I Believe I Can Fly

Well.  It's been an exciting week I guess you could say.  First things first, we had a baptism this weekend!  (I just realized I forgot my camera so pictures will come next week).  Christina is probably the last person you would have thought to join the church but that's what makes it such a miracle!  I wish I could take before and after pictures because her whole countenance is so bright and happy which it was not before.  So the reason she started meeting with us was because she was struggling and needed help.  Her husband just got baptized a couple years before and encouraged her to go see the bishop.  The Bishop told her that he would send her to and pay for a therapist on the condition that she listened to the Plan of Salvation by the missionaries.  The elders were still in our ward at the time so they went over and did the first lessons.  Then they got transferred.  And we took over.  Christina did NOT like us.  She glared at us, was super short and used the F-bomb every other word, and was very emphatic that she would never pray or read the scriptures.  But we invited her anyway and invited her to pray about baptism.  *shrug* it's what we do.  Then she started changing, and very quickly too!  Soon after, she started reading, and praying and even fasted about baptism.  Started going to church and received her answer that the church was true and she needed to be baptized.  It has been a miraculous transformation; definitely the best part of being a missionary is to see this transformation in others!  Now she doesn't hate us ;) , is super solid, is almost done with the Book of Mormon, prays all the time and her greatest desire is to get sealed to her husband and two little girls in the temple.  So amazing!

Second things second, Satan did NOT want us to have a baptism. This week was crazy.  No one wanted to see us and everyone got sick and to top it all off?  Sis Sweany got into a car accident when we were on exchanges and Christina fell down the starts and ended up in the emergency room.  It was fun.  So.  Story time.  Sweany first.  They went to the church for exercises in the morning and the other chick was driving.  They live at the top of this super tall hill that when you get to the top, it turns sharply to the left.  The sun was right in the way on their way up and you would think that if you couldn't see you would slow down instead of continuing to go 50 miles an hour up a hill that you have driven every day for the past month and a half that you know is coming to an end soon.  But that would have been the smart thing to do.  This sister was singing and not paying attention to Sis Sweany warning her that the turn should be coming up soon; went off the road, into a ditch, through a fence and landed in some person’s yard.  That they had just tracted into a couple days before.  Awkward.  The other sister wasn't hurt but sis Sweany got whiplash pretty bad so we have spent quite a bit of time at the chiropractor this past week.  It's horrible; her very last week on the mission and she gets injured.  She wasn't very happy.  But at least no one got seriously hurt.  Then Christina.  She was getting up in the middle of the night for a drink and slipped on a toy sitting on the stairs and hit her head pretty hard.  They thought she had fractured her neck but she got a blessing and it turned out ok.  But both of them have bruises and are poppin the IBU.  Christina just wanted to be like Sis Sweany because she is that cool ;)  Just kidding.  

That's what always happens when something good is about to happen!  Satan works his darnedest not to let it.  He tries everything to get in the way.  Good thing God is more powerful and even though crazy things happen, He is there still protecting us and helping us through it.  And it just lets you know that you are on the right path.  If not, then why would the adversary try so hard to stop it?  Also, makes for good stories, right?

But this week is going to be awesome.  Next week is transfers and since Sis Sweany is headed home :(  I will be getting a new companion and (probably) staying in Sparks yet again.  I might as well just get a house and live here....You know you've been in the area for a loooooong time when everyone in the stake recognizes and knows you.  It's fun though  :)

Hope you all are having a fantastic week and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Love,
Sis. Rae

Missionary Work and the Atonement

This was a great week!  Filled with ups and downs and sideways and crisscrosses.  Actually it was just good.  I have had a cold for the past couple days so that makes life a little less fun but the work has been good!  It makes me grateful for how busy we are so we don't have to walk around much trying to stay busy; we can spend more time inside, sitting down, with water.  

