December 2, 2013

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Basically this week was THE BOMB! 

First off, THANKSGIVING! We went and studied at the church and while Sister Greenfield studied Portuguese I played around on the piano.  Man, how I miss playing, I love, love, love it.  Then we went to the Williams house for the Thanksgiving feast of champions.  Brother and Sister Williams used to be very active members and out of nowhere Brother Williams stopped coming to church.  She still comes but he would have nothing to do with us whenever we came over.  We have done a lot of service over there and one day after we were helping out, Sister Williams made us some lunch and he wouldn't even come out to eat with us.  But, she invited us over for Thanksgiving and he was there.  He is actually a very sweet man, he served his mission in Canada and 6 months of his mission in Germany so he talked and talked and talked all about his mission to us. It was really neat.  BUT! What was actually really neat is their daughter Ranone.  She is in her late 20's early 30s and was just released from prison the day before Thanksgiving.  She has had quite the life full of difficulties.  She has never wanted anything to do with the church or religion.  But, while she was in prison she read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in 2 months. It has completely turned her around. Seriously, a complete 180.  She has a notebook filled with notes and thoughts as she read the Book of Mormon.  She had Thanksgiving with us and she is just awesome.  She talked about how she came to know of the Savior's love for her, a inmate in a prison cell.  She even talks about how spending time in prison was almost a blessing because in no other circumstance would she have had the time or wanted to take the time to read the whole Book of Mormon.  She came to church yesterday and asked Sister Greenfield and I if we would come over with her and study the scriptures with her this week.  It truly is incredible what the Book of Mormon can do to us if we but let it.  Anyway, Sister Williams made all of the food by herself and after the meal was finished everyone left to take a nap leaving all the dishes everywhere, so Sister Greenfield and I did all the dishes for her. After that we went over to a member family's home, the Jacksons to stop by and say hi. Brother and Sister Jackson both served missions and have 5 CRAAAZZYYY kids.  Haha they are AWESOME.  Brother Jackson is a scientist so Sister Greenfield LOVES talking to him about all this smart people stuff and he served in Brazil so they talk about that as well.   After the Jackson's we went to our ward mission leaders home.  They are secretly my favorite family.  Brother and Sister Giullian have 5 kids with one at home.  Amy is their youngest and is Saryn's age we are actually teaching her friend right now that I will fill you in on later. :) I actually think Saryn and her would get along prettttyyy well. haha She is awesome. But we went over there and played some games with them and ate pie.  The Giullians remind me of our family a lot and make me feel so at home.  I loveeeee them.  Thanksgiving was awesome because we didn't have to hurry anywhere and were rushed with time and an agenda.  It was sooooo relaxing and wonderful.  There need to be more Thanksgiving holidays in the year. 

BUT ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!

We met with an investigator, Faith who we found in the area book.  We taught her the first lesson and extended the baptismal invitation with a date and everything. Pretty gutsy right? Yeah, I think so too.  Haha she is looking for religion right now and she has told us that out of all the churches she has studied out, she believes that the Mormons are the best.... Oh stop it Faith, stooopp it! Haha She has a lot to learn and has a lot of questions, but this could really happen.  We showed her a video of President Monson sharing his testimony of Christ and she said that she believes those same things too.  Her big hang up right now is prophets, so I think that helped in showing what our Prophet believes and teaches. 

Lehi and Christa WOOT WOOOOOT! I love these two people so freaking much! After we put Lehi on date to be baptized it is amazing the progress we have seen in him.  I remember when I first got here thinking that we were wasting our time.  Neither of them wanted this, and Lehi would always avoid answering questions or take stabs at us but within the past few weeks they have changed so much.  They are so much happier, and engaged in the lessons.  Lehi asks questions, gives thought to his answers and loves reading from the Book of Mormon.  We started them at the very beginning of the Book of Mormon and Lehi is eating it up.  Every time we go over there to read he talks about how much he loves it and before when it would be like pulling teeth to have him read out loud, he will read columns at a time.  We started the lessons over with them to get a feel of what they already know and when we asked Lehi and Christa to pray about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith they both talked about how they already know and how just reading a chapter everyday has made them so much happier.  GAH! I LOVE IT! The Book of Mormon is the converting power ladies and gentleman.  WE DO NOTHING.  

