3 Months!!

Brianna, Happy birthday!!!! I love you friend. Happy birthday Benjamin and Lansing also! You are great cousins! 

The leaves are barely starting to change....can you believe it? It is still muggy hot and sometimes rainy but winter is coming! Apparently this has been a very cool summer. Usually it gets to 110 and humid! I am glad I missed that one!

This week we stopped by Antionette’s again. It turns out she doesn’t have a job anymore and said we could stop by anytime! Hooray!

We went to lunch with Angie and her member friend, Sister Sawyer, who used to work in the mission office as a full time missionary. Angie cracks me up. When I call her to set up an appointment,  it is hard for me to get off the phone in under 10 minutes (a mission rule). She has two cats that she adores. I swear she knows what they are thinking. She treats them so well. Lets just say, if I were a dog or a cat, I would want to live with her...

We had FHE this week with Sister Peterson's grandkids. Aleah is 7 and Majesty is 6. I think Jordan is 4. Last week we taught Aleah and Majesty ,the two girls, about the Holy Ghost! Ever since then, they pray thanking God for the Holy Ghost and asking for it. This week, we asked them what the Holy Ghost feels like. They said it makes you feel happy and feel peace. Then Aleah asked Majesty when her birthday was. It is sometime in September. Majesty then looked at us and said with her diva personality....I know I am going to be feelin’  the Holy Ghost on that day. Sister Smith and I looked at each other and smiled. We then explained the difference, or tried to explain the difference between feeling just happy and feeling the Holy Ghost. It cracked us up! They tried on our nametags and purse. The one wearing my nametag in the picture is Majesty. They love Church so much! They just don’t get to go very often because usually their parents have them. 

This week we met again with our 15 year old investigator, Leslie. She brought a friend along. She told us, with tears, that her mother did not want her to get baptized on September 6th like we had planned. She said that her mother feels everything is rushing too fast. We talked to her about fasting, something we had planned to teacher her in the coming week. We decided to all fast on Sunday for her parents and for strength to share with her parents the truth of the message of the Restored Gospel. On Sunday, Leslie, Sister Smith, our district leader, zone leaders, Sister Training Leaders, and I fasted for her. She received her first priesthood blessing by a member in the ward during Sunday School. We all felt the strength of the priesthood as the spirit filled the room. We all knew that in Heavenly Father's time, she will get baptized. 

On Saturday, after tracting many days without teaching, Sister Smith felt a strong prompting to go to a town near the edge of our area. When we got there, we prayed separately then together that we might know what street to knock and have the strength and inspiration to share what Heavenly Father wanted us to share. After a few doors, a man answered who turned out to be a former investigator of past Elders. He was quite friendly. We set up an appointment for this week. The next house we knocked on was very receptive. She instantly started talking to us. Her husband grew up a member but then years later converted to Judaism. The wife was raised Native American although she did not look it. We shared with her the message of the Restoration and related how the people in the Book of Mormon are actually ancestors of the Native Americans. She continuously nodded and said things like, “that makes sense”! We have an appointment in two weeks with her. We naturally were able to connect with her. 

This week our teaching pool was small and we aren't finding many new investigators. Our current investigators couldn't meet for a few weeks. We have been praying about what to do. We have been working diligently with little success in teaching restoration lessons. We have seen the blessings of patience, however. Just when we hit our point of discouragement, the Lord works miracles. Today, while studying, I came across the scripture Mosiah 7:4 which reads "And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness; even forty days did they wander. The wilderness is often a symbol for a preparatory place. In Matthew 4:2 it talks about the Lord fasting for forty days and forty nights. At the end he says he hungered. I know that the Lord is preparing me for the rest of my mission. I am learning to hunger to teach. I appreciate every person who listens, every person I can teach by the Spirit. I feel of Christ's grace and mercy more. I know that the Lord has a plan for this area. I need to simply work with energetic effort and let Christ's grace mold me.

