TEAR OF JOY

EARS OF JOY. LITERALLY TWO MINUTES AGO SISTER KORMAN (WHO IS NEXT TO ME BECAUSE OUR COMPANIONS ARE AT THE TEMPLE TOGETHER) JUST OPENED AN EMAIL FROM KAITANA SAYING THAT SHE IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just embraces each other with tears of JOY. May 24th Kaitana (Hanover, Dartmouth student, my USU roommate's BEST FRIEND) will be baptized in Utah. The Lord answers prayers of all kinds, just in His timing.

Two of my FAVORITE parts of the day: studies in the morning, and prayer in the evening. I know I say this every week, but I am growing in my knowledge of the Gospel more than ever. Heavenly Father has a LOT He wants me to know. This week was indeed a sacred, and special week.

Monday night we went over to the mission home to spend the night for the meeting the following day. President and I talked for an hour then he gave me a blessing. Surely, I will remember this for the rest of my life. The direction, counsel, and comfort given was from Heavenly Father through the mouth of a loving mission president.

We followed the Stokers from meeting to meeting throughout the week and were spiritually FED.

Some snipits of knowledge I gained this week through studies and meetings:

Elijah and Moses were transfigured because they needed bodies to pass on the keys to the Apostles in the Mount of Transfiguration

Spirituality is victory over self

Mercy allows us to progress

Love is action, not emotion

I am becoming the kind of person who could raise sons like the 2,000 warriors

Happiness is a state of being, not just spurs of feeling

To be happy, we must seek the will of the Father

You should be working when you are praying, LABOR, CRY

Using your spiritual gifts brings satisfaction and happiness

The Gospel is the way to use the most of our time on earth

Givers receive more happiness than he receiver

Giving and living the Gospel makes you feel ALIVE

Revelation comes in small and simple ways, you are LEAD to the water and can choose to drink it - the Lord makes us learn something

Applying the Atonement means we are PULLING weight WITH the Lord, we pull equally. "YOKED."

If anything I have learned that when you serve, you are completely alive. You are in the realest of realities, if that makes sense. You are living this life to its fullest capacity, the way it was designed to be, when you are giving and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I went through my college spiritual journal for the first time and found GOLD. Here's some of the stuff I found in it:

Courage is the conquering of fear. Love is the conquering of selfishness.

Acknowledgement--> Admiration --> Adoration --> EMULATION of Christ. We will know Him because we will be like Him.

Today I read 3 Nephi 27:10-the end. Some thoughts: Christ wants us to emulate Him, in fact, He is commanding us to sanctify ourselves that we may be even as He is! Repentance is the way to shoot us forward in progression. We must EMULATE. The ability to become like He is is through earnest prayer and diligently carrying out His plans. It is to treat others with LOVE. 

Sean finished the Book of Mormon. He is making baby steps towards prayer. He doesn't come from a Christian background and the concept that God has a body is hard for him to grasp. He really has a hard time praying! We drew a triangle with him, us, and God and explained that this is all about his connection with God, we can help him there. He saw Gene's baptism and wanted to know what he was thinking while it was happening. He wants to know what he's getting into, naturally! He's making steps. We gave him a date of May 31st to work towards!! Never in my life did I imagine myself teaching a drag queen who is totally prepared. He knows this is God and is working towards him. Funny thing is his countenance has totally and completely changed. He is brighter, physically BRIGHTER. We see the fruits of repentance working and it is wonderful. 

In our little proselyting time we did some finding and went back to some of the homes Sister Turley and I had tracted into. One FAMILY agreed that we could come and teach a lesson and that they were "open to change." I'm stoked. 

What else happened.......

A LOT.

Shannon Gish from COLORADO WILLOW CREEK WARD came and spoke to us at the sisters conference, that was crazy small worldy.

Most all of our finding has gone to the elders, we are having a hard time finding those that LIVE IN OUR AREA. No one we teach lives in it... three active members are in our boundaries. We will continue though. 

