August 26, 2013 Kayli's Baptism

Dear Family,

       

Well I just wanna tell ya how much I love you. This week has been great, but I think we need to get better at planning. We were running around so busy early in the week and then Friday and Saturday we had like nothing going on, haha so we will get better at that. A couple things that happened this week, I will save the best for last.

Tony has been out of town for navy training. Even though he was out of town, super busy and everything he wanted a lesson with us. We called him up and we taught him about the atonement and then we also got into a word of wisdom lesson. He told us he has been trying really hard not to drink coffee. It's hard when he is on that crazy navy training not to have coffee to keep him awake. To stay awake instead of coffee he watches a Mormon message. We also told him earlier he could pray for help and energy since he wasn't drinking his coffee.  He reported back and said that it was working! He also said that instead of going out drinking with all the guys he would stay in the hotel room and eat a sandwich and read scriptures :) How awesome is he? Then we talked to Deena on Saturday and found out she has not had a coffee in 3 weeks!!! Yes!!!! They are amazing!

We have been visiting with Lois this week (the 80 year old lady). Her daughter Cathy actually postponed her flight to this Wednesday and so she was there with us when we taught the plan of salvation. Later in the week we helped move some furniture. Cathy called up and wanted us to find someone to give a blessing to her dad Walter who came home from the assisted living center. He has dementia, has had major anxiety and is having a hard time adjusting. So we had Brother Stephenson some over and give him a blessing, which was amazing, and then he gave Lois one also. Wow, the spirit was so strong. I really had a strong prompting to just go and put my hand on his and introduce myself, so after the blessing I did. He is a mean looking old man, like he just looks angry all the time, so I was nervous, but when I finally went over and I just put my hand on his, and told him I was happy to finally meet him, I just felt at peace, and he smiled at me :) Which I know is not a super amazing thing, but it was for me, like I didn't want to leave his side, I don't know if he cared at all, but I think I helped a little, at least so he wasn't nervous around me.

NOW to the big amazing fantastic wonderful news!!! YESTERDAY WAS KAYLI'S BAPTISM!!!! My first baptism in the field!! And honestly I don't care that it was my first or what the number is all I care about is that it was Kayli's baptism, and it was amazing! At church they came in late, her and Amber (he mom) and I could tell that Amber had had a rough morning, and was struggling. The stupid adversary, ugh I wish he wouldn't bug her! I know that it was because of Kayli's baptism, and also because Amber's is this Saturday. Well anyways Sunday was great and finally Sunday afternoon we started filling the font, that was fun, I felt so important with all the keys to unlock the doors and stuff haha. The font was finally full at about 5:45 and then we just waited for everyone to show up, it was at 6:30 we just talked to people who came early, and we knew everyone (the members) they were the only ones that came early, it was amazing because we already set up a ton of chairs and we had to set up even more because so many people came! There were people from the Great Falls first ward,( so their ward), and then a lot of the Belt Branch came since Kayli went there a lot cause that is her grandma Cathy's ward. We did not know who would really show up from Amber's side of the family, cause they were very much against the baptism, but a ton of them came, they were not very excited about it, but they came and that is what matters :) It was great.  They did not mingle with members at all really; they kinda secluded themselves off, but its ok haha. Kayli's grandpa (so Cathy's husband) Doug, baptized Kayli :) It was sweet!  The spirit was so strong, seeing that sweet girl go under the water and come back up, wow, she has been waiting years for that, I know she is only 9 but she has wanted it for 3 years. Then she went and changed and when she came back out she was in her cute white dress, there was a black belaro with it that was sewn on the dress, because they could not find an all-white dress. haha!  It was beautiful!  She had this glow about her, and I know a couple people on her mom’s side could see it, some of them were not very receptive, but the ones that did try to open their hearts, they saw it. Kayli was beaming. Then when they confirmed her, wow it was such a powerful blessing,.  Her grandpa started to cry during it.  When he confirmed her a member of the church and when gave her the Holy Ghost, wow it was so powerful, just see there were these strong powerful worthy priesthood holders standing around her giving her that Holy Ghost, that had to have been the sweetest sight ever. They just looked like her protectors all up there dressed up :) then we sang Families Can Be Together Forever. This was a sweet choice because it was her deceased father’s birthday. He was there, and that was the best birthday present he could have asked for. I know he was there with her standing by her; he was probably sitting in the chair right next to Amber with his arms around her.

