Can you even believe that?? This weekend will be the final time I talk to you before I get home in 7 months (Ouch, seven months!!) We will be calling from the Paris' home and we'll be calling around 4:30 our time, so 5:30 yalls time. We get done with church at 4 so we'll just head over after that. Expect a call at 5:30 to 5:45. We will hurry over there!
So. This past week was AWESOME. I guess I'm telling you about the past 2 weeks, huh? Well, here goes.
Monday night we had a lesson with Cassi, who is the young woman in our ward who has finally decided to be baptized! It is just her and her mother living together and they are wonderful. We are going to see if Cassi's mom will come out with us tomorrow night actually. Cassi has always gone to church, she just has half of a family who has fallen away from the church and half of a family who is very active. Her mom didn't want it to be anyone's decision but Cassi's and now she wants to do it! It's because the ward is going on a Youth Trip to Nauvoo this summer and Cassi wants to do baptisms for the dead. However, she doesn't want the ward to know that she hasn't already been baptized (I guess she's embarassed that she isn 't a member) so it's all happening at her uncle's ward... which happens to be Kingwood :] So I get to mosy on back there in a few weeks and I'm excited.
Tuesday we went with Sister Gallacher (the young RM in our ward who is my idol!) to teach Berenis! We figured out that one of her concerns is worship of the Virgin Mary. When we told her that we don't pray to virgin mary, she got oh so sad. It was a shock to feel the spirit in the room shift so drastically, she was devastated! We figured out why, though. Sister Gallacher served in Argentina and in South American countries the role of Christ is kind of absorbed into the Virgin Mary. So we just told her, in effect, that she couldn't believe in Jesus Christ any more. We were really concerned with that this week. So we talked to a lot of Catholic converts (Lauro said "Tell her the Virgin Mary would appreciate her (berenis) more if she loves her son." how incredible is that?? Perfecto.) and etc and OH! Just the strength of the members is so necessary!! Missionary work doesn't work without these awesome members. Because of Sister Gallacher coming with us, I firmly believe that Berenis will be baptized!! and soon. She and her husband (a less active member) came to church on Sunday with their three kids and stayed for Sacrament and Sunday school. I just can't wait to tell you about the lesson we had with her YESTERDAY with sister Gallacher! I will tell yall on the phone, remember to ask me.
Wednesday we met with the Prigmores again. I love them, but it does not fulfill our purpose to be there, so I don't think we'll go back. Or if we do go back, it will be with a purpose in mind. We also had choir in the morning. It was our last choir performance. This choir is over and I'm sad but it is also good. I love to work, and the choir was taking time away from the work. As much as I loved seeing everyone all the time, it will be fine to have it over. And the spirit of the firesides was incredible, but members weren't bringing their friends!! :[ So it wasn't working the way we wanted. I will always be grateful for the opportunity we had to be a part of the choir, though. I loved it and had some very spiritual experiences as a result of it.
Thursday we met with Catherine and Sister Bourne (who is the medical-guy-for-the-10-closest-missions's wife) came with us. It was really cool!! (we aren't supposed to say "cool" any more. we will see how that goes) Catherine said she would be baptized if she knew this was true. We asked her to find out if it was true by reading the book of mormon. It just works so much better with member involvement. AH! It was wonderful. Then we had a good Hour of Power with Sister Gale and afterward Sister Gale came to our lesson with Brother Sanford. He is a less active man who has been saying to EVERYONE he "may come to church this sunday" for years. We went over with Sister Gale and talked to him about the sacrament. And lo and behold, who comes walking on Sunday but Brother Sanford. That was really neat because of what Elder Clarke said to us about "any good missionary...." (remind me to tell you on the phone :])
Friday we met with Robert again. He is very sincere and will be baptized next weekend if all goes well. He still makes me nervous, but not as badly any more. I just wish he wasn't so intent on everything I say. He is a good man, but I just get a weird feeling from him. It's probably just me though, right? I can't tell at all. President and Sister Crawford met him and she said he seems sincere just always have a member with us. And all the members that go with us don't say anythings weird. So I'm pretty sure it's just me. Friday night we met with Jonathan and the church and did a Church tour. AH! Let me tell you the power that is in those lessons is incredible. This is the testimony builder to me of that. We got him to pray about June 2 to be baptized. We are continuing to teach him. The church tour was powerful and the spirit was there. I am grateful beyond words to be teaching Jonathan. we have talked about why it is that he has never got baptized. One of the reasons is his choice and his agency. But another is I think that he had Elders teaching him. Not that we're better or worse than Elders - BUT we are different. We are very different than the Elders. We talked and I think there is something innate in women that