Sister Collins is at the temple today. She's DARLING. Really is coming into her own shoes realizing what works for her and what doesn't. She's so amazing. Seriously I have a pretrained missionary!!!

 The Young's and Sean!!

We got to be together when we found out about Kaitana :)

​JSM with the Bedford sisters!!

KNEEL

Scripture memorization for every day last week:

Matt26:39

Isaiah 53:3-5

Alma 7:11-12

D&C 19:16-19

Hymn #193

Alma 5:14

Matt 28:1-6

This week we're memorizing most of 3 Nephi 11. I can't wait.

One word to describe this week: solitary. Also maybe a little slow...

WHEN WE FORGET ABOUT OURSELVES OUR SOUL IS ENLARGED. Epiphany. Let that be my Psalm of the week.

Sister Collins and I really do GREAT together. She had to opportunity to go on exchanges and just SHINED. Those missionaries fresh out of the MTC know just what they're doing. They are a blessing to their trainers. They each receive a LOT of revelation for their areas and it's the trainers job to direct it and make it happen! We did many "small and simple things" trying to further the work of the Lord. I love Sister Collins. She is just what I need right now, and her support is invaluable. We overcome similar things, and need each other to continue to do so.

Sometimes you have to do the right thing and hand people over to the elders. We are handing Kalisa over, which will hopefully help him progress towards his date. the members we take agree with us that that's probably the best thing to do.

PATTY she's got a closet full of questions to take to her priest this week. Wish us luck. The pre-existence took her for a spin! She's reading the Book of Mormon though, we just gotta get her praying to know if it's true with real intent. Toughie. Miracles can happen! I've seen them plenty of times!

SEAN: he's PLOWING through the Book of Mormon. We got the clearance from President to go ahead and set a date with him. This Friday is hopefully the lesson we'll be able to do that in. He's already almost through Alma - he started last Sunday. 

I read 3 Nephi 19 yesterday and again this morning. I am humbled every time I read it. Christ directs everything to the Father. EVERYTHING. He commands the multitude to KNEEL. While reading I couldn't help but think again, how important is it that we kneel when we pray? It's a sign of humility. You are closing off from the world and are opening your heart and mind to Him. The position of prayer itself is releasing yourself from the heart. Truly, this is a work of heart. How grateful I am for the ability to show others my love, especially Heavenly Father. My relationship with Him never ceases to grow. The Holy Ghost is the greatest gift, it is what the people MOST DESIRED to have when Christ came. Think of the comfort John 14 should have brought the Apostles.

Exchanges with Sister Korman, that was maybe one of the best days of my mission!! We had SO MUCH to catch up on. We laid in bed talking for the longest time. The elders got in the car for service and we couldn't stop. There was SO MUCH. What was maybe the most wonderful part of the exchange was teaching JoAnne with her. I forget the incredible unity and power we had when we taught together. I've taught well with my other companions, but it was nothing like this. We both agreed that our two transfers together were some of the most powerful ones on our missions. It reminded me of what I want to happen in all companionships. We are deeply connected life-long friends who understand each other. It was humbling to be with her for her last transfer on the mission. We did a LOT of reflecting. She's an incredible missionary. She just looks exhausted and I love it! I love her and am so grateful for the impact she's made in my life. You really do grow to love your companions SO MUCH. It's fun to see her progress. We talked again about the realization we both had of confidence. She shared with me something wonderful about myself, she said "you compliment others and your confidence builds in yourself. You can't help but be confident because you build everyone up around you." We helped each other identify strengths that maybe we didn't say beforehand. Oh how much I adore her. She's headed to Hanover for exchanges with Sister Turley on Tuesday!

The exterminator took care of our bedbugs :) we were walking back to our apartment and it was like walking into hell with the heaters blowing and papers flying and the loud noise. It was 130 degrees in there. The bedbugs had been there long before I got to the area - NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR. 

Did I mention JoAnne is starting the temple prep class this Sunday so she can go with Sister Turley and I for her endowments?!?!?

