Jan. 9, 2017 "Living Large with Jesus in Charge"

Living Large with Jesus in Charge

Hellllooo family and friends!!

So I am repenting about not being super happy about leaving Independence.. because I LOVE Crooked River!! Wowie this week was amazing!!!

Sooo Monday was awesome, chill pday, the use - dinner at houses in the middle of nowhere, then we had an amazing lesson with Trish!!! She is SO faithful! And no matter what trials she goes through, she knows that "gods got her!" She is so sweet.

Tuesday was pretty good. Stayed around Lawson and did some finding to try and sort through all the different lists of people that make up our area. We have different lists and here not all accurate or in sync because Crooked River is a new ward that they combined a few wards about 6 months ago. Then Tuesday night we had a lesson with our investigator Kalina. She has been meeting with missionaries for a long time and was on date for January 21 but she hasn't been to church for a few weeks and even though she is SO solid, she doesn't understand why she has to move out or get married to her boyfriend...... darnnit. So she said she wants to take a little break. BUT she still wants contact, AND you know, when one door closes, another one opens!

Wednesday after district lunch we went and were trying to contact potentials in this town called Plattsburgh which is about a half hour away and we went and met a woman named Gwen! We were looking for her son but he doesn't live there anymore but she let us right in and started talking to us! She shared all about her faith and how her daughter is a member and she always tells her how wonderful it is and I don't even remember everything else but she said how much she needed us to come and how she knows god sent us to her! We left her with a restoration pamphlet and Book of Mormon and set up an appointment to come back Friday. When we came back Friday, she had read the whole pamphlet 3 times and even filled out the questions for additional study in the back!!!! (This literally never happens okay)

So she started answering the questions and she completely understood and already knew everything was true!! She said how it all makes so much sense and feels so good when she reads it and prays about it! After we left Wednesday she said she felt SO good. That she hadn't felt that much of the Holy Spirit in a long long time. And even could feel it then as we were teaching her. We invited her to be baptized and she accepted and is on date for January 28!!!!! She's AMAZING!!!!!

And man, THATS what a mission is all about. It's about going out and finding those who are READY. Not always those who you have to convince or persuade, but those who are prepared and recognize truth and can feel it from the Holy Ghost. Oh I just love her!! I love being a missionary and teaching about something that makes me so happy!!!!!

Friday we also had zone training which was quite amazing. And we were trained about using the pamphlets more so like when Gwen said that she had already read the pamphlet 3 times we wanted to cry. #inspiredtrainings #miracles !!!!

Wednesday night we also put out investigator Chris who is 12 on date ad he chose January 21!!! His whole family are members but they are less active. His dad is a little uh crazy though. But like a Missouri crazy. Like the crazies that move from California and come to Missouri because God told them to and they have to go and explore all the old nephite alters at Adam-Ondi-Ahman and express a bunch of other interesting and questionable doctrinal things.... Hahaha BUT he is way nice! But yeah we are just discerning how we can help them. Haha but yeah they're interesting. Also their dogs name is Bear Wolf.

HAHAH okay one more funny story. So after we are on this spiritual high from Gwen's lesson Friday, we go and the Carnahans (family I was just talking about) that fell through because they were all sick - literally EVERYONE IS SICK HERE! Including us lol - BUT we are like okay that's fine we will go home and have dinner then meet with our investigator Sarah! So we drive all the way home... and we don't have our house keys.

They had fallen off the key chain on Sister Stuber's bag.

We were like okay.. maybe they're in the car! Not in the car.

Maybe they're in the other sisters car who we rode with ... finally answered an hour later and said they weren't in their car.

Drove back to the gas station and then dollar general where we were.... not there either.

THE LAST PLACE WE WANTED TO GO - 20miles out from where we were in the middle of nowhere at a less actives and after another prayer... WE FOUND THE KEYS!!!

And even made it home on time :)

Prayer is real!!!! I have learned so much this week about what being a missionary truly is and how we are representatives of Jesus Christ and we need to help people the way that he would! I know at prayer is real and praying out loud and just talking to our father in heaven! He is really there and he is always listening!! If we are faithful and trust in Gods promises, we will receive the answers to our prayers and see miracles!!! I LOVEEE being a missionary. I love working hard and giving my all to these people here!!! Life is so good.