Hello (Week 20)

Hello!!!

 It was so great to read your emails and to hear what all is happening at home! We got some more snow on friday as well so it's been crazy! Mostly though it has just been so freaking cold!! I wouldn't mind it but being out in the cold tracting and wearing a skirt is something that I would not recommend as fun! ha After a few hours we have to stop or take a break because it's like we are walking on ice cubes and our hands and faces are numb! We layer so much (3-4) layers but with it being cold and the wind cutting right through it doesn't help much! That's ok though. It's still fun. We've learned though that more people invite us in on rainy days than on cold days which doesn't make sense because I would much rather be invited in on cold days. Once you get cold it seems like you're cold all day and can never warm up until bed time. But the work moves on and so do we! Although it doesn't help that it is supposed to snow again this week! Lame! We like watching the temperature in our car to see how cold it is. The coldest I have seen it when we were in the car was 14 and that was at 3 pm when we were out tracting! Yay us! ha

 

Mom- thanks for all the fb updates! I absolutely loved it and was freaking out when I was reading through everything!! SO, so exciting!!! I love missionaries! I think like all my friends are going on missions! ha Will you tell Claire congrats for me and that I'm so excited for her. Also, please let Mary know that I am so excited for her and that she will be an amazing missionary! Thanks! Do you know which mission she is going to or when she leaves? So excited for Cam as well!! I am happy that he wants to serve the Lord now. Is he going to the Busan Korea Mission? That's where Sarah Taylor is. It seems like everyone is going somewhere cool or foreign! Virginia is good though. I can't help but laugh at some of the crazy things that happen here. The Lord knows exactly what we need though and puts us in the right places at the right time!

 

Let's see what's been happening here. The days just all mesh together I feel like. The most important thing is that we have a baptism on Saturday!! Wohoo!! That's been exciting! Sis Tuckett and Edwards were teaching her and then I came in, but since I've been here it has been absolutely amazing to watch her grow and change! There is such a difference in how she acts, looks, and what she wants to learn. She has such a brighter glow about her than when I got here, so it has been really neat to teach her the principles of the gospel, watch her apply it to her life, and become better each day. She just has such a hunger to know more and wants to do what the Lord asks of her. She knows the Book of Mormon is true because of the peace she feels when reading it and the happiness she has because of it. I'm grateful that I have been able to play a part in her conversion to the gospel. She makes me want to become better each day because of how she is getting stronger. I'm grateful for the little things in life that play such a huge role in how we progress and who we are. Reading the scriptures especially the book of mormon each day, earnestly praying each day, going to church, and choosing the right MAKE A DIFFERENCE! If we start to let the little things fall through the cracks we lose the big picture and start to slide a bit and aren't on the path that the Lord asks of us. I love the Book of Mormon. There is such power and peace in it when we read it, and there are always exact answers to what I need when I read it. It was written for each one of us and gives us answers to what we need.

 

We had a wonderful lesson with one of our investigators I think on thursday that was so neat to be a part of. He has been investigating the church and meeting with missionaries for about eight years now, but won't be baptized even though he knows that what we're teaching is right. From the moment I met him I felt like I could help him in some way to improve his life and bring him to a better relationship with his Savior. I knew that the gospel is special to him because he won't let it go, but that something wasn't clicking all the way because he doesn't realize how it can apply to him all the way. He needs to see how it can apply to him personally and why he needs to do it for himself. We have started teaching him the lessons in a slower way and really talk about how it can apply to him. One lesson we taught about prophets and then moved onto the atonement (my turn to teach it). He got all excited and came to the front of his seat. I thought he loved the atonement so I asked him to explain it to me. He said he didn't know what the atonement was. All this time he said they have talked about the atonement, but he didn't really know what it was. So, then I had the opportunity to talk it through with him and really help him understand that the Lord took our pain upon himself because he loves us so much. His face was just in awe and he said that a lightbulb just clicked on in his head and that it makes sense to him now. I bore testimony to him about the atonement and later about the book of mormon and it was just amazing. I stopped and then started speaking and tried to discern the thoughts that were in my head. It turned out to be so powerful and of course I started crying! ha He knew that it was coming from my heart and he said that it really touched him. It helped me know even more that I am an instrument in the Lord's hand and that He will help me to say what is needed to be said.

 

Transfers are next week so p-day won't be til wednesday (they changed it because it's the first wave of lots of missionaries coming in.) They have one day to have a crash course from president about the field since they had 2 weeks in the mtc, so transfers are now on thursday. I have no idea what is going to happen yet and as far as I know I'm not training yet, but I could find out this weekend. So we'll just see what happens! We have six sisters this time and so far six and counting for next so it will be soon! Just keep those prayers coming!! haha I love you all and hope you are all doing wonderfully!! I'm learning so much!

 

Love, Jenna