Dear Family, friends,
This week we had zone training up in Thermopolis and a ward member there gave a talk on superman, which might sound silly, but it was one of the best talks I have ever heard. It was about superman and the gospel. I might have just liked it cause I love superman, but it really impacted me.
So Brenda is not doing so well. She's
really struggling with smoking. She won't let us take her cigarettes
either. We asked on Friday if they could go until today without
smoking. Anthony and Brenda both said they could..so we will check on
them tonight. I pray that they have.
Saturday must have been the
longest day ever. It is totally because we had no lessons planned at all!
Bleh, I remembered why I hated days like that. We tried so many
different people and had no luck. Finally at 7:30 at night we were driving past
these apartments where we have a referral, but we have been trying to contact
this referral for a month..and no luck, it seems like no one lives there. We
didn't even think about trying it on Tuesday night. Well we drove past on our
way to another place and sister Austin scares me by yelling "there is a
car!" we go past..and there is Not a car, she just thought she saw it..
but we decided..might as well try, so we pull up..and there is a light on! Oh
my goodness gracious I could have cried. We knock on the door and this
adorable like 23 years old girl answers! I didn't even know what to say,
but luckily words came out haha. We set up an appointment for tonight! She said
she was really excited to meet with us. Pray for me and Sister Austin tonight.
I really think that Ashley is prepared and I am so excited to get to know her
tonight. Anyways that was my miracle on Saturday. It's like right when we were
to the point of being done, and so down, that we contacted Ashley. Heavenly
father likes to do that it seems, test your faith, then gives you
success.
Remember that referral I told you
about last week, Eric and Alexa Nowland? Well we had a first lesson with
them, and we didn't know if they would actually be there so we just prepared a
scripture thought. We also got to know them. We found out that Alexa used to
have missionaries who came over for years and then one day they just
stopped. So I am really excited to start teaching her. We asked if we
could start teaching them, and they agreed :) wahoo. We have appointment with
them on Friday. Which I am excited for.
We were asked to speak in
church next Sunday.. that should be good. I am excited..actually it's more
like I am telling myself that I am excited, luckily it is a
homecoming and so we only have to speak for like 10 minutes each haha and then
the RM will take up the rest. Oh my goodness that reminds me, Sunday was great!
Dawn came to church for the first time! And a couple days ago we answered a
couple of her questions about the Book of Mormon. I asked her about baptism
again and she said "I still feel like I am suppose to be a mediator
between religions, I believe this is true, but also God wants me to be a
mediator" WHAT? Two things were going on in my head. The first one was she
finally told us she knows that this is true. She told us she believes it!
But then the second thing was she still won't be baptized..and it's heart
breaking. We told her to pray about it.. I really don't know what to do. I am
trying hard to listen to the spirit cause I am lost on how to help her.
Hopefully she will realize she needs to be baptized.
On Sunday Sister Arlinda Olson
came to church also. If she can come to church anyone can, no one has an
excuse. She has yet to come while I have been here, and she has a legit
excuse. She has Parkinson's and can't walk and can't talk very well at all. She
has had this for over 20 years and no medicine is working anymore and she is in
constant pain. She still tries to come out when she can though. Her husband who
is not active and refuses to come to church drives her to Church since she
can't, but he doesn't come himself. Seeing her at church was so special. It was
really interesting, cause normally she is constantly moving, weather it is her
legs bobbing up and down or moving her arms around. She was completely
still, she was comfortable and calm! It was so amazing. I hope she noticed it
also. That was a miracle. I felt the spirit so strong seeing her there. We
previous in the week had a lesson with her, since her husband isn't listening
to us anymore and I didn't have a lesson or anything to share, so I opened
my scriptures and I shared a scripture on being an example. I didn't think
it was a powerful lesson or anything, we talked to her about how she is an
example of her husband, by still reading scriptures and praying and living the
gospel. Then she came to church. I realized that we needed to share that
scripture, and so the Lord helped me just open up to it and it was what she
needed. I am so thankful that when I don't know what I am doing, and
even if I do, that I can completely rely on the spirit and if I
do, that what needs to happen will happen, even if I don't recognize.
That also reminds me of Opa (grandpa).
I sent missionaries and they did
not get a hold of him, but they left a note and Opa called back and said he was
not interested, which I kinda expected, but at least a seed was planted. I
am so thankful that those missionaries who tried Opa, and they might not see
what that seed does, but I know that it will help. I am so thankful that
they contacted him even though they don't know Opa, and I know I
don't know him very well either but he is my Opa and I love him and I
am so thankful that they planted that seed.
I love this gospel. I know that
Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, I know that he completely
understands us. When we have hard times he understands it, he knows how to help
us and I have learned that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are the best
listeners. They listen so perfectly and know us so well and can help us. I love
that I can always turn to them for guidance and help. I know that it is on us
to keep our relationship with him progressing. Cause he is always doing his
part, he is reaching for us and doing his part, but we have to do ours as well.
I love that he is always doing his part. I know that if we just open the door
to let him in he will bless us drastically. I think about Alma 32:27
"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an
experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can
no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye
believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." If
we just desire to believe, if we just act on the faith that we do have and open
that door, or if we open it up wider and trust in him he will bless us.
Heavenly Father and his Son love us so much, we just have to be willing to let
them in so they can help us. I know that "The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints " is the one and only true church on the earth.
-love andrea :)
ps I love you all :)
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