It is easy for missionaries to feel overwhelmed. Many of the older missionaries seem almost "burned out" from working so hard. And when things are not working out, it is easy to think that we must work harder. I love the talk by Elder Uchtdorf entitled “The Things Which Matter Most” which says,

"Have you ever been in an airplane and experienced turbulence? The most common cause of turbulence is a sudden change in air movement causing the aircraft to pitch, yaw, and roll. While planes are built to withstand far greater turbulence than anything you would encounter on a regular flight, it still may be disconcerting to passengers.

What do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence? A student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster. But that may be the wrong thing to do. Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road.

Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions."

Christ isn't in the complicated, the spectacular. What makes him magnificent is his simplicity and love. He was known as a plain man. He isn't in the whirlwinds of life but in the calm  and often unnoticed fabrics of life. 

My favorite institute teacher in college was a mission president in Japan. When he was called, he felt so overwhelmed he would go on hikes up in the mountains and cry. However, the person who extended the calling to him said something I will never forget. An apostle, I don't remember which one, told my institute teacher that he was asked one day by the Prophet of the Church to take over the Church while he was out of town. When he woke up the next morning he felt so overwhelmed and stressed, he could not get out of bed. He prayed and the simple but powerful words came to his mind, "Just do the essentials." If we focus on the essentials, what we need to get done, we will soon find that we are able to accomplish much more than we did when we were frantically running about. The Lord promises He will give eternal life to those who consistently give energetic effort, those who are diligent to His work. He promised us we will feel the love of the Lord as we focus on the things that matter most:) 

I love my mission! I have realized how the Lord has prepared me for this experience. I am beginning to create great friendships with those in my ward! It is such a great ward with talented people! Have a great week! It is going to be a good one....

Its All About Gratitude!

Hello friends!

I hope you are all doing well! This week has been fantastic as always haha It is always a good week when you learn something new!

This week we met with Leslie, the 15 year old. She has a baptismal date on September 6th. We talked to her about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I learned about the importance of asking questions. It is a powerful way to invite The Spirit. Leslie opened up to us about some trials she has had and we were able to open up about some of ours. We were able to point out the way God had prepared her to receive the Truth. She recognized that if we had come to her a year ago, she probably would not have been interested. We were able to promise her healing through baptism by the Spirit just as we had learned in zone training earlier in the week. She is very excited for baptism! She is a mature 15 year old. She read in Isaiah this last week and was able to point out how he prophesied of the Book of Mormon! Can you believe that??? We love her!

As of yesterday morning, we hadn't taught a Restoration lesson while tracting for two weeks! We were getting discouraged but had faith that in the Lord’s time, we would find someone to teach. We felt that this week was a preparatory week. Last night, we finally knocked on a house that was receptive. A mother answered the door. Her daughter grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into her house. The kids were so funny! The three year old (I believe) kept doing handstand flips, landing on her back on the hardwood floor. She would then get up, put her hands to her mouth and giggle haha! What in the world?? She trust fell off the couch and I had to catch her...we are not allowed to hold and really even hug kids but she was falling! It scared me! The mother talked to us for a while and we were able to share with her the message of the Restoration. We have a tentative appointment with them this week. We told  two of the three children awake that we would come back and we could learn some songs together! The kids seemed quite excited! It was such a miracle! Our hearts were changed. We were so happy! Patience always brings about blessings.