Something cool that happened this week!  We have an investigator, Christina, who is getting baptized this Friday and she is sooooo excited.  Inviting everyone and anyone to come watch.  But she had some friends that fell onto some hard times (like losing their house and all their possessions....long story) and she has been helping them.  The wife is a member (very, very inactive) and her husband is agnostic.  Or was :)  They have been staying with Christina until they could find a place and we have been seeing Christina everyday so they have been sitting in on the lessons.  Well, through a series of events (not all unfortunate) they ended up coming to church to talk to the Bishop for some help.  They were able to find a house, get him a job, get some clothes and food for them and their two kids.  It was so wonderful!  AND they told us that since they have been sitting in on the lessons, they read the assignments we give to Christina every night as a family and have been praying together!!  Which is huge because when we first met them they, especially the husband, were super skeptical of the church, especially of missionaries, and didn't really believe in God.  Christina even got the husband to agree to pray at her baptism.  She tells everyone that she "missionaried him".  Super funny!  AND yesterday we were over there and he told us that he and his daughter (who just turned 9) want to be baptized!  Such a miracle; totally took us by surprise.  They don't live in our area anymore but we handed them over to the missionaries in Reno and they are on fire.  Hopefully we still see them though!  It was a really cool experience though.  Again, just that affirmation people can change and the gospel is for everyone.

The highlight of my week this week was Zone Conference.  Probably the best one I have had on my mission and I kind of wish I would have had it earlier!  But c'est la vie.  At least I got it now!  It was so great because it was ALL about the Atonement which is the most amazing thing in the world.  Literally.  It was based on the talk by Jeffrey R. Holland called Missionary Work and the Atonement.  You should read it.  While I was reading it, and while in conference, something really hit me about the Book of Mormon.  I have always known that it is a powerful book and that it is a miracle producing book but I have never really realized why that was.  I'm a bit slow but I finally realized it!!  The first thing we must have is faith in Jesus Christ.  When we have that (and continue to build that faith) it leads to action, mainly, a deep and lasting conversion.  Well, the Book of Mormon is nothing but prophets’ testimonies of our Savior!  What better way to build our faith then to read about Jesus Christ, His role as our Redeemer, and how He lived and what He did while on the earth?  The Bible of course talks about Him but the Book of Mormon mentions Him even more times than the New Testament and is that additional witness that He did live and did love us.  That's why we are told that the Book of Mormon is the capstone of our religion.  It holds everything together and encourages an abiding testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. One of my favorite quotes in the talk is:

"There are several reasons for bearing testimony. One is that when you declare the truth, it will bring an echo, a memory, even if it is an unconscious memory to the investigator, that they have heard this truth before and of course they have. A missionary’s testimony invokes agreat legacy of testimony dating back to the councils in heaven before this world was. There, in an earlier place, these same people heard this same plan outlined and heard there the role that Jesus Christ would play in their salvation."

Again, that is why the Book of Mormon is so crucial!  It's a compilation of testimonies from prophets who have actually seen the Savior and can testify with a sure knowledge of what He has done for us and the Plan that His acts fulfilled.  What's more powerful than that?? Don't know why it took me twenty-two years to figure that out but I'm glad it finally hit me!  I feel like that was kind of scattered so hopefully it makes sense.  I was just so excited when that light bulb went off!! :)

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the fall in the air and school and everything like that!  (p.s. Walmart is already bringing out their Halloween things, how depressing is that?!)  But anywho, have a great week and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Love,

Sis. Rae

They Sang As They Walked and Walked and Walked aaaaaaaaaaand Walked

This was a great week like always.  Lots of fun stuff going on.  People progressing and wanting to talk with us which is always a good thing!  So remember the Asian lady I was telling you about last week?  Well we went and met with her again this week and it was so cool!  She is stellar.  And they are sooo cute!!  They took our bags as we came in and filled up glasses with water and just made sure we were comfortable.  Then as we were talking, every single time we took a drink of water they would jump up and fill the glass so it never even touched half empty.  I felt pampered ha-ha so we are teaching the aunt of the couple who own the house and are members.  The couple who are members just came from Thailand 3 months ago so speak little to no English.  So there are a lot of smiles and bowing and nodding.  It's so cute!!  But even though they don't understand what is going on they sit in the lessons with us.  It was funny, we wanted to have them testify to Jintana about the Book of Mormon but we couldn't ask them, so we asked our investigator to ask our member to testify.  Kind of backward. Then we didn't understand a single word they said....the Spirit was strong though ;)  We're excited to see where it goes because we really like all of them.  Such a sweet family.

