Missionary Maren: 9/28-10/4

District activity at Hart Park!

Hello!

Monday-- We had a really fun District activity at Hart Park that's not too far from where we live. We had a BBQ, walked around the park and just enjoyed the good weather. It's finally starting to cool down! Afterwards we went to the Haner's for some dinner and we helped them herd their geese into another garden they have. They have a miniature farm! It's pretty rad. :)

Tuesday-- We had exchanges with the Snow sisters and that was fun! We got to talk to quite a bit of people, some interesting ones, but we got to meet Sandy! So we were trying to contact some people we had met a few weeks back on this one street, but no one was answering their doors. So we turned around and both looked at the same house and both said "let's try that one!" So we did! A woman opened the door and was pretty dang nice and said she hadn't had anyone knock on her door since she lived there. She would see the elder's ride their bikes down the street throughout the years and no one would knock on her door. She seemed hurt by it for some reason, so we were like well, here we are! :) Haha so we taught her the Restoration briefly and invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. She was stoked to learn more about the Mormons! So that was awesome. She said she would want to be baptized if she found out it was true! Yay! :)

That night we went on splits with the ward, and we went to visit some less active members we hadn't met. It was a race against the daylight! It's starting to get darker earlier so we were rushing from place to place. It was exciting haha. We met the Logan family! THEY ARE AWESOME! We just got to know her and set up another time to go and see her. (Stay tuned for that following appointment in the coming days of this email)

Wednesday-- We got to teach Kim with Sister Huff again! Another great lesson, this one being on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We read from 3 Nephi chapter 11 and it was amazing. She really is starting to get it. They are moving into her sister in-law's house this week we think, so they are going to be busy. Good thing they are still in the Ward boundaries! :)

We were walking out to our car after grabbing something from the apartment, that we usually don't go back for. There was some people moving into an apartment near by, so we offered to help and surprisingly they said yes! (usually doesn't happen for us, when we offer service) The woman moving in, is named Whitney and she is super nice! She said she'll have us over for dinner when she gets moved it! Woo woooo!

Thursday-- We went to Sister Livingston's and taught a lesson to Jenni, her friend and she brought her cousin too so we also started teaching her too!! It was great. Member missionary work is the way to go! :)

That night, Brooke came with us to a few of our lessons we had planned, but they all kind of fell through. We talked to Sandy for a bit, and she said she is WAY too busy so we will see how much we get to teach her. We went to the Logan's and had an awesome visit with Sister Logan! We met their 10 year old daughter too, Katie, who isn't baptized yet! She's good friends with another girl in our ward that is 10 and we are so excited to start meeting with that family and start teaching their daughter so she can make the decision to be baptized or not! :)

Friday-- I had to do a training in District Meeting and it was a really good experience for me. I talked about teaching everyone you meet and talk to and the importance of inviting everyone to be baptized. I was able to train them on how we need to give everyone a chance to become a new investigator and learn for themselves that the Restoration is true. I realized that I'm the second oldest (in mission time and also I'm the oldest there in real life.. weird) in the District and that I actually had some counsel to give these younger missionaries! As I taught, it made me realize that I have been out for some time.. and that I've learned A LOT as I've served. I've grown so much. I can't explain the change that's happened to me, but it's a good one. :)

We had a lesson with Ashley (Sister Shaw and I met her on the street a couple of weeks ago) and she is awesome! She said she would come watch conference, but she never came. We had dinner at the Taylor's and that's always great! We got sad news that Sister Bower's son died.. and her other son, who doesn't usually like anything to do with the church, called us to come over and say a prayer with them. It was an honor and quite the experience. These kind of trials really soften people's hearts and you can see them yearn for the spirit more in their lives. We all yearn for that.

That night we went to the Laurelglen Sister's area to go on exchanges over there. We didn't get to see Teagyn :( but we saw Julie!! :) She's doing well, Teagyn's hanging in there... she hasn't been going to church though, so that is sad. We will figure something out, to help her go!

We taught Moises, one of their investigators who got baptized a week ago! HE IS AWESOME! We started reading in the Book of Mormon with him where he last left off and it was PERFECT. We read Mosiah 2 and it was about King (and Prophet) Benjamin talking to the people and we related it to General Conference and it was just perfect. As we were reading that chapter, I could really feel the spirit strongly and I knew I was supposed to be there in that place at that time, to hear that same message from the Book of Mormon.

#ldsConfnerds

Our excitement for General Conference! :)

Saturday & Sunday-- WE GOT TO WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE! Oh I was giddy with excitement and couldn't get to the church building early enough before it started. It was so amazing hearing the Prophet and apostles!!! When the new apostles that were called were speaking, I realized that I had read and quoted in my last email part of Elder Gary E. Stevenson's talks! He's now the new apostle! So rad! :) I had so many favorite things, I'll have to "ponderize" what my favorite one was and share it with you guys another time!

A gecko! .....and Sister Mayfield is scared of it in the back....hahaha!!

We planned outside because it was BEAUTIFUL! :)

After the afternoon session we went out proselyting and were knocking in this little neighborhood full of grouchy people who all said, quote, "I'm not interested, and I don't want to talk to you." Alrighty then! We were DETERMINED to find someone on that street that would listen, and soon enough as we were talking to one of the grouches, a man in a little jazzy wheel chair came speeding up the driveway! We got talking to him and he was trying to sell us a little book of coupons or something, but then he started asking us questions. Long story short, his name is Tanner, and he is physically handicapped and has a speech impediment, which makes it hard to understand him sometimes. He loves God, the Bible and believes strongly in what it says and that God loves all of His children. Tanner is in his 30's and as we taught the Restoration to him, he explained how amazing it was and that he felt goose bumps when we told him the First Vision that Joseph Smith had. He said he knew it was true! We gave him a Book of Mormon and we got his information. We found out he lived in the elder's area that are serving in our ward, so we had to pass him over to them. It was such a neat experience meeting and talking with Tanner! HE'S AMAZING! He also told us that his friend in high school was Mormon and ended up serving a mission, he told us what an impact he had on his life!

You never know the influence you have on others, so live your life like you are going to make a difference, because YOU DO! :) People recognize when you have the spirit with you, "the light in their eyes", as President Monson talked about in his talk. Share the light with others! People notice and are searching! :)

Well I love this gospel and I love preaching it to all nations and people I meet.

God DOES love ALL of His children. I know with all my heart that the only way back to Him is through is Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know this is His restored church back on the earth and that only through the saving ordinances performed by His power, the Priesthood can we receive all of the blessings He has in store for us.

I love this work. It's a "marvelous work and a wonder", and I'm so grateful to be a part of it!