November 18, 2013
Hi Everyone!!! I love you all so much.
It was such a wonderful week!!!
And Guess What??
It went by so fast!!! :)
Last Tuesday morning we woke up and were getting ready for the day when we noticed that it was smelling really strongly of smoke. Like a fire. It just kept getting worse and worse and we realized it was coming from the vent. It started getting a little smokey too we thought. Then the smell just kept getting stronger and stronger. Sister Kerr and I kind of started freaking out a little and were like, "maybe we should go tell the office..." and then when the smell kept getting stronger I said to Sister Kerr, "maybe you should call the fire department!" and Sister Kerr said, "But I've never done that before... I don't want to. You do it." and I said, "But I've never done it before either! I'm scared!" So we decided to just walk down and tell the office. They quickly came up and inspected and said it was just because the people down below us were using their fireplace for the first time. We were really really glad we were both too chicken to call the fire department. haha That would have been really embarrassing... It was funny though. We laughed about it the rest of the day. Hopefully in a real fire emergency one of us would be brave enough to call 911.
That night on our way home I said to Sister Kerr, "I really hope our apartment isn't burned down because I am way too tired for that tonight..." She agreed.
On Wednesday night Sister Kerr and I went on splits. It was my first time. I went with Sister Read and Sister Kerr went with Sister Anderson. They are both older ladies in our ward and are some of the ward missionaries. Sister Read and I went and saw a less active and it was really fun! We finished early and went back to Sister Read's house where we were going to meet Sister Kerr and Sister Anderson when they were done. We talked and ate cookies. It was weird not being with Sister Kerr... haha It was fun though.
On Thursday night we had that phone call with Janelle, the girl we found tracting last week. She called and had some questions for us. A LOT of questions. The first one was, "You said to me that if I read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it, I would come to know it is true. What is your experience with that?" At that point I was feeling okay about the questions, haha because I could totally answer that. But then her questions got progressively more deep and intense and she was throwing scriptures at us in the bible trying to contradict everything we said... Sister Kerr and I both came away from that experience feeling weird about it and I was just feeling blue. The next morning I woke up though and during my scripture study I realized, I could answer all those questions!!! I did answer all those questions! Whether she was open to us or not, we could still answer all of the things she was asking! I will never have to wonder EVER about the things she was wondering about. Those questions of the soul are answered in the gospel. As I studied that morning more about the questions she asked, everything fell into place . Everything came together perfectly. We have the fullness of the gospel. We have all of the answers. We never have to walk in darkness or confusion because the gospel is complete and full, without any holes. It is perfect. I am so grateful we had that experience, because it has strengthened my testimony so much. I have more gratitude for the gospel than I could ever express. We have the truth. There is no need to wonder. We are going to talk to Janelle again on Thursday. If she isn't open to what we are saying then we will stop talking to her, but hopefully her heart will be softened and her questions can be answered through the gospel. She has so many questions. And they can ALL be answered.
On Thursday we also went and saw Mandy, a less active member, and her family. We invited them to go to the Visitors Center with us on Friday and they said yes. But that night we got a call from her saying she wasn't feeling well and we would probably just need to wait and go next week. At 1:50 on Friday we texted her just to make sure we weren't going (we were planning on leaving at 2) and she texted back, "Of course!!! We are just about ready to go!" Sister Kerr and I seriously were so taken back. We really didn't think we were going!!! haha It was so awesome. Mandy and her two daughters and us went and it was SO much fun. It was such a special experience. Mandy expressed to us that one of the things that caught her attention about our church was baptisms for the dead. She loves that concept. She has wanted to go so badly ever since. When we were watching the films about temples she said, "I want to go in so badly." We said, we can work towards that!!!! Her attitude was, are you kidding me? Me?? But she can do it... It was such a special day. It really was so amazing and such a blessing. Sister Kerr and I needed a pick-me-up after Thursday, and that was it. It was so special. I love the temple. On the way home from the Visitors Center, Mandy took us to Cold Stone :) Yumm.
Saturday was the best day of my mission so far. HEIDI GOT BAPTIZED!!!! We went and did service for her that morning and helped her clean her house and shared in her excitement for that evening. Then we went to see Claudia, our investigator getting baptized on the 30. We helped her decorate for her 18th birthday!! She can get baptized now! :) Then we went and contacted a less active who was so welcoming and sweet and we ended up talking for a long time. Then Sister Kerr and I had to run to dairy queen really quick and get some food in us then we went to the baptism...
Heidi looked so beautiful in her new outfit she got and it was just the most exciting thing ever. She was so happy. Being a part of her journey has been such an incredible blessing. I feel so beyond blessed that Heavenly Father trusted me enough to help Heidi in this process. Honestly though, I don't feel like I did anything!!! She has been so faithful and has just immediately accepted everything. But when she tells her story she says, "I was searching for so long for a religion. There was something missing in my life and I knew it. And then the Sister Missionaries came to my house and immediately I knew I found home." She tells everyone that. And when she says the part about how we came to her house and she knew she found home, I am filled with so much joy. When she says that it makes me realize I actually did do something, I showed up :) Heavenly Father did the rest, but I am grateful I was able to show up. :)
Heidi couldn't stop smiling after her baptism. There is nothing more special than seeing an investigator come up out of the water. I have never been filled with more love in my life. Heidi expressed some concerns to us before that she was worried she wouldn't feel different. But coming up out of the water she said in her cute Heidi voice, "Oh yeah." She felt it. :) We went to her house that night to be with her and her son Noah and we played a couple games with them. It felt different being around her. You could seriously feel a huge difference. Her whole home felt different, like we were entering a members home for family home evening or something. It was awesome. I love her so much. This is why I came, this is what it is about. I told Sister Kerr we need to have a baptism a week now because that was just too amazing. :)
Yesterday she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost in sacrament meeting. She asked one of the Elders serving in our ward to give it. He is from Virginia and has a little accent and a really deep voice. We asked Heidi why she picked him and she said, "His voice is just so cool!" hahahaha She is so adorable.
I am so grateful for the wonderful week it has been. I am so grateful for the BILLION letters and packages I got this week. I am SO grateful for that. I feel so loved. :) Letters and packages make a world of a difference. It can completely change a day. I love you all. Thank you for your support.
I am grateful for the Book of Mormon. I know that the gospel has been restored in its fullness. This is the Lords church. We can find answers to all of our questions. As we make The Savior our foundation and the center of our life, we are blessed beyond measure. He lives. We can know Him personally. I am grateful for that.
I love you all.
