Derby Stake District

Out of the Mouth's of Babes

HIIIIIII! Hi. hello. hey. hi. THIS WEEK HAS BEEN CRAZY!!! So crazy! Emotional roller coaster! Wow! I'ma start. So I talked briefly about the black family we're teaching. Shonika's the mom, Shawn's 21 year old daughter with her baby Jaden, Then there's Bri Bri who doesn't really talk to us, then K K's who's 15, Lashawnta who's 13 Jaylin the oldest boy who's 10, Jasmariah at 8, Brianna at 3, Chrissy who's 1 and 1/2 and Byran who's 6 months. WOW. Big family. We taught Jas and Jaylin last week about faith baptism, cool stuff and they are so excited to be baptized. Well this Tuesday we had an appointment at 4:30 so we bike over there and Jaylin says he's on his way to pick up Jas from school on his bike. So we were like we'll go with you! We have bikes! and when we get to the school Jasmariah comes out of building, sees us, and her eyes get so big and she just ran into our arms! haha! SO CUTE! She was so happy to see us and couldn't believe that we were there to pick her up from school! So awesome! but we ran out of time to teach a lesson so we scheduled to come back the next day. Next day we come by and Shawn tells us that the kids were over at the neighbor's house, Delany. So we go over knock on the door and hear the kids say, who is it? The sisters! and then excited screams and the two girls open the door and tackle us with hugs! haha! Jas had been telling Delany all about us and how she was getting baptized! Delany wanted to go to church with us so badly! Jaylin was there too and we had a mini lesson about how God loves us! SO PRESH! We go over to Shonika's and teach the plan of salvation. The kids were distracted and didn't stay the whole lesson but Shonika and shawn listened and soaked it in! Shonika kept asking golden questions and was so involved in the lesson! The spirit was so strong! We invited Shawn to be baptized and she said yes! Then after we go back to Delany's house to meet her mom and all the kids were there and Delany was begging her mom to let us teach her! SOLID! We then sang primary hymns and all took turns praying! They're prayers were so sweet and so sincere! I almost cried. OH! and Lashawnta went to mutual! She's kind of crazy and I guess said some inappropriate things but she just doesn't really know better. We're working with her. We invited the girls to Women's Conference and only Lashawnta and Jasmariah made it. But we gave a church tour with a member and It was awesome! Lashawta has zero patience and wasn't really listening a whole lot and Jas was kind of shy but we showed them the Baptism font and really liked that :) Lashawnta said she wanted to get baptized! Then the conference started and I was getting all teary eyed and Lashawta made us go to the bathroom with her like 3 times. She kept asking what time it was and when it would be over and wow I wish I had some crayons or something to distract her! Jas was an angel :) hahaha! So I missed most of the conference but it was good for the kids! THEN! Almost done ;) CHRUCH. So everyone was committed to go to church that was on date. We went over two hours early to see if they needed a ride, but shonika said she could drive so we are at church waiting when Jasmariah and Jaylin call asking for a ride. So it was only them and Lashawnta. Sad. But great :) Except I had to take Lashawta out to the foyer a few times because she was so restless! That girl has major ADHD. But the kids seemed to enjoy church. In the middle of all of this our phone dies and I take it to the mission office to charge it and I see this text from Shonika saying that she wanted to look at other churches and that we were nice but she came from a Baptist family or something. WHHHAT? So we don't know if that goes for her kids too? But we were so hear broken that we didn't go to relief society and just cried on the couch like apostates. After everything!!! man!! So we're going to drop by this week and see if we can still teach the kids. We love them!!!!! Wow so that was our crazy fun filled week. We did so well on our key indicators and got a fat 20 member presents! WHAT? It was awesome! The Lord is stretching and testing us but blessings come all the same :) Ok other awesome things! Sister Gunderson and I sang for the senior missionaries at the mission home and there was this really cute couple that reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa Schroader. We sang in sacrament for the ward before us and sang a verse of called to serve in Spanish. We biked in the wind and rain again and it was a blast! Steffanie came to the woman's conference as well and she made a new best friend from a different ward Griz got his neighbor to drive us home last night because he hates it when we're on bikes AND we had pancakes for dinner :) Ok well That's all I got for this week! I'll let you know what happens next week! YAY! ok bye for now! Love, Sister Herrin

