Jan. 30, 2017 "Pentecostals, Zone Conf, armed fugitive, & BAPTISM!"

Pentecostals, Zone Conf, armed fugitive, & BAPTISM!

Hello happy Monday once again!!!

Another week as a missionary, going to random houses and hoping they invite you in! Haha but really wow this week was literally packed and insane. So I'll break it out into the few major things:

So this week we were going to find a lady who had been referred to us. It was the wrong address but they said she lived in that complex so we ask around and find her house and we go over and it's this sweet old black lady and all her family and neighbors over and they let us right in and we got to talking to them and he were asking us all questions and one of them was like "well you know we're Pentecostals right? So like I don't know if that shows you anything ..." but we told them how we just help people strengthen the faith they already have by teaching lessons & they said we could come back!! So we went back a couple days later and taught them the Restoration and it was awesome! They all were there and I think one of the guys was drunk but they all felt the spirit especially when we shared the first vision.

But it was awesome!! I love them so much! They are so passionate about Christ and they're all black and loving and wow just that's Missouri for ya. So we're gonna convert all the Pentecostal church in Plattsburg because we are going back Wednesday!!!!

This week we also had zone conference!!! And it was the Worldwide Mission Broadcast! That was so awesome. The mission council for the church (elder Oaks, bednar, a couple people from the seventy I couldn't name off he top of my head) all went over the broadcast last year and basically did a question and answer and taught us all about what it means to teach repentance and baptize Converts and how to apply that to our everyday work. It was so helpful and inspiring!!

They also announce a CHANGE IN OUR MISSIONARY SCHEDULE!!!! Ground breaking news people!!!!!! Not much is different. We still wake up at 6:30 and exercise and stuff but we don't have nightly planning, and we can do things in whatever order we want. We have from 6:30 to 10 to exercise get ready eat and have 30 min to plan and 1 hr to do personal study. Then from 10-9 or 9:30 we have comp study we can do for either 30-60 min and u can do twelve week and language study whenever. And only 30 min for lunch. It's supposed to help us be more effective and stuff and lemme tell you not having nightly planning is the BEST!! We get more rest because we can go to bed right away! So i am getting used to it. It's weird. I like it when people just tell me what to do instead of being an agent unto myself. But it's supposed to prepare me for the real world I guess.

So Zone Conference was amazing and I learned a lot!! It got out late so we were on our way home to make it to dinner and we realize we have like 4 missed calls and voicemails. Apparently, the town of Lawson where we live and we're having dinner was on lockdown because an armed fugitive with two loaded rifles and he was hiding out somewhere and there were helicopters and swat and cops everywhere!! So we are like uhhh so do we go back to Lawson then? Long story short we prayed and talked to our leaders and decided it would be okay and we would be with a priesthood holder. So we went to dinner and had our lesson and a half hour before we got in for the night they caught the guy! And he was hiding out at apartments right by Sarah's house where we were! But we lived and it's all good :)

And to end off the crazy awesome week we had SARAHS BAPTISM!!!! Amazingly everything went off without a hitch and worked out and was amazing! Especially since Sarah's daughter Vayda got super sick the day before. Like she had strep, an upper respiratory infection AND the stomach flu. So she got a blessing and we had her baptism and it was amazing!! The speakers really brought the spirit and you could tell Sarah was feeling it. She was SOO excited too! And overall it was just so amazing! And she was confirmed on Sunday and wow just blessings. That's what it is all about.

She has so much hope and I just know her life will improve! She has come such a long way and been through so much and now she has the Lord and the Holy Ghost with her always and things are just going to get better!!

But man can I just say I LOOOVEEEEEE being a missionary.

Yesterday I had the opportunity of sharing my story with the youth. Of how I gained my testimony and how I ended up on a mission. And wow being able to reflect on all of that and all of the experiences I have had I just am so thankful that I have a Heavenly father who knows me perfectly. Truly "all things work together for the good of them that love God."

There is so much happiness and true joy that ONLY comes from Jesus Christ. Wow I love life. I love the gospel. I love Jesus.

In the words of our bishop "Be excited that Jesus Christ lives. Be excited that He loves you."

Thanks for your love and support. Have the most amazing week!!!

Sister Bleak

Talks to read this week:

"Quick to observe" elder bednar ensign dec 2006

"Do I believe?" Sister oscarson april 2016

" Candle of the lord" Boyd k packed

Ps. The sweetest returning member in our ward gives all the missionaries a nickname and he finally came up with mine: Sister Sparkle. Hahaha. He said that all missionaries have a glow about them but mine is especially bright. Best compliment I have ever gotten