I wish you could all know President Stoker. A while back I prayed that we would have a closer relationship, then I got transferred to Manchester. He's always there whenever you need him. We get to spend the night at the mission home with the other sisters that just came out. STOKED FOR THE STOKERS!

 Ahhg I adore her. She's an answer to many prayers and is JUST what I needed at this time in my mission! The Lord knows us well. 

Easter Sunday! The Spencer's invited us all over for dinner! We had an Easter eggs hunt.

 Sister Korman!! This next week we have meetings EVERY DAY. Tomorrow is new missionary and trainers meeting, Wednesday is sisters conference (where i get to see ALL my favorite companions ALL AT THE SAME TIME), Thursday is zone conference, and Friday we plan. Really, we are not doing missionary work this week and it's WEIRD. We also get to see the Stokers almost every day this week except for Friday.

My favorite photo of Christ coming to the Americas, slapped onto Sister Collins' new scripture box!

DOT

What a week.

In Preach My Gospel there is a promise given that those who serve diligently in the Lord's vineyard will find more joy than ever before.

I testify that that is true.

I have seen the Lord bless me with the power that comes with the authority. He has blessed me richly. How I wish you could all be out here serving with me, feeling the joy I feel. The Lord gives many blessings in the Book of Mormon, and they are being fulfilled to this day! The Book of Mormon is a place where all can look to find a remission of their sins. It can turn your heart to God, and that is engraved in my heart. The Book of Mormon changes lives. My faith is in it's pages, I know that I give someone the Book of Mormon, I can lead them to their Father in Heaven. He has given it to us because He loves us, and He wants us to know our identity. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I have seen it's power. It contains the Doctrine of Christ, and I know that simply because I've seen the Doctrine in the workings!

This morning while reading 3 Nephi 10-11, I read it in His voice. I could hear how He would say it. It's exactly what Joseph Smith records, that He speaks like the "rushing of great waters" (D&C 110:?). He is the first and the last, the destination for us all. We must know Him because we are to become like Him, and we cannot become something we don't know. His grace makes up for what we cannot.  His Atonement is individual as well as collective. He was resurrected. He lives. 2 Nephi 9:18, 21-22.

I feel as if I've lived 50 years through the stories of others and with the knowledge I've gained. I feel myself progressing at a rate I cannot keep up with! I am FEASTING. I know what it means to feast upon the words of Christ. I am being cleansed! I feel more joy that I ever have before simply by doing what I know is right. I am starting to see some of the fruits of our labors, unfortunately right as Sister Turley is leaving. SISTER TURLEY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO HANOVER!!!!!!!!!!! TO TAKE SISTER KORMAN'S PLACE!!!!!!!!!! AND SISTER KORMAN AND I ARE GOING ON EXCHANGES TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best transfer. Also, I love training. LOVE IT. It's crazy but we go with it! Sister Turley knows how much I love the people there, that's all I ever talked about. She met Rob and John when they came down for conference to see me. They're so lucky to have her. She will be perfect there. I know they are in good hands.

John from Hanover just receiving his patriarchal blessing this last Sunday. He writes and speaks like he's been a member all his life. He is ROOTED in this!!!! He's an amazing man with a love for Christ. His prayers always get answered, like on the spot too! People will call him while he's praying and give him answers to the questions he has! It's INSANE.

Let me just tell y'all about my new companion Sister Collins: SHE IS AMAZING. She has hit the ground running without missing a step. She is rooted in her testimony. I compare her to the Holy Ghost, she speaks softly, but with incredible love and purity. She is meek and lowly of heart. She is a disciple of Christ, you can tell by the way she treats others. This Gospel is love and she lives that. How dearly I love her. I have prayed her here and the Lord has answered my prayers!! I adore her! She was a councilor at Brighton Girls Camp before she came, she might convince me to do that when I get home ha! I don't know why, but the Lord keeps blessing me with BEST FRIENDS out here, one companion after the other. I have loved them so much.

