No clever title, just a great week

We are scheduled to have a baptism this Saturday! (So far, no indications this one will fall through.) Toshy is the best! When we taught her the Word of Wisdom a few weeks ago, she was already living it!! I'm pretty sure she is the only person I have ever met outside the church who lives it. She has such a sincere desire to obey God and follow Him. The only downside is that she is technically in YSA, so we will have to transition her to the YSA sisters after she gets baptized :( But that's okay because she has already met one of them! Her sister is also being taught in another ward, so hopefully more of her family will be getting baptized soon :)

This past week was another one full of exchanges. Well, really only two, but they were back to back. It is so fun to be able to work with other sisters and learn from them! I know the purpose of exchanges is for the sister training leader to be able to help the sisters she is responsible for, but I feel like I benefit just as much from exchanges as the sisters my companion is with. The sisters I have gone on exchanges with are all so different but they all have wonderful insights and knowledge. Being able to see how others teach and the way they live the gospel always makes me want to be better. One of the sisters I was on exchanges with has only been a member for about two years. her testimony is so simple and so powerful. She does not know a lot about certain aspects of the gospel or the Church, but she knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. A testimony's strength is not based on length of time, but on the sincerity of belief. 

We had a multi-zone conference this week and it was amazing!! It was fun to see missionaries I came out with and .as always, it was inspiring to hear from the leaders (especially President James). President James told a story about W.W. Phelps and how he left the church but was welcomed back with open arms. It made me think about how often we turn away from the Savior but how often He invites us back and forgives us. I am so grateful for the Atonement and the ability that I have to always return to my Savior. After the meeting, we all went to Duke Gardens and got to explore. We were told told to fall in love. With the beauty of NC, that is :)

There was something that was said in a sacrament meeting yesterday that stood out to me. The topic was the Restoration and one of the speakers focused his talk on Christ. He said "Christ is the Restorer" and it made me think about all of the ways Christ restores us. After we die, our bodies will be restored because of Him. We are restored to happiness after we fall. He restored His priesthood and His church in this day so that we could be restored to Heavenly Father's presence. All loss and imperfection can and will be restored through the Savior. He not only saves us from our sins, but from every painful thing that happens to us. He came to make everything right.  

Sorry this is a short email this week, I will send lots of pictures to make up for it :)

Love y'all

Sister Pyper

​My companion is the best <3

This felt oddly like taking a graduation picture. I just really liked the bridge and wanted a picture. 

So, apparently my eyes were closed when we took this picture. Ooops!! We were mission home buddies <3 We flew out together and have been in the same zone our first three transfers. She is the sweetest!

All the WA sisters: Bremerton, Puyallup. and me :)

I <3 the James's