Week 54

September 3, 2012

Why hello there!!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!! Hope you all have a relaxing and fun day! Do any of you have any fun plans?

So as you heard last week, I got transferred to a new area!

I am SO happy to be in Elmwood with Sister Jarman! (She's the blonde in my pictures I sent.) We are already seeing so many miracles!! Just within the past 3 days I have taught more lessons total then I have in any week of my entire mission. Just by talking to everybody that we see we have found 14 new investigators... just within 3 days!! It's crazy! That's unheard of!!! People in this area are very open, friendly, and humble. I feel like Heavenly Father is blessing us by putting prepared and open people in our path because He knows we will talk to them, share the gospel, and love them. I know that miracles come as we are simply being obedient, following the Spirit, working hard, and having faith. Thank you so much for any of the prayers you have said for me... I know that is making a HUGE difference.

I come into the area and we immediately have a baptism! A man named Chris was baptized on Saturday. I'm grateful I could witness that, even though I hadn't met him before then. He has a great testimony and I can't wait to get to know him and his family. Luckily the sister who mostly taught him was able to get permission to come see the baptism. I wouldn't felt really weird being there had she not have been able to come. The baptism was packed! There were quite a few people standing in the back, including myself. haha! At the baptism we got 3 new investigators! A recent convert, Jenna, brought 3 of her friends and after the baptism Sister Jarman and I went to town with visiting with each one of them in the hallway and teaching them about the Book of Mormon and committing them to read and pray about it. What a neat experience that was!

Here's a cool experience for ya: We went to an apartment complex to go check on a less-active woman. She didn't answer so we were about to walk away from her door as two younger guys (mid- 20's) walk into the hallway saying, "Hey ladies! Want to come join us at our party??" Then we say enthusiastically with a big smile on our face, "No thanks! We're missionaries!" The boys said: "Say what? No way! That's crazy!" Then Kinney, the black man (not trying to sound racist but so you get a better picture) says, "I'm Mormon! My whole family is Mormon!" Then Greg, the white guy says to him, "Really? I didn't know that!" So then we ended up teaching these two guys in the hallway for about 25 minutes. Kinney's family is Mormon but he never converted but said 9/10 chances he would be Mormon. He said he just doesn't want to change right now- meaning he doesn't want to give up drinking. We got a long really well with them and connected so we could  be pretty bold. We read him the scripture in Alma 34 that says to not procrastinate the day of your repentance... He was like, "Ooohh, you missionaries always know exactly what to say to cut right to the heart and exactly what I need. But man, I know what I need to do and I know that is what God wants me to do... but I'm not ready! I want to party with my friends!" We basically told him there is no lasting happiness that comes from what he's doing right now in his life and he can have much more joy as he makes the changes necessary to come closer to God. We were able to give Greg a Book of Mormon and set up an appointment with both of them. It was cool because as we were talking you could definitely feel the Spirit so I said, Do you feel the Spirit right now as we are talking? Do you feel that difference? They both said that they did and that it was a cool feeling. We told them that that is what they will feel to know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Then we said that when they stepped into the apartment where the party is going on that feeling will immediately leave them. It was just a really cool experience to see it click for Kinney and we really hope he has the desire to make the changes he knows he needs to make. We were bold but loving and they could feel it and had a greater desire to strengthen their faith. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!

Another cool experience with a less active woman. She hasn't gone to church since she was a teenager. I think missionaries have stopped by maybe twice before in the past. When we went to see her she was very humble. She said that she has been trying to live life HER way most of her life and it hasn't brought her the happiness she thought it would. Now she wants to live her life GOD's way. We had a really great lesson on God's love and having the faith to start fresh. It's never too late to turn back to God. He loves us as we are and wants us to come back to him. The Spirit was very strong and she was crying and thanked us several times for coming to her and that's how she knows God is listening to her prayers. Such a sweet moment.

Sister Jarman is a great missionary. She's from SanDiego, Ca. She's very pretty, 5'9 (I look like a shrimp next to her, haha) She's a valley girl, cheerleader type. Very nice and friendly. Youngest child. We are going to see many miracles together I can already tell!!!

 Have a great week and I'll talk to you next Wednesday! We have a special conference with an area of the 70 coming next week on Tuesday so our preparation day moved.

Love you all!!

Sister Jones