Ok. So since Sister Collins has been here we have yet to have a lesson that isn't amazing! Patty ASKED FOR A READING ASSIGNMENT AND WANTED US TO COME BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Sean came to church and told others that he is going to be baptized!!! (yes the drag queen). Sean and Patty are READING the Book of Mormon. Patty said in her lesson, "after every lesson we have I always have a question that I have never thought of before." This time it was about the pre-earth life. That Plan of Salvation is bomb, it related to everyone. So Patty and Sean are progressing!!

Yesterday we walked 4 miles to contact a referral that wasn't there. Afterwards we asked, "why does the Lord want us HERE?" As soon as we answered that a man walked outside a house down from us. We asked him if we could share a message about Jesus Christ and got a return appointment for next Sunday (Easter). Only problem is, he SPEAKS SPANISH. I don't know Spanish. Good news is there are plenty of members that do! Wish is luck!

Uplifting message to those who are on missions:
God's opinion is the ONLY ONE that matters. He knows you are giving it everything you have and He has endowed you with power to do His work here upon the earth. This is a mighty work for mighty warriors, which you are one! You are like the Sons of Mosiah, teaching with power and authority of God. Think of Nephi in 3 Nephi, no one listened. But who did Christ call on when He came? NEPHI. He didn't give up. He then gave him the power to BAPTIZE! Be like Nephi and Christ will give you that same opportunity. You have power and authority, power is the evidence of your authority. Know this, that you are marvelous. You are elect. You can do anything with Christ, whose name you wear and whom you represent. You are His tool. He is working through you, whether it be to help your companions or the people around you.

Something AWFUL.... WE TOTALLY HAVE BEDBUGS. LIKE THE LANDLORD IS HAVING OUR APARTMENT HEATED UP TO 130 DEGREES ON THURSDAY hahaaaaha. Of course it's days after Sister Collins comes into the mission that we find this out... Poor girl! She's a great sport. No surprise we caught them, we go into some interesting homes!

Manchvegas story of the week: I got proposed to at a stoplight in our car by the man in the car next to us. He signaled to roll the window down. I did and went to hand him a mormon.org card when he started asking me all these questions ha! Wish I had better street smarts... We were in the elders area, there's a reason there aren't sisters there!

Drag Queens, Maple Syrup, Training

MOST BITTERSWEET MOMENT OF MY MISSION:

SISTER TURLEY IS LEAVING AND I AM TRAINING. This week was great until we got the call from President Stoker Fridaynight. We knew it was coming. President told me I was training during interviews a few weeks ago and told me to prepare to train. President Uchtdorf said it in conference, we do not like change because we are eternal beings. Sister Turley and I are eternal friends. I believe we have always been friends and were destined to meet up on our missions. This area is a challenge, but a good companionship can turn any situation into a good one. She has taught me to see others' perspectives; this was the perfect setting for me to learn that. I learned how to cook and serve from her. We had the same purpose. Although we learn VERY differently, we learned together. W e had a great companionship and the ward knew it. Many of them have come up to us saying "this is the start of an eternal friendship." They love the way we worked together. Both of us had more enthusiasm that most of the mission! We didn't fit in AT ALL which is why we worked well in this area.

Something I'm just realizing: I need the sun to wake up. I was depressed all winter. Now that it's spring and sunny I am SO much happier, can't believe what a difference the sun makes.

Two members had missionary experiences. MIRACLE. Sister Y#%&* (privacy, don't wanna give her name) started drinking and smoking. When I first got here we taught her the stop smoking program, she hasn't smoked since. She now has her temple recommend back!! We went over to their home two weeks ago and gave them a family mission plan, she was a tid bit apprehensive. Most of her friends are drag queens people pretty stuck in the world. She text us earlier this week and told us she was inviting a friend over for dinner with us. His name is Sean. He asks her about church all the time! He created a modern Jesus story and has read a lot in the Bible. Friday we went over and had the coolest experience. We had no idea what to teach him.... but the Lord never lets us down. When you follow the promptings of the Spirit, He will give you more and more. He will never let you down. We turned to Alma 7:11-13. We read it, all he said was "whoa, God can speak to us." He was awkward because the Spirit was foreign to him, you could tell, yet he felt it the whole time! We then watched None Were With Him on mormonchannel.org. He hasn't stopped talking about that night! We are meeting with him and the familythis Friday and are going to teach him about how God is our LOVING Heavenly Father.

