Sister Olsen and I saw some pretty amazing miracles this past week!
*Wendy
- She is a referral from a family in our ward. We had the hardest time
getting into their home and we could tell she was uninterested. On a
whim, we decided to stop by again. I knew she was from Hawaii, so I
started asking her questions about the Islands. She let us in and we
talked for almost two hours! We found out that her sister, in Oahu, is a
member! Wendy said that she's a "temple Mormon" haha:) She had a lot of
questions about the temple. That was last week Sunday. Since then,
we've been over three more times! I feel a special connection to her
because of our culture. Sister Olsen said that sometimes it's like she
and I are speaking in Hawaiian because we use a lot of pidgin terms;)
*Melissa - She was a former investigator. When we
knocked on the door, she immediately let us in. Just like with Wendy, we
taught her multiple times this past week. The elders that taught her
were kind of pushy, and so she took a break from being taught. When we
taught the Restoration, she talked about how lucky Joseph Smith was to
have seen the Father and the Son. She already has a testimony of him!
She also said that she knows the Book of Mormon is true! Melissa prayed
about baptism and feels good about it. We put her on date. There are a
few obstacles, but she is the most faithful person I have ever taught!
*Monica - Sister Olsen and I had about 15 minutes
before a lesson, so we decided to do some inspired tracting. We knocked
on her door, and she invited us back for the next day. Unfortunately,
her dog was sick (he swallowed a lego...) and so we had to wait a week.
When we went by a few days ago, she was taking the dog to a vet for a
follow-up visit. She said that she wasn't raised in a church, and she's
looking for a church where she can make friends and help her baby
daughter learn about Jesus Christ. She didn't have time for a lesson,
but she promised to be at church next Sunday!
*Brenda - Sister Olsen tracted into Brenda while on
an exchange. She told me that Brenda was golden, so I was excited to
begin teaching her! Brenda's in the same boat as Monica...she has a
Christian background, but wasn't raised in a church and she's looking
for the right one. We taught her the Restoration on Sunday
and she accepted everything we said. She's excited to begin reading the
Book of Mormon and is planning on coming to church next week. She's
unsure about being baptized again, so we'll need to help her understand
priesthood authority. PS the best part is that Brenda works for the
government and her job title is "special investigator."
If everyone who told us they're going to church next Sunday actually goes, we're going to have at least 9 investigators at church!! I'm crossing my fingers!
And
a few updates on other investigators...Kayla has gone under the radar
and Tonya went on vacation without telling us. So much heartbreak:( The
Fishers are doing very well! Some ward members don't realize that
they're investigators. We taught a Joseph Smith lesson and the spirit
was strong. I think they're more ready than they think they are:)
Here's a happy little story about tracting: Sister
Olsen and I are not fans of tracting. President Wilson discourages it
because it's not very effective. We normally tract for about two hours
or less every week. This past week, we decided to tract in Paradise
Estates, which is a trailer park. Best ever. I'm now obsessed with
tracting in trailer parks. In the words of the Pokemon world, it was
super effective! We found some great potentials, one of whom we have a
lesson with tonight.
Remember how I was not allowed to go to the temple
at all under any circumstances because the area authority said no? Well,
the temple ban has been slightly lifted. I'm now allowed to go to the
temple with converts or returning less actives! There's a catch...I have
to play a "significant role" in their preparation for the temple. This
makes it difficult because if I have any baptisms in Stafford, I won't
be here in a year from now when they receive their endowment. Also, how
much is "significant?" Additionally, we have to give up P-day to go to
the temple (which I'm definitely willing to do) and we have to return
before 6 pm,
which might be difficult for southern/western areas of the mission. I'm
preparing people now so that in the future, other missionaries can go
to the temple with them. I hope other missionaries are doing the same
for me! I really do miss the temple :'(
This past week I read my favorite chapter in the
Book of Mormon again: 2 Nephi 31. I noticed something that I never have
before! Where did Nephi gain all of this knowledge? He heard the voice
of God! This was Nephi's endowment. He was given the information
necessary for his salvation, and it was given to him from the Father and
the Son! How cool is that?:)
The Mission President's Wife Challenge is going
really well! I get sore often and it makes me feel good about myself:)
Sister Van Buskirk buys us way too many treats...however, I'm pleased to
say that Sister Olsen and I have gone about 5 days without candy! Last
week we bought a ton of healthy food. Lots of veggies and fruits. We
obsess over edamame:) Whenever we feel tempted to eat treats, we say "I
love my body more than I love sugar!" So far so good!
That's all from me:) I hope all of you are happy!
I love you dearly, Sister Crandall
*PS - No one has sent me a link for their mormon.org profile yet and I'm beginning to wonder if anyone ever reads my emails at all... ;)
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