HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE TOOTH BRUSH WAS INVENTED IN BIDDEFORD?

How do you know the toothbrush was invented in Biddeford?
Because if it was invented anywhere else it would be called the teethbrush!
That joke has been thrown around quite a few times since I've been here so I thought I'd share it with all of you!
Welcome February! Where did January go?!?
Holy moley!
This week was great! So here's the rundown
Sister Jackman and I went to Portland on exchange all day Tuesday. Unfortunately Sis. Keigley was sick so we basically stayed inside all day and made plans for Eliza's baptism! Wohoo
Wednesday was good, we went around to several of the ward members homes making sure they got invitations to Eliza's baptism.

Thursday we had another good lesson with our friend Betty. She is the 95 year old that we ate Wendy's with not too long ago. It was the saddest thing ever, when we came to see her and started talking with her she just started to cry because she felt that her heart was in two places. She loves the pastor of her church but she knows how much her son loves being a Mormon and she loves having us come visit her, so she felt bad because she didn't want to waste our time. No worries though, we reassured her that she doesn't have to be baptized for us to continue coming to visit! She is too sweet.

What do you get when you put three, fasting, sick, sister missionaries in an apartment doing weekly planning? We don't really know either, but it wasn't the funnest morning we've had ha ha ha, it was definitely memorable though! Everything got so much better when we actually got out of the apartment though. In our coordination Thursday with the Ward Mission Leader, Bishop and the Elders we started a little thing to get the ward involved in and well informed of the Ward Mission Plan. VGPA(pronounced vigeepa) It stands for Vision Goal Plan Accountability. Friday we put it into play and introduced it to a couple of members in the ward, and it went really well! We have been helping them create their own VGPA's so they can personally be involved in helping the Ward Mission Plan happen.

Saturday....the big day....finally came! Eliza was baptized!!!!! The first baptism I've seen on my mission!!!!! It was glorious. It was really neat because her best friend, who introduced her to the church, was able to make it to her baptism and gave a talk too! We had a lot of good support from the ward which was great! We had a really good lesson with Abby afterward. Abby is incredible. I don't know if how much I've mentioned of Abby but here is a little update on her. She is 22 years old and knows Bro. Farmer, a member of the church who is friends with her dad. A few months ago, Bro. Farmer invited Abby to lunch with the sister missionaries. They went to a chinese buffet and at the end when they opened their fortune cookies, her cookie said that the people she met today would bring new concepts into her life. The following Sunday she went to church for the first time, which happened to be a fast and testimony meeting and she got up and bore her testimony! She soaks in everything that she hears at church and is a faithful comer to all our Book of Mormon classes. When we sat down for our lesson Saturday she was telling us what she had read in the Book of Mormon and we were just all blown away! She knows it so well already. Such an incredible experience with Abby.

Sunday...Another great day. Eliza was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. The fun didn't end there though, she got her temple recommend after church and she is going to the temple with the youth next week! She is just on a roll!

I feel like those are the major events for this week! The work here in Saco is going so well and I am truly loving it! We have zone conference coming up this week which will be great! I wouldn't be mad if you all prayed that we get iPads.....just sayin. There are so many ways that technology would be helpful out here. Who knows when our mission will get them, but we are all pretty excited for the day when we do.

So being in a trio is completely new experience and everyday I learn so many new things. A big thing that I've come to realize is the importance of listening. With three people trying to share their testimonies, insights, and thoughts, it's very easy for our lessons to be us talking....a lot, but so much more important than talking is listening. I've really come to realize that we don't need to say much at all. We help people so much more by listening than by trying to feed them with so much information. Not only is listening to people important, but listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I have learned a lot about the Holy Ghost this week, and the way it speaks to me. There have been so many experiences on my mission and in my life in general when the Holy Ghost has brought so much peace and comfort, right at the very moment when I need it most. I always find it interesting how something that is generally on my mind ends up coming up in a talk or in a lesson. I'm pretty sure God has a little part to do with that. So on Sunday we had a lesson on the Holy Ghost and I got some neat insights from that class. As we know the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. Every member of the Godhead is so close in unity with each other in their purpose that when we feel the comforting feelings of the Holy Ghost, it is as if we are receiving it directly from God, or from Jesus Christ. Although God and Jesus Christ can be in one place at one time, the Holy Ghost can influence anyone, anywhere at any time. I feel so privileged to be a member of the church so that I can have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I honestly don't know what I would do without it! I want to leave you all with a scripture from Galations 5:22
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Whenever we feel love, joy, peace...any of these feelings, they are feelings of the Spirit. God loves us so much and as we acknowledge Him and have faith in Him, we will feel an increase in the Spirit in our lives. I KNOW this to be true!

I 100% absolutely love this Gospel and I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a missionary. Every day that goes by I feel a little bit of sadness knowing that it is one fewer day that I get to spend serving the Lord as a missionary. I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel, and for our Savior, Jesus Christ!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Sister Dixon