So this Saturday we didn't have a single set lessons, so we decided to walk!  All. Day.  It was actually really fun; we had a contest to see which of us could start the conversation with the most people with the random people on the street.  And who could come up with the most creative conversation starters. It was pretty epic.  We met a lot of cool people and some that were actually interested (or at least willing) to meet with us again.  Also, this one lady gave us the biggest Otter Pops I have ever seen in my life.  It was probably the best thing I have ever eaten as well after being on my feet in the heat (ha, that rhymed!) all day.  And the best part was that she talked to us the whole time we were eating them and agreed to let us come back!  Maybe we'll get another Otter Pop.....;)  We talked to this really funny lady too.  She did NOT like us.  You could tell she was trying to get rid of us just by being curt and non-responsive (if you want to get rid of missionaries, just send them to your neighbor, otherwise, we'll keep talkin'.  What can I say, just trying to be friendly!? After trying to comment on her pretty yard and cute dog, we ask her name and she says "ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies" and then just stares at us.  I was taken aback and almost started laughing, just how she said it and then just creepily stares at us.  And we ask about if she knew anyone and she just stares at us some more and then waves her arms all around at her house and tells us no one there would ever be interested but she doesn't know her neighbors and then tells us to get lost, slams her car door, and basically runs inside.  So not very nice but just how it went down was super funny!  I guess you had to be there.  Some peoples kids.  Good thing most people are nice and take pity on us outside in the hotness, even if they don't want to hear what we have to say.    Oh!  Also, I almost died.  We always joke about giving Eternal Salvation away when people reject us or whatever but have never actually told anyone that to their faces.  Well this week, Sis Sweany did!  It was awesome.  Some lady asked us what we were selling and she just retorts, 'we aren't selling anything, we are GIVING AWAY Eternal Salvation.  Would you like some?'  She didn't.  But it made her pause long enough to talk to us a little bit and she ended up sending us to her neighbor who has potential to be interested.  

Hmmm....I can't think of anything else that happened.  Sorry, this is super random little things that happened this week....but that's what makes life great.  The church is true!  

Love,

Sis Rae

Can We Say Miracles?!

Howdy everyone!!

So this week has been a pretty good week.  Lots of business.  Everyday, all day!!  And lots of miracles.  So we have been teaching a lot of recent converts lately but don't really have 'solid' investigators right now.  So we have been praying and fasting our little hearts out that we can find those that are prepared, even with all the craziness we have going on. 

Well on Wednesday we have an hour to walk around and so decide to walk down this cute little neighborhood that several former investigators live.  We walk past a house and the sister I was with (we were on exchanges) stops and was just like, that's a cute little house, lets go talk with them.  So we did!  Turns out, the husband has a buddy at work that was supposed to bring him a Book of Mormon to read the day before but forgot it.  What a coinkidink.  So we gave him the Book of Mormon and ask if we can come back and talk to his family and he says, you'll have to ask the wife.  Not really ever a good sign.  Always get shot down by the spouse.  She wasn't home from work yet so we went back later that afternoon.  Turns out, she is super sweet, knows quite about our religion already and wants to meet with us again!  Miracles.  And they have 3 cute little girls that are all baptism age as well, families make missionaries so happy!  So we'll keep praying and see what happens there.

Next miracle.  Our Relief Society President got together a list of members that she didn't know and asked us to help visit them.  We stop by the first person on our list and she wasn't home but her daughter was.  Missionaries had been there before apparently but they had always been super busy (you know how life gets).  And the daughter told us that she wants to learn.  Her mom had never pushed Mormonism on them but had encouraged them to find the truth themselves.  Her comment was, well how am I supposed to know what's true if I don't know anything about it!  So she is interested in learning along with her brother, another miracle!