After the program was over, everyone went in to the gym and there were tons of desserts :) haha but we didn't go in there for a while, because we had the opportunity to go in to a quiet room, with Amber, Doug (her father in law), the bishop, brother Urick, and one other priesthood holder to give Amber a blessing. She was feeling it, she needed a blessing, that day had been' really hard for her. That was the most powerful blessing I have ever heard. I feel like if I had opened my eyes during it I would have seen Jacob (Amber's husband) I know he was there. In the blessing they told her that this week would be the hardest week of trials and temptations because the adversary is trying everything. He knows how special Amber is.  That she is not a normal person, but that the adversary knows that, and knows that she was created in Heavenly Mothers image, and that she has too much good work to do and when she had that Holy Ghost and makes those covenants he will not have near as much power to tempt her, so he is going to be working his hardest on her this week. The blessing also said that she will receive that blessing to walk hand in hand with Jacob and be sealed to him through proxy for time and all eternity. The blessing was beautiful. Amber is a special daughter, she is so kind and loving and charitable. 

I was thinking about the Fellmans, and how thankful I know them, and love them. I don't want to imagine my life without meeting them.  They are my purpose, I don't really know how much I help them, but oh goodness they help me. If they are the only people I help on my mission it's worth it.  They are worth every minute, second even, of these 18 months. I want to see Amber and Kayli sealed as a family with Jacob. I am so thankful I am on a mission, sometimes it's really hard and I feel useless like I'm not doing anything or helping anyone, but then yesterday made everything worth it. I love that family so much.  I am so thankful heavenly father let me, just normal old Andrea be a part of the Fellmans coming unto Christ and developing a relationship with Him and being baptized and starting their journey to returning to our Heavenly Father, and  then realizing they will be with Jacob again.

I love you all so much and I am so thankful for my family, and to know we are all sealed together forever, and that we have the gospel in our lives and we have the comfort and happiness that comes from the atonement. I love you so much and I love this gospel.

       

-love sister draudt!

These are pictures of me Sister Taylor, Kayli, Amber (Kayli's mom), Cathy and Doug (Kaylis grandparents) and then of course me being a dork filling the font :) oh I got a haircut :) you probably can’t tell, I cut 6 inches off! But no one can tell because my hair was so long to begin with. Also like the dress? I got it at Ross, totally modest and only 15 bucks!!! boo ya! Haha

S'more Fun

This is me and Sister Taylor at a members house roastin s'mores.

:) yummmm

August 19, 2013

So this week has had its ups and downs, well more like it started down and ended up. So we had Glacier Monday right, then we had emails on Tuesday and Facebook training, (we are getting ready to start Facebook for the mission here) and so Monday and Tuesday we got like nothing done. Wednesday-Friday were ok, we had a ton of people cancel on us and it was really bugging me! I hate when people cancel last minute! urghhhh. But then Saturday and Sunday were marvelous. 

We had a Dutch oven potluck dinner with the Belt Branch, I ate so much I could barely walk, I have got to stop eating so much, and it’s just always so good! We also were able to teach some people. Then Sunday we literally ran from appointment to appointment, we had branch council, then church, then a lesson, then lunch and a lesson, and then we studied for an hour and then went to our dinner where we also had a lesson and then came back to Great Falls and had another lesson. IT WAS AWESOME! Exhausting, but awesome! 

The dinner appointment was cool; me and Sister Taylor have really been working on trying to share the lesson, like take turns and not take the lesson over, as well as involve the members there and ask questions. It was great.  It was our first lesson with the investigator, Darcy.  It was really cool cause her twin is a member, and she herself has gone sometimes, and we talked about the priesthood a little and I felt prompted to ask her about it, and it was so cool because this whole week I have felt out of tune, and like I have not been receiving revelation.  But that right there was an answer to my prayers to be able to receive revelation, because she told us she was in a horrible accident and was on the operating table in convulsions, her whole right side was supposed to be shattered, and then some doctor gave her a priesthood blessing before going in to surgery and she can remember the spirit she felt and the peace, and then later after out of surgery she found out that nothing was broken at all, and it should have been, and she knew that was a miracle because of the blessing :) how amazing is that? We of course committed her to baptism, cause we do on every first lesson, and it was so funny cause she was like "you’re asking me?" and then she was like "I know it’s true, like there is not a doubt in my mind, this is true, but.....I have commitment issues.." bahahahha that was the funniest excuse ever! Of course she is like 40 and not married so maybe she does have commitment issues :) love her though, she’s great, a very sweet lady and we are going to keep teaching her. (oh and a total side note, ya know in movies where it’s like a cute old house on a summer evening and like there is a nice table outside with a lace table cloth and like fancy crystal cups and stuff, and miss matched chairs, that was totally how we ate, and we had home made everything, it was like a total movie, and also Brother Urick, took us to her garden to pick peas before dinner :) do you realize how happy that made me, I have not picked peas since grandpa died :) I just loved it and it brought back memories, it was a sweet tender mercy).

