HEEEEEYYYYAAAA!!

Everyone, everyone, I have an announcement to make.... I HAVE HIT MY YEAR MARK.  Wadddduuupppp!! It is so fantastic! I feel like when people ask me how long I have been out, they will think I am this well seasoned missionary that knows what is going on. Hahaha, but it is pretty bitter sweet to think about.  My time is running out and it makes me really sad to think I only have a small amount of time to do everything that the Lord has for me to do.  The beginning of my mission already feels like a dream and that it never even happened.  I never want to forget the experiences I have had, and the people I have met here.  I hope and pray that I become all that the Lord wants of me here and that when I leave my mission he will be pleased with me. 

This week was fantastic.  I am feeling a lot of weight in this area. It is completely different from Missoula. Completely.  We actually have work for two sets of missionaries and we actually have been teaching people consistently. It's a miracle.  This stake right before I got here dissolved all the wards, made all new ward boundaries, called all new bishops and released everyone from their callings. So everyone in our ward is just barely receiving their callings.  Our Relief Society President rocks.  She is a return missionary and is honestly the kind of return missionary I want to be.  She is all about missionary work, finding the lost and rescuing the less actives.  Apparently our ward has about 200 Sisters. Only about 35 came this Sunday to relief society.  Can you believe that?  She is feeling a lot of weight on her shoulders to find all of these people.  She told us that there are so many sisters that are on her lists that no one has ever heard of or seen before in their lives.  Think of how many sisters that is! That don't have visiting teachers, home teachers, no one from the church to give them a call or to help uplift and strengthen them! The stake president has told our ward that we have the potential to fill the over flow to the half court line. And I totally believe him. With how many people that are actually in this ward. That totally can happen.  It creates a lot of work for me and Sister Finnell to do.  There are so many people in this ward it is stressful to even know where to begin.  Sister Finnell got to this area about 2 weeks before me, so we both are figuring out people and the area still.  I get a little stressed out thinking about all we need to do.   But it will come with time. 

This week we got to go to the temple as a zone. I LOVE THE TEMPLE.  I really hope I am never a member that takes the temple for granted.  I was talking to a couple in our ward that lived in Utah. They said they lived in an area with 8 temples surrounding them and they never went. But now that the nearest temple to them is 4 hours away, they look forward to going any chance that they get.  In the temple we got to hear from President Mecham, Sister Mecham and the Mission President.  It was just what I needed to hear. Especially with hitting my year mark and feeling like I am running out of time to do everything I need to do.  They spoke to us a lot about making and keeping covenants and their purposes.  The temple just helps put everything into perspective. I am so thankful for that opportunity to be able to shut everything out and to be there with the Spirit and learn the things God wants me to know. 

In the celestial room President came up to me and he has a way of just peering into your soul.  He just looked at me and I started crying. I am a mess.  Haha, but through him and the entire temple trip I was able to receive a lot of guidance and answers from God. I am so thankful that I have a God that is willing to give me direction and answer my prayers. I an so thankful that He has given me the opportunity to learn of His plan for me.  I pray that I will never forget the feelings I have felt in the temple.  It truly is the closest place you can get to heaven on earth. God is so good. He is so good.  

ANGELA! Angela is an investigator that we have.  She called the Sisters before I got here and asked them what she needed to do to be baptized......what?  hahahaha she is AWESOME! We went over there the other day to teach her the Restoration.  She had a Restoration pamphlet, a Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet and a Plan of Salvation pamphlet. We sat down and she was like, "well I thought we could read through these pamphlets. I already read them, but I wanted to read through them again with you." So we taught her all three lessons in one sitting. She reminded me of Rhonda with how prepared she is.  She would read from the pamphlet and say, "wow.  that is just so beautiful.  Isn't that just beautiful girls?"  haha when we read about baptism she said, " oh i just cannot wait!"  hahaha She is supposed to be baptized at the end of this month but there are a few bumps in the road we have to figure out.  Her brother in California is a member and keeps telling her that she needs to read the entire Book of Mormon before she gets baptized and she should wait until December. NO MAN! NO! Andddd she just got surgery on her arm and she doesn't think she will be able to submerse her arm in water for awhile...... BUT! she will be baptized. It will happen.  Cross your fingers and pray everyone!

We also found a 19 year old girl that was baptized last year and is completely in active.  UGH! WHHHYYY.  We hit it off right when we met and got talking.  She has had some pretty nasty interactions with members since she was baptized which caused her to stop going. It broke my heart. I have run into so many less active members that are less active because of others actions.  Not that their actions determine our activity in the church, but it has a great effect.  Meeting these people has helped me see what kind of member I want to be.  The kind of Christian I want to be.  I never ever want anyone to feel the way some of these people have felt.  It has helped me see that people are not the reason behind church.  We go to worship God, to partake of the sacrament and better align our will to His.  Nothing saddens me more than when I meet someone that doesn't feel wanted or loved at church. We had a really good talk though and she agreed to meet with us again and retake the lessons.  I am excited for her. :)

Also, I think I forgot to send you my address last week:  3200 7th St. South Great Falls, MT 59405

We also had a rockin lesson with a new investigator, John.  He is awesome.  He was in the Navy and suffers from PTSD from his experiences over seas. But he is awesome.  He has had some crazy spiritual experiences in his life and was really interested in the Book of Mormon.  We taught him the Restoration and he had a lot of questions, but didn't question Jospeh Smith's experience at all. Usually that is one of the harder things for people to except.  But he ate it right up. He agreed to be baptized but church will be a challenge for him because he has a hard time in a large group of people. And he mentioned getting baptized would be really hard for him. Having someone touching him and putting him under water would probably not go so well. But we have a plan! Fear not John! There are so many people in Great Falls! i am diggin all the work here and I am excited to find all those that are lost and all those that are seeking.  I hope I get to finish my mission here....except I hear that this winter is going to be rough. AH!

I love this work.  I LOVE my mission.  God is so keenly aware of our needs and our desires.  I have come to find out that God does not expect me to be perfect, but he expects my desires to be perfect. I can't give him perfection but I can give him my will and all of my desires. This gospel changes lives.  I have seen it change my life and my outlook on life. I am so grateful for this experience that God has blessed me with.  I love Him and I love my Savior Jesus Christ.

Until next week!

LOVE YOU

The Molinator!