November 12, 2013

Hello Hello Hello Me Familia!

Sorry for no email yesterday. The library was closed for Veterans day so we had to wait to email until today. LAME!  But tis okay tis okay.  

It sounds like life is just a party! Saryn, your emails are like 7 books in one! hahaha I LOVE IT! Ha.  Tanner sounds like he did a boss job in Sacrament meeting.  Did he speak at the home ward or the singles ward?  I'm proud of you brotha! 

Before I forget, MOM could you send me my piano music? And possibly that church music that has the tulips on the cover that are all yellow but one is red?  hahaha I miss playing so much and I brought some music out here with me but I am already getting tired of it and would love to have some of my piano music to play.  

This week was really busy.  Our Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always jammed full of appointments and once we get to Friday its just driving around trying to find people for the most part.  But this last Tuesday we had 8 lessons in one day.  It was exhausting, both physically and emotionally.  First off we met with our Grandma Sharon.  She is a fire cracker and doesn't take any crap from anyone.  I love her to pieces.  She comes off super hard and angry but she is just a love bug. A little bit of background on her: Sister Greenfield and her previous companion tracted her out and she gave them a mouth full, telling them she didn't want mormons on her property and she didn't want any of this mormon crap blah blah blah somehow through all of that they got a Book of Mormon into her hands.  When they returned she said that she was having trouble one night sleeping so she thought, what the heck Ill try and read this to fall asleep.  So she did, and she said she felt so much peace from it and the next day was so peaceful.  She started to take the lessons but then when I came all sorts of things came up.  She had family in town for a while then she had surgery, then her son in law had surgery then she went back to surgery yadda yadda yadda so all of last transfer we were never able to sit down and have a lesson with her until just last week.  We were able to talk about the BOM and the peace and blessings we receive as we read daily.  We challenged her to read a little bit from the BOM everyday that week but because she just had eye surgery it has been difficult for her to read so we offered to come by everyday that week to read with her.  It went really well the first two days....but then! Satan ruins all good things! We went to read with her and she told us that right now it was just too much.  With various family issues, financial problems and life, meeting with us was becoming too much for her to handle.  She cried as she told us she couldn't meet with us anymore. It killed me.  I love Sharon.  And she loves us! I can't even tell you the disappointment I felt as we left her place.  AH! It made me so frustrated.  

BUT THEN! We were riding our bikes and left Sharon's to visit a wonderful woman whom I LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Her name is Rhonda.  She owns a flower shop that we stop by every week and do service in with her and have gospel related discussions and all that jazz.  She is very close to a family in the ward and has been meeting with missionaries for about a year now. She lovesssss the gospel and loves the church.  She agrees with everything we teach or discuss with her.  And as we were riding over there I was just burning mad about Sharon. Not necessarily with Sharon but with the whole situation.  I just was overwhelmed with the love that I had for Sharon and it broke my heart that she was turning away something that I KNOW would bring her that happiness she wants.  But then we got to the flower shop and we shared a mormon message with her and she told us she is ready.  She wants to be baptized.  Her hold up in the first place was that her husband wasn't interested, but she said she has gotten to the point where she knows this is what she has to do.  YES! Double fists to the air!  What a complete shift of emotions! And it got me thinking.  Rhonda has been worked on for about a year now.  The missionaries before us had been meeting with her and helping mold and soften her heart for a long time!  Maybe that is what I need to do with Sharon.  We are just missionaries that are trying to soften her heart to the gospel, and maybe we won't see her baptized, but we are just helping her for maybe the next set of missionaries here.  I just need tot remember that God knows Sharon.  He knows her much better than I do and I need to trust that He has a plan for her.  It is no coincidence they tracted her out, no coincidence that she read the BOM that one night, maybe right now is just not the right time. But it will be soon. I need to trust in the Lord's timing.  

So that was exciting.  Rhonda is super sick right now, but once she is better she wants to start the lessons over and get rolling.  I am SOOOO excited. 

Another cool experience was with our Less Active Danny.  We went over there to read with him and decided to read from the JSH.  The spirit was so thick.  As we were reading I could not deny the words of Joseph Smith.  Danny even began to cry as he read of Joseph's experience in the grove.  When we finished reading Danny bore his testimony to us that he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the church was built on true principles of Christ.  What a tender experience it was to hear him say those words. I love teaching about the first vision.  It is by far my favorite part of teaching.  Every single time WITHOUT FAIL.  The spirit enters the room with such a power and force.  As we read the JSH I knew that what we were reading was true that Jospeh Smith saw God and our Savior, Redeemer Jesus Christ.  That through him the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth.  That God has called yet again another prophet on the earth to lead and guide His children.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  The way He shows His love for His children is the same.  I LOVE THIS GOSPEL

We got a call from one of our favorite people this week.  Our Ward Mission Leader's daughter. She is Saryn's age and freakin legit. I LOVE HER.  She has a friend that she wanted to introduce us to so we met up with her and that was a powerful lesson.  She had a lot of questions about why God lets bad things happen to us and was questioning the things that she had been taught growing up. We showed her the mormon message, Origin.  Look. It. Up.  It is so good. I am kind of obsessed with it.  

Things are really going well over here in the Montana hood. 

I will think of things for Christmas.  As of right now I can't think of anything....maybe stamps?  haha But I will let you know.  I cannot wait to call and talk to all of you! AHH! Christmas is sneaking up!  P.s. I will try and gather cool things to send home....hahah but let's get real. Montana is not much different from Texas right now where I am at.  Ha.  BUT I will try and find unique things.   Someone told me today that I am in for a rude awakening when I leave Bozeman cause none of Montana is like this.  haha Sad day.  

Okie Doke Familia.  I should get going.  We are going to see RHONDA! LOVE HER! Annnnnnndddd I would like to let you all know that I helped make corsages for homecoming.  They were beautiful

ALSO! I got a package from Grandma Shirley! It was fantastic! Thank you Thank you Than you! I LOVE IT! The Oreos are already gone.  hahaha 

And a shout out to Ashley King for sending the most epic Halloween package of all time! You are awesome! Thank you so much! I now have enough candy to feed me for the rest of my mission. Hahaha 

Just to end.  We had our Primary Program on Sunday.  The basic message they spoke and sang about what that they were children of God and that Heavenly Father answers prayers.  I can tell you right now that I know without a shadow of a doubt that those things are true.  Such basic simple foundational things, but so much direction comes from that.  Prayer is a powerful thing.  Joseph Smith did nothing more than what we do on a daily basis.  He read his scriptures and he prayed and what a miraculous thing occurred because of that.  I am so grateful for this gospel.  It is truly the only thing in this life that can bring us complete and everlasting happiness.  The world is constantly changing, relationships change, we change, jobs, school, life changes, but this gospel is constant.  It's truths are eternal.  I love it with all of my heart. 

I love you all! Take care! And I will talk to you next week!

Sista Sista!!