September 10, 2012

Hello Family!

Well hey there folks. I was looking back at the email I sent you last week, and sorry I didn't really get a chance to write a lot to you. All you got to hear about was the sing-off! And I didn't even really get a chance to explain just how hilarious/memorable/powerful that experience was, but I hope you got the idea haha, and I also hope that I didn't come across like I was putting the other people down at all, they were great. Anywho..ni modo, this week!

Well, this week was also great. Saw some good miracles. We're seeing a lot of really good work in this area, and we're still busy busy busy, working right up until it's time for bed, with still lots to do. Sister Watkins is really great...she's super hard working, really focused on her purpose and our goals and doesn't let things distract her from it. She's just got a solid head on her shoulders. I feel like I'm learning a lot this transfer, and it's definitely been humbling, which I think I said before. Where I feel like I'm not training at all, rather I am being trained! I'm learning how to swallow my pride and to accept when I am the one that needs to change or improve. There's a quote that I like, that says that pride is concerned with who is right, rather than what is right. So, let's just say, it is not easy, and every day on the mission you just have to deal with the fact that you're going to be humbled, and you're going to need to change, and all of that..so, I'm just learning how to do all of that! Every single day! Hahaha.

Ok, so there's my insight of the day. Don't worry, I just know that I can't send you a Sister Fors email without including one of those. Ok, so what all happened. Ok, so we had 4 baptismal dates at one point this week...then that dropped down to 3. Haha...so, our investigator Juan, who was my street contact from my old area who I thought was greaaat and was reading the Book of Mormon and everything. Well, on Wednesday I think it was...we went to his place to meet his novia, to see if we could start teaching the family. So we taught her a little bit about the Book of Mormon, then set up a return appt. That night, we texted Juan seeing when we could visit him. Then he texts us back, telling us that he's joined a soccer team, and is no longer interested! I think one of the adversary's biggest tools with Hispanic men is futbol, no? So, poor Juan...we're hoping to visit him again, and see if we can try to resolve some of his doubts.

Ok, so, miracle investigator of the week...Hno Jose! Ok, so, Sis Slater and Christensen are the other sisters we live with. Last pday they met a guy outside of the supermarket and gave him an invite to the VC. The next morning, he shows up! Then he shows up the next morning too! Turns out, he lives in our area, but is currently living at a halfway house that doesn't accept visitors, so we can only teach him at the Visitors Center. But we're teaching him every day at the VC from 9-9:30 am. So perfect! Ok, and this man is SO great. I just think he's great. He is super solid, speaks both English and Spanish, had a family and everything, and then it all got lost when he got into some addictions. So, now he's trying to turn his life around. He accepted a baptismal date at the first lesson. He prayed at the end of the lesson...and his prayer was soo great. He prayed for us, he prayed for the drug addicts, the homeless, etc...he prayed for his kids, he even prayed for his ex-wife (and later on prayed for her new husband, too.) This guy is SO humble. I told him at the end of one of our lessons, that I feel like he is teaching us, rather than us teaching him. Unfortunately, he just has a lot of confusion, because he wants to get closer to God, but he feels like he's being pulled in a bunch of diff directions. On Saturday, we thought he was going to easily accept going to church, then he told us that his sister had actually invited him to her church, and that he was going to go home and pray about it to know which church he should go to. So, that day we were praying that he'd come to our church...and then he ended up calling us and telling us that he was going to go with his sister. But, we realized that everything happens for a reason, and that sometimes the Lord answers people's prayers differently than we expect. So, a ver que pasa. But this guy is great, he's so humble and just so much fun to teach.

So that's that. Other investigator is Gloria. She's the mom of a lady returning to activity (the one we were teaching when the sing-off took place). We didn't really think she was interested, but Saturday we had an appt w/ her, and we were going to help her to make tamales. So, we made tamales with her, and as we were doing that we taught her the first lesson, and it went so well! She was just really receptive and talked about how she's felt the Spirit at certain times and all of that. And so she showed up to church the next day! Good stuff. Then that night we went and saw JSPR with her and her daughter and grandkids. It was hilarious...they got there late, so we had to sneak into the theatre, right as the First Vision scene was going on. So we were sneaking in, doing anything but being quiet, like we're all bumping around and trying to get situated. Then, her and her daughter were like making hilarious commentary the whole time...when the "grown" Joseph Smith shows up in the movie for the first time, Gloria was like "oooooh! que guapo!" and went off about how we need to find a husband like him that we can learn to make tamales for. Hahaha, I love our investigators. So, at the end of the movie she was just crying and talking about how sad it was to see how people rejected the truth. Anyways, she's so good! Unfortunately, her circumstances are a little unique, she's only here temporarily and her husband's in Mexico, so we're trying to figure out when she could get baptized.

Que mas...oh, so on Sep 22nd we have a "special meeting" going on in the mission. All we know is that it's on a Saturday morning (prime proselyting time...suspicious), that we need to look our best and have our shoes shined/suits drycleaned, etc, and that we need to read 2 talks by Elder Bednar before then. Any guesses? I'm thinking we might be having a visit from our good friend Elder David A Bednar on that day...I'm excited!

Que mas...so, our ward is having a camping trip this coming weekend, and we're trying to get people to go to it. Still undecided whether or not we'll go...we're trying to make a wise decision, hahaha and I guess since I've already had a Payson experience once, I'm fine either way.

Que mas...oh, so on Saturday we had TEN lessons planned...way more than ever before. But only TWO went thru! So sad. But, we had a cool experience at the end of the night. We helped a lady take in her groceries, and ended up saying a prayer w/ her family, and prayed for their son who is handicap and all of that and it was so good. So, a tender mercy..

Anyways, so scattered...but I must be off. I love you all! I'm so grateful for all the experiences I'm having, and it reminds me that it's worth the hard times. Love you! Sister Fors