This week could be summed up in that one word for me. WOW! So much has
happened. There's no way I could possibly remember to include all of it, but
I'll try my best. So get comfortable, because this email has its highs and it
has its lows!
I'm going to have to type this email split up into days because there is so
much detail I can't remember half of it!
Monday: Sister Jennings and I decided to make rice crispy treats for our
investigators to serve them. And who can reject 2 adorable sister missionaries
with a plate of rice crispy treats?! Only the very vilest of sinners:) So we had
a list we would stop by. Well none of them were home! So we knew there was some
other place we needed to be. Sister Jennings thought of a random active member,
so we decided to go with it. The member let us in and we shared a message with
her and her daughter. About half way through our message she broke down crying
and said how much she needed to be reminded of Gods love for her, and that's
what we taught about. She said she was supposed to go run errands that night but
for some reason went home and then we showed up. Brothers & Sisters, the
Lord is in the details of our lives. And He has not forgotten about any of His
children! So that was Miracle # 1. ( keep track of the miracles because there
are lots!) So we left that members and we're headed to an appointment when a
random number called us. She said her name was Sheryl and said that she was a
member of our church. She preceded to ask "Are you the people who share messages
with families?" Uhhhh... Let me think about that. Yes!!!! She asked if we could
come and teach her, her nonmember husband, and her 2 kids this Friday! I said
"Wow, we're really busy but I think we might be able to fit you in." Just
kidding, I didn't say that! Of course we could hardly contain our excitement
that someone had just called the missionaries and asked if we could teach their
family. Usually it's the other way around with us begging to let us come in. It
was no big deal:) So that was miracle number 2! Then we met with Kathy. She's
the Filipino we've been teaching whose on date to be baptized October 11. We had an awesome lesson with her and we found a
member to come with us who served his mission in the Philippines and they were
like little giddy school girls laughing and talking in Tagalog. While we
awkwardly sat on the couch and ate our egg rolls. But she's still on date!
Miracle number 3! And it's only Monday!
Tuesday: I went to Rockford for exchanges. Supposedly 2 of the most
dangerous streets in America are in Rockford. Don't worry, I'm still alive! We
were tracting down the street and we saw this lady taking her trash out so we
went and talked with her. She told me she had just moved from Gallup New Mexico
and I said "Hey! My Dad goes to Gallup all the time." She seemed surprised I
even know where that was but we didn't know any mutual people. And then that
night a member took us to Pizza Hut for dinner and she also lived in Gallup for
a few years! I was a little weirded out between the connection of Rockford
Illinois and Gallup New Mexico. So I started asking everyone we met if they
were from Gallup, but nobody else was:)
Wednesday: Okay so we gave our first training for this transfer at the
Rockford Zone training Meeting. Of course they told us to prepare for 30 minutes
but President Fenn talked too long so we had to cut it down to 15 minutes. I've
definitely learned what speaking by the spirit means when you have so much
material and so little time to present it. Then Sister Jennings and I were
reunited and came back to Elgin. We had dinner at a sweet old ladies house. She
made fried chicken, potato pancakes, and always says "Girl!" She's from the
south for sure! And she has her husbands urn sitting right by her rocking
chair.... That was interesting.... We also taught Mercedes that night. So at the
end of our lesson she told us that she doesn't feel like we have the authority
to be teaching her and that we as women don't know as much about the church
because we don't hold the priesthood. Sister Jennings and I both sat up
straight, looked her in the eye and testified that we had been set apart by a
priesthood holder and therefore exercise that authority when we teach. She
wasn't convinced and still wants to meet with a priesthood holder to discuss the
"real" teachings of the church. Whatever that is. And she claimed that no church
has pure doctrine because humans are imperfect. She just isn't hearing us when
we say that the Book of Mormon is pure and makes the teachings pure. Some
people's children.... We were going to drop her but then she came to church
yesterday! And our stake president was there to back up our validity to teach.
It was ward conference and he stood up in relief society and noticed us on the
front row so he just started going on and on about how great sister missionaries
are and how we all have priesthood authority in our callings and areas. He
pretty much said everything Mercedes needed to hear! What are we on now, miracle
number 4?! It was so sweet!
