This week was so
wonderful! We met a guy named Michael on the bus last Sunday and met up with
him for the first time Monday night. It was great! He started crying when we
showed him The Restoration video and said he could feel it was true! It may be
a little soon, but we scheduled him for the 13th of August. Partly because
Sister Sovala thinks she'll get transferred at the end of the transfer and
transfer calls are on the 14th, but partly because he was so sincere about
learning and meeting with us, that we really feel he could make it! Then we
went to have a lesson with Pam and Richard and make sure everything is going ok
for them. They're going through some really hard times right now, but their
faith is strong! So that's good!
We had zone training on
Tuesday which was a blast! We went over setting good goals and making sure our
goals are SMART and that we are actively working towards our purpose in every
activity. Then we had lunch and interviews with the new mission president and
his wife. They are so awesome! So funny and easy to talk to! They are just
plain great! Then we had another lesson with Michael and taught him the whole
plan of salvation with no hiccups! He agreed with everything and still seems
really solid! We were just so thankful for such a great lesson!
On Wednesday, we went to
see Abbie and Becky to help them write their talks for Ephrem's baptism and
then we caught the train to Sheffield for a doctor's appointment that Sister
Sovala had. We finally got home and then went to have a lesson with a member
named Jimmy whom we love dearly and then talk to one of our friends, Jazzmine.
She just found out she's having a boy and is beyond excited and has so much
Prego-brain, she's hilarious. We just love her so much! She keeps telling us
she's not interested, but we keep bringing up eternal families and I think
she'll come around soon. I think one of my favorite things her boyfriend said
that night was "its better to burn calories, not bridges" I honestly
don't remember who we were talking about but he was talking about how he had to
go take a walk because someone was annoying him and that was the motto he
decided to live by. SO I thought that was pretty great!
Thursday. We FINALLY got
to see Ephrem again! He had been in London for forever and we were so excited
to see him and find out for sure that he is still excited and ready to get
baptized! It was so great! Then we had branch correlation and got all the kinks
worked out for the baptism and then had a lesson with Michael again. We took
him to Pam's house this time and taught all of Lesson 3. He took it all in and
loved it so much! Then we headed out to have tea with Barbara and teach her
grandson, Darren. Then we tried to stop by a family that asked us to stop by,
but the busses were late, so we were like 45 minutes late...and they weren't
in. We felt so bad as we were walking home, but we left a sticky note on their
door and promised to stop by again!
Friday was good. we had
weekly planning and then made the baptism program. It looked really good! Then
we had a lesson with Michael at Pam's house again and it was...not as good as
the first three. So he had a really bad night apparently and wasn't in a good
mood. So he didn't want to accept that there is a prophet today because well he
didn't. So we had a long lesson with him that almost went nowhere. Then
we heard about a lot of drama going on in town between two of the members, so
we hurried and printed off the programs and went to ease the situation. It
didn't go too well. But we did have a great lesson with Ephrem! He is excited
to go to the temple and help his father soon! So that would be soooooooooooo
great for him! Then we stopped by Graham's but he wasn't in, so we went home.
We got home and our door broke. Its kinda hard to explain, but the knob to the
deadbolt came off. not the deadbolt itself, but the knob. So we couldn't lock
our door. And Sister Sovala was freaking out. We decided to do our planning
anyways and then worry about it. Well we forgot about it until we were getting
ready to go to bed. So its about 10:15 at this point. We have no screwdriver
and the elders aren't answering their phones because they're the zone leaders,
so they were following up with other missionaries. Our district leader finally
called us back and while I was talking to him, I saw my bobby pins on my night
stand and decided "We'll I've got nothing to loose but a bobby pin"
so I took a bobby pin and stretched it out and by the time the zone leaders
called us back, I was able to use the bobby pin as a screwdriver and fix the
door so we could lock it. Such a miracle of inspiration!
AHHHHH
SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were so stressed! We tried by that family again and
they weren't in. So we went shopping for food for the baptism. Which is good
because the people we asked forgot...so another miracle of inspiration! Then we
had a lesson with Nathan and Ephrem at McDonald's. Sister Sovala taught Ephrem
about missionary work (we have to finish lesson 5 BEFORE baptism) and I helped
Nathan write a talk for the baptism. Then we ran off to the train station, so
we could get everything set up. The elders who were supposed to fill the font
forgot, so we barely had enough time to get water in there for him and clean
the chapel and make it all look nice before everyone came. It was a beautiful
baptism and I don't think Ephrem knew we were stressed...well maybe he did. But
I thought we did a dang good job of hiding it! It was so beautiful and we
actually got a good turnout of probably like 20 people, which is most of the
branch. So we did a great job planning how to trick, I mean invite them, into
coming! Ephrem also bore his testimony at the end of the baptism and it was so
great! He really does have a strong testimony and I know he will do great
things!
Sunday was almost as
stressful. Not quite. But almost. Our time starts at 10 and Ephrem showed up at
9:57 and hadn't answered his phone all morning. We were pretty stressed. But he
showed up and we had a lovely church session with him getting the Holy Ghost
and everything. Michael also came to chruch, but but he left early because he
felt out of place not having a suit and because he was falling asleep. So we
saw him after church and then went to see Belina. She's doing ok. We want to
help her more, but it is really difficult! Then we tried by Graham's again. We
could hear his phone ringing inside when we called, but he didn't answer, so we
just hope everything is ok. We didn't see him all week, which was really sad!
Anyways, then we went and did some door-knocking and it was pretty good. I
still don't like door-knocking all that much, but I'm getting there!
Anyways, hope you guys
are all having a lovely week as well! My thought comes from Elder D. Todd
Christoffersons "The Blessing of Scripture"
"The Scriptures
enlarge our memory by helping us always remember the Lord and our relationship
to Him and the Father."
I'm wanting to focus
more on the power of scriptures this week and truly feast on them. I hope
everyone will continue to study and always remember Christ in their life! I
love you all and can't wait to hear from you next week!
--
Sister Hope
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