Week 27 - I love this :)

Hey Fam. :)

With Sister Boyd out working

We have had a really fun week! We have been working hard and are trying our very best to do what Heavenly Father needs us to be doing!

Chicago Temple

We had the biggest tender mercy this week of being able to go to the temple. :) Yesterday in Sacrament meeting we had the Chicago temple President and Matron come and speak to us, and while we were listening to them speak I just had the biggest desire to go to the temple! And then it worked out so so so nice because the temple was open this morning for Labor Day, so we were able to go. And Ahh. It was exactly what I needed and just brought a love and a peace unlike anything else. I love the temple. :) But anyway, this week was really awesome.

Some great things happened. This week while we were on exchanges we were called by the cutest 90 year old lady in our ward and she told us that she needed some help. :) We were excited to help her and were grateful for the opportunity. She had run out of milk, so we needed to run to the store really fast to grab her some. While we were there we met the sweetest man. :) We walked by him once and he was really friendly and kind to us, so when we passed him again we stopped and talked to him. He asked about our name tags and about who we were and what we were doing. :) So we were talking to him about the church and our role as missionaries and we asked him if he would ever be willing to read the Book of Mormon and if he would want to learn more about the gospel. His reply was just so tender and simple. :) He said "Absolutely. You girls just have a special spirit about you, and I want that." It was so incredible. :) I was amazed at how powerful and real the influence of the spirit is. We had only briefly testified of these restored truths and had only been talking with him for a matter of minutes, but he felt the spirit and was able to recognize that it was something that he wanted in his life. It was cool. He loves in Florida, so hopefully we can set him up with the missionaries down there!

I'll Follow Him!

I guess I am just super super grateful for the spirit this week. :) We had a lesson with this really cute family from India! They used to be Hindu and have converted to Christianity, and were baptized a little while ago. They have so much faith and every time we have met with them I have just been really amazed at their testimonies. :) We went over this week and Sister Jada had some questions about something's that she had read in the bible and she was wondering if we would ever be able to answer her questions. We said that we would absolutely love to try and then we said a super fervent prayer asking for the spirit. :) She had us read some chapters that I honestly had never heard before, and quite frankly the questions that she as asking us I didn't know the answers to. But we had full faith that Heavenly Father would help us and that if we followed the promptings of the spirit we would be able to help her. And we were. :) it was an absolute miracle. As we opened our mouths to teach and discuss the scriptures she was curious about, the spirit filled our mouths and totally carried us through that lesson. I was shocked by some of he things that were coming out of my mouth and Sister Boyd's because I knew that they weren't coming from us. The Holy Ghost is amazing and because of it we were able to have a super great lesson with them. :) 

We had an absolutely incredible experience this last week that I have thought about so much, and I have been really excited to share it with you guys. It was just a super profound moment for me and The spirit was so strong. :) it was amazing. We were meeting with this family who has just barley been baptized. Their names are Ami and Ilona. They have made so many changes and have come so far because they love the gospel. They have honestly had to make a complete 180 turn. It's amazing. :) But we were over there and Ilona asked us how we continue to find our faith even when moments and times are hard. We shared our favorite scriptures with her and just gave her some advice. She got really serious for a minute and said "Sisters, can I tell you something? Every time I pray, or read my scriptures, or when you sisters come over I see people dressed in white standing around our home. They are here protecting us, they love us and they want to help us." We were both stunned. As soon as she said that the spirit just flooded the room and we knew that what she was saying is true. This work and everything that we do every day is so much bigger than ourselves and right now. We receive "heavenly help" every single day.

We shared with her the story in 2nd Kings where the prophet Elisha and his servant were completely surrounded by the armies of Syria. The servant was scared and had no idea how they could ever be ok when the fight they were fighting seemed to be so much bigger than themselves.

Then Elisha says something that I think is absolutely profound, he says "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And then the Servants eyes were opened and he was able to see this massive army that was behind them. AMAZING. :) I didn't realize how true and real that story was until in her own words Ilona testified of that exact thing. There is never any reason for us to fear, or be sad, or feel lonely because we are NOT alone. We are more supported and have more people rooting for us and caring for us than we could ever imagine. They are helping us so that people that we meet on the street recognize and feel the spirit, we are being helped to do things that we never thought we would be able to do, and we are being helped to see miracles. :) So "Fear not" because we are on the winning team and we are not alone. :) I love it, and I love what I get to do. :) I am forever grateful that Heavenly Father is giving me this opportunity to assist Him in His work. 

Thank you for everything. I love you all more than I even have words and I am so grateful for your prayers and support. Thank you. :) 

Love, Sister Watts

Sister Watts and Boyd being goofy

Sisters Boyd, Prestige, Winward, and Watts

TP Dresses with the YW