Thursday: We were supposed to train in Schaumburg but President Fenn was
still sick so it got cancelled and moved again. You know what happens when
meetings get moved and cancelled? Sister Hauser and Sister Jennings pull their
hair out because it means re doing exchanges for the millionth time! But all is
well. We just have had to do a lot of planning and scheduling. Not to mention we
found out that randomly we are getting 3 new sisters in today! And it's not even
transfers! So we had to cancel all of our plans tonight and
we'll go to the mission home, do yet another training, and eat deep dish pizza
again! And to add to that we went running that morning and I was just going
along, running like I always do, and next thing I new. Bam! I was sprawled out
flat on the cement. My companion did a very good job at not busting up and
laughing at me but helped me up. I think after reading Dads email, Heavenly
Father just wanted me to feel a small portion of how you felt when you ran your
half marathon! I skinned my knees up pretty bad and had a third knee for a few
days. The worst part was i ripped a hole in my new exercise pants! And people
wonder why I don't like running. The point being, things just started adding up
one on top of another his week!
Friday: It was an amazing day! We had an all mission conference in
Naperville about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Since on September 22
Joseph Smith received the gold plates we decided to celebrate it. Of course it
was a treat to see everyone. All of my past companions are looking great and it
was fun to catch up with them! But the best part was when we sang Praise to the
Man for the closing hymn. I want you all to picture what it's like to have 200+
missionaries crammed into a chapel, standing on their feet, and raising their
voices high to the heavens singing "Sacrifice brings forth the blessing of
heaven, earth must stone for the blood of that man. Wake up the world for the
conflict of justice, millions shall know Brother Joseph again." We are waking up
the world and letting them know that there is a prophet on earth. To say the
spirit was powerful would be an understatement. It was overwhelming! And
President Fenn stood on the stand in front of all of us and wept. I don't know
if there's greater happiness out there than seeing your mission president so
happy because he knows we will always stay true to the Prophet Joseph. After
that we went on exchanges again and Sister Davis came here to Elgin with me. We
were supposed to teach Sheryl who had called us earlier in the week but the
conference went way over and we were an hour late to her appointment! But she
was okay with it. She told us that she's ready to come back and wants her kids
to be raised in the church we will be teaching her this Saturday!
Sunday: We had 5 investigators at church! That's almost half of a football
team! Speaking of football... I hear the Bears are doing pretty good! Or maybe
the members are just telling us that because we believe what ever they say.
Haha! Anyways, so Mercedes was at church. Brother Laine was at church. Kathy
came to church. And Mark and Brandon were also at church! They're the twin ten
year olds we taught last Sunday. We went and taught them again in the evening
and we met their Mom. She's the reason they weren't baptized in the past but she
sat in the for lesson and she agreed to not only let her 2 boys be baptized but
she also wants to learn again! I think that deserved about 10 miracles all in
one moment! We could hardly believe she was interested! And they're from the
Philippines too and they made us this Filipino cake and it was good! With all
the Filipino food we've had recently I feel like a native:) Mark and Brandon are
so funny! They are ten year old twin boys. Need I say more? They kept calling
Joseph Smith John Adams and anytime they say something outrageous they do the
Catholic cross with their hand. Haha! And then they kept asking us "What's
Jesus's last name? Does God have a middle name? Where do middle names come
from?" And they guessed that Sister Jennings was 26 years old and I was 27 years
old! Haha I guess I've grown up on my mission because usually people say I look
17! So they're on date to be baptized for October 25. And
Roy is still on date for October 18th to be baptized. The
Lord currently has 4 people on date in this area! We feel so deeply blessed and
humbled.
Like I said, this was the week of never ending miracles. I'm so grateful
for the missionaries who served here previously and for the foundation they
laid. I know that the Lord blesses us according to our faith and that doing His
will is the most important thing. I have a strengthened and renewed testimony of
the Book of Mormon after this week. President Fenn taught us that if we read the
Book of Mormon at least once every year then we will never lose our testimony
and go less active in the church. I know that if we read the Book of Mormon all
else will fall into place. It's a true book, and it changes lives.
I hope and pray you all have a safe and well week! I get to go and serve in
Belvidere tomorrow for exchanges and then we have a training on Friday. Don't
forget to all go to the General Women's broadcast this Saturday. If it's not a
priority on your list, then make it one! Love you all"
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