Missionary Maren: 2/2-2/8

Hello my favorites!

I can't believe it has already been an entire week. Lot's of great things happened this week! :)

Tuesday-- WE stopped by to talk to a few people and didn't have much success. We dropped by the Steedle's and talked with Chuck, the dad. That was a first! He was so chatty and actually carried a conversation with us, which never happens whenever we go over there. :) Andrew saw us outside and was so excited to see us! We talked with him for a bit and he said the next time we come over to teach him he wants to learn more about Jesus Christ's baptism. After that we were talking to Jake, Katie's son, and his friend Tristan because they live right next to the Steedle's. We made a deal with them that we would play a game of basketball, me vs. Jake and Tristan, and if I won, they had to listen to a story about Jesus. Haha it was a heated game with lots of trash talk coming from Tristan and Jake saying, "Oh! A girl just broke your ankles!" hahahaha it was hilarious! So yes, I played in my skirt, and yes I felt like a giant bully because they were ten and I was huge hahaha, but hey they listened to part of the Plan of Salvation afterwards so it was worth it. ;) After his friend left we kept talking to Jake and we gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would read it!

After that we met Sister Freeman at the Family History Center and she started her family history for the first time! It was awesome, she found both of her parents who have passed away. We are planning to meet with her again this week too!

We had an awesome lesson at the Romero's with Sister McLaughlin about fasting. It was a really great lesson, we talked about how fasting can help us feel the spirit more and it can help us show our faith to God and help us receive the answers God is waiting to give us.

After that we had a lesson with Bob Luhan at the church and Sister Spencer and Brother Jacobs came. It was kind of a crazy lesson because he has so many questions about the details and so many doubts are creeping into his mind. But finally at the end of trying to ease his obscure concerns, Sister Dodson was like Bob! Stop it! Haha and she explained about the Holy Ghost and asked him if he felt it. He said he knew he had felt it and what it does-- testifies of truth. She asked him if he knew the Book of Mormon was true, if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if he thought this was Christ's church restored and he said yes to all three questions! He knows it's true!!! :)

So we told him to always remember the way he feels about those things and how he came to know them. We left the lesson relieved and so grateful. The Spirit seriously was the only thing helping us, because we had no idea how to answer some of his concerns.

Wednesday-- Wasn't as exciting as the day before, but we had dinner at the Smiths-- a family that does not come to church anymore, but they feed us a lot and we are great friends with them. It was such an awesome dinner! After dinner they were showing us a funny video of the Mayor getting bit on the ear by the ground hog? hahaha it was funny, afterwards, I asked if they had seen the Because of Him video the church put out a little while ago. They said they hadn't and so they searched it and we all watched it together. The spirit was so strong!!!! And then we watched a couple more awesome Mormon Messages with them and they were really enjoying them. Brother Smith started tearing up during one of them, and their teenage daughter said that she really like them. :) Then Sister Smith brought up a memory of her and her brother's watching Johnny Lingo every Sunday together and so we searched it and found the full length video and watched it with them. They loved it! hahahaha that movie is super ridiculous in so many ways, but the spirit was there, and they enjoyed it. Afterwards, Brother Smith said, "I just love when you guys come over." He jokes a lot so we were waiting for the punch line to come, but it never did. He was serious, and so happy when he said those words. I know that he loves it because he feels the spirit when we are there. :) It was such an amazing time in their house, and the first time we were able to share anything spiritual with them. Such a miracle. Sister Smith said she wanted to feed us the next 2 following Wednesdays, so we are so excited for that!!!

Thursday-- We volunteered for a little at the Care Center and we were sent to go talk to a few of the old ladies hangin' around. Hahaha we had no idea what they were talking about, but it was fun just to be there. We then played the piano and sang some hymns for them. :) It was awesome. Love serving others, it gives you such happiness and peace!

Then we had dinner at the Elkins, such a fun and crazy family! Love them. After that we had an AWESOME lesson on baptism at the Steedle's. Andrew knows that all of it is true. We explained how getting on the right path, the straight and narrow path now, by entering the gate of baptism will bring so many more blessings to his life now, then having to wait to get on the right path years down the road. He understood it well and understands that we make a promise to serve God and follow Jesus Christ when we are baptized and that God promises us that He will give us the Holy Ghost and blessings and tools along the way to help us return to live with him again. It was a great lesson. I am excited for when Andrew will understand that he needs to be baptized now! :) He said he would say the prayer next lesson -- which will be the first time he says it with us. Woohoo!

After that we taught Book of Mormon class on Alma 40-42. It's about the prophet Alma talking to his son Corianton about so many amazing truths that help us cope with what goes on in this world. I learned so much from those chapters, and I'm so happy that we taught the class. If you all get a chance to read it-- definitely do. :)

Friday-- We had Zone Training Meeting in Lone Pine which is like an hour away. I had to give a talk and only had a day notice, so that went well hahaha. After that we went to a Physical Therapy appt. for Sister Dodson because she hurt her knee the other week. It is so weird going back to PT! It brings back awful memories hahaha but she doesn't have to go through too much, just some exercises and stretches to get her back up to speed.

We ate dinner on the porch that night, cause it was beautiful outside and super warm. We read our scriptures out their for the rest of the hour and it was a super peaceful an spiritual half hour. Oh how I just love the Book of Mormon! :) We went to Spanish class after that and that went well. We thought the church building was on fire when we were driving there because we saw smoke in that same direction. What actually was going on is that there were some extreme winds in the foot hills near the mountains, about fifteen miles away and a power line fell and caused a giant fire on the side of the mountain. It was the biggest fire I have ever seen!! It was super eerie and scary and I'm not sure what the fatality rate is or if they lost houses, some people said that they did but I'm not totall

y sure, since we can't watch the news. It looked like Megatron was unearthing from inside the mountain near Rovana, CA.

Saturday--We met Bob Shay a recent convert at the church and helped him with his Family history as well! It was awesome. He was super excited about it. Then we stopped by at the Daniels-- I talked about them a while ago-- and they invited us to stay for dinner. :) So we did and had an awesome time with them and shared a great message. Don said he would read the first two chapters of the Book of Mormon! :) yayayayyy! Also he knows Colton Christensen (if Marker is reading this at all) because Elder Christensen stayed in the apartment attached to their house when he served here! So cool! He said the nickname he always called him was "Gumbi" cause he was so tall! :) love small world experiences like that.

We played volleyball that night with the elder's investigators and the Ginn's and the Romero's came too! It was super fun! Such a great time with all of the Hispanic people!

Sunday-- was awesome! None of our investigators came to church though :( Super bummed. Bob was out fighting the fire, so it was understandable. Now the fire is all contained so everyone is safe. Church was great though! We taught the ten year old's Sunday School class, and it went really well. We ate lunch at the Whitman's and her friend Fran who does Doterra was there for a workshop thingy and we talked about her conversion story and it was so awesome!!! Reminded me exactly of you Letty :)

We had a great lesson with Mitch and Angie that night. They are my favorite!

Well, I'm so grateful to be serving a mission. I have learned so much and I'm so excited to continue serving and learning and growing. Love this gospel with all of my heart.

Love you all! Hope you have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Loar

xoxo