"This week has been a little crazy. We had
Christmas zone conference which was so nice! We had trainings all morning and
then we had skits. It is so funny to watch the Elders and Sisters actually be
normal...or weird. There was one skit where they went threw the day of a
missionary and they had the shoulder angel and the devil. Holy Cow it was so
funny, I wish I had it on video to watch over and over again.
I had a book of mormon that I wanted to
send home to you for Christmas. I had literally written on every page of it with
my thoughts and feelings about the Character of Christ. In the back I had kept
track of the miracles and each day I wrote why I loved my mission. And I
actually took it tracting with me so that I could read verses to people we
contacted. BUT one day it was raining, sooooo windy and we were on the bikes. I
was soaked from head to toe, and unfortunately my bag is not water
proof....Everything inside it got wet and ruined. My ministerial certificate, my
book of mormon, and my pamphlets. Kinda ruined my day. lol But then later I
found out that It was actually a tornado warning that we were riding our bikes
around in...hahahaha that was comforting to know that I had no idea there was a
warning :) But a good story.
I also went on exchanges this week. It was the first time I had been out of
my area. It is so awesome the miracles that come from exchanges! The people were
awesome and so many of them were prepared. There was one man named AJ. Man I
should say boy. He is 17 and has a daughter who is one. He has full care of her.
He was a referral from a member who is preparing to serve a mission soon. He was
so excited, he wanted to be a missionary so bad. He wanted to be baptised like
the next day.hahaha He was baptized this past week, which was cool:)
our neighbor willie is the coolest. He decorated our home for us and he
always blows the pine needles off our driveway. He decorated his house so that
you can literally see it from outer space. He is a principle at one of the
high schools in Lexington and he made a video of his lights to send to all of his
employees. There is a sign out side of his house that says, "Merry Christmas
from Willie O and the Sisters!" hahahah Everyone asks "Who are the Sisters?" and
he tells them all about us! He is being a missionary and he doesn't even know it
:) His father is a minister and he almost went to seminary school. He won't let
us teach him, but he will be baptized sooner or later :)
I had such a new experience this week, it was really crazy. There was a man
that we knocked into, his name is Frank. At first he was really harsh and not
really wanting to talk. Sister Dougherty likes to bash sometimes and I was
afraid that was what was going to happen. So while he was talking I just smiled
and listened. The gift God gave me to be being able to listen to people in the
South is seriously a blessing because honestly half the time I do not understand
how anything they are saying is relevant. BUT I listened while he ranted and
kind of knocked us. But at the end, I looked at him and said, "Frank, you are an
interesting man, tell us about where you grew up and how you came to these
beliefs." And he told us about him self, and his whole domineer changed. He was
no longer hostile but wanted us to come in and tell him more etc. But the
interesting part was that he said to us that he was "different." He wasn't
welcome in some church because of the gifts God gave him....(I got super
nervous) He then told us that he had the gift of healing. He said he had "layed
his hands on people and prayed over them." and they were healed. He then kept
saying, "I know it sounds weird, but I have done it, I can't deny it." He didn't
realize how NOT weird that was to us. It was then that my testimony was a little
shaken. I thought the priesthood could only do that ??? So I went and
studied:) At zone conference we had watched a movie about the pioneers, and their
journey across the country. And in the movie, a man named Ephraim had the gift
of healing. (I don't think it was a coincidence that I watched that movie the
day before I met Frank) I studied the power of the priesthood, and 1. The
priesthood is for blessing and healing the sick, administering ordinances of
salvation, and organizing Jesus Christ church. (There is more I just don't
understand it because I was a girl and didn't think it pertained to me when I
was younger. FALSE) But the blessing of healing is done under the power of the
priesthood but it is based on faith. That blew my mind. Frank probably has that
gift....his faith must be incredible....and He needs to have the priesthood :))
I am so excited to teach him."
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