Jenny brought her friend to Panera Bread. We had lunch with all the young women. We are having dinner with Hannah and Jenny's family soon!!

Conference was amazing. Build upon the rock to have rock like strength! Also, make the choice to follow Christ and STICK WITH IT. I was immensely spiritually fed. Perseverance and diligence. The Gospel is persistence. Once you make the decision to follow Christ, stick with it! ENDURE TO THE END!! #bednarrules

AHG SO MUCH MORE TO WRITE SO LITTLE TIME

Kalisa and Olivier, we gotta get them tro church but they are amazing.

We must analyze the LITTLE THINGS> DIG DEEPER. Take an experience, what make it special, is that really what made is special, why do you enjoy it? Take everything and analyze it. You can do this to know the desires of your heart, your strengths, interests, so on. Wish I had more time to explain it. We're on the computer with little time.

No pictures on this computer... Hopefully next week Bedford sisters can drive us to the other library! (no car on mondays)

Dreams

Tuesday night I had a dream about a wall, and someone shooting one part of the wall and it crumbling. I woke up and the image wouldn't leave me, I knew that the Lord was telling me to make a visual! I told Sister Turley and we came up with a visual for it. We made a wall of cups in a circle with the commandments on it, and blank cups for the testimonies you gain for each of those commandments. You are in the middle and the wall is what protects you from the adversary. When you choose to disobey even one commandment you are exposed; the wall crumbles in that part. You have a weakness and the adversary knows that. Commandments are there to keep us safe. They are there to protect us through our journey on earth. 

I think this dream came as a result of Sunday morning: one of our recent converts has a hard time waking up in the morning. When she gives us a ride to church, she gets up and comes. She picks us up with coffee in her mug. We scheduled a lesson with her on Tuesday to meet ASAP. We taught her the wall, and commit her to work on a commandment she wants to strengthen. We shared our concerns with her. The spirit was with us and guided the entire discussion. 

I guess she came home after church and dumped the majority of the coffee out. She is so sincere and LOVES the Gospel, I hate to see her guard down.

Kalisa wants to read the ENTIRE Book of Mormon. He is committed. We have a hard time getting him to come to church. He's so fun to teach! 

I pray for the people we see to understand the BIG picture of things. This IS the Restored Gospel, we can tell them all day what that means, but until they feel it our words are like wind - it just goes right by them.

The snow is finally melting, cigarettes litter the sidewalks like fertilizer - the grass is completely dead. I can't wait for the spring and the summer. I can't wait for GREEN TREES EVERYWHERE!! Can't wait for people walking around the city!

We commit ourselves to hand out five church resources every day. It makes us talk to EVERYONE!!! It also forces us to walk around more, trying to talk to more people! One man started walking towards us: covered in piercings, rocking an extreme hair-doo, black leather jacket. He comes towards us and we offer a photo of Christ after He's resurrected. He takes it. He asks us if we're missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His WHOLE FAMILY IS MORMON and he's the only one who isn't. With much excitement we ask him if we can come teach him. He's moving to Manchester in a month! We have a POTENTIAL INVESTIGATOR!

Our investigators are proven to be pretty stubborn. If John was baptized, I have faith that ALL these people can be baptized. I know that the Lord works mighty miracles when we ask in faith!

Sister Young wants us to meet her friend who's tip-toeing with curiosity towards the church. She thinks we're the right missionaries for him. The young women wants us to teach their friends. One of the girls who came to class last week is getting baptized ALONG WITH HER TWO SISTERS AND PARENTS. The elders were teaching them and asked "if you come to know these things are true will you be baptized?" They reply "We know that it's true, we feel it in our hearts, when can we be baptized?" They will be a GREAT strength to the ward. The members are sharing the Gospel. No effort is wasted. 

