of miracles from still teaching her, and reading the Book of Mormon with her- she teaches her friends about it and is starting to see the importance of the Book of Mormon.
We had an amazing experience doing a team-up with President Holzapfel.  He helped us teaching one of our progressing investigators, and taught us great ways to break down the doctrine, the importance of baptism, and doing it again with the authority of God. He knows Italian so he was able to follow what was going on, encouraged us, and helped to lead the lesson in the right direction.  Such a great experience and she was committed to be baptized at the end of the lesson! It was the right time, and right place- the spirit was very strong and we all felt it. She has been prepared, and now it us up to us to help her make it to her goal- what a great learning experience from our President, and the Spirit. 
The branch is amazing, and we had a great week getting to know them, and working with them and our leaders.
A couple run-ins with the roaches, and spiders.....a lot of screaming- and then laughing- they provide our spur of the moment entertainment so they are at least good for something. We were vacuuming out the car and one came crawling from under the seat- I think the whole gas station heard us scream haha
Everything is moving forward- working with all the other missionaries, our leaders, and everyone we meet is really teaching me a lot.
Love you all, make it a great week and will talk to you soon!
Love,
Hermana Coleman

Another Crazy Week!

This was such a great week! Happy late 4th of July, I am glad everyone had fun at the pool and partying with my parents. We ate otter pops while we listened to the fireworks and I watched the testaments in Spanish- it was a great missionary-like holiday! This week went by super fast- I keep saying how time is crazy on the mission....but it really is! I can't handle it. Transfers are next week, and tomorrow we have a specialized Spanish training for all the Spanish missionaries- 19 of us, because we are getting 4 more!! they will come next week, and we are all very excited. We worked a lot with members this week- it was fun we had a young recent convert in the branch help us teach one of our investigators, and then we went on splits on Friday.  One of the prospective missionaries in the English ward taught with sister Belford, and I took Sister Norris with me (new relief society president in the branch- she served her mission in Peru) Had a really great/ anxious-ridden experience with that.  First of all I had never really been without someone who knows what was going on with our investigators- and it really taught me some great things! She is an amazing teacher so I learned a lot from her as well. we were able to find some new people and teach one of the recent converts and her son about Joseph Smith and the blessings of the priesthood in their home. We had some great training about how to implement the Book of Mormon more into our teaching, and we have really noticed a difference in our lessons.  It is one of the best feelings in the world- watching the spirit touch other peoples hearts, and hearing them ask questions about the Book of Mormon. I have also learned that things don't always go as you planned- but yesterday it worked out so well- we had planned to go to a completely different area- but a contact we met the day before led us to two people that we had met a while ago- and we didn't know where they lived.  We were able to meet and teach one of the girls we had met, and her dad- it was a great lesson!  We also had a great experience that night teaching with the assistants- and reading the Book of Mormon with a great Spanish family- and teaching an English woman about some questions she had after reading mormon.org.  The spirit was so there and we had a great experience!
Things are going great- I am learning a lot, the Lord is teaching me more, and Sister Belford and I have had great experiences which includes a lady flagging us down to tell us that my helmet fell of the bike rack about a mile back- that was super fun getting that in the middle of a busy road- and making blueberry pancakes and eggs at night on a weekly basis- oh yes and otter pops.
Love you all!

Happy New Year!!

So I forgot my camera today or else I would show you all a picture of my face smashed into a birthday cake....haha it was pretty great. The branch presidents son Hugo had a great time doing that one. It is tradition to bite the cake for your birthday, and while you are doing it someone always pushes your face in the cake- I think we should start this tradition, it is awesome!  Good memories- some of the members of the branch were there and the Elders- the did it without telling me by saying it was a family home evening at the park....it was so sweet of them to come and wish me a happy birthday! They really like making birthdays special and so I was super grateful, even though it was late and they all have a lot going on!
What else...we went to a lesson with the Elders to teach a lesson- she is pretty much one of the sweetest, most humble people I have ever met.  She really wants to change her life, and loved the feeling and unity that she felt at church.  She accepted a baptismal date for next week! The spirit was super strong during our lesson, and we all helped teach, ask questions, show pictures and apply the book of Mormon into her life.  It was such a great experience and I think I'll love her forever.
We are doing a lot of work to visit the recent converts and less actives.  The Branch really has been growing, and two families who were implants are leaving so there are a lot of changes coming soon which is good but we will miss all of them! I can't believe how much the members do to help us here, they are always helping us to contact someone- keep in touch with the recent converts, offering their houses for family home evenings, going to pick up investigators for activities.  They are amazing!  we have meetings to help coordinate the work and I am grateful for all they do to help with their busy schedules. 
People just need love, they want to be noticed and feel cared about.  We have time as missionaries to visit, people, meet people, and show them the love and concern that the savior would give them. I see the love for the gospel in our members, in the recent converts and less-actives, in the missionaries and in President Holzapfel.  They are all amazing and teaching me so much about the work, how it is the Lord's, and how important it is to show love to those around us.
Things are going well, we have 17 days left in the transfer and Sister Belford told me yesterday "Happy New Year!" - I was really confused and she said, we can make any new month, any new transfer a time to start fresh, have new goals and do everything we can to accomplish them and be better. I loved this idea, and we really want to work hard and help people progress towards baptism, and towards committing to follow our savior Jesus Christ.  We had the opportunity to see two baptisms this last Saturday.  One for a middle-aged new member! and one for a 13-year old girl- who is a new member of the Branch!! The spirit was so strong at both of them and seeing the looks on their faces, their reactions to the talks, musical numbers, and the actual ordinance itself, really makes you realize that the Lord has people who are ready, and need to have this gospel in their lives.  I am so grateful I am able to witness miracles, meet so many people, and speak with the power of the Holy Ghost, to testify of the power that is in this gospel. 
I love you all!
Sorry it is so quick, but I hope you had a great week, enjoy not living in the humidity (unless you do, and I empathize with you)
Love,
Hermana Coleman