me in the west desert
I had a thought a little while ago about the phrase laboring in His vineyard. I thought about myself and my personality to work and get things done. I thought of a literal vineyard and if I were called for 18 months to go outside and labor in that vineyard, that is what I would do. I wouldn't be standing around wasting time twiddling my thumbs thinking about what to do next. I would find something to do and do it. (Thank you dad for teaching me this) Why is the Lord's vineyard any different? I don't think I have been applying those principles of work that I have learned and grown up with to my mission. but that will change..
What a week this one has been! Last week I realized I have not really told you about any of the people we are teaching.. and I am sure you would like to know that.. so maybe that is what this letter will be about - things that matter a little more than what I am eating. and if I have already told you about them.. I am sorry. I am doing it again. you can get over it. I am.
I am just going to walk through my week - because I think we saw most everyone.. and that puts it in a nice order so I don't forget anyone..
We went to dinner at a members home and we asked her about a less active family in the ward - who she happens to visit tech - coincidence? I think not! Anyway, she told us that Stephanie (the less active) would most likely be willing to have us over and to go try. So we decided we would see her
on tuesday - and she was home - the one day of the week she doesn't have work! another coincidence? I think not! so we chatted with her for a bit and talked about families and learned of her three boys - ages 14, 12, and 9. and the 9 year old has not been baptized. and Stephanie told us that she knows they need to be coming back to church and she knows her son needs to be baptized so she practically invited us over to teach her son and her family. Real cool! We will be teaching the restoration
tomorrow!
There is a recent convert of almost a year who we visit - Jessica. She is so wonderful! She has three little girls who are the cutest little pills you have ever seen :) The middle one- Olivia- has some digestive issues so she is hooked up to a tube that goes in her nose and into her colon to administer medication to prevent her from gettting all backed up. The doctors don't know what is wrong with her so it has been really hard on the fam but they are so strong and fighting through it all. Jessica spoke in church with us the other week and shared a bit of her conversion story. She investigated the church for 5 years! That makes me feel better about these investigators who I feel as if we aren't covering any ground with - everyone has their own time table.
~disclaimer~ I do not refer to people by their first names. I do use the appropriate titles of brother and sister but we are not supposed to email using first and last names so if I refer to the parents as brother and sister so and so and then the kids by their first names then that information is out there that I am not supposed to share.. This is all just very awkward. I am just trying to follow the rules!
We also began teaching this other part member family. Dallin and Naomi. Dallin is a member but Naomi is not. They have a 2 year old daughter together and she is so fun! She loves us sisters! Anyway, Dallin served a mission in California and has a real strong testimony but is not attending church. He is an artist- he paints and makes costumes and performs native dances and is really awesome! His work is incredible! His wife Naomi is a lawyer and she is brilliant. She has taken the lessons from missionaries multiple times on multiple occasions but just has not found that faith in Christ. She knows it comes down to reading the scriptures and praying - but just hasn't done that so instead of stepping through the lessons with her, we are reading straight out of the Book of Mormon and addressing her concerns through the words of the ancient prophets. It has been going really well. And, Kemp, I took your advise and asked if they would be willing to teach us how to make moccasins so they can teach us something while we teach them! And they were so excited. and so were we. too bad I am leaving that ward.
Now I have to tell you about a family in the ward who are the best! Brother and Sister Begay and their 5 kids! We have asked Brother Begay to come with us to our lessons with Naomi becasue he was a convert also with native background so he will have input that us white girls born and raised in the gospel don't quite have.. anyway, we went and had dinner at their home this week and were talking about teaching and his mission stories and missionary work in general and Brother Begay gave us the pep talk of the century! actually, Lehi already has that title- it was the pep talk of the transfer! But it was so inspiring to just get out there and OYM OYM OYM! (open your mouth) and to reallly just hit the ground running to accelerate this work. That family is just so wonderful! and I am bummed to be leaving them.
Another family that is so fantastic is the Boyles! Sister Brown and I had an appointment in the morning so we left our apartment, which is 15-20 minutes from our area, and forgot our lunch.. so we were just going to go back home (miles wasted!) but before we realized that the Boyles were heading out of town and would not be home before transfers so we stopped by there to say goodbye just in case (good thing we did!) and she told us to stay for lunch! How perfect was that! and so she pulled out all the sandwich fixings but then looked at me and said - do you like quinoa? Let me make you a quinoa salad. And it was so delicious! the people here are so fantastic and so willing to take care of us at a moments notice! It is so incredible. and she has chickens! I loved them! It was a nice little taste of home! and a wonderful taste of the wonderful people that can be found anywhere in this church!
Now to Bobbie! Bobbie is one of our investigators who is 53 and is so fantastic! When the missionaries first started meeting with her 4 months ago, she told them she would not be getting baptized because she would not do it with her husband and he didn't have any interest, and still doesn't :(, about learning. But she loves learning the gospel! and she is truly one of those people who already knows this is true - we just help her to remember everything. that is all. But she is so great! As a new missionary, the training happens from the 12 week packet. It gives you things to do every week to prepare you to be a fantastic missionary. IN the first week, the new missionary is to take the lead in inviting investigators to be baptized. This lesson with Bobbie was in week 6 and I still had not committed anyone to baptism - and I knew I needed to do this before I trained a new missionary to do it. and we did! We committed Bobbie to be baptized! And she said she wanted to! this week, we will be setting a date with her! We are praying about the
14 of September (any marathoners running that day? TOU?) The spirit was so strong! It was so fantastic! Now I am ready to commit everyone I see to baptism! It is not a hard scary thing when it is led by the spirit. and when we got home after this lesson, President Miller called and asked me to be a trainer. I accepted of course.
Speaking of baptism, another investigator we have is Christi. She is 17 and has an incredible testimony! She has been meeting with missionaries for almost a year now and is ready to be baptized. Her mom, however, is not ready for that. But, we met with her mom this week and answered questions and it went so well! You would not believe the progress that has been made there! 4 months ago, Christi could not even tell her mom she was meeting with missionaries- she was doing it at a friends house. If ever she had her scriptures out reading them, they would be taken away. but now we are meeting with Christi, in her home, with her mom! and her mom wants us to come back! Oh things are looking good! and if Christi doesn't get permission and has to wait until she is 18 at the end of September, it will be for a reason. Who knows, maybe we are waiting becasue her whole family will be joining her. How wonderful would that be? To open the door for that family to be eternal!
Another great thing that is happening is the reactivation of Louise! I don't nkow how long she has been inactive but she won't be for long! She is somewhere in her 50's and is such a fun woman! She lives alone, divorced once and widowed once,but that hasn't slowed her down! The sisters before me would go and keep her company at least once a week and listen and just talk with her but a few weeks ago we really dug into her testimony and really looked to she where she was spiritually and she has a testimony and it is strong just kind of hiding. We are now really working with her to find Christ in her life. and to let him into her life to heal her pain. We invited her to church a couple weeks ago and she came and then when we met with her this last week she was so excited to tell us that she bought new dresses for church! It was so perfect! and now we are working with the relief society to get her visiting teachers and the high priest group to get her home teachers. Things are so wonderful with Louise! I am so excited talking about her!
And now I am down to minutes so quickly the news of this week..
Tomorrow is transfers. I am training. My area is being split. I am staying in the Volcano Ward and the Ventana ward is being washed with two new missionaries. Sister Brown has been called as a Sister Training Leader and we will find out where
tomorrow. I feel so honored to have been her companion for the last six weeks. She will make a fantastic STL and will inspire her new companion. She will work miracles wherever the Lord sees fit to place her - throughout her mission and her life.
I love you all! God speed!
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