"Greetings from Illinois!
It's been another great week here in Paradise! It even felt like we
were in Hawaii this week with the humidity and all the green grass and
all the trees. But the brutal reality is that it's not Hawaii and even
more so that I'm not allowed to swim. One of the many reasons I want
to come back and visit my mission next summer is because the Fox River
runs right through Oswego and people get floaties and float down the
river and it looks so fun! You can't do that in November. Well I guess
you could if you want to die, but I'd rather not! Okay, can I just
make a comment. Garret might kill me for this but he has 6 months to
get over it. So you all remember when my ear plugged up and I went
deaf and I had to go get a plunger thing to get the ear wax out? Well
I just about died laughing when Garret told me the same thing happened
to him this week! Hahaha, it must run in the family:) So Kirsten,
watch out!
Anyways, we had a really great week! Like really really great week! We
got 3 new solid investigators and all are super interested in the
gospel! And the investigators we have are all progressing. I'll start
with Carol. She's 68 and smokes and has for a long time. She's had
this date in mind for awhile on when she wants to quit smoking by but
she would never tell us saying it's just between her and The Lord. We
told her as long as she gave us a few days notice to plan the baptism
that was fine! Well this week she told us her date! It's June 21st!
And she really is going to quit smoking! She is determined. And this
week she got a blessing and made the comment that maybe June 21st
would be her baptism day and not her stop smoking day! That was a
super big miracle because we have been working with Carol for over 6
months and she was meeting with the Elders before that even. So pray
that Carol can overcome her addiction by June 21st!

You know this week I was thinking about how everyone always prays that
the missionaries will be able to find those who are ready for the
gospel. But what about the people we have already found that need help
accepting the gospel? Sometimes I feel like to pray for the latter
would be more powerful because you know who should be finding the
people for us to teach? You! And we find to, but we are called to
teach. So I want to challenge you all to pray for the people
investigating the church in your home area. And if you don't know
their names or who is, ask the missionaries! They can help you! And
the investigators need your prayers! They are changing their lives and
need the help! If you want some more people to pray for then you can
pray for my investigators but seriously. I feel like so much power
would come if we all prayed for the people we have already found, so
many more would be baptized and stay active.
Sorry for the tangent, anyways, we are also teaching this part member
family! The husband is a member, the wife is not. And this week we
invited her to be baptized and she said ABSOLUTELY! She said when I
have prayed and found this to be true I will be baptized. We were
pumped:) And her husband said the closing prayer and said he would
read with her which was a big step for him because he was a little
blunt when we first started going over.
And we met this guy named Ward! He's practically already a member
because his name is so Church-y! And so we take a member with us to
his house. And he answers the door but doesn't let us in. So we stand
on his porch for an hour teaching him the restoration. But halfway
through the lesson the cops pull up outside his house! And they were
shining their flashlights all around the neighborhood and kept
watching us. I got kinda scared thinking we were teaching some crazy
psycho but then the cops ran into his neighbors house! It was really
weird. But that just goes to show why normal people invite us into
their living rooms when we teach because there are too many
distractions outside!
So this week was Stake Conference and it was so good because we got to
see President Fenn 3 times this week! We had a meeting with all the
full-time missionaries, Ward mission leaders, and Bishops on Saturday.
We went with one of our Ward missionaries. Well I was supposed to lead
the music but we got there late so I wasn't able to. But as we were
walking in I hear "And then we'll have a special musical number by
Sister Hauser." This is one of those moments I wish we had a hidden
camera because I felt the color drain from my face and my eyes widen
and a look of pure terror was displayed. So in my mind I'm thinking,
did I forget I was singing? Did I tell someone I can play the piano? I
can always bang on some chairs and start a drum line, would that be
reverent? Maybe I'll just bust out singing The Star-Spangled Banner
with no piano? All of these thoughts go through my mind in about 5
seconds. So we sit down and the speakers start and I'm about to pee my
pants over here because this is the meeting with High Counselors,
Stake presidency, my mission president, and many many other important
people. Well one of my Zone Leaders must have seen the pure terror on
my face because came up to me after a few speakers and said "Sister
Hauser, you don't have to worry about the musical number." I didn't
know what to say so I just laughed and said a shaky thank you!
Apparently, since I was leading the music they had put that I would
lead the musical number, when really I had no part in it. The musical
number ended up being 4 Elders singing The Time is Far Spent and it
was lovely and I sat back in my chair enjoying every second of it.
Luckily, my patriotic drum line will be saved for another time:)
Well Stake Conference here was lovely as the whole Saturday night
session was in missionary work. It was grand! And I love that they're
inviting 12 and up now.
This pictures I'm including is me with the kids from my favorite
family in Oswego! Mom, you better hold onto this picture and print it
out and hang it on the wall! The twins graduated from high school this
week but they didn't have a party. So when we went over to their house
on Sunday we were their party! Who better than the sister missionaries
to spend your graduation with?!
Well the church is true, the Book is blue. I hope you all have a great
week! I pray for you all! Much love!"