November 3, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

     Oh my goodness I am so excited to tell you all about the miracles that have happened this week! I know my emails have been kinda lame lately but hopefully this one will make up for it haha.

     Ok I have to start with the beginning of the week, so last Monday, (this is just a fun story) So we went and had family home evening with the Schauers, who are in our ward and are one amazing family. We feel like we need to know the members better, so we went over to the Schauers and wow it was so powerful, just having the family gathered and talking about the gospel and singing. Seriously the spirit was so strong! After FHE we were talking and guess what brother Shauers sister is Mrs. Weight, who taught me in foods, and interior design and was over FCCLA when I was in high school. So he text-ed her and later in the week, Sister Schauers said that she has Josh in one of her classes now hahaha! I love it! That was just a fun little tender mercy!

      Then on Wednesday we were meeting with Chrisan, and bishop was with us and she is now working towards going to the temple with her daughter to do baptisms and this week she was officially reactivated!! She is one amazing lady, she converted about 3 years ago , but her husband was not supportive, so she fell away, but she has come back, and loves the gospel, she is crazy amazing at family history! So she is awesome and we just love her and are so happy for her!

     Ok now to Halloween! So we were not allowed to be out past 6pm  becuase it could be dangerous, so we decided to try and get all the work we could in befoer 6, well we were not having much luck, at all, and about 4:30 we were trying less actives, in this trailer park, and no one was, home so we started tracting, no luck..so we were walking back to our car, and this guy pulls up to us and says "hey, who are you?" we explain we are missionaries and we started talking, but a car pulled up behind him so we asked if we could just come over to his house. So we went over and his sister was there so it was totally ok, and he started telling us about how he found God, and right now he is studying with the Jehovah Witnesses, but he had a lot of common things with us and so we asked if we could teach him, and he said of course. He told us that years ago he had gone to a mormon church a little! So we taught him the restoration, and after the first vision, he just sat there and then smiled and said " That gave me the goose bumps" we invited him to baptism for December 6th and he accepted! We read the last two paragraphs of the introduction of the book of Mormon, and then he looked up Moroni 10:3-5 himself! Which is the promise of the book of Mormon. he was reading it to himself, and we had no idea, and then he  looks at us and said "hey, listen to this" and he was super excited and he read it to us!!! how wonderful is that! So so so amazing! we are going back to see him tonight. After meeting him, it was time to head over to the church for the trunk or treat, cause we got permission to be there. We ended up having interviews with President Hopkin, who is in the mission presidency, they were pretty short, but by the time we got out  the trunk of treat was half way over. But guess what! Everyone we invited and was hoping would come, totally came! We did not get to see them, but luckily other people we know did and fellow shipped them! After the trunk or treat missionaries were still being interviewed, cause the whole zone was being interviewed, so for Halloween night we just played volley ball and basketball in the gym, and it was so fun! it was for sure not what a normal Halloween is but it was so fun just to be around all the other missionaries and having fun.

    Then on Saturday we had another miracle, so one of our neighbors David, has slowly been asking questions. He is baptist and on Saturday he was talking to us and said we should meet sometime (he came to the trunk or treat) and so we set up an appointment for that night and we met him and had brother Schauers come and he one amazing lesson. He would not commit to reading or even taking a book of Mormon but he said he would pray about it. He did not say yes to baptism either, but still it was awesome. He will take to the book of Mormon soon!

     Ok now to yesterday, Sunday! What a wonderful day! Our fast and testimony meeting was wonderful and then we taught gospel principals, totally spur of the moment cause brother Mathson, our ward mission leader had something come up.  then right after gospel principals bishop came up and said "you want to teach a lesson?" at first I thought he meant like a class, and then I realized, no there was a less active and her nonmember boyfriend that came to church for the first time and he wanted us to teach them the first lesson. So we did and committed them to read and pray and for him to be baptized and he accepted! He is awesome. They are a little rough around the edges, but I could see in his eyes that he has a desire. They have gone through a lot lately and I was talking to him and he said that after they walked into the church he just felt so much better!! I am so excited for him and his girlfriend! Yesterday in church I also sat by Pete Dotson's aunt.  What a small world! They were visiting and his uncle is cousins I think...with the Mays in our ward, who are pretty much some of my favorite people here! haha.

     Ok and now to today! Quienten, one of our investigators, we thought was ignoring us, well he called us this morning and said that he just has been trying to find a job and told us he quit smoking yay! ...however he started chewing...so we told him that will have to go also hahaha, but hey at least smoking is gone right? hahaha he wants to meet with us tonight also! wahooooo Also earlier this week, Sister Tinjum we are staring to work with her and her family, they are less active but really are amazing and trying to come back, she invited us over for Thanksgiving!!!! awwwwww how amazing is she, I am so excited!

    OK also today in my personal study I finished all the highlights in the book of Mormon that I have been working on! All of the references to Christ are highlighted, and his doctrine, and his words, and the attributes of Christ. It is super amazing, and strengthens my testimony to just scroll through that copy I have highlighted and to see how much is truly is about Christ and testifies of him. There is not a single page without highlights. The book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and Joseph Smith is a prophet of God because there is no way he could have made it up, or translated it. No way. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Gods church once again on the earth. We have so many people that say, "your church is so new" and it is so amazing to explain, it is not, it is the same church Jesus Christ established while he was on the earth. And usually people don't really care or just keep going on with their lives, but one day that will hit them, and mean so much. :) What a blessing the gospel is and has been and will be in my life! God's work is going forward here in Bozeman Montana :) I love you all :)  Have a wonderful week.

                  -Sister Andrea Draudt