You are not going to BELIEVE the temperature here!! It is 68 degrees. I am DYING. I love it so much. I put on a christmas cd and am wearing a turtle neck. I might be jumping the gun but who cares. I am so excited for the holiday season!
We had a really good week this last week. The first week of the transfer. Tuesday we had a good meeting with Gabriella and the girls and taught the first part of the plan of salvation. They are so smart, those girls. Carla asked "So if Jesus hadn't done that (pointing to the Atonement card) what would have happened?" and we explained that Christ's atonement makes the whole plan possible. they are so wonderful. On Friday we went and finished the Plan of Salvation and talked about baptism. We told them that we want them to baptized and invitied them to do so. Gabriella didn't really love that, she is a Catholic and Catholics loove being Catholic, you know? but she said she would pray about it and read the book of mormon. So if she's sincere, itw ill work out. We love her so much and her daughters so much.
Tuesday we went and taught a potential named Miss Rose. She came her after Katrina and never left. And she loves BYUTV. But she was very not okay with the Book of Mormon. She didn't like to think it was at the same level as the Bible in importance. We tried to explain it and she said she would read and pray but then on Friday she called us and said "I was reading your book and it says that you have to keep the 10 commandments to be saved and I know that all you need is Christ's grace, so you can come and get your book back." We went the next day and tried to answer her questions, but she was very closed off. So... yeah.
Wednesday we had an AMAZING lesson with Miss Debbie. She is a single lady living in a trailer and she is just the type that is high on life. We love her. She is about 60 and she's a bartender. She's cool. Anyway we taught her a lesson 1 and she accepted it totally. We asked her to baptized October 27 and she said she would and she's going to read the book of mormon and we're going back on Thursday. We also met with a less active who has cerebrial palsy and her caretaker, Jozetta. We taught Jozetta a Restoration lesson and she accepted it and naccepted when we invited her to be baptized... but when we asked her about a date she kind of put her heals in the dirt and wouldn't. But she has agreed to read and pray. So seriously, Dad like your talk, it's the word of God that converts people Nothing that we do. We also met with Susan. Susan wants to be baptized at th beginning of January. Nice.
Thursday was fine. We taught Betty and finally got her to understand alittle bit of the restoration. We really don't know what to do there.. Our numbers crazy district leader said "If she wants to get baptized, just do it." and I'm like "uhhh, no. I'm not going to just chuck someone into the font and then say 'see ya!'" the ward is not equipped to deal with her and ugh. It's just a struggle. But then we got to go see Sister Morris. Miss Ethel Morris who lives in the rest home as well. She is the worlds sweetest lady and we always tell her "We are missionaries from your church!" and she's like "From the chruch of jesus christ of latter day saints? are you REALLY?" She has really bad dementia. she was asking for her folks last week :[ we love her. We always go and sing with her. she sings right along and she is so dear. We're so glad we went and sang to her this week, because we were sitting in church yesterday and the 2nd counselor stood up and told us that Sister Morris had passed away that morning. It was so sad. We love her. Life was always better when we went tos ee her. But she is no longer in confusion and gets to see her folks and her husband and it will all be okay. Me and Sister T read Mosiah 16:8 (i believe) about the sting of death being swallowed up in christ. And that made us a little less sad. We loved Sister Morris.
Friday we just got denied all day long. Until Gabriella and that was good. Then we went to see a less active who cuts hair. She is awesome. We talked to her about "The race" and she liked it.
Saturday we went to help our dearest ward missionaries, the bortons, move. They are moving to the Beaumont Texas area and we are sad to see them go. But then we had lunch with Dan the Man O'Dell. I told yall about him a couple weeks ago. He's the one whose wife died in Relief Society and then he felt really abandoned by the church. Well he's remarried and awesome and we had lunch with his AMAZING wife. We love her already. We talked to them about the articles of faith. They want us for dinner every tuesday night! YESSS! We love them!! Then we went to see Christine nunez, she is an amazing less active lady. We love her. We watched the mormon message "Good things to come" and shared parts of the talk with her. It was a good lesson. Then we went to Sister cliffords to watch the relief society thing. It WAS AMAZING, wasn't it mom?????? AH!!! I loved it. I really loved the talk about the pioneer trek and dropping your handcart and returning to help others. I also liked the thing about Christ weeping with us. And president eyerings talk was phenominal. VISITING AND HOME TEACHING IS SO IMPORTANT! I hope that is branded into my brain for the rest of my LIFE because it is so so so important. Are yall getting out to see your people? Please do, it's so vital!
Yesterday was wonderful FastSunday and we had a great fast and testimony meeting, because everyone had heard about sweet sweet Ethel Morris. It was raining like mad so we couldn't go get betty or she would have drowned and so would we have. We went to see some less actives yesterday as well. then we had dinner with Bishop Young! Oh my gosh, i cannot say enough good about our bishop. He is the most charitable, just get it done, person I've ever met. I just want to be like him!!! I want to be charitable soooo bad! His wife is a returned missionary from North Carolina! A little town about an hour north of Wilmington. I will ask her the name again and I'm sure Grandma has heard of it. I feel like it starts with a C. It's VERY small, though.
OH! and did I tell you that our Stake President, President Newton, grew up in Bicknel, Utah?? We talked about it and he totally knows who Uncle Merril is and his family. He said that I should ask if Merrill remembers Mr. and Mrs. Newton (the princeple of the high school) and that is his mom and dad! It was cool. We talked about Chappell Cheese haha.
this week should be good. we have VERRRY high goals and that's agood thing. We're goign to try to meet them. I am just loving being a missionary, as usual. I'm scared to come home and go back to school and work and it just doesn't seem like fun at all. But I will live. I am so grateful to be where I am and to have 2 more transfers to serve the Lord full time. I am trying my best to keep my mind centered on Him at all times.
How are yall? Mom I got your letter and I loved it!! Tell me how your fun things went this week! How were your parties? Are you all partied out? How's work? Love you so much!
Dad, thanks for your e-mail and the talk. It is amazing to see how the word of God really is the most important thing. I always think of that scripture in alma that says "They thought it was expedient that they should try the word of god". How is everything? What are you speaking on at conference?
James, what up? our lesson in relief society was on Elder Hollands talk that you told me about. It was cool. How is school and everything else?? I hope you're good. UGH, how do you come home from your mission??? I don't want to do it. good thing I've got a while.
Jonny, duuude. For reals you need to write me. Mmkay? tell me how you're feeling about your mission and everything. JUST DO IT. Love you.
I LOVE YALL SO MUCH! This gospel and this church are Jesus Christ's and we are so blessed to have them. I hope yall are looking and praying for missionary opportunities. They are everywhere! the rescue is about less active members, non members and active members who could use a hand. Let's do it! :]