Cat Hair and Stuff like that

Man I do not know what to write. Well kind of I do, but as ush I don't know how to gather my thoughts here, so I'll just go :) This week. Great things. Always happening. It was transfers and a lot of people got moved around. Speaking of moving. We helped this member from Illinois move her non member mom who lives in our ward boundaries. To really describe the experience I'm just going to say 3 words. Cats. Hoarder. Shag-carpet. It was great :) haha! we spent all day helping and cleaning and didn't even get everything done because this sweet lady had way too much stuff for the moving truck. Way too much :) We had no one at church yesterday which is one of the most heart breaking things ever! We worked so hard to invite, follow up, arrange rides, and confirm that at least 5 people were going to be there. NONE! 0! wow! Sister Gunderson was so sad. But afterwords we had an appointment with Shonika and her family but She was sick, so we taught her 8 year old Jasmariah and 10 year old son Jaylin. We committed both kids to be baptized! WOO! They seemed so excited! Now we just have to get mama pumped! there 4 other girls that could potentially be baptized, Lashawnta, Shawn, KK and Bri Bri. We just have to get them to want to change. Saturday was really miracle day. We had a goal of 12 lessons taught with members present and only had 6 Friday night. So Saturday morning we called up a bunch of ladies and got one to come with us in the afternoon and another in the evening! Woah! We visited a bunch of less actives that we had never heard about or met and taught their neighbors and got 5 lessons!!! Miracle! One of the less active's non member husband talk to us on their porch. Yes he was shirtless and hairy. Yes he was super open and we were able to answer all of his questions and feel the spirit! Well besides that we didn't have a lot of really interesting stories. It was a bit of a tougher week but we manage pretty well :) Well thanks for everything fam and friends! I sure love you! Hope all is well and I can't wait to hear from you next week! :) Love, Sister Herrin P.s. Sorry this email's kind of lame. P.p.s. I'll send some pictures to make it better P.p.p.s In church we were asked to bare testimony of Christ as Mary Magdalene and a Nephite woman for primary. The kids loved it! One of them said "I knew it was the missionaries because they always have smiles on their faces!" So cute!

Crashes, Miracles and Birthdays!

Ok. I'ma just gonna jump in this here story. It's a Tuesday. Around 5. And we had just finished visiting this member and we're wondering in the ghetto looking for disappearing house number. This really dark skin colored man is chilling in his car and we walk by and wave because we're friendly. He then says, "Hey! how old are ya'll?" we pause and look at each other and I say "20" he then says, "here come grab my number" and at first I'm like, woah, new investigator! wants to hear about the gospel! then I realized what was really happening and I blurt out, "We're missionaries!" haha! awk. ward. He gets all un comfs and says his friend might need that or something and I is getting out of his car to hide the house and I just yell at him to go to church. It was pretty funny :) We go back to our bikes and Sister Gunderson is like, Why didn't we invite him to our church?? DUH! we should go back! SO we put on our bike helmets to go back and I'm like, Sister, I don't think our friend would even talk to us with these helmets on, we look ridiculous! haha! He was still inside so we put our card on his car and left. THEN. ON THE WAY HOME. So there's a lot of loose dirt/gravel stuff that they spread everywhere to melt the ice and it's all over the side walks and makes riding a little sketchy. Sister Gunderson's in front of me and we're crossing a busy street and she takes the turn way too fast and her bike slips under the gravel and she BIFFS IT! I was a good mama and didn't even laugh! I helped her out of her bike and made sure she was ok. She had hit her head so hard on the pavement that there were rocks imbedded in the plastic of her helmet. That could've been her head! and there was a chunk of helmet missing too! So no more complaining on our side! haha! She scrapped up her leg pretty bad and was bleeding a lot so we called the Daley's and they picked us up. She's a real trooper and I helped wash off dirt and blood but she had to pick out rocks. I can't do that. So yeah! Helmets are great! :) This weeks seriously was fantastic! I have never worked so hard!!! We blew standard out of the water and had so many miracles! 1) We went LAMP tracking (less active, member present) And met this man and his father, Josh and Jack. Josh has read the entire Book of Mormon but has never met missionaries! His dad is Pentecostal and is a little dramatic but very very nice. We have to hand them over to the Elders, but they seem so solid! :) and Then Saturday we met a family that the Elders were handing over to us and there were so many kids I don't even remember all of them! The mom's name is Shonika and the daughter's name is Jazzmariah but that's all I remember. The mom accepted baptism and she's on date for the 5th of April :) Super awesome family! but after that appointment, the sky exploded and it was raining so hard! we were on bikes so we were drenched! Plus cars kept slashing us and we had mud ALL OVER! I'll send a pic! It was the funnest bike ride ever! :) But after words we visited Steffanie and her cute family! We had the Best discussion with them about being agents and not objects and how God wants us to act before he will give us an answer and invited them to baptism as well!!! THEY SAID YES!!! So we're holding them to it and I know if they truly seek God will give them an answer! :) AWESOME!!! Well I'm outta time but I hope you all have a great week! I'm know my Heavenly Father is watching over me and that he loves me. He loves his missionaries!!! :) Love, Sister Herrin p.s. Oh yeah it's my birthday and I'm totally 21!!!! WHAT THE CRAZY??? weird. It's really just weird.