Week 70: Phoenix: expect the unexpected(:

 hello my dear friends!!

it has been a humbling past couple of days. friday afternoon i got a call from my mission president asking me if i would be okay with getting transferred to a new area. my old companera, hermana brandt, is going to be serving as a sister training leader trainer and i will be replacing her and serving with hermana stoddard as a sister training leader. today marks 1 month until i go home, so this call was super unexpected since i have been serving in this area for almost 5 months and was certain i would finish my mission here. it feels really weird to think that i have to uproot and start fresh in a new area with new members, people we are teaching, and a new companion. my heart hurt soooo much saying goodbye to my dear friends and ward members at church yesterday, but oddly enough with that heart ache came an unmistakeable peaceful assurance that this is the Lord's will for me. i am so excited to get to serve with hermana stoddard in the los olivos for my last month!!!

we were feeling especially exhausted at the beginning of this week, so we decided to make a game to motivate us to talk to more people:) our goal was to get 17.5 rejections in a row. 1/2 no = they are kind of wishy washy and dont really want to say it to your face so you leave them with a pamphlet and your number. 1 no = they really straight up say nope. it was actually a lot of fun and even though we didn't meet our goal we found some new people because of it hahahahah

wednesday was a hard day. the heavens felt closed and it was hard to feel and follow the spirit. i was so frustrated and prayed so earnestly during my personal study that God would just let me know He could hear me. i didnt even care for answers to anything, i just wanted to know that my prayer was reaching Him. at the conclusion of that prayer i was still exhausted and still anxious, but i received a very clear and distinct impression that my prayer really had reached Father, and that gave me the strength to continue the rest of the day.

we were able to meet our new mission president this week:)) his name is president eyre, he and sister eyre and simply wonderful. there have been a ton of changes being implemented since he got here, one of them being that he is really emphasizing that we need to be out proselyting from 6-9pm with no excpetions. he said it is our most sacred time to teach and find families. so with this new emphasis we've been really diligent about being out knocking doors and talking to people until 9pm, which is honestly sometimes a bit scary since downtown phoenix is not the safest place in the world. we have seen so many miracles though & have had more success with finding people it has been beautiful to see:)

we were street contacting a lady who was walking 2 yapping dogs. we were making small talk and the dogs just would not be quiet lololol. as soon as i brought up our purpose as missionaries and invited her to hear the message of the restoration, the dogs stopped yapping. she listened intently (and honestly so did the dogs) but politely declined. as soon as she did, the dogs started yapping again. kind of crazy that even the dogs could recognize the spirit and gave this woman enough time to listen to our invitation so she could make an informed decision for herself.

our lesson with alejandra went wonderfully. she is simply so prepared. this was our third time meeting with her and has already picked a baptismal date. i told her she needs to invite me to her baptism even though i wont be in the area anymore. she said she would:)) 

speaking of baptisms!! rogelio (someone i taught in via linda) got baptized this week!! mi corazon esta tan feliz:))))

as missionaries we aren't supposed to have any extra furniture in our apartments. well for some reason this apartment has a couch, and so in an effort to be exactly obedient my roommates decided it would be a good idea to carry this couch half a mile to the nearest goodwill. i was worried they wouldn't make is so i came along, this couch is not exactly the lightest. there is a trail that leads to the goodwill, so after finally making it over there i was able to switch with one of them since they were getting tired, when all of a sudden this guy on a skateboard asks if we need help. his name is jonny. jonny literally put this medium sized couch on his skateboard and helped us roll it all the way to goodwill. he was a literal angel sent from God to help us. while we rolled the couch along we got to talk with him and get to know him and it was so tender and we got to refer him to other missionaries because he is really seeking direction in his life right now. God is so real my loves<3

"...the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous...Know yet not that ye are in the hands of God? Know yet not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?" mormon 5:21,23

these verses have brought me so much comfort this week. i promise you that every prayer you offer Father is heard. i promise you He is so intimately aware of every singular struggle and joy you will ever experience. i promise you He cries with you and rejoices with you. i promise you that He is always wanting to hear from you.

con todo mi amor,

hna zayas