1 month.

People that I love!

Time is just flying by, how is everyone doing? I have almost been out for a month! This week was so good. So good that writing in my journal is such a struggle because I barely have time before bed. But I will try and tell you everything I remember! I think I only cried once this week so we are getting better! hahah no but I honestly and truly really love it out here. Everyday I have seen how my President was truly inspired to send me to this area. My trainer is so awesome and so patient with me! She loves to run and eat healthy so she has been keeping me on track. We go running every morning and I think I might have run off all those cookies and icecream I ate at the MTC. But we get fed so good by the members here so it is a struggle trying to not gain weight! But we woke up early this week and ran to the beach. It is beautiful! That was the only time I have seen it so far but we are trying to ride our bikes there today! It is so crazy here with all of the summer vacationers. But ok, I am still getting used to this whole email writing so bear with me.

Our investigator Grace is still having a hard time with the Word of Wisdom but is coming along. Keep praying for her :) Last night we committed another investigator to baptism! Rose wants to be baptized so much but works a lot and hasn't had time to come to church yet. So we are hoping she comes soon and we can get her ready to be baptized! and guess who asked her to be baptized? ME! MY first one, it was so exciting when she said yes! The Hastings family is still coming along and there hearts are slowly being softened. I love them so much and am just trying to be patient as they realize what Heavenly Father wants for them.

We have been trying to contact 10 people a day. I think it is probably my favorite thing so far. Some people look at us like we are crazy and when we mention Jesus Christ we ususaly get an "I'm all set" But that rejection just makes it so much better when someone wants to be taught more! We have a couple people who we are going to go back and visit this week including a family with two kids! Hopefully we can see them soon :) But, we had a cool experience. We stopped by a house and they were having a cookout and we started talking to the mom and she told us that she didn't believe in God but that she believed in the energy of the earth and then her mom came up and said she was a Roman catholic and that our church was way different from theirs because we didn't welcome everyone to our church. We asked her why she thought that and she said because our church is only open on Sundays and theirs is open every day. But we told her that we were there welcoming them to our church. That we are called to invite people to the gospel! she was still kind of stand-offish so we kept talking to them and I felt prompted to sing "How Great Thou Art" again so I asked if I could sing a song and when I sang it the daughter started crying. And afterwards you could see how the spirit had softened their hearts. They didn't accept our message but I know the spirit touched them. It was an amazing experience!

The second day I got here I was asked by the bishop if I could sing at a funeral this week. So on Thursday I sang at the funeral and then I have been asked to sing at a baseball game in Manchester by president. They are having a Mormon night at the game and there will be missionaries there doing other things and so it should be pretty cool! And I just got asked to sing in church on Sunday! The Lord is really using me here and I am so grateful!! Nothing makes me happier :) 

Being a missionary is probably one the hardest things I have done in my life. The day before I left the MTC I was having my exit interview with my Branch president and after the interview he told me that if I needed it he could give me a blessing and before he said that I didn't feel like I needed one but while he saying it the spirit told me I needed one. And so I told him that I would like one and he told me that he had been prompted that he would need to give Sister Innes a blessing that day. So he gave me an amazing blessing and I can't remember all of it but in it he said that Heavenly Father wanted me to know that up until now this would be the most important decision that I will make in my life until I choose a spouse. It was just cool to know that Heavenly Father really wanted me to know that because he prompted me and President. And now whenever I get discouraged or think about home I remember that this is EXACTLY WHERE I"M SUPPOSED TO BE. I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows me personally and cares so much about his Children in the NHMM to let me help them come closer to Him!

Some days are harder then others but I can honestly say that I am happy. I love you all and am so grateful for the love and support!! Go share the gospel! You will be blessed :)

Love,

Sister Innes

Here's her description of the pictures below:

We ate with some members and they have a cousin visiting from Italy. He taught us how to make pasta! So good! And then we went blueberry picking with Sister Chiaradonna:) They have all kinds of produce growing here and you can go pick it at lots of different places! And then my humble abode! I put up pictures to make it more like home :)