I love y'all so much and pray that each of you will experience the joys of missionary work. Don't be afraid. With the Lord, all things are possible.

Without Christ, nothing is possible. I wouldn't have the ability to act on my own opinions, I don't even know if I could have my mind. I am just sp grateful that the Lord has given me a mind to think, to question.

I am reading the New Testament and with I had time to write the valuable insights I have gained through it. WRITE ME and I'll write more ha!

JoAnne is amazing, heading straight towards the House of the Lord. She is BEST friends with the other single ladies in the ward, they play cards together all the time. She comes to EVERYTHING without us even asking. She has found herself in the Gospel and it is a MIRACLE. Tonight we teach her about justice and mercy using THIS TALK. I suggest you all read it!Remember that in the end, it's the merciful that will obtain mercy. 

Sorry, no pictures again... One of these days I'll find a computer that lets me upload them and have more email time!

Let it OUT

I found myself in many instances where I had to practice meekness this week. I feel that now I have the knowledge I need to explain why, and how the church is true in almost any situation. Sometimes that's not the smart thing to do. Christ's silence during the trial says so much about who He is. His characteristics we are to attain aren't easy by any means! Life without His help is impossible. 

Let me just get this out:

Mormon's believe that Jesus Christ is the SON OF GOD! We are indeed Christians! LOOK AT THE NAME TAG. IT HAS HIS NAME ON IT! Also, Mormons have ALWAYS believed this. Our doctrine doesn't change. If you want to learn about Mormons, talk to a Mormon! ... rant over.

Sister Turley gave me an interesting goal to work on this week: respond to difference in opinions with a testimony. 

That's been one of the best goals a companion's ever given me, and it helped me so much. As soon as you do testify of the truthfulness that Christ DOES live, and that communication between man and Heaven flows, you feel an out-pour of love towards those that disagree. Even if the situation didn't change, by heart did. Charity comes before everything, if you don't have charity, as Moroni said, you are nothing. Charity can only come through Christ. He can change our hearts. I kept praying throughout many situations this week that He would take over, that He could help me, and He did. I just need to do what I've been asked to do and He can help with the rest. 

I feel very small without His help.

Humbling.

We had a dinner with Kalisa, Oliver, and one of the member families in our ward. It went GREAT. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Interesting how Kalisa is the one with the baptismal date, but Oliver was the one completely involved in the lesson. His questions stem from his soul, they are QUESTIONS OF THE SOUL. Hopefully we can get those two to church this coming week. SOMETHING is holding Kalisa back, because he isn't coming to church. Stay tuned...

We taught Young Women's on Sunday and set up a lunch with all of them in between conference sessions (can't believe conference is already here). They rushed up to us afterwards and told us they were going to invite their friends, they were waiting for a casual enough environment where they could do that! So THAT IS EXCITING!!!

Patty is great. Sister Stoker (mission mom) wants to teach her with us, which is also great! It seemed like she was going to drop this last lesson where we explained how the Book of Mormon came to be, but we managed to get a return appointment.

Elders got rear-ended in our car... bvfkdisnjvguahgcn.

Sister Turley is awesome. Really we are such great friends. Our houses are 12 milers away from each other so someday we can run to each other's houses and hang out!

Sorry this computer won't allow me to upload photos! Next week hopefully...

I love having people to teach!! We've just got to get them progressing is the next step.

Something REALLY exciting: we're having a fireside in May to help the members and President Stoker said he'd speak! Also, one of the members wants to have a Spanish fireside so they can invite their friends. THAT is ALSO going to happen!!

I've been focusing so much on the sacrament, and reverence. Reverence shows our respect, love, and affection. It shows Him we accept His sacrifice. Studying the difference between the two prayers you see that the bread is more of us keeping His commandments. The water being accessing the Atonement. Christ is the host of the sacrament. 

Love y'all!!

