Sister Akayla Juliann Ferrara: November?! 11/03/2015

Well hello there everybody! Is it really November? How did that happen? Time to go full out with Christmas stuff I'd say! Pretty sure Sister Hyde is already sick of Christmas music... :) Ha! It has been so very cold this last week. Boots, tights and sweater weather! I love it! Last Monday after Preparation day we raked the Cottam's leaves and then joined them for the end of their FHE for dessert and then Sister Cottam scanned me and gave me all these doTerra oils because I was still not feeling 100% and it helped so much!
Tuesday we tried some people in the morning and then had lunch with Sister Scovill which was fun. Did service at the library, and then dinner and FHE with Gary and Dusty. Great day! Nothing too exciting.
Wednesday we had district meeting and then after lunch we had about an hour before our appointment with Brother Powell. Well, a couple weeks ago I forgot to mention that Karma Johnson had signed up to feed us lunch. (She's the excommunicated member who is bipolar schizophrenic) We had a little miscommunication and ended up not being able to have lunch with her and she was pretty offended and we thought she hated us. Well, that day I had the impression to text her and just ask how she was doing. I wasn't expecting a response, but I thought I'd try it. She texted back and told us she was making cookies and that we were welcome to come over. We had just the right amount of time to see her right then and we had a great lesson with her. Tender mercy! She's on a different medication now and has been doing so much better with her anxiety and everything. She is so ready to be baptized again! After seeing her, we saw Brother Powell and read 3 Nephi 17 with him where it talks about when Christ healed the people. We thought it would be perfect for him since he's been really struggling with his health lately. Then we had dinner with the Strobels and then had a great lesson with Matt and a senior elder from the Trail Center who's in our ward joined us for that lesson. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all about Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Holy Ghost and all that good stuff. He continues to read the Book of Mormon and is very receptive of our message. Still just unsure about a date to be baptized. I was so hoping he would get baptized before I leave, but that's not going to be able to happen unfortunately. It was actually really cool because he called us last night and told us that he was talking on the phone with a friend of his who he hadn't talked to for about a month and it turns out that he's LDS also! So cool!
Thursday we were at the Trail Center and I didn't take a single tour :( It's about that season... After our shift we saw Sister Maurel and taught her the Restoration and then had a lovely dinner with Sister Sorensen and then saw Sister LaPier and Sister Kelley. Such a great night! I love when we have full days with lots of appointments :)
Friday I had another interview with President Gardner. We've been having a problem with negativity at the Trail Center lately and some of the sisters have not been very respectful of President Gardner or the Crandalls so he interviewed me because I am a former Trail Center Leader so he wanted to ask what could be done to stop it and how I could help. It went well! Then we had a wonderful lunch with Sister Louthan and then served at the Trail Center that night.
Saturday after TC training the Tervorts who are a senior couple here took us and Sister Hodges and her companion out to breakfast at Harolds as a "departing" present. We had a great time, then we just did our studies and weekly planned and finished making our costumes, then...Halloween Party! We had a delicious dinner together at the TC with all the senior couples, then played a fun game and then we got permission to watch The Cokeville Miracle. If you haven't seen it before, I recommend it! It was so good! Definitely a little intense, but there are SO many amazing things that you can learn from it. So inspiring! We had such a blast together :)
Sunday we went to PEC and then had ward choir. Church was good. I always love fast and testimony meeting! I did get up and bear my testimony since it was my last chance to do it as a missionary in this ward. It was such a wonderful experience. My testimony is always strengthened even more when I share it with others. After church we had ward coordination and then had dinner with the Mierzejewskis and had a great night! I hope you all had a great Halloween! I am looking forward to this busy week! Lots to do and so little time! I love you all!

Sister Ferrara :)