Austin, Texas Here I Come!

So we got transfer calls and I am going to Riverside, TX in Austin! And... I am going to be in a Spanish ward with a Spanish companion from the Dominican Republic! How awesome is that!? It will be a huge change. And we are doubling in. So pretty much everything is going to change. The language, the companion, the city, everything! It will be fun for sure. 

This week was so hard. Probably one of the hardest. Every single day we would already have everything set up for the day and then everything would cancel. Then we would go to the backup plans and it seemed as though nothing good was coming of it. It was just hard. But I knew "Sunday Would Come" and it was just beautiful. I learned that Kathy from Carrizo Springs (one of my old areas) got baptized that Sunday and it was just so touching. Then I had a beautiful spiritual experience at church. I really felt the strengthening power of the Sacrament yesterday. It was just beautiful to know that God really was watching out for me, not that I doubted He was, but things were just getting hard. At that moment I knew He was aware of me and my situation and He took it all away. He gave me the peace that only comes from the Spirit as I partook of the bread and the water. It was a healing experience.

As I leave the Woodlake and Converse area I have learned so much. I have been able to grow and be strengthened in so many ways. I have worked, and continue to work, very hard to overcome some of my weaknesses that surfaced here and negative thoughts that were persistent. I have had become great friends with Hermana Hainsworth and learned how to love, to truly care, to listen, and to really turn to God. She is someone that I want to become like one day. I just love and respect her so much.

 I am also so grateful for everyone that is supporting me and cheering me on. It has helped immensely.

These song lyrics kept coming to mind as I was finishing up this email so I guess I need to send them:

"If you ask, then He will answer. If you kneel, He'll make you whole. If you close your eyes and whisper, He will whisper to your soul. If you're hurting, He will heal you. If you're humble, He will come. If you lack wisdom, Ask of God." 

Have a marvelous week!

️Hermana Zimmerman

4th of July pancakes: we made pancakes for 2 wards with the Bishopric in the kitchen. It was so fun!

Add caption

Us in the pouring rain on the 4th!

The car in the larking lot: an old lady parked her car like that. not even in the lines... just how ever she wanted. it was awesome!

Cupcake man: in primary if one of the teachers has a birthday they have to wear the cupcake and the kids sing to them. it's hilarious!

Our Zone: the best zone ever!

Sebastian

We have an investigator named Sebastian, and we had our first lesson with him. During that first lesson he just kept telling us, "well I'm only doing this for my fiancé", and "I really don't believe in God. What has He done for me? He's only given me a hard life". So after the first lesson we didn't know where to go or how we should proceed. 

So the next week we had another lesson and he came with a ton of questions. But the Spirit was so strong and we were able to answer his questions and say things that only the Spirit knew to say. It was just amazing.

Then we go to the third lesson and he has even more questions and he is wanting to learn more for himself and not just for his fiancé. Then at the end he said the most beautiful prayer. In it he said, "God I know you are there. I know these are your servants and they speak your words." That was such a beautiful moment. A man who did not believe in God 1 weeks ago, prayed to Him and knew He was there! It was just beautiful. It's so beautiful what the teachings of Jesus Christ can do to someone. It truly does bind up the broken hearted and soothe the broken soul. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am so grateful to be on God's team teaching His people the truth. The Book of Mormon is true. If you haven't read it lately or haven't studied it and applied it to your life, I want you to do it! It will change you.

Love,

Hermana Zimmerman