Ye need not fear...

Yes, I know that it's late again, BUT we had to race around like chickens with our heads cut off today to find a computer to check our email. Since it is Memorial Day, the libraries and our apartment's office were closed, and we just got back from Downtown Sacramento about an hour ago! It's been a crazy day.

We started off the day normal, with our cleaning and our studies, and then we headed over to the trolley and rode down to Downtown Sacramento to go shopping. It was great! It was actually the first time I walked into a store and was THRILLED to be there, even though I knew I couldn't buy much since I'm still a missionary; and there is no point in buying "worldly clothes" since I'd only be able to wear them on p-days. I ended up buying a few short-sleeved white shirts, which means I might even be able to throw away my old ones (the ones I brought from home that now look discolored... ugh I feel like an elder sometimes! lol). Although, they are so worn that they are really light weight and that's nice for the summer. We'll see. I also bought a couple of colored shirts and a super light weight cardigan. Kim, Katelyn and Kody, you would be so proud of me and the shirt selections I made! I'll get around to sending my memory cards home someday! Promise!

Then we met up with some of the other Spanish Elders, in Old Sacramento, to go to lunch and see the sights on Memorial Day! We all had a good time, but it definitely took up a ton of the day!

This last week was interesting. I wrote about it in Gma and Gpas letter this week; but last week after our Zone activity, we were shopping and I started to feel sick. Before I knew it, it was 8 o'clock and I was super sick and our exchange (who was a nurse) ended up taking Sister Laird and I home early so I could go to bed. By 1 o'clock in the morning, we were BOTH sick, and Sister Laird spent a good chunk of the night in the bathroom sick! We were both feeling really weak, and we both were laughing (even still) at the magic touch of the mom. The most common phrase said between us those couple of days we stayed in sick were, "I want my mommy!!!" You are never too old for your mother when you are sick! But all is well now in Zion; we are both fully recovered and are back too work. I think we both got the stomach virus that's going around. One of the members here had it along with her whole family!

After being in sick for two days, we ended up having one of the BEST lessons with Teresa. She's had somewhat of a rough life, and she told us she didn't know or believe that God loved her. It was one of those times on the mission where I felt the Spirit guiding me to say the words that she needed to hear and promising blessings that the Lord had for her. We promised her that if she had faith and would kneel down and pray to ask God, if she was a daughter of God and if he loved her, she would receive an answer in one form or another (we gave her examples like a burning feeling within your heart, goosebumps, feeling of someone throwing a bucket of water over your head, etc.). She said she had the faith that she would receive the answer, and so we knelt down and we all offered up a prayer. The Spirit was so strong in that room. I could feel the love that God had for her, and I knew she was feeling it too. After a couple of minutes, of waiting for her answer, she looked at us and she had a new light about her. She told us that she felt a burning within her heart and that she felt something she couldn't describe all over. She now has a testimony that she is a daughter of God, and for the first time, in a long time (or maybe even the first time in her life) she knows that God loves her. It was an amazing experience! Danny didn't make it to church yesterday, but she did! (This is significant because, in the beginning, she said she'd go to church if Danny did because she wasn't the type of person who ever desired to go to church every Sunday!) She is such an amazing person and the Lord has been preparing her to receive the restored gospel. I have no doubt that she will soon be ready to enter into the waters of baptism!

I just want you all to know that I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunity I have to share the gospel and see the blessings it brings as people begin to live by it's principles. I hope you will all pray to have more missionary opportunities and take advantage of them. There is nothing that compares to this work! I love you all and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love Always-
Hermana Bradfield

PS. Kim and Shelby- Congrats on Graduation! Hope you had a good weekend!