Happy Turkey Month!

Dear Family and Friends,

HAPPY TURKEY MONTH!...there are stray turkeys everywhere!

I am finding out I am a VERY visual learner. It cracks me up and also drives me nuts. Whenever people give me directions or teach a concept, I have to ask them if they will show me or write it down. I can never give people an address to a house or a scripture reference but I can tell them where visually the person lives or where visually the scripture is on the page in a certain chapter (because I can picture the chapter heading on a page).

On one of my first exchanges here, Sister Schwartz told me that I sound a lot like Brian Regan when I make jokes. I am not sure I still do but every time I think of being "a visual learner" the Brain Regan accent comes to mind:)

This week we met three times with Mercy, our Kenyan investigator. She has a baptismal date for the 22nd of November. She absorbs everything she hears. Holy cow!  She has read about 120 pages in the Book of Mormon (in less than a month). She told us she takes it wherever she goes. She doesn't have any support from her family and yet she wants to still get baptized! She was thinking about waiting until they supported her but decided to go ahead with it anyway. She is a little bit worried no one will attend the service. We assured her that the members in the ward whom she has met and whom she will meet, will be there to support her. Monday night, we had a temple/family history family home evening at a member's home (the member's house we usually go to on preparation day). They invited an investigator from the Bloomington ward, the Bloomington sisters, the two men in our ward who were taught by the Elders and baptized in the last month, and a recent convert of less than a year. We ate dinner, had a lesson, then carved pumpkins. They decided to start a weekly get together on Sunday evenings to do family history and prepare for the temple without us missionaries. That way, they know they have built in member friendships if we leave the area. I have never seen members more involved in missionary work than in this ward! Later in the week, we had dinner and a lesson at a different member’s home with Mercy. Mercy bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon. She said that she knew it was of God and nothing could take that away from her. We are so grateful for the opportunity to teach her!

We have been teaching a girl named Sonya who goes to a different ward but lives in our boundaries. Only Elders serve in the Wakonia ward. Because she lives far away and needs Sisters, we get to teach her. Hooray! She is dating someone in the different ward (Wakonia) but doesn’t want him to sway her decision to get baptized. She is incredible. In the first few lessons we had with her, we felt something was missing. We have prayed about what to do. This week we had a lesson with her. She invited four members from the Wakonia Ward over. We had a very powerful lesson! She told us of some sacred experiences she has had since she started to read the Book of Mormon and following the commandments. We realized that night how important members are. We are supposed to teach her! Sister Bone and I feel grateful for the opportunity to get to teach and learn from her. It was a miracle!

Angie is doing well! Every time I meet with her I am amazed at how the Lord has prepared me to teach her. I hope she is able to get baptized soon.

Keep Leslie in your Prayers. We haven't had a chance to meet with her and she hasn't been able to come to Church these past few weeks. She loves John Bytheway! She listens to it every night...thank you mom!

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! People don't really trick or treat here because it is so dangerous...sad! Apparently not many people outside of Utah trick or treat much! There are many Halloween Parties for kids here though.  Halloween night, we helped out with a Halloween Party. They had an indoor football field with blow ups and games and a dance floor with a DJ that played kids songs. I have never seen something like it! It was fun to help out with it.

This week we had mission conference. Leading the songs went well:) It has been really fun to have the chance to do that! After hearing Elder Carlson of the Seventy speak, I have made some personal goals.

-I have felt repeated promptings that I need to teach by asking inspired questions.

The most effective instruction occurs when the teacher asks inspired questions and lets the student discover the answers.

-Exactly obedience; I need to use each moment efficiently. When I have a problem I need to get out and work. If I sit and wait for the answer it will take much longer to come than if I am serving.

The best medicine for worry is work.

-I made a resolution to pray out loud.

Praying out loud unlocks the door through which inspiration flows.

-I have feared man more than God. I made a commitment to do the will of Heavenly Father and not seek praise of men. When I struggle, I will have faith the Lord will help me as I seek to help others.

I am grateful for the chance I had to learn from Elder Carson. I hope one day to radiate light like he does. He was in a meeting with the general authorities of the Church. He heard an  apostle say something which inspired me! An apostle said, "in every person is a spark of the divine!" I love that insight.

Have a great week! I know that we will find miracles if we only seek for them! Love you!

Carving pumping with members and investigators

Mercy and Blessing