Please forgive the drought- but just remember the old addage of when it rains, it pours.
Rio Rancho is the place to be right now! let me just tell you all of the exciting things that have been happening in the last 3 weeks - Remember David who accepted baptism for the 26th - well that is still on! Yahoo! we set the program last night and reserved the church and we are a go! I am so excited for him. He is so sincere in his desire to be baptized and to have a fresh start on life with no reason to remember the past mistakes except to learn from them . He really wants to know who God is to him and the relationship he has with HIm. everytime he prays at our lessons he always thanks God for the oportunity he has to learn more abnout HIm. So cool. The humble testiomony of a 16 year old boy who just wants to figure his life out. neat. oh but I didn't tell you the part that makes this story so cool and why it is so neat that he wants to know more about his relationship with Heavenly Father. Remmeber I told you his dad was baptized on
22 March? His dad did not even believe in God before he met the sisters. and because children really are little versions of their parents, neither did David. But now he does and it is so wonderful! Can you tell I am excited for him?
KNocking on doors is not my favorite way to find people to teach - actually it is my least favorite. but sometimes people are just not outside.. we don't have a college campous anymore. There was a really cool looking house on a road - so we knocked it! the woman was atheist and most definitely not interested. So we asked if anyone she knew was - she thought about it and told us about a neighbor a few doors down- Darla. She is a jew she tells us - oh but she believes in Jesus Christ. alright! so we went and met Darla and my word is she a firecracker! not only is Darla a messianic Jew - her husband is the Rabbi. But she let us in and we had a wonderful spiritual conversation about Jesus Christ and His role as our Savior and Redeemer. But that wasn't quite good enough- she needs the restoration in her life! So we pull out the Book of Mormon! yay! and as an opportunity to know the Savior even more fully we leave her to read 3 Nephi 11. oh but as we leave- the winds pick up and blow thier big tent garge thing almost away- so we run out to the rescue! that was not enjoyabloe in a skirt.. I tell you what. but we did it anyway! and we think it may have softened the Rabbi's heart a bit - to know that we do want to help! we went back to her house this last week expecting her mind to be blown away by that chapter - but read chapter 10.. and got all caught up with Zenos.. and the footnotes.. I don't even know if she read the scripture parts.. but hope is not lost! she invited us back and we will read chapter 11 with her! She will feel the spirit and it will change her life! how could it not??
Drive down this road until you find the green garage door - that is where Sarah lives. who we have tried time and time again and she has never been home. well once she was - we set a return appointment and she wasn't there. bummer. But the sisters prior to me have taught her a couple of times and there is real potential there! So that is why we keep trying. and yesterday, we planned to try her again and no scheduled appointment and she was there! and her kiddos too! and she so badly wants something for her family to hold them together! heck - whynot the gospel where we have ordinances that can hold your family together for eternity?? I hope you know what you are signing up for! We had a great lesson on the plan of salvation and how we can be together forever and her kids were asking so many questions it was so wonderful! only her husband was not there - but she wants him to be there - she wants the whole family in this and who wouldn't? So what do you know- we set another return appointment and this one is going to keep! She even asked us to teach the restoration when we were there so her husband can know from the source, and not some crazy TV shows what we are all about. We are real excited for them. A whole family! We don't see much of that. and it always works out better when the who,le family is involved. MAybe that is a flaw in our finding.... something to work on. inviting the whole family to participate unlesss... you meet Andy.