This week I have been thinking a lot about urgency, a fervent desire to serve the Lord and His people. I want my service to come from more than a duty but a deep love for Christ. I wanted to become like Nephi who said I am "anxious" for this people that they might learn Truth! I have been praying constantly for this "urgency." After zone conference Tuesday I felt changed. I suddenly cared so much about my investigators, I found myself CONSTANTLY praying for them throughout the day. I later learned urgency must be maintained, however, through prayer and study. I began to lose my urgency but praying for a change of heart I was able to gain it again. I felt the power of the Spirit. I felt again converted to the Lord! I love 2 Nephi 2... it is a good scripture! I know that we have hard times in our lives so we can truly understand joy and feel Christ''s love! If we were never subject to sin or sorrow we would never feel the joy that comes when our hearts are changed for the better! I am so grateful for my times of hardship because often times it is accompanied with the greatest relief and comfort given by the Holy Ghost! I may have had the influence of the Holy Ghost regardless but I am better able to recognize and appreciate when I struggle! This week, Kerri's sister and brother-in-law and their 10 year old son, Riley, came in town. It is hard to go to bed at night because we love talking to them so much! They are investigating the Church. We hope they had a positive experience at Church yesterday. We gave the brother-in-law, Brian, a copy of the Book of Mormon with highlighted scriptures and chapters we love marked in it. In the morning, he had read all the marked scriptures! What? We have fun joking around with Riley...he is funny! He is going to be quite handsome when he grows up...just like you James:) I wish you could meet all of these people James! I keep running into great 10 year olds! Have a great week! The work is pressing forward! I am trying to develop an attitude of gratitude just like Elder Uchtdorf taught in his last general conference talk! I’m grateful for this great plan of Happiness! Have a great week!

Here is one of my favorite recent converts we meet with...he is vietnamese. He has Parkinson’s but is just the sweetest.

Happy Two Months!

Hello friends!

I apologize I think it was JOHN Binghams birthday last week! Happy Birthday Stockton Jenkins! The big 16...crazy stuff! Thanks for being such a great guy! I look up to you and your family!

Last week I pretty much pulled a blank when I got to the computer and forgot about all the unique, crazy fun stuff that has happened! 

Here is a summary of who we work with and what the current status is with potential investigators!

We work with about 10 recent converts/less actives. We see, on average, about 6 a week! It is really fun! We have FHE with one less active and her grandkids every week. Their parents are not members but they let them come over. When Sister Smith first got here, they didn't know how to pray. Now they fight over who gets to say the prayer. There are three of them: Majesty, Aaliyah and the boy, Jordyn. They make me laugh every time I am over. We usually act out the Book of Mormon stories or lessons, sing primary songs, and just have a great time together! The grandkids are black and the funniest kids around! The less active, Sister Peterson, works on Sundays but she has the strongest testimony! She brings her scriptures and Preach My Gospel to work with her and studies it almost daily! She got work off and came to Church yesterday! We move to a building in Plymouth for Church in a few weeks and so the service will be at 9...hopefully then she can go every week! she has had a hard background...one of the hardest I have heard of but she is strong. I learn a lot from her.

We have about 6 investigators we meet with!

Leslie, the 15 year old committed last week to be baptized! She is going to be baptized on September 6th!!! We are so excited! She received an answer the first time she prayed about the Book of Mormon. Her brother who is 10 sits in on the lessons....he reminds me of you James! She says that she feels so good about baptism and starting crying when we asked her about it yesterday. I got teary talking about it to the Young Women's leaders. She said she wanted a member in the ward, the dad of the young woman, Terri , who introduced her to the Church to baptize her. Terri's family is the nicest! We go to Young Women's almost every week now! The Young Women's President, Amy Fish,  had us teach Beehives last week about covenants and ordinances! It was great!The young women come with us to teach...they are on fire!

Angie, the 50 year old who I get along with, is doing well! We visited her this week on exchanges and we talked to her about revelation. I truly love her!! She is going to pray about a baptismal date. I related to her about my decision to go on a mission. It was only when I acted on faith  that I received a sure witness. We have to take a few steps into the fog... We watched the discerning light video I came across on lds.org. It is one of the three Mormon Messages called Patterns of Light by Elder Bednar! It is amazing! The end is so powerful! I could watch that Mormon Message a million times! It helped her understand revelation a little bit better. She has been investigating for two years and doesn't feel ready to commit. I am hoping to help her make that jump! She gave me another hug! Hooray....Sister Smith is jealous! She warmed her up for me...

This week we met with a media referral. It is a couple in their late 50's we believe. They have always wanted to know what Mormons believe. He has always wanted missionaries to knock on his door but they never have. He filled out a card when he was in Salt Lake City skiing. They send that to the mission and the mission office texts us! They are Lutheran and told us they have no intention of converting but they were so nice to us! They bought us pizza and cookies and asked many questions, while taking notes on everything we said...just a tad bit intimidating:) We found out they don't consider themselves devote Lutherans so hopefully they will realize the truth of our message as we teach them more! We have another appointment for today. They won't pray with us yet though so we are working on that! They say they like to pray only in their heads. We are hoping to get them into a member's home this week! They are the sweetest couple. They have four boys, most of whom are married.

