Week 4: Score!

Hi Everyone!!

First of all, I'm SUPER excited and thrilled about Abby Woods putting in her mission papers!!!! :D #iknewit.  Please keep me updated!!! 

Steven's Point is great. I feel all adjusted to missionary life now.  Lots of people are at least willing to listen to our message, out in the cold! Haha.  We were fortunate enough to follow up with one potential investigator who has read half the Book of Mormon already! Awesome.  I love that book! It truly should be a bestseller.  People that read it know it's true! It has been very cold here! It's been like 28 degrees when this time last year it was around 60! Hopefully spring will come one day!

May I just say though that on my mission thus far, I have been into some VERY interesting houses.  Smoky houses! One time the people we taught asked us if we minded if they smoke like 2 feet away from us, and we were like "umm...." I wanted to die! xD But that's okay.  It's character building.  And it fills me with a much greater appreciation for my mother and her extreme swiffering!!! 

Funny story this week.  We went to District Meeting (on Tuesdays) and one of the Sisters told us how the mission president had she and her former companion go to marriage counseling!!!! Bahahah.  They disliked seeing the therapist so much that they resolved their companionship issues and got along after that.  I just thought that was funny.  

This letter is going to be much shorter this week. It's been a rather strange week, actually.

A great talk to read is Elder Holland's "Cast Not Away Therefore Thy Confidence."  I read that this morning and it really uplifted me.  The adversary is always there trying to exploit any chinks in our armor whenever we are doing something good in our lives, whether it is a mission or a baptism, or a new calling.  But I'm doing great! I am just so excited about missionary work!!  I just wish we had more people to teach. Lots of people keep telling us to come back when it's warmer.  So hopefully spring will be here soon! This week we are focusing on helping the members do member missionary work. The deal is...  they bring their friends to the fun activities and we, the missionaries, do the awkward part and invite them to learn more! It's awesome.  We don't mind if they think we are weirdos because we are going to be transferred. ;) 

But we do have some interesting investigators right now! To start off, I already mentioned Bryan to all of you.  He is in his thirties and his baptism date is April 12.  He feels ready and we are SUPER excited for him.  We taught him about following the prophet and general conference yesterday and he seems excited to watch all the sessions with us! Awesome.  

The next investigator is Skylar.  He is 11 and I finally got to meet him yesterday at church. He lives far away which makes it difficult for them to attend.  But he will (hopefully!) be baptized on April 26th.  He's not sure why HE wants to be baptized yet, so we are hoping he will continue to pray and read the Book of Mormon and feel that desire.  We as missionaries know what amazing blessings and happiness come from being baptized a member of this church but little kids don't yet.  His Mom is totally for it, though.  We still have a bunch to teach him.  :) 

I met Abigail this week. She is totally spiritual and cool.  She and I clicked when I shared my pre-mission experience with physical pain.  She has suffered from fibromyalgia!  She knows the Book of Mormon is true and believes Joseph Smith was a prophet and that God has led her to this point in her life. But...she says she can't be baptized because she is getting married to a hard-core Catholic guy, who would be very opposed if he knew she was investigating our church! He may even break off the wedding.  But she doesn't like the Catholic church and doesn't think it's true. She would be baptized if it weren't for that!  This poor girl has been pleading with God to lead her to the truth for years and Sis. Pearson and I know that the Gospel is what she has been searching for! She loves our church...But it's a hard situation.  So we've been teaching her 1 Nephi 3:7 (the Lord will provide a way!) and Ether 12 (faith!).  We know the Lord is going to help her know what to do.  Please pray for her if you feel so inclined!

And next is Barb.  Poor Barb! She too, knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet.  But her husband is adamantly opposed to her investigating the church and being re-baptized. Her husband is making her choose between their marriage and the Book of Mormon.  So... she had to drop us.  What is it with these men, huh?!! Seriously. Pssht. But this is not the end for her! She told us she'll keep reading the Book of Mormon.... secretly, I guess.   

Also, there are some awesome members in our branch.  One of them, Bro. Martz, was in one of the Wisconsin Symphonies.  He plays trombone and his wife played viola.  He told me all about his son who plays the cello and is also a pagan. Apparently paganism is a real religion!! One of our investigators is a pagan, too. What?! :P

 I don't think there's a cello to play in this area.  But maybe next transfer! Most people around here aren't musically inclined. That's okay... :) 

Anyway, I feel the Spirit so strong out here on my mission! I feel it as I teach and testify to people.  I just wish everyone else felt it too, and knew what a blessing this Gospel is.  I know the Church is true!!!! :) 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! LOVE YOU! 

P.S. I met a Kristen Stollenwerk in the branch yesterday, who says she is related to me.  She says her uncle is Dad's cousin.  Cool! And Mom, I met another missionary in my mission (I forgot her name) who says her mom knows you! Any idea who that could be?? :) 

Love,

Sister Woods