Six Months!!

This week is pretty exciting- today I have one month until my birthday (eek!) and then I will hit my six month mark (six months!!!! Can you believe it?!?!) and then it is the last full week of the transfer.

This week we didn't teach a lot of lessons and the weekend was kind of rough, but we were so blessed that it really doesn't seem like it was that bad.  We had two lessons with Chris and they both went very well.  We are able to feel the spirit a little bit stronger each time that we teach him.  It's so wonderful to see how committed he is to reading from the Book of Mormon.  We will assign him a chapter and he will read it a few times to make sure he understands it.  He's very thorough with his reading.  It's so great!!! Sometimes getting people to read from the Book of Mormon is one of the hardest things to do.  Chris also told us that he has been reflecting on his life and he realizes that the Lord has protected him at least a dozen times from dying.  Pretty intense.  It's just a testimony to me that the Lord has been preparing Chris to hear the gospel.  One of our lessons we focused on prayer and scripture study.  We spent a good part of the lesson on how we receive answers to prayers.  Chris says that when he prays he hasn't felt an over whelming feeling towards things, but that it feels good.  We asked him to pray specifically about a baptismal date.  Then one of the members bore a powerful testimony that with God all things are possible.  That He will help us accomplish what He has asked us to do.

We stopped by Jacenta's again and she was just about to call the doctor because he little boy had broken out with a rash.  We tried again a few days later...no dice, but hopefully we'll be able to get in with her this week.

Haha, funny story.  One of the members of our ward's mother is in town and she's a super pro-active missionary crazy mom.  She gave Sister Hoyt and I some shirts (with strings attached, we are suppose to help her sell them). And it says "Heart Locked: Can't touch this"...:) It was so funny to talk to the mother (Sue) on the phone.  She's hilarious. Sue invited us over to dinner the next day and we ended up being a little bit late and so was Sue.  She kept going on and on and how she was so grateful that she didn't miss us.

Another funny story.  We tracted into this mother, left her a pamphlet and asked if we could come back in a week.  She told us yes.  Let me back up - we were a little nervous to knock on the house because it said that they had security cameras and it wasn't in our rich area either.  So, when we came back to follow up with her their was this huge paper on the door that said that they were not interested in buying anything or in religion and it went on and on and said "so feel free to still ring the door bell but be prepared for a grumpy person to answer." We rang and no one answered.  I'm not sure we will be going back.  Then their neighbor has a sign that says "No Soliciting or Peddlers" Then in marker they added "And Jehovah Witnesses or Latter Day Saints" :)

We have been volunteering at a retirement center and their is one lady that LOVES us. She's so great! We finally cleared things up with them that we are not nuns :) but we are missionaries.  Haha, good times, good times.

We got in with a potential investigator...well I don't know how promising she is, but she would be an incredible member.  She is very devoted stanch Catholic.  We stopped by and she let us in and told us about somethings that had been happening with her just before we came over.  We didn't really have a chance to share a lesson with her, but she is soooo family oriented and we know that the gospel would bless her so much.  She told us that some of her friends don't agree with her believes (like having a big family) and she just doesn't really have the support system from them. Ding, ding- the church would help her so much!!! Relief Society and Visiting Teachers.  She said that we could come by again, hopefully she will be touched by the spirit and want to learn more.

Yesterday was so fantastic!!! I love Sundays!!! It was two missionary farewells in one of the wards.  Both young men are serving in the same mission: Halifax. Then everyone in the ward seemed to be a little bit more missionary minded. :) We got another super solid referral from the Elders.  Its a couple that asked their member friends if they could meet with the missionaries!!!! WHAT!!! Ahh!!! We were thrilled to pieces! We have an appointment set up for Tuesday.  Then we stopped by the Brown family and they also set up an appointment for Thursday.  They are super duper prepared.  Their daughter is already attending YW's and their son is in Cubs. :) This is going to be an incredible week!!! The Lord truly blesses us as we work hard! Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven!!!
Until next week!!! Love love love you!!!!
-Sister Douglass