Sister Savanna Brooks in The Golden State

This week was cool.  Meredith and Michael are progressing well.  Same with the Alvarados. I have a feeling This is going to be a good  week with those families. 😀 Emily Arias got baptized on Sunday.  She is so cute and sweet. I love her and her family.  I was one of the speakers at the service, and I talked on baptism… Idk why I get asked to speak at everything in this ward but I'm not mad 😂 . Haha. I've gotten to the point where I literally call everyone family and I love them as such.   So blessed to be with such amazing people. 💙   Also, my English ward is bomb… and I'm speaking to the youth in a few weeks about the letter I wrote to prospective missionaries (Blog post dated June 4, 2018) … and I'm pumped.   Being a missionary is cool. I’m making lifetime friendships. I'm a grandmother! 3 generation pic...  Scripture reading with Hector. ...

Okay folks.  I guess it's been a minute! Time flies! Things here are great.  We have some awesome people we are teaching.  Here is an update for the masses... 1. The Alvarado family. We invited them to be baptized and they are praying about a date! Please pray that they'll come to church! I love them so so much. 2. Michael & Meredith. They're a dream couple that just moved here from N.Y. and are attending our English ward. They're such incredible people and teaching them is really fun. They are just genuinely interested and are willing to do whatever they can to obtain testimonies for themselves. They EXASPERATEDLY told us "we feel good after 3 hours of church!" As if to ask how that was possible. Haha they're wonderful. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, " The testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel will help us in our lives... It gives us assurance of the reality, truth, and goodness of God, of...

Teresa's Note: Sister Brooks turned 21 this past week! She was SO Grateful for all of the birthday wishes she received. As a mom, I want to thank all of you that wished her a Happy Birthday.  She knew she is loved. And I'm also grateful for wonderful people who send me pictures & videos from time to time! Be Sure to Watch the end of the video!

Teresa’s Note: Sister Savanna Brooks asked that I, as her mom, write the post this week. That is very brave of her! Through her example, I have learned much about submitting to Father’s will... and I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on Sister Brooks and her mission. I have seen the maturing, the stretching, the growing and refining that she has gone through over the past few years. At times, it has been really painful and difficult to watch and see this refining process… because I can’t just jump in and make it all better.  ...All I can do is be a cheerleader as she navigates this process. But through it all I have seen a young woman from Small Town, Utah...  become a Devoted Disciple of Jesus Christ... and an Instrument in our Heavenly Father’s hands. Sister Brooks never really had a great desire to serve a mission. While growing up, she would mention the idea ...