6 Months and Leaving El Dorado - Week 27

Hello Everyone!

Well, after a solid 6 months of serving in the El Dorado Zone, I am officially leaving.  I will be serving in the Rancho Cordova Zone in the River Park East Ward.  My new area is pretty much the exact opposite of what I am used to.  It covers downtown Sacramento which means A LOT more buildings and people.  I am also training a brand new missionary!  I will be meeting her tomorrow!  That means I will be shotgun training an area that has only ever had Elders.  AAAANNNDDDD... it's an all biking area.   Hahaha... pray for me.  It's going to be an adventure!

Highlights of the Week!

-  We got to go on another temple tour this Saturday!  This time, we took our friend Chris!  We walked around the Sacramento temple grounds and discussed the importance of temples and the different ordinances performed inside.  Then we got to sit in the waiting room with him.  He seemed to really soak in what we talked about and he was pretty interested in Baptisms for the Dead.    

- Both Camino and Pleasant Valley wards had their ward conferences this Sunday.  The messages were really inspiring and you can tell that the leaders really love these two wards.  Jan came to church again this week and while I was talking with her, she mentioned that she had been thinking a lot about the temple and how when the time was right, she would want to help save her own family members and do baptisms for them!  We were so excited when she said that!  Also, another thing that stood out to me was when one of the members of the Stake Presidency said, "If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you."  This hit me so hard, especially with all the transfer news.  I truly am grateful for an opportunity to stretch and have to rely completely on the Lord.  It's going to be exciting!

-  We got to have an awesome lesson on the Plan of Salvation with our friend Susan!  While we were there, we noticed that she had a huge pile of split wood on her driveway so we offered to help stack it the next day.  The next morning, we showed up to her house with our work gloves and sweatpants to help stack her wood.  We had such a great time and Susan was so grateful for the help!  

-  I got to see Mary one last time and have a new member lesson with her!  We went over the Plan of Salvation with her again (Haha, we taught the Plan of Salvation a lot this week).  She has progressed so much and literally has a beautiful glow about her!  I am so excited for her because she gets to go do baptisms for the dead at the temple for the first time next week!  I love her so much and know that the Lord is so proud of all she has done!

-  So, a throwback to my Placerville days but guess who finally came to church!!!   COCO CAME TO CHURCH!!!  Oh my goodness, when I found out I nearly fell out of my chair!  Not only did he come one time but he came two weeks in a row!  And he loves it!  Man, if that doesn't prove that miracles can happen then nothing will!

Man, saying goodbye has really stunk.  I am so so so grateful for all of the amazing members and friends I have met and worked with in Camino and Pleasant Valley!  The Lord has really blessed me by letting me be in this area!  I will miss it with all my heart but I am excited for what lies ahead!  I am also going to miss Sister Rew so much!  She has been an amazing companion and a wonderful friend!  She will do a great job leading out the area!

I love you all so much and I guess I'll see you all next time in Rancho Cordova!

Lots of Love,

Sister Ferrin

Stuck in the Snow Again - Week 26

Hello Everyone!

Sorry, it is going to be another quick email. I woke up last night with a fever and have been resting all day. But besides that, I'm doing really well and we had an awesome week!

Highlights of the week:

- We went on a temple tour with our friend Jan! She absolutely loved it and it was perfect for her! While we were sitting in the waiting room with her, we asked her if she would consider being baptized and she said that she would! Then she came to church again the next day and she has been reading the Book of Mormon. It's amazing to see how much more happy she is!

- We were able to have another lesson with our friend Chris! We lost contact with him for a few weeks because we thought he was moving but he is staying in California for a little longer. We went over the Plan of Salvation with him and we were able to invite him on a temple tour this Saturday. He is also super amazing and is so ready to accept the gospel!

- It snowed again up in our area. Because the roads were so bad, Sister Rew and I decided that we would go street contacting in the snow instead. So we pulled on our winter boots and our coats and we spent the night outside! It was so much fun and we ended up talking to so many new people! It was a miracle! 

- Speaking of snow, we actually got stuck in a snowbank and had to wait got a member to come pull us out. I'm so grateful for such wonderful members who go out of their ways to help us!

Well, we find out about transfers this Saturday. I'm almost 100% positive that I'll be leaving El Dorado. I'm a little sad to say goodbye but I'm excited for the new adventures that are in the future! I'm so grateful for all the many blessings the Lord has given me! We have so much to be grateful for! I would invite you this week to make one of your prayers a prayer of gratitude where you thank the Lord for all of your blessings. I can promise that if you do this, your eyes will be opened to all of the tender mercies and blessings that God has given you and you will be happier!

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week and stay healthy!

Lots of love,

Sister Ferrin 

Picture of the week 

1- Snow Day!

Do you think Alma and the Sons of Mosiah Ever Bro Hugged? - Week 25

Hello Everyone!  

I don't have too much time for this weeks email (our P-day was crazy) so it's going to be quick! (And yes, the title of this week's email was an actual question Sister Rew and I discussed and reenacted this week)

Highlights of the Week!

-  Our friend Jan is doing AMAZING!  We had a lesson with her on Saturday at some members' home and we went over the restoration with her.  She has been reading the Book of Mormon and doing Come Follow Me so when we went over the restoration, a lot of it made sense to her and the Spirit was super strong!  Then she came to church again the next day!  It was relief society and a ton of the sisters in the ward came up and introduced themselves to her.  Jan even made a couple of comments during the lesson!  We have a temple tour scheduled with her this next Saturday which we are so excited about!  Ahhh!!! She is just so amazing!

