This week has
been...interesting...like it had some of the best experiences I have
had, and then some of the worst! I don't even know where to being so I
will start with the bad, cause it's easier to get that part over with
and then end on a good note haha. Well one of our less active couples we
are working with almost dropped us, I don't know what stopped them
really. We went to see this couple who are so amazing we love them. We
asked them if they had read from the Book of Mormon, cause we had
previously challenged them, their response was "no" with sort of this
attitude. We brushed it off and continued to talk and then sister Taylor
got up and left, which was odd. Then Brother Taylor started going off
on how he will not read until he comes back to church, because when he
stops going to church("they never come to 1 pm
church, but they come when it is earlier, that is what they say)
anyways when he stops going to church he puts everything with the gospel
on hold also. I asked him why, and he asked me why I did not
understand. I explained that I did not understand how if he can't make
it to church he stops living the gospel, because it is so important to
me that if I could not come to church I am sure to live the other parts
of the gospel even more. He got frustrated when I said this, and told me
no one understands but his wife. His wife came in and told us to stop
because she did not want an argument...I seriously only said like 2
sentences and he was the one arguing. We changed the subject and shared a
message on charity and we were sure they would say not to come back,
but they did not. I know that Heavenly father made sure of that, which
was a huge blessing. They actually ended up coming to the Christmas
party too! Which was so awesome, and I hope they will start to come
around.
So the next story starts out happy. So remember Jody, I have
mentioned her before and how she had a son on a mission in Texas, and
she was not a member. Well we were walking out of the church one of the
nights..I think it was Thursday?
Well there is this young man who totally looks like a missionary, but
he was with this old lady so I did not think anything of it. We walk
past and then we hear "sister?" and we turn around and it clicks! It is
her son! I say "Charlie!" and we start to talk, he had just gotten
released as a missionary I think, anyways he knew our number already and
we got his and wanted to talk more about his mom. The next day we
called him and figured out what we could do to help her and decided to
meet that night with his mom. Well we went to Jodys and she said her
phone still had not been fixed. Then later that night we get a call from
Charlie saying he just had a long talk with his mom, and she loves us
so much but feels like we were pushy....we have never been push with
her...and it was so sad. He gave us her new phone number, the one she
would not give us and he told us that she needed a break for like 2
weeks. This seriously broke my heart! I think what is happening is that
Jody has been making so many promises saying she will come to church
when charlie is home, and now that he is home she is panicking a little
since she made all these promises. I really hope she comes around, I
really love her so much and it is hard to see her like this....so that
is the bummer story.
Now to the best stories. Well one of our investigators Dawn, I
don't know if I have told you a lot about her. She was a former
investigator that we decided to go see and now is taking the lessons
again. Well this week we helped her clean and also set up her Christmas
tree. Dawn is amazing, we really were able to connect while setting up
her tree. I found out she lived in Switzerland for a little while and it
was so fun cause we were talking about all the Christmas traditions we
have. She is such a great lady. She came to the Christmas party! Then
yesterday we helped her decorate her tree, and it reminded me of ours
back at home, all different ornaments and it was so fun! It was adorable
I took pictures. We then taught her the 3rd lesson, and we decided to
use just scripture for the lesson. Wow that was the best lesson I
seriously think we have ever had. She had a question about faith, and it
was one I had not heard before and I did not know how to answer it.
Some how we answered it and it was amazing cause we didn't think we did,
but she looked at us after pondering what we had said for a minute and
she said " I have never heard it explained that way....that makes
sense." She understood and it was amazing, she was completely diving
into the lesson and was so entranced! Then at the end we committed he to
baptism and she thought about it and said "maybe.."but it was like a "I
will really think about it" maybe it was so cool. I know she did not
accept, but I don't care because I think we finally got through to her
in a way the other missionaries could not and now she really is thinking
about it rather than just learning she is feeling the holy ghost
testify to her. That was the best lesson ever!!! I love being a
missionary, there is nothing better than this. Dawn also gave us a
ornament for our future trees :) she is amazing and I will never forget
her. I really don't know how to express how happy I am, how much I love
Dawn and how special that lesson was.
Another amazing thing happened, we walked in to church and
the Baldwins (active members) wave us down and point to the side of
them, and there are the Jensen. I had the biggest smile on my face. The
Jensen's are an older couple who moved from Vernal 14 years ago, they
never were very active, but since being here they are completely
inactive. They came here 14 years ago. They have not been for 14 years,
and yesterday they broke the pattern and were at church. Brother Jensen
looked to darn cute in his adorable suit and tie. I prayed like I have
never prayed before, I think I prayed every second during sacrament to
thank Heavenly Father. I started to tear up
several times during that meeting. The Jensens were holding hands and
it was the most adorable thing ever. I lvoe them so much. Since the
moment I met them here in Riverton I have felt so close to them,
especially Brother Jensen. He sits right next to me during the lessons
so that I can read loud enough for him to hear. We have just bonded and
he had become a grandpa to me. When I saw them in church it meant the
world to me. I am so thankful that they came. I love me Heavenly Father
so much. Yesterday was the best day ever, it seriously was.
Yes missionary life is hard a lot, but it is so worth it when
you have days like yesterday, Being a missionary is the best. I have
started to realize that more than likely this will be my only Christmas
here on this mission, and it is awful. It is amazing to be here for this
season, being able to completely focus on service and the birth of
Christ and nothing else, there is nothing like it. It is so
spectacular, I don't want it to end.
The ward is so stinking sweet also. The young women gave
each of us a stocking with little presents in it for the 12 days of
Christmas, and Sister Adams that houses the other missionaries also gave
us a 12 days, and it is so fun!!!!
Now to the absolute best part! Dacey was baptized!!! The
beginning of the day was crazy cause our ward mission leader forgot
about it and went 4 hours away to Sheridan! so we did not have any keys
to fill the font and we had an hour an a half, I was freaking out.
Luckily the elders came to the rescue and had keys we could use. Then
after that chaos was over the baptism was so amazing! This sweet 10 year
old girl was baptized by her grandpa, she had waited 2 years till her
dad finally said it was ok,. She never gave up, if anything she got more
persistent. After her baptism she had that glow about her, that is my
favorite thing to see. She was the closest one in that room to our
Heavenly Father at that moment. She is beautiful. Her mom started crying
as soon as she started talking on baptism, she was crying and crying
and it was the sweetest thing. There was something different about Dacey
being baptized than any other baptism I have been to, and I think it is
because of the struggle she went through to get her there, and the
hardship her mom also went through while trying to get her there also.
Dacey's little brother Jordan is 8 and hopefully he can get baptized
soon. He is my little buddy, haha. I took a picture with him also
haha. Oh Dacey's older brother was there, and I think he saw the
difference between his baptism into another church and his sisters. When
she was confirmed he had this peculiar look on his face, you could see
how he was realizing that he doesn't have the Holy Ghost. Till now he
has thought he had it, but I think he realized she received it after the
baptism..and he never had a confirmation. I think he is starting to see
that :) Saturday was so amazing to see her family rally together to support her.
Even though we have had a couple rough experiences this week. I think this week was the best.
PS mom I got Debbie and Diana's packages and letters :) I have not
opened the gift from Debbie yet though, I figure I will wait till
Christmas haha
I love you all and I am so happy to hear that everything
is going great! I love you and I will talk to you soon, have a good
week!
Love, Andrea
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| Sister Vanessa Wigington (her mom), Dacey and Us |
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| Me and Jordan |
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| Dacey in her dress after. |
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