Another experience I had this week was with Lois Johnson, a sweet 80 year old lady. So some background real quick, we received a referral for her from the elders, they helped her move into a condo in town, then after glacier while we were up with the Fair Field sisters they got a call from a member for a referral for us to, about the same lady, then someone else had a referral given to us for her also. Three referrals for the same lady in 1 week, obviously Heavenly Father shouting at us to go visit her. So we did. Her daughter Cathy Walker is a member and has been working with her mother Lois for years and finally after having so many people help her move from Fair Field to her condo, all people in the church, it really touched her and we were able to get an appointment. She moved down here because her husband is in an assisted living down here, but is coming home now and they wanted somewhere close and where they could get help. The appointment went awesome, and we committed her to baptism and it was so cute because I ask her and she just keeps nodding her head, and after like 10 seconds she's like..."Wait..what?  I didn't hear you." So we told her again and she was hesitant, and then we explained we could keep teaching her and that after she had gained her own testimony, and then she agreed. She is such a sweet lady, she is probably 4'10, she is itty bitty. I had to bend down to give her a hug. Anyways right before I started writing this letter I got a call from her daughter Cathy, who has really been an influence and wanted to be there for our next lesson, but she is from Iowa and has already been here for 4 months helping her mom and she has to get home now. She called me and it was an hour call, she told me all the background on Lois, and she started to cry. It just really brought it home to me. Lois is her mom, she loves her so much. I can't imagine having you, my mom, not being a member. It just made it so much more personal, and I am going to do everything to help this sweet lady. I can tell she is ready for the gospel, but she is scared to join because she doesn't want her other daughters to be mad, one is a Baptist and the other a Lutheran. She knows it's true though, she told her daughter "Well if I just don't learn now, then in the spirit world I can have a chance." She told her that a while ago, but it cracked me up cause she already has a testimony of the spirit world and plan of salvation even though she said she didn't need to learn now. It was funny. She told her daughter though after a spiritual talk they had "don't give up on me" and her daughter never has, and she even told me and sister Taylor that "don't give up on me" she knows it's true, she's just scared what her family will do. I just know we are supposed to teach Lois, with everything that has led to her, it is meant to be :) I already love her so so so much also :) She is a sweet heart!!!

Okay another quick story, so we were talking to Tony on the phone, he is at navy training, and he was telling us how since they don't have priests and bishops and rabbis and stuff at training they just choose the person who seems the most knowledgeable and dedicated to that religion and they put them in charge of them for setting up meetings and stuff. So apparently he was talking to someone and they made him it. And he was like "uhhh I’m not even baptized yet." and they were like "Well you seem to know a lot" and he was like "uhhh no I really don't" But he really does he just doesn't realize it. Anyways I thought that was awesome. And also him and Deena normally don't drink coffee and they don't drink alcohol at all, but like he was saying normally at navy things he does drink coffee, and he said it's been hard but he doesn't drink any, instead he watched a Mormon message every morning instead of drinking his coffee!!! How freaking fantastic is that!!! Tony and Deena are amazing. And yes we have talked to them about getting married, but they want a wedding, but I think the more we start bringing in temples and celestial marriage they will want to get married sooner. It will not be while I am here though, I'm pretty sure of that. Maybe not though :) haha oh and also so Amber and Kayli and Izaak, well we taught the law of tithing to them and Amber loved it.  It really scared her, because it will be hard for her, but we talked about the blessing that come from it and obeying the law of the tithe, and that is what convinced her to move her baptismal date up! Like she's been really tentative with her date, but is slowly growing more confident, and that lesson just boosted her confidence in her choice to be baptized, so much so that we moved her date from September 14th to August 31st!  Two whole weeks!! How awesome is that. Well that's it! Looking back it really has been a great week, just slow at starting haha :) I love you all and I know this gospel is true and our Heavenly Father loves us and loves to bless us, especially when we are having a hard time, just look for those tender mercies :)

                

-love sister draudt

Picture from Glacier National Park

Glacier is pretty much flippin amazing!

 

Doesn't it look like something from out of Lord of the Rings!!

this is the roots of a tree that has somehow been pulled up! how cool

See what I mean how the water has cut through the rock!!!