-  We had Zone Conference on Wednesday!  One thing that was talked about that I absolutely loved was the Living Christ and the Restoration!  I loved when Sister Hymas said, "The Living Christ is the heart of the Restoration."  It is so true!  Without Christ, nothing about this church would matter or be relevant!  Because of Christ, it all matters!  I also got to sing a solo in Zone Conference.  I sang a version of I Stand All Amazed.  It was terrifying but another testimony to me that the Lord answers our prayers.  Because I sure was saying a lot of them.  Anyways, Zone Conference was wonderful and another great spiritual boost!

-  This Sunday, I got to give a talk in the Camino Ward.  I talked about how we can be modern-day shepherds through Missionary Work, Ministering, and Family History/Temple Work.  Then... I got to sing in Sacrament Meeting for the Pleasant Valley Ward!  I sang the same version of I Stand All Amazed that I sang in Zone Conference.  It was a pretty exciting Sunday!

-  Today we had Zone P-day!  The elders of the El Dorado Zone decided they wanted to go hiking in Georgetown so we got up and drove all the way up to Georgetown.  The first part of the hike was beautiful and pretty much all downhill.  At the bottom was a really pretty river and riverbed.  THEN... we had to hike back.   That was less beautiful.  We were all so exhausted by the time we were done so we came home and gloriously crashed.  It was great!

-  We found out this week who our new mission president and wife is going to be starting July 1st, 2020.  They are President and Sister Zimmerman and they seem really awesome!  It will be exciting getting to work with them!

In order to prepare for the April 2020 General Conference, we have been asked by President Nelson to study the Restoration.  Because of this invitation, the California Sacramento mission has decided that we are all going to memorize the Living Christ document before Conference.  Once again, the reason why is because Christ is the heart and center of the Restoration.  SO... I want to invite all of you to also memorize the Living Christ document before next General Conference too!  It won't be easy but I can promise that as you memorize it then your testimony and relationship with Jesus Christ will strengthen and become more personal.  As you recite the testimonies of the apostles and the prophets, it will become you testimony too!  General Conference will mean more to you than ever before because of the preparation to increase your testimony and love of the Savior and His Restoration!  It will be SO WORTH IT!

I love you all so much and I hope you all have a wonderful week!  

Lots of Love,

Sister Ferrin

Mailing Info:

8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
United States 

Pics of the week:

1,2,4 - Zone P-day Hike!

3- Our lovely Giant Jenga Sacramento Temple 

I Guess We All Have 2020 Vision Now - Week 24

Hello Everyone!

Happy New Year!  I hope you are all having a fabulous 2020 so far!  Sister Rew and I had a great New Years Eve.  We stayed up and party all night long (until 10:30pm).  Whoo hoo missionary life!  It was a super busy week full of lots of adventures!  And yes... I am still trying to apologize to Sister Rew for accidentally punching her in the face and splitting her lip (sports night got a little intense).  I think she may have forgiven me thought so we are good!   

Highlights of the Week:

-  We had an amazing Sunday and two of our friends came to church!  Josh came with his family and our friend Jan came for the first time! We had a lesson with Jan early in the week and one of our members came with us.  It was a great lesson and we were able to go over the first part of the plan of salvation with her.  Jan and the member became fast friends and the member even invited her to church!  Then the member picked her up for church and sat with her during sacrament meeting!  Jan really enjoyed going to church and is already excited about Come Follow Me!  She said that she wants to come back next week!  It was so amazing!  I am so grateful for the wonderful members who are so great at reaching out and befriending our friends!  It means the world to them and to us!

-  We have been focusing a lot as a mission these past few months on increasing the number of lessons (with friends, less actives, members, etc...) we have throughout the week.  This week, Sister Rew and I decided to go ham on having lessons.  It was super exciting because quite frankly, having a day full of lessons is a lot more fun than just knocking on doors. We ended up having 20 lessons this past week and during one day, we had 5!  It was so crazy but so much fun!  

-  I got to go to Folsom again for transfers!  I spent the day with Sister Wallace who I actually was in the MTC with.  We had a great time and Sister Wallace is super sweet!  Sister Wallace and her companion cover a YSA ward so we got to have a couple of lessons with some young single adults.  I absolutely love working with YSA members and I hope that someday I'll get to serve in a YSA ward!  Folsom is great and still WAY bigger than El Dorado!  It was exciting!

-  Heavenly Father answers prayers and we got to have real mashed potatoes at a member dinner.  A true tender mercy... trust me.

Well, my inspirational thought today is from the Book of Mormon in Mormon 9:19, 21.

19 And if there were ^amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he ^bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. 

21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, ^awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this ^bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth. 

I love this scripture because it testifies that God still is a God of Miracles.  Like the miracles Jesus performed in the New Testament, our Savior still performs miracles in our day and age.  If we believe in Christ and doubt not, we can expect to see miracles.  They may be in ways that we least expect, but they are miracles nonetheless!  I want to invite you all to strengthen your faith in Christ and doubt not.  I can truly promise that as we do this, the Lord will fill our lives with tender mercies and miracles!  I also want to invite you all to pray for miracles in your life and to thank the Lord for the ones you receive and will yet receive!  I am so grateful for the chance to be here in El Dorado right now and to get to serve those around me!  I have been so blessed and I am so excited that I get to dedicate all of 2020 to serving my Savior and Redeemer!  

Have a wonderful day and an amazing week!

Love you lots,

Sister Ferrin

Mailing Info:

8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
United States   

Pics of the week:

1- This is what my district would look like if we all rode on the back of a giant rubber duck.

2- The Sister Missionaries of El Dorado