Monday, December 16, 2013

November 13, 2013, Independence, Missouri



Dear Family,
It sounds like everyone has been busy! Especially mom!

Guess What?!?! Transfer calls came and......I'M GOING FULL PROSELYTING!!! That's right! I am leaving the Visitor Center and Independence 2nd Ward, and heading out to Kearney (pronounced Car-knee) 3rd Ward. It is a big mix of emotions. I didn't expect to be leaving this transfer since Sister Stobbe just came here last transfer, but I guess the Lord felt differently. So I am still on my winning streak of a new companion every transfer- 4 companions 4 transfers! CRAZY! Also, I know who my new companion, Sister Morris is, because we served together at the Visitor Center my first transfer in Independence. This will be her third transfer out full proselyting so I'm pretty sure I will only be with her for one transfer and then get a new companion because she will be due to come back to the Visitor Center. Anyways, I'm sad to leave all my investigators.

We're not too sure what is going on with I; he has been cancelling a lot on us. But we have been meeting with K. still, who has a masters in theology and writing a dissertation on the Book of Mormon and Bible - AKA he is very smart and extremely well versed in the scriptures. He joined Community of Christ last year, but wants to know if this church is true. We have talked with him a lot about recognizing the spirit and praying about specific questions, and using his heart instead of logic, since he is so analytical. I'm excited to hear how things go with him. Apo is still set to be baptized this Saturday, and hopefully I will be there to give the opening prayer, if I am given permission from President Keyes to leave my new area. Apo is so amazing! She has the testimony of someone who was raised in the gospel her whole life. When we ask her questions she teaches us the doctrine and how it applies to our lives! She is just amazing and so prepared by the Lord to accept the gospel. Miracle!! We have also been meeting with a lady who has breast cancer.

The other day Sister Stobbe and I were able to meet with my recent convert Lesi. As we asked her how things were going I was amazed to hear that she has been trying to share the gospel with family and that she has implemented Family Home Evening, Family Prayer and Family Scripture Study into their homes. She also said that  the Holy Ghost has been telling her to go to the temple to do baptisms. I am so thrilled! Also, she said her husband (who was less-active and is working on becoming a worthy temple recommend holder) was scheduled to work on Sundays by his boss, so she went to his work and talked to his boss and asked that he have Sundays off. She knew the boss because he was a family friend and she said after talking with him he agreed to give her husband Sundays off. I hadn't been able to go and actually visit Lesi this whole transfer until the other day. It made me so happy to see that she is the driving force behind supporting her husband in getting active when she herself is a recent convert. She is amazing and I can't wait until they are able to be sealed as a family in the temple next year. That is their goal J!

Also things with Sister Stobbe have been going incredibly well. We have had so much companion unity the last couple weeks. In lessons we have really been able to have the spirit and teach well. Also, when we go out tracting we have been so unified and allowed the spirit to work though us. The other day we were out tracting and decided to go see a sweet lady, J., that we ran into, but said she didn't have time to talk and that we could come back another time. It had been a few weeks, so we decided to go stop by her house to see her. She was home and as we talked with her we found out she was Pentecostal and she knew a little bit about the Church, but had heard some false things about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. She also said she felt like there was more truth out there that she hadn't found yet. She was extremely polite and courteous, willing to listen to what we said. As we talked to her about our purpose, and taught her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, we could see her heart start to soften even more. I felt impressed to show her how the Book of Mormon really is another Testament of Jesus Christ. I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and invited her to read on her own 3 Nephi 11 which talks about the gospel of Jesus Christ. She accepted the invitiation.

I read her Moroni's promise and testified that the Holy Ghost would witness to her of the truthfulness of what we were saying and of the Book of Mormon. She then relayed to us some experiences she had had in her own life of feeling the Holy Ghost. To my surprise after relaying to us some of her experiences, she told us she couldn't learn more about our Church and gave us back the Book of Mormon. She said she felt like she was on the path where the Holy Ghost was leading her and that she hadn't been led a different way yet. I seriously wanted to cry. She had the truth that she was seeking right in her hands and just rejected it. Sister Stobbe and I bore testimony of how our message would bless her life and how we knew it was true, but her heart had hardened. She was still very sweet and courteous and thanked us for caring about the welfare of her soul. Sister Stobbe asked if we could leave her with a prayer, she told us we could. At the end of the prayer, the lady told us she was very impressed that we ended our prayer "in the name of Jesus Christ". We invited her to pray about what we had shared with her and to know if learning more was the direction God wants her to go. She said she would and that if she felt prompted to learn more about our Church, that she would call us, so I left her with a mormon.org card with our number on it.

In that doorstep discussion Sister Stobbe and I had taught with the greatest unity I have ever experienced. The spirit was so strong that whole time and I was devastated that Janice had somehow rationalized her way out of learning more about the gospel. However, I know that eventually she will be led to the Church. She will realize that here is where the truth lies. I pray that her heart will continue to soften and that she will pray and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I'm so thankful for the Spirit that Sister Stobbe and I were able to have because it allowed the Spirit to testify of what we were saying even up to the last couple words in a prayer, "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen".

I love this gospel and I am so thankful to know that this church is true; that the fullness of the gospel is here on the earth. I have felt the peace and comfort that has come from the Holy Ghost. I have felt the love that God has for me and the rest of his children. I have felt the sadness he feels when His children reject the gospel that will make them the most happy in the plan He has created for them. I love my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know this gospel is true and I know the Book of Mormon is true. It speaks truth to my heart and the war chapters in Alma relate to the spiritual war that is waging against us today. I'm thankful for the armor I am able to put on to withstand Satan, as I study and apply the doctrines contained in the scriptures.

I love you all and hope you have a great week. Also my P-day is officially changed to P-day!


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