the elders were contacting one day on the street that divides our area and they met this wonderful lady named Helen - on our side of the road. They asked her if some sisters could come by to which she joyfully agreed! She is just the cutests little woman. We love her so much already. She is Catholic and has been for her whole life and her faith is so strong!We introduced to her the Book of Mormon and she talked a lot about how God can do anything, so why wouldn't he have people in America that He showed Himself to? It is true- why not! and then she was talking about other things that have happened - like the story of her 90 year old husband Andy. She invited him into the kitchen where we were talking to tell us about what happened to him. after about 7 minutes of "tell them Andy" "huh? why are you talking about me? what are you saying? huh?" she eventually told us he came to America from Germany at Ellis island when he was 10 months old. or 6 months old. no 8 months old. no it was 10 months old. then he went back to his chair in the living room and we continued talking about the Book of MOrmon. Oh and Helen is half native American- I forgot to tell you that but it is crucial. so we read in the Book of Mormon from the introduction about what it really is. We were really excited for her to read the second paragraph where it talks about how it is a record of the ancestors of the American Indians. When we were about halfway through the paragraph Andy comes into the Kitchen again and says "I bet you can't guess how old I am!" Helen responds with "one minute Andy- we are reading the bible!" adn he says "go ahead- guess." Helen: "Andy sush! We are reading the bible! well - the Mormon bible. and besides I already told them!" "huh?" "you are 90 years old Andy! now go sit back in your chair." oh my word it was comical! so Andy went back to his chair and we kept reading. After she read that the Book of Mormon is about the ancestors of the Native Americans she went all wide eyed and said "Why didn't my momma tell me this!" Oh I love Helen. and Andy too... We will just need to get him an ear trumpet or something.
A few other people you may want on your raidar - Teischa is the wife of a less active in the ward and they just had a brand new baby! so cute! They have been somewhat transient the last little while and have been moving around quite a bit. She has met with missionaries quite a bit in the past but has not stayed somewhere long enough to be baptized. well, this is the place! She has accepted the date for 31 May and we are so excited for her!
Leslie and JR are this wonderful couple who we are teaching as well - Leslie is more interested than JR - but we aren't losing hope on him. Leslie is so wonderful! She has a learning disability that has slowed her mental deveopement quite drastically which is really good for us to really focus on the simplicity of the gospel. We spent some time with them on easter and made a craft from the Friend magazine - the sheep to remind us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It was a lot of fun and it was also a good reminder that Christ is our Shepherd and we are His. Next week I will send pictures with us in them - I just forgot my jump drive this week...
We have also been ablt to do a lot of service lately! last week we probably logged 10 hours! It was so wonderful! it is definitely spring here in NM and the weeds are blooming - thanks for the gloves. I love them! and so do my companions. The most exciting service we have done is helping a coupole of LA members of the ward with their aquaponics project. It is this greenhous structure with these big tanks of water that supply water to some grownig beds and they keep fish in the tanks and thier waste is supposed to provide all the nutrients the plants need. It is pretty neat. Thye had it all built and working - then the winds came and ripped the plastic off the structure and the plants all froze and sand and rocks ruined the pumps and all kinds of catastrophe - so we are helping them to rebuild it. it is quite the adventure.
Those are some highlights - I can't tell you all, we are running low on time. HOw about in 8 months, I tell you in person? deal. but I must tell you of the overarching theme of this last week - Death. yes, I know that sounds morbid but it is the truth. At the beginning of the week we stopped by this womans home who was contacted at the end of the last transfer by the sisters and we have not been able to make contact with her lately. We did last week, and we learned why we couldn't before. She was in the hospital recovering from her attempted suicide and the dealth of her dogs. It was so sad. She had nothing left to live for. That same day, we went to a pregnant less active's home who just got home from the doctor and found out she lost the baby. Darla had one of her bunnys die, JR's dog is real sick and could possible be put down, the Wittingtons cat was put down. Elreen told us how depressed she is becasue all her sons and her husband have died and she just wants to go too and the little brother to the maintenace man of our apartments passsed just yesterday. NOw why do I tell you all of this sad news? Becasue of Him. and just how thankful I am for HIm. For the resurrection and what that means for each of us. He is Risen! and so will we! What a glorious promise that is. We watched this wonderful vidoe that gave me chills. I am sure you have seen it - but here is the link anyway
http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694 .
Death is not the end family. It is only the beginning to the glorious eternities. How thankful I am to have that knowledge. To know that my Savior lives and He provides for us new life through His suffering and death and resurrection.
I know this church is true. I know God is my loving Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is His son. He did indeed rise on the third day and is still living today. They did indeed call Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the restoration. The Book of Mormon is proof to all of this. Read it. Pray to know for yourself. You can, and you will know.
I love you all!
Sister STuart!
Sorry to end this on such a solemn note... but it is joyful really! becasue y'alll are stuck with me FOREVER!! yay! aren't you excited??
Helen :)
Fear not little flock for you are mine
