Thank you for the prayers!

Dear everyone,

I can honestly say that this week was INFINITELY better than last week. It was a miracle that I recovered as quickly as I did. I know, without any doubt, that all the prayers in my behalf gave me the strength that I needed to recover and keep going in the work. I had a relatively normal week this week, with strength to do the normal missionary things. It was a miracle! 

RANDY WAS BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! And it was an amazing baptism. We had 4 other sets of missionaries there and 54 people came, including Randy's daughter and 2 grandsons. Just an amazing service. I played a little violin number with the daughter of our ward mission leader! And, PRESIDENT AND SISTER EATON CAME! We had no idea they were coming. It was way cool. He spoke, too! The original missionaries that found Randy came, too. Sister Loeak spoke about the Holy Ghost and Sister Davis (and her comp, Sister Parsons) did the presentation about the Restoration. It was amazing having them there! Randy was the miracle door for Sister Loeak and Davis... They were about the give up, but then thought they would knock on one last door... And that door was Randy's! And now he is baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The ward is SO amazing here and so welcoming. He was already pretty much a member before he was baptized, it seemed. :) I attached the picture of us all. Bishop is to my left and he baptized Randy. The spirit was SO strong at this baptism. Members of the ward were still talking about it the next day at church. Such a blessed experience to be a part of it. 

What's also really cool is Beth, the less-active we tracted into in February, whom we LOOOVE, came with us to the very last lesson before Randy's baptism, which happened to be about baptism and confirmation. It was so amazing, because she said it rekindled her own feelings of her baptism 8 years ago or so (YES). And, what's even more amazing, is now she wants us to meet with her husband (nonmember) and we have dinner with them TONIGHT! Gosh, miracles happen. All. The. Time. Are you looking for them? If you are in tune with the Holy Ghost, you will recognize the little miracles every day. :) 

We had exchanges this week and it was the best exchange ever because I got to be with my old comp/trainer, Sister Loeak!! She came back to Maple Valley for it and it was honestly the best. It felt so NORMAL, like she had never left! We had such a blast working together again and it felt weird that we weren't actually companions anymore. I will miss her so much! I said goodbye to her for the last time last night at the Missionary Devotional. She goes home in 2 weeks to go back to the Marshall Islands. I'll always remember my crazy Marshallese trainer! But, yeah, the Missionary Devo was last night and it was amazing. Playing the violin went really really well and I know Heavenly Father blessed me to play well because I did NOT have enough time to really practice! OUR INVESTIGATOR CAME! Stormi came by a miracle! She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to, but we prayed all day, and she came! She LOVED it, and got to meet the YSA Sister Missionaries that will probably be starting to teach her soon. Sad, but we know it's the right thing to do. We will still be a light in her life, though! 

We are looking for new people to teach now that our investigator got baptized. Russell, our golden investigator, dropped off the face of the earth and we have no idea what happened... We are referring stormi... Haha. No one to teach, really! But, we have a lot lot lot of potentials. Just need to keep working and keep praying. Things are happening, though. Like the dinner tonight! 

So earlier today, we went to the Roxstrums, and awesome old farming couple in the ward that WE LOOOOVE (and teach once a week). The animcal science class at the high school had a field trip to see Bro Roxstrums calfs and we wanted to go! So we did! And... welp. I just saw a calf get castrated. Hahahah. Yup! That happened! All my years in Texas and Idaho and I've never seen that happen until now, on my mission. Always an adventure here in Maple Valley. :) It was kinda gross... but my comp, Sister Stewart, who is a farm girl through and through, and has done it tons of times on her farm back home, thought it was totally normal... :) Haha. I ask her lots of animal questions. She knows everything, I swear. 

Ah, man. It feels so good to be feeling better. I still struggle with finding, but things are slowly, but surely, getting back to normal. I'm, again, SO grateful to all the prayers that went out for me and are going out for me on a daily basis! I can't do it without them and without the Lord... Thank you so, so much. I love you all! 

Love,
Sister Eldridge

PS:

Randy's Baptism picture! That's his daughter and 2 grandsons in the picture! 

I don't know if you can see that sign...but we thought it was funny. :)

Our group at the devotional :) We see the two sisters on the left, Sisters Erickson and Herlin, every week because they are in our District and they come to the food bank every friday, too. They are over the YSA!

ANNNDDDD...last but not least...Sister Stewart and I were soo warm in our apt last night... we just, like... you know... pulled our skirts up really high... real classy...

 

Sister Juliann Marie Eldridge
Washington Federal Way Mission
23175 224th PI SE Ste E
Maple Valley, WA 98038
United States