Dear Family and Friends,
This has been a great week!
We have been doing
as many splits (when one of us goes with one member and the other goes
with another member; it allows us to do twice the work) as we can do and
it's bringing forth miracles. The number of lessons we are having is
increasing and the people we have been seeing with our splits are
progressing. We also saw a miracle in who we asked to go out with us;
Joy Gardner is a member in one of our wards and other missionaries have
said that she's great to take out. We called her and asked her to go
with us and the day that she went with us, she explained how she had
just lost her job that week. She felt that we had called her at the
right time because now that she doesn't have other obligations so she
can help us more, also she doesn't feel as bad because she gets to serve
others.
Darren Draney came
to church!!! He's the man we have been working a lot with! He has told
us this past week that he knows the Book of Mormon is true, but right
after he gets a confirmation, he doubts it because he likes to question
everything. He has also told us that 1) baptism is a sacred promise so
he doesn't want to break it after his baptism by sinning and 2) he
doesn't feel baptism is necessary. We have been trying to simply explain
repentance to him for the first point and the need of baptism for the
second point. We used 3 Nephi 11 (the chapter where Christ explains His
doctrine to the Nephites) but he said that what he feels is being said
is that anyone who wants to be baptized may join. ....I'm a bit
frustrated with him, but he is making steps forward in faith so I feel
that he can be baptized the 24th.
The other person
progressing is Sara Fletcher; she reads the assignments we leave and
thinks of questions. She truly wants to improve her faith in Christ and
is striving for understanding. Her husband, Br. Fletcher, is staying in
the lessons and offering support to Sarah, but they both struggle to say
prayer. They don't accept our invitations to pray, even after we
explain how, have given countless examples, and explained the importance
of prayer. I think that is one thing that will impede them from
progressing, the other being afraid to change, but we'll be teaching
them the Plan of Salvation next to help them understand the importance
of everything.
Sunshine, our deaf
investigator, enjoys reading the Book of Mormon, using the footnotes
and comparing it to the Bible. She has good questions and we were able
to teach her the Restoration this Sunday with the help of a member. The
members love her and she's amazing, so it's just helping her receive her
answer and then she'll be solid. Her daughter, Brianna, knows a lot
about religion and asks good questions too (she asked why Jesus is so
important :) ). She's young, but we know that by her age, 8, she's
accountable for her actions so we are excited to teach her.
As a side note,
I'm really grateful to have the opportunity to learn ASL. It's such a
beautiful language and I have yearned to learn it before, so God granted
me a tender mercy in this way.
While we were on
splits one evening, Sis. Soakai went to one of our wards and visited a
less active man who's wife is a non-member. We had been trying to find
him and couldn't until we were walking in a different area and he drove
up to us. We asked if we could come back and teach him and his wife and
he said yes. Sis. Soakai and her split taught the Restoration after
having used family history. Jackie Robins, the non-member, loved the
focus on families and then listened to the entire message. Sis. Soakai
invited her to be baptized on the 24th and she said that she has a lot
of family obligations so she isn't sure but we feel if we help her
receive her answer she'll be solid. We are super excited for her!
Last miracle for
the day: we have taught and visited a family who are less active and who
didn't really have interest in learning more. Their family who are
active had asked us to visit them and we have built a relationship with
these people so now they trust us. One of them, Vincey, recently lost
her best friend, her cat Jojo. She's been very upset and sad because of
that and has asked us to come over to answer some questions. We were
able to answer her questions and have a bit of a therapy session, which
was helpful for her and Josh, her boyfriend. We love this family and we
are so excited that they are open to our message now. We get to go back
tomorrow, help decorate their home for Christmas, and answer more of
their questions.
I love my area! I
am so excited to see how it is growing and I'm tired/exhausted each day
because of how much I'm giving it. I LOVE Sis. Soakai! Everyday we
become closer together and I just love her! I think that love is rubbing
off unto our area. We have been seeing a lot more miracles but these
are the core ones so I hope you enjoy.
I love you all! Have a great week, remember who you are, and be good!
Love,
Sister Lindh
Hermana Lindh
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