RHONDAAAAAAAAA!! Okay I know I have talked about Rhonda before, but quick recap.  She is in her 60's, owns a flower shop that we help out at, has met with Sister missionaries for almost a year, has super super good friends in the ward.  She has been super sick these past few weeks and we were finally able to set up a time to teach the first lesson.  Holy awesome.  SHE IS SO READY, IT IS INSANE! She just gets it.  She just takes everything in and loves it.  After we shared the first vision with her we invited her to be baptized on Dec 28.  She looked at us and just began to cry and said yes.  She said that she wants this more than anything and she doesn't know why, but she is drawn to everything we teach her, that it makes sense to her.  I wish I could better explain the feeling in that room.  The Spirit was so strong, I couldn't stop smiling, I just felt this immense love for her and how proud our Heavenly Father is of her. OHMYGOSH! YES! It just reconfirmed to me that this is what I need to be doing.  As a missionary I am supposed to find those that are ready, that the Lord has prepared.  Something that I love that she said is that she has felt so much love and care is in our message.  That it's not hell and damnation and fire and brimstone but that God loves us and he wants us to return to live with him.  AH! RHONDA I LOVE YOU!

SARAHHHH! Sarah is Amy Giullian's friend. She a sophomore and has been talking to Amy a lot about life and God.  She has had a hard time at home and just found out that she has cancer and has a lot of questions about why God lets bad things happen to us.  We met with her a few weeks ago and gave the first lesson and we just met with her again on Saturday and talked about the Plan of Salvation.  She has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy.  She loves it. We extended the baptismal invitation our first visit with her and she told us this Saturday that it kinda freaked her out and was a little much, but it got her thinking that maybe this is what God wants her to do.  That the reason he has given her these difficult things in her life is because he wants her to grow closer to him and the way she can do that is through getting baptized.  YES SARAH! YES! GET BAPTIZED! OHmygoshhhhhh we didn't have to tell her any of that she just came to understand that through reading the Book of Mormon and mormon.org.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation and she loved it.  It just clicked with her.  She told us that she wants to be baptized but the only downfall are her parents.  She said that if her parents knew she was meeting with us that she would die.  Her mom is very devout in her own faith, so Sarah is really nervous about asking her parents and thinks she will have to wait until she 18. NOOOOOOOOO Buuutttt we shall see what happens.    Rhonda, Sarah and Lehi and Christa came to church yesterday! It is always a little nerve racking on fast sunday, but it went well.  Something that I have learned is that we as the missionaries don't do it.  Without Amy Giullian, the good friends of Rhonda's, and the home teachers and visiting teachers of Lehi and Christa none of progress that we saw this week would have happened.  The members are vital in the conversion of investigators.  VITAL! So family. Get with it, and go out with the Sisters in the ward. P.s. how is the work in the ward going?  How is the new missionary?  Mom, give her a hug, she is probably missing home.  Ha

So yes, awesome week.  Too bad transfers are next Monday.....LAAAMMMEE!! So don't send anything if you plan on sending something.  I am super bummed though if I get transferred away or even if Sister Greenfield gets transferred.  I LOVE HER.  But, I know that whatever happens, wherever I go is where the Lord needs me.  I am excited to see what this next transfer has in store.  

I was thinking about Christmas stuff and what if you just put some money in my account and I got myself some nice gloves and ear warmers as a Christmas gift?  Also about the music mom, I want the tulip book fo sho, and the binders you mentioned I do not think have the piano music I want.  The binder has piano music, like my Chopin Nocturnes and Beethoven.  I don't know where it would be.....hmmm

I love this gospel. I love it, I love it.  It has been absolutely incredible to see the change and the desires of our investigators grow.  Even though many of them are going through troubling times, they find peace in the Book of Mormon.  This is the work of the Lord and I am so grateful to be apart of it. I am honored that the Lord trusts me enough to put His children into my hands.  What an incredible opportunity that we have as missionaries.  I love my father in heaven.  He is so aware of His children, he has a plan for us and he knows us each individually. I am truly thankful to you mom and dad for all that you have taught me, for raising me in a Gospel centered home for giving me that direction in my life.  I love you all and miss you!  

Wish me luck with transfers! Cross your fingers that I stayyyyyyyy! 

Sister Mcksizzle