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
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