Mom, the Car Won't Start

I'm coming home on 11/25/14

What an exciting, yet interesting week! We weren't able to take the sacrament last Sunday due to stake conference and I really noticed the difference it made in my week. WOW! Sister P and I both just weren't as dedicated as we could have been or as motivated. But since taking it yesterday we both have been like YEAH, WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Monday: We were able to meet with L and D, both recent converts, and are just soaking up the gospel -- it's fantastic! I love them! We read a couple chapters in 2 Nephi with them and answered questions.  I love seeing new members just grasp and want to know as much as possible about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. We met with D and talked about the second half of the 10 commandments. Then we started talking about priesthood blessings and how they can really help us receive strength. D told us that he had been thinking about getting a priesthood blessing, ARE YOU FOR REALS? Yeah, yeah, yeah!  Best thing ever! So we contacted our Elders Quorum President and he will be helping D out, LOVE IT! This is the miracle that we need for D. I know that this priesthood blessing will really help him and I can't wait to see what happens.

Tuesday: We went to the Health Care Center in town and I love that place! Who knew I would come to love older people so much on my mission? As we were walking to the activity room we passed an old lady who was looking for a cigarette. She wasn't going to find one but wanted one so badly. We realized that this is what it is going to be like in the Spirit World. People will still have addictions, but won't be able to overcome them as easily as they could here on earth. We taught a man on his porch for 30 minutes and it was fantastic! He had gone to our church 3-4 times in North Dakota YEARS ago, and just wasn't super interested in it. We were able to clear up some of his concerns. I love talking to people on their doorsteps and having a fantastic conversation while teaching them gospel truths! We were also able to meet with D. I was worried that she wouldn't meet with us again, and this time we were bringing L, a new convert. Well D TOTALLY let us in. and she had read the Book of Mormon! We invited her to read the introduction and 3 Nephi 11. Well, guess what?  She read EVEN MORE!!! She also read the Testimony of the Three and Eight Witnesses, along with the Testimony of Joseph Smith. AAAHHHHHHH It was so cool to see! D said that she will get baptized once she knows it's true, but didn't want to set a date :( Hopefully she will pray about the Book of Mormon this week and will want to get baptized). L was AWESOME!! She is still really hesitant to teach the gospel, since she did just recently get baptized! If it weren't for L, I don't think we would have another appointment scheduled with D. Bringing L was exactly who we needed to friendship and be there for D!

Wednesday: We had the chance to go to Loveland to have our car checked on, since our brakes were making noise. So we just walked around and it was great! Our car ended up being fine and there was just dirt in the brakes, so that was good. But while we were there we had the opportunity to have lunch with some Sisters serving there. That night we saw two solicitors and we had no idea what they were selling, so what do I want to do? TALK TO THEM! After we drove around to "walk into them,"we did! I just asked them what they were selling and one was joking but said, "LIFE!" I jumped on that one, “Oh that's awesome! We save lives.” It was one of those great funny/fun missionary moments! I don't know if I will ever see them again, but hey, planting seeds is great too!

Thursday: We had district meeting at a member's home! THIS WAS NEW!! Because our district got re-arranged and we are further from a church building we got to meet at a member's house. It was actually better than expected. We might be the first district in the mission to meet at a member's home, so that's cool. We had dinner with a less active couple and it went really well. A couple weeks ago Sister P told me that this family had stuffed animals all around their house. Well I walked in, and there were definitely stuffed animals on the walls.... REAL stuffed animals. I thought she was talking about Beanie Babies, nope! These people like hunting. Too great! We were able to commit them to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true, WWOOOHHHOOO!!!

Friday: We raked leaves in the morning for a potential investigator and it went so well. A member came and ended up just talking with her while the Elders and us Sisters raked the leaves.  I love doing service and seeing eyes open to why we are here. Service is the BEST!!!! We got to meet with C and R for dinner. Two super awesome recent converts; it was fantastic!!

I made a leaf angel!

Saturday: We worked on a potential investigator’s house again and this time with a few more members and they talked to her still and one helped us clean up, it was great! We also helped L wash her dogs. I was on the drying end of it, woohoo!!! She has 4 HUGE dogs, including a rottweiler! Yup, a rottweiler! HUGE!!! So that was really helpful for L. After showering because we NEEDED to! We went to the Cs to rake their leaves, it was so fun! We played with their son in the leaves and I made a leaf angel :) It was a day full of service and it was AWESOME!!!!

Sunday: GUESS WHO CAME TO CHURCH? BROTHER C!!! He only stayed for Sacrament meeting, but it was fantastic! I LOVED IT!! I freaked out inside a little bit when my companion saw him in the back, YES, YES, YES!!! I love how we were able to help him out with something he needed to do so that he could come to church! It was so nice to be able to take the Sacrament this week since we missed it the week before! How blessed we are to take it pretty much every week! We get to participate in an ordinance EVERY WEEK!! BEST THING EVER!!! After church we were able to go see an old friend from home, Olivia. We had to get permission to cross into another zone, but that's ok! We got it and it was so good to see her again after YEARS!!! I love her whole family! It will be fun to see her again hopefully at Christmas time. Too fun! Later while we were waiting at our dinner appointment for the food to finish cooking there was a knock at the door and it happened to be from the member that lives across the street.
"There was an accident with your car. It's really bad!"
Well ‘mom, our car won't start’... code for our car was in an accident! Our car actually started, we weren't hurt and the person driving the other car wasn't hurt -- just shaken up that he ran into it. The car was in reverse when he started it. We already have another car to use, which is a miracle! We were prepared to start biking again, but this is great! The night ended with a FANTASTIC mission prep class for the youth! I LOVED every moment of it! We role played with them and WOW those 12-13 year olds can teach! I was thoroughly surprised and just so impressed! I love being able to help them and root them on! But also let them struggle on their own for a bit. It was cool to watch them teach, and then part way through they would begin to teach by the Spirit! LOVED IT!! And then it ended with a great activity :)

The member we lived with wanted us to decorate thier pumpkins with other holidays, DONE! haha Merry Christmas everyone! Oh, I am also super stoked that I can still wear short sleeved shirts in the middle of OCTOBER!! Last year it snowed Oct. 3rd! So this is great that I haven't seen snow yet this fall!

 Love you all, thanks for the continued support!
Love,
Sister Kelly Smith