makes us want to nurture or heal someone that is hurting. Men don't have that as prevalently and so when Jonathan wasn't cooperating with the missionaries they were like "whatever." but for us as sisters, we see how close he is and the fact that he CAN be healed just won't let us give up on him. I'm learning so much though. Speaking of we had this conversation and an Elder said to me one time "I think if an Elder can be as good as he needs to be or can be, he will always be a better missionary than a sister can. I don't think many elders DO become as good as they need to be or can be. So sisters are generally better. But if an Elder can do it right, he will be better than a sister any day." Now, yall know me. The feminist in me perked up a little bit and I was like "Uh, Perdon! what do you mean by that?" But he explained, and woudln't you know I think I agree with him! amazing right. let me explain. It is part of a man's Priesthood duty to be a missionary. Therefore, they have everything in their favor to fulfill that duty and be a master teacher and wonderful missionary. Because it's in their blood, so to speak. Does that make sense? It is their divine nature. The woman's duty is to be a mother, a nurturer. And a woman can be a better mother than a man on his best day. Because it's in HER blood. Doesn't that make sense? Because we are compatable and have different roles. It is SO COOL. Obviously it has some kinks to iron out and his delivery was kinda off, but I think I agree with him. I'll think about it more later and decide. But it makes sense. A man can be a better missionary than a woman on her best day. A woman can be a better mother than a man on his best day. Right? I don't know that first one still makes me disagree at first blush.
Saturday was kind of awful. We just didn't teach too much.
Sunday was good though we taught Jonathan at the Paris home. It was so wonderful. We told Jonathan to develop faith, we want him to come to church and he said he would!!!! this is such a big deal! He vowed he wouldn't ever go to church again. And he's coming! I think this is a sign he will get baptized which makes me so excited for him.
And that wraps up the week folks. I'll talk to yall on Sunday and fill you in on the last week and email you monday ith anything I forgot.
We are, Dad like you noticed, having SUCH a lot of teaching! How incredible!! We are blessed. And we are making a difference. I am grateful for it. Sister Erickson is kind of where I was when I first got here. Not knowing if this is really what she wants to be doing, but she's here and staying so there is that conflict. We talked about it and I want to help her so much. But I don't know exactly how. I just promsied her she WOULD feel better at some point. That she owuld be happy and that Christ would heal and fix what needs to be healed and fixed. I want her to be happy because I am SO HAPPY! I hope yall can tell. I just am so happy, I've never been this happy, and I've never been so sure that I will always be happy. Overall. I'll still have bad periods of time, or bad days or weeks or months maybe even. But I will be happy forever, because I have the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I know what to do to be happy - LIVE IT! and SHARE IT. That's why I want to live outside of Utah - because I want to build up the kingdom and strengthen people and share the gospel. But I can do that in Utah too, I know. I just see how needed it is out here. I can't explain it. Does that even make sense? I don't know. I love Utah and I love the members in Utah and I love that I grew up in Utah and I want to live in Utah to be a part of that feeling. But I also want to strengthen others who need it so bad. I don't know how to explain. I had a moment this past week where I thought "I don't know if I've EVER had this much joy. EVER." And I can't wait to tell yall about it. SUNDAY! Get ready it's gonna be fun! I will call. Be ready to tell me about yall and about home and about yourselves and what's going on. I'll be ready to tell you about my week and to try to explain how I feel about this church and this gospel. I love it. I am devoted to it. I can't describe the light it is. Sharing the gospel always scared me. And parts of it still do scare me. But I see how joyful it is to share it with someone and build them with it. And I want to do that always. AH! In my patriarchal blessing it says that I will be able to all my life and that is now my FAVORITE sentence in there.
I love being a missionary. I can't believe that it has to end at some point. But I will work hard and try to be good and hopefully I will feel, at the end, that my sacrifice helped someone else. Not just me, cause hello it helps me SOOOO much. That's a given.
I LOVEYOU ALL!
Mom, thanks for your letter!! Those notes were awesome. I wish I could have gone to that with you! Next year, right?? Thanks for being my mother and how is everyething going?
DAd, thanks for your e-mail! I'm sorry to hear about the hard things and glad to hear about the exciting things. C'est La Vie right? (pretty sure I learned those words from a spice girls song. haha) how are your talks coming?
James! Finals are over, yeah? WRITE TO ME! I want to hear what's going on in your life.
Jonny. Come on man. WRITE tO ME ALSO! yall can team up and write me on one piece of paper. I will chastise you both further on the phone sunday. :]
OH, my word, I love yall! You're the best. Isn't life good???? LOVE YOU!
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