One less active lives with a non-member (her boyfriend). We have been teaching them. Last week, we talked to them about the law of chastity and about setting a marriage date because they had been talking about it but Brandon, the man, didn't feel ready. They started getting into a heated argument and because we can't counsel, we just sat there praying! He wanted to be financially stable first while she wanted to set a date. Low and behold a woman, Erika's visiting teacher, showed up who happened to be a marriage and family counselor! What a miracle! Brandon and Erika make me laugh!...Wait I think almost everything makes me laugh!

The Jehovah Witnesses kinda disappeared. They were never home when we stopped by! Everyone thinks we are Jehovah Witnesses....people don't usually have the nicest feelings about them! haha, they are great!

Lisa. the woman who's dad died, doesn't want to meet with us anymore. She loves when we stop by but she has no intention of converting she says. One day she will be ready! I think she is afraid of religion. She grew up Catholic but hasn't gone to Church in years. We will stop by occasionally. I still know we were supposed to meet!

Antionette is never home! We keep stopping by...one day we will catch her!

We aren't allowed to listen to anything besides hymns or primary songs except for two soundtracks, the Savior of the World and the Lamb of God. The Savior of the World and the Lamb of God are plays...with mostly singing. The Lamb of God is incredible! If you get a chance, look up and listen to number 10 on disc 1 about the last supper. I love it! Sister Smith and I love singing it at the top of our lungs in the car!

Speaking of....we got a new car this week! After the car has 50,000 miles on it,  you get a new one!  We have a new Jeep Compass.....are you sure they should trust us with this nice of a car?? It might go up to Duluth in the winter but we are enjoying it while we have it! I have my driving privileges as of this week too! I drove a bit yesterday and I drove like a new driver for a couple of minutes...I haven't driven in 2 months!

President Forbes has changed a few rules! 

We can go out of our area on preparation days for museums, sightseeing, and even baseball games!! We are going to go to a Twins game as a mission sometime this year! Hooray! I love baseball!! We also have to bike for 10 to 15 miles every week! He wants us to be seen more...I am going to get very fit!

Funnies of the week.....I hugged a boy! Elder Thompson, the new elderly man working in the office with his wife, loves hugging and was bummed that he could only hand shake when he got here. This week I accidentally, after giving him a handshake, naturally slid in for a side hug then backed away instantly after realizing what I had done! We laughed so hard! We both repented :) On exchanges, I may have accidentally called a girl a boy. I talked to a man and referred to his son coming from a distance. He looked at me and said....my son named Ruth?? Sister Schwarz and I died laughing after getting back in the car later! Whoops! She was definitely dressed like I boy with a shaggy boy haircut! I hope the man can forgive me!

We went on exchanges this week and I went out of my area. I didn't yet have my driving privileges... we had Sister Smith's GPS but it died so we went completely by the map. Let's just say we got lost a couple of times but I have never laughed harder or taught more powerful lessons! Sister Schwartz, my training leader, was so patient with me. She told me at the end that I was a good listener, that she could tell I really cared. It is something I have been working on since I got out here. It was nice to see that I have progressed. I really feel myself getting comfortable with silence and teaching and showing compassion without saying much of anything! It was quite the experience. We have never laughed harder about silly stupid things but I learned a lot. I am starting to get a vision for this area!

This week was great! Positive attitude and laughter is the best medicine! At night time I can get pretty punchy. I sing made up songs that Sister Smith tells me are not approved...I think she just doesn't like my singing:) Sometimes I don't even realize I am doing it! I just start singing about the weather, our schedule....you name it!

Laugh a lot! Take risks! Act on hope! And believe that all things are possible. In the Lord's time, we will work wonders! 

Love you so much! Have a great week!