Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Chapel Heights: August 2-8

Hi everyone!

We had a great week and met tons of new people! At least it seemed that way to me, until I counted up our weekly key indicators on Sunday afternoon for Monday-Saturday and realized that we only had 30 street contacts for the entire week. I recounted several times, but to no avail! We exchanged earlier that week and I had left the area to be with one of the Spanish speaking sisters in her area, and we talked to TONS of people that Heavenly Father placed in our path that day because that's what I wanted to work on with that sister, so in my mind I was thinking that we were on track but in reality we were waaaay behind! Don't get me wrong, Sister Gonzalez and the other sister talked with several people on their exchange too, so they weren't slacking in any way, but I was seriously alarmed when I totaled up those key indicators. We always talk with everyone we see, but a lot of things had come up this week and we didn't have as much proselyting time. We prayed HARD to find people to talk with, and miracles happened! In each part of our area we went to, someone was outside so we taught them and then when they left someone else showed up and we were able to finish the day with a total of 41 street contacts, for a weekly total of 71! That was so close! I really learned to trust God during that, because it's so easy for me to think about how many more people we still need to share the gospel with as we're talking with someone and get impatient, but I learned to give them the time they need and know that everything will work out!

We've also been praying really hard for our ward to support us more, because it's been incredibly difficult to get members out this transfer. Last transfer the same guy came out with us all the time and just stopped as soon as transfers happened. Obviously it wasn't very sustainable on our part, but we were always working on getting people
out with us this week! And on Sunday we fasted for the member support to improve and we passed around a sign up sheet for people to come out with us and I think everyone that it was passed to signed up and letus know when they are available! That was a huge answer to our prayers!

On Saturday I was able to go to the temple! I wish I could spend all day in the Celestial room, but that's just not how life works. It is such a wonderful place!

Mahogne told us she's not ready to be baptized, and I was getting that feeling all week. Which is totally fine, because she needs to be ready on her own and it helps us find more time for other people who are ready to be baptized! She still wants to come to church though, and she came on Sunday!

Ciara is doing really well! We taught her and Nevea early this week and had to move their date back because they haven't been coming to church, so now they're set for September 24. That was sad to do because right before we let them know about why we needed to move their date back, Ciara said something to the effect of "I'm excited
for my baptism! It's in two weeks, right?" It was a good wake-up call for them both! We saw them again throughout the week and then on Sunday we received a strangely worded text from Nevea saying that she wasn't interested any more, which did not seem like her at all. We thought it might have been one of her brothers, who always tells us that he thinks his sisters aren't interested and that we should stop coming by. We found out last night that it was probably Nevea that sent it, so we're trying to figure out what's going on now. I know everything will work out!

We're reaching an amazing new investigator named Kathryn! I'm actually not sure how to spell her name, but we received a referral for her from our area book app and I assume that the missionaries who met her asked how to spell her name. She is amazing! She's older and has been searching for a church all her life. She knows that she's missing something that just can't be satisfied with the churches she's been to so far! She told us that she went to a church with her friend that was teaching that Jesus was married to his mother, Mary, and they had kids together. Clearly that's not true. So she loved learning about the Restoration and is reading from the Book of Mormon really well! I love her so much because she's one of the few elderly people I've met who doesn't insist that she's set in her ways and that it's too late for her to change or that she already knows everything. She's the opposite! She reminds me of Mary from Kingman! She's planning to be baptized in early September, but we haven't decided if it will be the 3rd or the 10th yet. She asked us yesterday how she can know for sure that the Prophet Joseph Smith really saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, so we addressed that and she's still looking for her answer.

I love you guys! Sorry the letter is so short--I'm already out of time! Have an awesome week!
Sister Bedont

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