Missionary Moments!!

Hey Everyone!!

Can I just say that this past week was AMAZING. And talk about Conference!!! I couldn't sleep I was so excited!! Thank goodness it's P-day today! :) But I want to tell you all about my new cute companion!!! SISTER OPENSHAW!!! :) She's adorable. :) She is from Modesto, California and I love her so much!! Just some trivia about her, she's 19 (like me!) and played golf in HS (ummm I think you know what we're doing next pday before all the courses close!) She went to BYU too!! and her call is actually to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! So she'll be ditching me whenever her visa comes in, but in the mean time I'm learning Portuguese to help her out! Woot!

This week has been filled with incredible, spectacular moments. Sister Caldwell and I ended our 40 day fast this last week. That is an experience that I'll never forget. (don't worry we really didn't fast from food for 40 days :) ) but we fasted from all worldly things, we took out all the unnecessary things that were holding us back from being the best missionaries the Lord would have us be. As a result, we can feel the Spirit so much stronger in our lives and we can feel the Spirit stronger as we're teaching to our investigators. It is truly a blessing! 

So I just want to talk about M. real fast (because I'm just so excited for him!) He had his baptismal interview and he is good to go to be baptized this weekend! (my first baptism!!) But yesterday, in between the sessions we just met with him in one of the classrooms at the church and talked about his questions and the conference. Then he got really serious, and said that Heavenly Father answered all of his questions. He looked at us and said when can I go on a mission and share about God? He is converting to the gospel! :) That makes me so excited knowing that even if I don't find, teach or baptize anyone else for the next 15 months- I know that I was carrier of the Spirit enough to allow one person to convert to the Church. Enough so that he's willing to put off his past life and go and serve the Lord for 2 years! I am so excited for him! Also, in last week's picture I sent of him, you could see his long hair- He decided that long hair doesn't represent Christ well and since he's being baptized this week, he chopped it all off! We didn't even ask him to! 

The B's are doing so good! We're really working hard to make sure that A. will be ready for his baptism on the 18th.  And if only we could get D. to young womens... But A. decided he wanted to move to Utah and we're going to play baseball. (I don't know how to play baseball.) He's very set on it. So we'll see :) Maybe he'll forget- after all he's only 9 :) 

J. and H. are doing amazing and have started to progress rapidly!! We are actually now also teaching their 14 year old daughter- T.  But they all love the gospel and we're working hard with them and they're really just doing wonderfully!! :)

H. & B. are doing great as well. and so is B. We still haven't found B. and T. :( Hopefully we'll find them this week! 

As for General Conference!! I loved it so much! How do they know EXACTLY what I need, and they can say it in the most perfect way possible!?!?! It must be the Spirit! :) I love General Conference and the Spirit that we feel and receiving personal inspiration. I had a list of all our investigators and Less-actives that I wanted to know how i could help them all- and I know that Heavenly Father cares about each one of them so much that He was able to prompt me through the Spirit as to what we can do to help them. There's no other explanation. I love this gospel with all my heart and I love being a missionary. It is so hard. It's super wet and cold. But I wouldn't trade this experience for anything, because everyday I'm helping Heavenly Father's children come closer to obtaining salvation. And there's nothing greater that we can do in this life than that. SPEAKING OF THAT- MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK! Yes you all get a homework assignment!! I believe during conference we all are were asked to do something by Christmas!! Pray, seek and find someone you can share the gospel with BY Christmas! Just think about it- if everyone does this, the church membership could increase to be 30 million. Do you part!! :) We're meeting with all the members in our area this week and helping them get started. Take the initiative and find one of God's children too! :)

I love you all so much! You are truly the greatest! Thanks for emailing me all your fun pictures and J&K's wedding pictures! Glad to know Nate lifted up my cardboard cutout so that I'm taller ;) Thanks bud!! You're the best! ;) hehe :) I hope you all have a fabulous week and study over what we learned from prophets and apostles this weekend! 

I love you!!

Sister Taylor Kathryn Byers!

Here's a pic of Sister Openshaw and I at transfers with our new 2014 Corolla in the background. We named him Himni. :) (Son of Mosiah!) And he's still in mint condition- haven't scratched him up....yet :) hahah just kidding! Love you!