Hello Everyone!
I had a really, really great week!! Lots of cool and exciting things are happening in this area. Miracles, even! This week was our "power week" and I'm happy to report we actually met ALL our goals this week! (for those of you who are unfamiliar with missionary work, we set goals each week for how many new investigators, referals, member present lessons, etc. we hope to achieve each week.) Weekly, goals, daily goals, personal goals, companion goals... I love setting goals! :) It was a glorious week. Time flew by once again. Thanks for all your prayers! We are being SUPER blessed right now.
Where to start... well, Trish is super excited about her baptism!! She's been telling her whole family about it. She went to church with us yesterday and felt the Spirit. She thought we set everything up because she felt like everything said was aimed at her!! Haha, nope, we had nothing to do with that. We actually made her a calendar and planned out everything we need to teach her before she gets baptized on May 31. She is SO prime, so excited and we are beyond excited. She knows the Book of Mormon is true. Her challenge will be living the commandments (work of wisdom and her work schedule (Sundays)). She wants to change and is super willing, she's just not confident she'll be able to make it permanent. We know the Lord will help her, though! We love Trish, she's hilarious. :)
We set another baptismal date this week with a girl named Crystal. I won't go into lots of detail because she doesn't seem as committed. She did at first. She doesn't really believe in God yet. But hopefully she will come around and read the Book of Mormon soon. Once they do that, they become committed. Kyle, that scripture you showed me in Alma 32:26, has been SUPER USEFUL. That is a scripture that changed my life, and I use it all the time when I teach. It tells you how you can know when something is true. You do an experiement, plant the seed, act on it, and see if it grows! It's how I became truly converted to the Gospel and came to know through my own experience that the principles I was living are true.
Well, I'm not sure if I mentioned this last week, but President Hassler and his wife did something SCANDALOUS (going to a restaurant on Sunday). But they ended up meeting this lady named Cindy Hunter, who is moviing and looking for a new church family., So they referred her to us and Sister Pearson and I helped her move last Monday. This week we are going over again to help her clean. She is a very, VERY interesting lady, to say the least. We taught her about the Restoration and invited her to church and things like that. We are referring her to the missionaries in Madison.
Funny story. This week we met a guy raking leaves outside. His name is Scott and he's an atheist with lots of cuts all over his arms. Anyways, it was weird to go up and talk to him. But hey, we're missionaries, we do weird stuff all the time and we're used to it. Haha. So this guy says "You know, it's really awkward to be talking about this ( religion ) right here, right now..." Hahahahha. Most people don't come right out and say it like that, but yep, he's absolutly correct! Me: "tell me about it! How do you think we feel!?"
Another funny thing. So, Sister Pearson and I are striving to avoid eating candy, desserts and other such scandalous things in our apartment. It can be a struggle when the members give us too much of that stuff. So Sis. Pearson had this idea... that we should post a bunch of signs all over the apartment. Things like "Eat more! Get fat! Love Satan's followers" so we would be like "ha! take that, Satan!" and refuse to eat them. :) Genius, right? It's super hilarious actually. This was one of mine: "Say moo to the new you! -Satan"
Well, we finally had that showdown with Abigail this week. We shared Matthew 19:29 with her. Turns out her fiancee might actually be alright with her investigating another church... eventually. He already found out about it and so far the wedding is still on. We tried to still set a baptismal date because she was claiming she hadn't received her answer to know if the Book of Mormon is true. Well, that's because now isn't the right time for she's not prepared to act on it yet. She said her life is too crazy right now and we should ask her that question again in 2 months after the wedding. Sigh. :)
As you can see from the pictures, we had another baptism! This was for Skylor, an 11 year old. Baptisms are always exciting and wonderful. :) But it's over too quickly, then it's back to work!
So get this. At the baptism, the Elders receive a phone call from a random guy who wants to get baptized. Crazy, right?! So they go over and teach him and that's that. They are going to teach him all the lessons before he moves to Nevada, where he will be baptized.
And THEN!!! For the first time. Ever. We actually received some referrals from the Spaulding family! Bro. Spaulding teaches institute. Seriously, my jaw dropped when they started giving us this big list of 15 people they are doing missionary work with! That's not supposed to happen?! :P Hahah. They are an awesome family.
BUT THEN!! Get this. After we leave their house after our dinner appointment, he calls us telling us that this YSA guy he knows, Eric, texted him asking "what he needs to do to get baptized and converted." So he has given us the referal and we are going to start teaching him at the Spaulding's house!! Hooray!!!! :D Amazing miracles are happening.
And, great progress is being made with Sister Wilson, the less active lady (Trish's aunt). She has been trying Chaffix, (fake coffee) and because of this, she has cut down her coffee intake to only 2 cups a day! (She started at 8). She now is telling us that she CAN and WILL ask to take Sundays off from work so she can come back to church!!! She has been eating up the Book of Mormon chapters we've been recommending to her. Seriously, the Book of Mormon is what changes people. It is the key! Anyway, and then she is also committed to stopping smoking. Sis. Pearson and I told her we want to fast for her to be able to quit for good next Sunday. We love her lots and are so excited at the progress she's making.
The more you share the Gospel the more you appreciate it, the more you feel the Spirit, the more your testimony grows. The more you love people. I've really found that I'm learning to love people more than I ever have before! :D I also love the Gospel more than I ever have before. I'd even go so far as to say I'm quite passionate about it. I've really seen that in myself! I'm also learning to love fast Sundays. This last week was fast Sunday before stake conference next week. I've had some really great spiritual experiences doing that. There are all sorts of lessons I'm learning in many ways about temperance and keeping my mind focused on the Work. I really, really love my mission. And I love my companion, and I hope this transfer never ends!!
I love you all and I hope you have a great week!!!!
Love,
Sister Woods
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