Jesus got baptized!!!

So this week was AMAZING!!!! All of it, but especially this past weekend when Jesus got baptized!!!!!! Holy cow soo amazing! The baptism was amazing and the spirit was so strong! I totally started crying and ya I was just a big baby :) haha Then on Sunday Jesus was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Family, I don't even know what to write because so many amazing and exciting things are happening all the time!! I can barely keep up! I am going to send pics from the baptism. Oh! Something really sweet, so we had never talked to Jesus about serving a mission but then out of nowhere after his baptism - which I seriously can not even stress enough was one of the greatest experiences of my life - he started telling us that he thinks he's going to go on his mission to China... we told him that was really cool and then asked him why. He is so funny, he told us he had been going to Panda Express a lot lately and one of the fortune cookies he got told him he would go to China! haha! Jesus would be the best missionary ever! Then when we had to sneak out of Sacrament meeting yesterday after he got confirmed (had to go to our shift at the VC), he pulled us over for a minute and told us he had a really cool story to tell us. So apparently Jesus was just walking down the street after his baptism and he found a $20.00 bill on the ground. He was soo happy because he really wanted to pay tithing and fast offering, but he is living with his aunt and literally has no income right now. He then told us he was so excited to give what he could to the Lord that he just went ahead and donated the whole thing! That was a huge sacrifice for him, but he did it happily! It wasn't even a question or an issue! He was happy to give everything he had to the Lord. I am learning so much from this kid! That's the coolest thing about being a missionary. You may be teaching people, but really they are teaching you. I am learning so much! I just hope I can hold onto everything I am learning! Life is just so good :) 

So a cool miracle that happened at the Visitors Center this week: So I was on the float position on a really busy night and I was kind of overwhelmed so I just started talking to everyone. I then met this group of about 6 or 7 high school kids that came in. One of their friends that they brought was a nonmember and he was really open and nice, but he wasn't taking anything seriously. I then asked one of the guys to share why he decided to serve a mission (my favorite stories!) and the spirit was so strong! Everybody in the group was silent and I then testified of the importance of missionary work. I asked the kids if they had any missionary experiences with their friends or if they had any friends that they would like for me to call to talk to about the gospel. This was when the friend started to speak up. He shared some of his concerns that he had with our faith and mentioned some inaccurate facts that he had been told from interesting sources. You could tell his friends were becoming uncomfortable, but I was not going to back down until he heard my testimony. I knew that I needed to testify to him of The Book of Mormon. So I did! Oh my gosh it was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had! I helped him to see that his real question truly is whether or not The Book of Mormon is true. If he (we, anybody!) would read The Book of Mormon and ask God to know if it is true I testified that he would get an answer that it is. i told him that none of that other stuff - all rubbish as papa would say - even matters when you know that The Book of Mormon is true because: if you know the book of Mormon is true then you know that Joseph Smith is a prophet called of God. If the Book of Mormon is true then Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. If the Book of Mormon is true then this is Jesus Christ's church fully restored here on the earth today. I then invited him to be baptized. When he came to know that this is true, and he said yes! It was such an incredibly cool experience! The Book of Mormon is such a powerful tool that we do not use enough! I am so grateful that I was raised in a home where we read the scriptures together and where I was taught these simple truths. I love testifying of The Book of Mormon it is probably one of my most favorite things to do :) Anyways, so back to the kid, he filled out a referral card and I am going to be giving him a call in about a week :) Pray for him! I am just so grateful! So, So, sooo grateful! I can't even express how grateful I am to have been raised by good righteous parents that raised me in the gospel. You guys are the best!!!!

Love,
Sister Hamstead

Christopher- learn the lessons of Preach my Gospel, go on splits with the missionaries, go to lessons with the missionaries (the presence of a member is really important and you can drive which is a plus- offer your services!) read the Book of Mormon and take the test- read it to know and pray about it. Ask yourself why you are going on a mission- more than because it's what you're supposed to do. You will need to know this when times get tough out in the field- which they do. But if you are working hard and doing your best work because you love the Savior Jesus Christ, then you will be happy :) In my mission we all memorize a quote from Preach my Gospel on pg.121 about work. go read it and apply it! I am sooo excited for you!!!!! Oh my mummsy don't worry - you are going to be so incredibly blessed for having two missionaries :) Just be sure you are taking care of those sweet missionaries serving back home! They need all the help they can get! Find referrals for them and give them service projects. They love that!  love you guys!!!!!!!!