My first P'day here was soo fun. We hung out with the Elders and played dodgeball and played soccer with some investigators. Needless to say though I was so sore for days. That's what I get for participating in physical activity.
My birthday was great. I honestly kept forgetting it was my birthday! But a lady in the ward came out with us for a member lesson, but our investigator bailed because she got called into work! So instead we visited some members down there, then she took us out for my birthday. We went to the best steak house in IN called the Beef House. IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD. I had ribs. We ate so much that I went to bed and woke up full. Then after we went on some visits and stuff. All in all it was great! Thanks to everyone who remembered and emailed and sent pkgs and stuff.
WEDNESDAY was the day of miracles. So our teaching pool was basically thrown out from the last transfer. Everyone we had just wasn't interested or dropped us and avoided us. So we have been doing lots of tracting and it has been discouraging. But we had 2 lessons with a member present that day and both went wonderful! Our first lesson was with an investigator name Melanie who was met tracting. She is super sweet and soft spoken and is married with one little girl. We gave her a tour of the church and then sat in the chapel and taught her about the Atonement and sacrament. She started crying and admitted to us that this church felt like the perfect fit for her and her family and it is exactly what they ahve been looking for. Then we invited her to be baptized and she accepted! It was soo wonderful. That night we had a lesson with a older woman named Tina. She was also found tracting. She is single and lives with her sister. Shes been really into reading the BOM and thinks it totally makes sense. She believes that God placed us in her path and that this is the right thing for her. She really loves learning about the Church.
Thursday was Zone Conference in Champaign, IL, which is an hour away from us. The Mission Pres and AP's came and we got a lot of training. It was soo great. It was a kick in the butt to not get comfortable. I realized that I need to be consistently striving to improve my weaknesses and find ways to strengthen myself as a missionary. We focused on the talk "Lift Where you Stand" and also the "Consecrated Missionary". It made me realize that I need to sacrifice more. There are still things about me and my life back at home that I need to let go of. The Zone Conference was really spiritual and helped so much! Afterwards we went to Texas Roadhouse for my birthday with a group of elders. Someone slipped that it was my birthday so they made me ride the saddle. IT WAS HUMILIATING. But funny.
Saturday was the best part of the week. Just to preface. The Relief Society Pres, as well as others, told us the best way to pray is to be specific. So Sis Scott and I decided that the ward needs more families and worthy Priesthood holders so we have been praying to find some to teach. Wednesday we went tracting, and at the last house at the end of the street we met a lady sitting out front with some of her kids. We talked to her and she told us some really sad things about her life. We bore testimony and gave her a pamphlet and told her to read it then set an appt to come back on Saturday to talk with her about it. We go on Saturday with no hopes of anything happening. When we get there, her and her husband had read the pamphlet and totally anticipated us coming. They were so ready and willing to learn and asked us a ton of questions. We taught about the BofM and prophets,and apostasy. They asked us so many questions that we said we would go home and study them then set an appt for Wed night! We gave them a B of M and told them they were the answer to our prayers. IT WAS MAGICAL! I cannot believe that happened. We were in disbelief. Later that day we also picked up another 80 yr old man name Frank as an investigator. So we got 3 new investigators this week and now we are at 6 total! Our work has truly picked up!
Sunday is the best. This week we are focusing on unplugging from media before our ward fast on Sunday. We are fasting as a ward for unity. It is gonna be powerful! Also, Pres. Bednar, Elder Bednars son, came and visited and spoke. He even quoted his father from his talk Character of Christ. Us missioanries were tripping. haha it was soo cool. Also, these super inactive people came to church! We have been trying to see them for weeks but they flat out said they didn't want to see the missionaries. So after Sacrament meeting we jumped on it like a kangaroo! Hopefully, we can visit this week and reactivate them in the Church! I love this ward and I really feel like I am growing in the ward and establishing relationships! Miracles are AWESOME!
Being out here I realized I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I couldn't imagine being any happier or fulfilled if I wasn't here. I have reached a point where I can testify to people with full faith that the gospel will change their lives if they seek the truth faithfully. It is so wonderful to see the impact of our message to people. I love this gospel so much. If we truly center our lives around the Savior he will change our hearts and we will become better and happier. Aw man the church is true! Love all of you and miss you a ton!
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