Week 51: Grace and Tender Mercies

February 13, 2023

Forgot to mention in my last email... I totally slipped on a banana peel last week. And knocked a door open. Thankfully the guy on the other side was nice. On to the beginning of February!

Odds and Ends

•We got to go to Fabios birthday party!

• I played chair soccer for the first time and actually got someone out 💪😤

•Sister Hoyal set off the smoke detector in our little trailer... it is an flaw in the construction that it's so close to the kitchen haha!

•Sister Mattson gave us fake roaches that she usually scares the missionaries with. She spared me and Sister Hoyal though haha!

•I got some flowers for my birthday that got lost in the mail. Such a special surprise!

•We accidentally set up a lesson with active member thinking he was inactive.

•A lot of recent converts think caffeine is against the Word of Wisdom and won't even touch Coke products, but we told them they were a-okay!!

•A less active member told us her neighbor could use a message of Christ. We went over and pulled a Jehovahs Witness pamphlet out of door hehe...

•After a member meal, one of the kids said my game idea was boring and full on got up and left... hurt my feelings a lil...

•Tried heatless curls for the first time!

Miracles

☆We taught Reggie about the Holy Ghost, We read a scripture in 2 Nephi that teaches there are 2 parts to baptism, baptism of water, and fire (the Holy Ghost). Reggie pondered it and said "what's missing is the Holy Ghost!" It went different then planned, but he is super interested in studying the priesthood and the Holy Ghost! We told him we are the only church that gives the gift of the Holy Ghost. He was blown away! He said "You cant just go around saying that... thats a big deal! He said if God told him this was the true church he'd join 👀

☆Jonathan is learning from square one again. He needs to go back to the basics because he's been taught for so long! We had a lesson and he assigned his own commitment of reading all of Moroni 10. Jonathan can feel the Spirit when we teach. Every time we get to the spot in the lesson we could do a baptism invite, he goes "don't ask me to be baptized." We don't even mention it to him, the Spirit just tells him it's coming. It's so cool! One day he'll accept the fulness of the gospel. He's been coming to church for so long he's basically a member!

☆Cadence... such a sweet girl! She used to meet with the missionaries. Her dad Daniel was baptized, but she wasn't. We had a restoration lesson that was pretty good, but then she started crying. We talked more and this sweet girl has gone through so much in life! We did an analogy with an erasable pen and lighter and she loved it! She still is hesitant about the gospel. One day she'll give her burdens to Christ! We told her to reach out when she's ready!

☆Brandon went from a pack a day to only one cigarette in 3 days! We then started him on his 2 weeks before his baptism to keep the Word of Wisdom, and sadly he smoked Saturday. But he told us he KNOWS he can't do it on his own now and he said he's going to try it God's way now! Stay tuned!

☆We had a lesson set up with Kristiana's dad, Reggie, who lived a few houses down, but he wasn't home. BUT we went to Kristiana's and she was home! We introduced the Book of Mormon and talked about the restoration. She LOVED the first vision and really liked that Joseph Smith saw both God and Christ because she has always believed that they are two separate beings. She's praying about if Joseph Smith was a true prophet! Love her so much!

☆We were having a rough day. We hadn't seen a single. Human. Being. Almost all day! Lots of knocking on doors that had previously been taught, members we haven't seen in a while... nada. We were a little down in the dumps. Then 2 seconds later the Penrods call and invite us to dinner. I know God prompted them. It's moments like these where the little miracles make a huge impact and remind me that God sees me and is blessing me!

Spiritual Thought

Before I came out on my mission I never really understood what GRACE was. But I've come to know that grace is a multiplier! If we give 0 effort multiplied by the Saviors infinite ♾️ Atonement, it's still 0. But even if we give the teeeeeeniest effort, the grace is able to work and is INFINITE! I know we wouldn't have grace without Jesus Christ. I'm grateful He paid for all my sins and shortcomings and that he suffered for all I have, and will go through. Grace allows us to change! We have the ability to change everyday. Choose something to change today and choose the right a little more than yesterday. Christ will help you! ♡

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to Becky! Love ya!

Alsoooo happy bday to Storm!

Pictures