August is winding down...

Hey Everyone,

So we got transfer calls last night, and lots is changing. But Sister Moss and I are staying.

Elder Ortiz and Elder Lambert are staying. Elder Lewis is staying as well and will be training. Elder Frampton is leaving, sadly, and going to Seminole with Elder Madsen, english speaking. Elder Talbot is leaving to go to Ponca City with Elder Hamner. Elder Chun is going to Norman to be Zone Leader with Elder Anderson. Elder Williams is coming here to be ZL with Elder Call. Elder Mackenzie is going AP with Elder Olsen. Which means Elder Reed will no longer be AP and is shotgun training in the spanish north east area, two greenies. The spanish north west area will remain closed. Elder Mortensen is leaving the spanish north central area to go to Norman. He'll be district leader and english. Elder Riggs will take his place with Elder Gonzales. Elder Timoteo will be training in Enid. Sister Holly is coming here with Sister Davey and Sister Anderson is leaving to go to Lawton with Sister Maude. Sister Goodell is also training up in the north. Sister Lamb is shotgun training in Norman. They're opening OU Campus back up, where she will be at. Elder Clark is going to Guthrie to be ZL with Elder Schleitwhiler.

Sorry that was probably way boring for most of you, but that's the download on what I know.

As for the work... Odeli dropped us last week. Way sad. We tried to commit her to baptism, but she said no. I really feel like one day she will accept the gospel.

Hna. Coronado... we set a baptismal date for this Saturday! We're way excited. President Espinosa talked to us yesterday. He asked us if we knew what the word angels meant. I said no. He said it's greek for messenger. Then he went on to explain how often we think of angels as sent from God, and we think of heavenly beings appearing to people. But really each of us is an angel. I think Jeffrey R. Holland also talked about this in general conference a few years ago. Why would God send a heavenly messenger when He has plenty here on earth? Anyway, President's point was that we are angels to Hna. Coronado. It really is interesting because she has told us that she never accepted the missionaries to come visit her, but when she had us over for dinner, there was something about us, that she felt like she couldn't say no to us. I love her and her family so much! Also, her son, Danny, will be getting baptized with her on Saturday. He just turned 8. :)

We were finally able to teach and find Juan on Saturday for the first time since we taught him at the beginning of the transfer. And we were way bold with him. He said he doesn't want to be baptized yet. I asked when. He said later, in a few months. I said, and you really think in a few months that life will settle down and there will be time to go to church. He said yeah. I just told him that life is always busy. There's never a better time to change than today, now. I think he got it. We're going to meet with him on Saturday and hopefully we can set a baptismal date.

It may sound like we're pressuring people into changing their lives, coming to church, being baptized, but really we have the gospel in their lives, they don't. We know how important it is, they don't. We know how happy they can be, they don't. We know how they can change, they don't. The bottom line is that, as missionaries we know the gospel, we know the importance, and even when an investigator is baptized, they still don't know how important that decision is. We have to help them know like we know.

Honestly, the work here is pretty slow. And I feel like our teaching pool is way small and we are struggling finding new investigators. But I know that the Lord works in His time, not ours. And I know that I will see a change in this area. I just have to be patient and keep going. Time continues to fly, and I need to use every moment I have because I'll never get it back.

It's also cooled off this past week. It's still hot, but not as bad as it was. I'm grateful that summer is coming to end. Right now, I'm looking forward to the cold, but I know when it gets here I'll be wishing for the summer.

I love you all! Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. Corey and I really appreciate it!

Love,

Hermana Christina Hogewoning