By Small & Simple Things

Alma 37:6-7.

The adversary pushes us harder this week than any other week in Manchester, he is tugging and pulling us down so that we cannot accomplish what the Lord whats us to do. We only had one appointment this week where no cancellations were made.

He was working hard because this week was nothing short of a week full of miracles.

Kalisa is getting BAPTIZED on May 17th. It'd be in April, but he doesn't celebrate in April. That's the anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. Respectfully, we set a later date. We can't teach Kalisa without member. So we go to pick up our member and she wasn't there, she was in Concord. This would be the second appointment this week we would've had to cancel and we weren't about to let that happen. We called EVERYONE (missionary work involves a LOT of calling) and NO ONE picked up... We called the Skidmore's who work in the mission office, they were just leaving the office and said they could head over. JUST IN TIME we found someone to come with us. That lesson was the climax of everything we've taught. Prophets clicked. We had an Ammon moment and the Spirit helped us discern a question that he's had on his heart for a long time. When he was in Africa he asked one of the ministers a question, they answered him with something Moses said thousands of years ago. His question was, why wouldn't they give him an answer for NOW? Prophets answered that. He is reading the Book of Mormon and praying. He then asked us if our church was like the church Paul set up, where they lived the law of consecration. We taught him about fast offerings and tithing. He LOVED it. He said "now I want to be a member of this church." So we picked a date! Had the Skidmore's not come and shared their testimony, and had we had to cancel that appointment, I don't know where we'd be. Satan will not win, he tries hard, but we try harder. The Lord will ALWAYS provide a way to accomplish that which he requires us to do.

Oh my heck. We met with Gigi again, this time with Sister Methot who is from the Dominican Republic (no one in Manchester actually comes from Manchester, unlike the rest of New England). They matched SO well together. My goodness! Most of the lesson was in Spanish, but I felt the Spirit SO strong. Sister Methot testified of the Plan of Salvation in a very personal way. I know I've said this before, but the Plan of Salvation is my favorite lesson to teach. Seeing others figure it out, and have it make sense over the course of time is my FAVORITE THING! So Gigi is well.

Patty is a referral from our neighboring ward. One of her Spanish students gave her a Spanish Book of Mormon. She's very very very Catholic, but is curious to know what we believe. She sees many ties between our religions and wants to know what the difference is. She's a well off lady with a curiosity about our church. Tonight we are meeting with her and Sister Stoker!

There is never a wrong reason to investigate the Gospel.

So John surprised my by coming to church in Manchester. What pleasure it was to talk with him and see how he's doing! MY GOODNESS YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESSION IN HIM!!! You can tell he is doing everything the Lord asks him to do. I also talked with someone else from Hanover who came to the youth activity I helped with and she said that he was her home teacher. They adore him. He's almost read the Book of Mormon THREE TIMES. He's been going to the temple with Creed. He has a calling!! He told me all these experiences where the Lord answered his prayers on the spot! He asked the Lord why I wasn't writing and Sister Korman called him then and there are told him I could only write once a month. He recognizes the Lord's hand in all things. He's lifting those around him, like Rob! Always looking out for them!! It was everything I needed to go the extra push, to keep on working hard.

If the Lord knows you'll do the small and simple things, He'll trust you with His power. Authority comes with the calling, but power comes through prayer, study, and application. Nothing happens until you decide to ACT. He will make you a powerful instrument in His hand if His hand is the only one you desire. Once you rid yourself of any other desires other than to serve the Lord with your WHOLE HEART, then He gives you His spirit and His power. He works by those small means you do, they matter. They all add up to help God fulfill his purpose (Moses 1:39). Is everything you are doing leading to that?

Hastening the work doesn't necessarily mean a growth in the numbers of the church as much as a growth in creativity of how we share the Gospel. The invite and the message will never change, but the way we go about it is. It is through the members that the Lord wishes to hasten the work.  So it's about teaching them, through small and simple ways!

 Ben&Jerry's

One of the members offered to do our laundry.