Week 38: Jesus Is My Driver

We found 5 people this week! Here's the rundown...

Alma: She is the sweetest old lady!! She was a gray dot in our areabook (which just means that she was too busy, unable to contact, or wasn't interested) and we called her up! She said she would like to do a bible study with us and wanted to study Psalms. Elder Neddo and I didn't feel very confident studying Psalms so we started looking for what we should study and I found a verse I had marked awhile ago. It says, "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:24). We looked at the rest of the chapter and really liked it so we decided to study Pslams 31! And guess what... ALMA LOVED IT! She had so much to say about it and really related to the verses. She told us she has been feeling lonely so we invited her to church and she said she goes to 4 other churches but would try ours out! Unfortunately she didn't make it yesterday because she woke up with a sore throat but I'm sure she will come another Sunday and love it. 

Jarome & Keir: They were found in September last year by some other missionaries but they were never able to meet with them. We were finally able to set up an appointment with them but when we showed up Jarome said he forgot and it wasn't a good time. So we were persistent and set up another appointment for the next day and when we got there no one was answering the door. We were about to leave but I felt like we should knock one more time and wait a little bit. Still no answer... so we were starting our walk of shame back to the car and we run into them on the stairs! They had run to get food and said we could come back up with them. We had a quick lesson with them about the Book of Mormon and they said they would read it and we set up another appointment with them for Tuesday! After we left I kept thinking about what would've happened if we had left when we originally wanted to. We definitely would've missed them and probably would've stopped teaching them because we haven't been able to meet with them for so long.

Jessica & the fam: Jessica is an inactive member that the last elders found and she is seriously so nice!! She's been wanting to come back to church and her husband and kids aren't members so we've started to meet with them! 

Guys you won't believe this.... I went to my first baptism on the mission! It's about time! It was a mom (Brenda) and her daughter (Kyleen) that got baptized. I was actually there when we put Brenda and Kyleen on date and I've been there for a few other lessons because of exchanges. Her son Mario was also gonna get baptized but he wants a little more time which is totally okay! It was such an amazing baptism though. The spirit was so strong and I kept crying. After Brenda and Kyleen got baptized Brenda bore her testimony and conversion story. She said that she was going through a really hard time in her life and was searching for help when she saw the temple and thought it was some type of catholic church. So she pulled in and WALKED INSIDE haha. They told her to go to the closest church building so she did and when she got there she was walking around the building but couldn't find anyone until she "stumbled" across the missionaries while they were having district council. She was bawling and they insisted that they help her and the rest is history! Brenda's testimony and faith are so powerful and I'm so grateful to have been apart of her journey. 

The rest of our appointments fell through this week but we handed out some Book of Mormons and talked to a lot of people! Missionary work is hard, not gonna lie, but it is so worth it and I love being a missionary. 

Scripture of the week comes from Alma 34:

"32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."

Now is the time to change and repent! After this life we will still be the same people with the same desires and weaknesses. That doesn't mean we can't change, but it won't be any easier. If you want to stand clean before God at the last day, don't procrastinate changing the things that distract or prevent you from following him. Nothing will bring you more joy in this life and the life to come. 

- Elder Christensen

Aaahhh sorry it's me again!!

I forgot to include this quote from Brenda that made me giggle. She said,  "Even though I'm poor, I feel like a rich girl because I have God in my heart". Can I get an amen?? Gah I love her. 

Pictures

1. When you need to take a nap but have a shake to finish

2. Sunset

3. Got a nail in our tire 

4. The best purchase of my mission so far

5. Ed's cute dogs!! (They're sweeties, I promise)

6. A painting one of our member's had in their house

7-8. Downtown

9-11. We went to this store called "Fiesta" and it was so cool! I swear I could stay in there for hours.