Conference Fangirls and Muscle Cars

Mom preface: I can tell she didn't have a lot of time prior to leaving for the temple...stream of consciousness is a curse for us. We could go on and on and on...haha. Add to that time restraints and this is the result. I can hear her mind running 5000 mph as she tries to get it all out. 😉

Hello hello my wonderful family!

Sorry for the weirdness of yesterday! We didn't realize that the fifth wasn't on Tuesday...usually the temple trips are on Tuesday so... Anyway, this was a great week! Holy cow. Yesterday we had one of the best lessons ever! It was with our investigator. We needed to teach him how to find his own answers to his questions, and it ended up being probably the best lesson we have ever had with him. It was great! The Spirit was so strong and he understood so much better by the end. #yes #lookatthegospelwork

This week we also have been brushing up on our cars :) haha. #turningintoelders I saw a Camaro at the beginning of the week and told my companion I liked muscle cars. She asked what qualified as a muscle car. Odd to think I would be the one explaining this in a companionship. Haha. Ever since then we have been picking out the muscle cars we like and brushing up on makes and models of all the cars we saw. We couldn't remember what "the big shield one" was. While we were on exchanges I got a text from Hna Staker: "Cadillac!! The big shield one! It's a Cadillac!!" Haha :)

Oh yes, exchanges. We went knocking and we found this lady and her daughter who were the coolest people. They are from Dubai. We had one of the best lessons with them and got to show the new video too #PRINCEofPEACE Oh my goodness it is great --watch it if you haven't seen it yet!! (All you have to do is go to Mormon.org or LDS.org and it's right there)

As we all know, this transfer is going faaaar too quickly for comfort, and my companion leaves in two weeks... sad time. Craziness. We are loving every last little moment we have and cannot believe it has already been four weeks! Where does the time go?? We went to DSW on Monday during part of our dinner hour to try on heels because we could. Haha. That was fun. Oh, I almost forgot this! Guess what our district leader did for us?? He made us all Easter baskets! Oh my goodness. These elders. Did not anticipate loving so many people on my mission.

We also started up this service thing again. There is this state preserve over here (or something like that) that we apparently usually go to every week to do service. We went for the first time last week but should be doing it consistently again. We got to cut down a tree --okay, correction: Elder Ramos got to cut down a tree and move said tree by himself (cause he could so why not), but Hna Staker and I got to hold said tree while he cut it so we kinda helped :) it was really nice to get outside and simply do service; haven't had that in a long time.

Goodness gracious, can we talk about conference!? I. Love. Conference. Yes. There was so much said, I cannot even pick one to think about at a time. The thing that keeps coming to mind the most is President Nelson's talk; I loved it. I have been thinking quite a bit the last few weeks about Jesus Christ and what my relationship is with Him and then what I want it to be. I was thinking about who He is and who He is to me personally and that sometimes I think I put too much of a focus on certain aspects of Him --kinda like President Nelson was saying about the Atonement. We focus so much on becoming like Christ - on developing Christlike attributes, on what He did - that sometimes I think we lose HIM. It is Jesus Christ - Jehovah, Emmanuel, the Messiah - who matters. I really loved that talk because it helped put these thoughts I had been having into perspective #thankyouapostles #forthewin

If we seek Him more than His attributes or His gifts to us we will find so much more! I have never thought about it like that. I think some of us focus so much on the Atonement and trying to understand and "use" it that we forget Jesus! It is He who gives us strength and it is He that perfects us. It is interesting to think that no man can know God, save He shall reveal Himself. Likewise, no man can obtain any godly attribute or quality lest He --God-- give it to the man. I am convinced that we will not come to understand, use, or develop the gifts and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ until we first understand, appreciate, and adore Him as our God and as our Friend. That has become my first priority, and I cannot express the joy I feel learning about my God. Everything seems to make more sense now. It all clicks just a little bit differently, and I know that is because now I truly am focusing on the center of everything: Jesus Christ.

Aaanyway, five years and seven gospel rants later, here we are :) It has been a good week. We are leaving for the temple probably around ten and will be back around four or five, but should have wifi along the way a bit #subwaysthathavewifi #YESplease #unlessitsnotrunningwell #wearesospoiled #firstworldproblems I love you so much! I hope this week is great :) sorry we were confused about our fechas y días! We will have preparation day next Tuesday, love you lots! Hasta luego :)
Muchísimo amor,
Hermana Karra Gourley

 Elder Ramos called me a "lawn fairy" (soccer player) & then when we were at the store getting some tools for service Elder Nielson saw this and so we had to get a picture.  :)