And lastly, Sunday morning, we get a call from our Ward Mission Leader saying that he has someone that he was going to bring to church that wanted to be baptized.  WHAT????  We had just talked with him the night before and he had been telling us that we needed to focus on finding more and that he was sorry he hadn't been able to be more of a help to us in that area.  Turns out, she had been going to a different ward in a different building and someone just found out that she wasn't actually a member and lived in our area.  They moved here about 3 months ago from Thai and are really cool.  But again, it was such a miracle, and we had a lesson with her last night that just went amazing.  The Lord provides!  He is so good to us. :)

Who knows how these will turn out but it has been a huge blessing and an answer to our prayer.  The Lord really does listen to us and wants to help us, especially when we are engaged in His work.  Such a testimony builder to me!  I am so grateful for this gospel and the love our Heavenly Father has for us.  He does hear us and He does answer us!  Every. Single. Time.  Such a wonderful knowledge and the comfort that comes with that is such a blessing.

I hope you all have a great week!!
Love,
Sis Rae

Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows

It rained this week.  Every day.  All day.  Which is really weird for Nevada, this is the most rain they have gotten for years.  But I'm not complaining!  It keeps things cool, gets rid of the fires that are going on, and who doesn't love dancin in the rain?  Not that we have time for that but still.  And it means that we get to see rainbows almost every day.  Nothing beats coming out of an amazing lesson with a rainbow peeking through the clouds and mist.  

Anywho.  What happened this week.... it was a crazy week.  We went to transfers (even though both of us were staying) and had to house missionaries that were leaving to go out East or had a new companion coming on the bus the next day from out East.  So we had 3 missionaries staying with us for 24 hours....that was a party.  Perks of living right across from the mission office!  You get roped into everything ;)  It was fun though.  I don't think we overwhelmed too many people with the army of missionaries coming over for a lesson; hopefully ha-ha  

Sis Sweany and I were asked to provide the music for the funeral for the lady that passed away last week so we had to go to that.  Fun times.  Actually it was really awkward because we only knew her, we didn't know anyone that came to her funeral so I kind of felt like I was intruding.  But it was nice to be able to go and hear the stories about her and everything so I'm glad they asked us to participate.  

Ok, done with the dreary stuff.  Awesome something that happened this week!  Our investigator, Zack got baptized this weekend!  His dad was baptized a couple weeks ago but he wasn't quite ready yet so we waited a couple weeks, taught him some more and he made the leap this weekend.  Well, since his dad now has the Priesthood, he was able to baptize Zack!  Which was so awesome!  I can't even explain how amazing it is to see someone, who, a few months ago was kind of rough around the edges change to someone who is able to baptize his kids.  And I don't know if you remember the picture we took at Chuck’s baptism but the difference is so amazing to this picture.  He has changed in just the few short weeks since he has been baptized he actually looks different.  The gospel has so much power to change our lives and make us into better people, more like our Savior Jesus Christ.  It's such a blessing to me and I am so thankful that I have this opportunity to share what I care about so much with others and then see them change because of it.  And the best part of the baptism was that when we went in, it was stormy and rainy and nasty outside, and when we walked out, everything was calm and clear, and there was a huge double rainbow in the sky.  If that's not symbolic, then I don't know what is.  

It was a wonderful experience and can I just say again, the Church is true and I love being a missionary!  The rest of the week flew by and I don't remember most of it but it was good.  Like always :)

I hope everyone has a great week and enjoy the last bit of summer!

Love,

Sis Rae

Zack's Baptism

BOOM BABY!

So.  Another transfer come and gone.  And guess what happened with this round???  I am again staying in Sparks 2nd ward with Sis Sweany.  Woo!  I am super excited because there are too many amazing things happening here with the both of us to leave.  But, since I am killing Sis Sweany this transfer (it's her last one) that means that I am probably going to end up dying in Sparks as well.  How cool would that be, end my mission in the ward that I started in?  Also, I now hold the record for the most transfers served in the Sparks stake.  Yes!!  I had a bet going with an elder that had been here for forever as well, and I won. 
The adversary has been working hard though!  I have never seen so many people end up in hospitals, get into car accidents, or have family members pass then I have here.  It's been rough.  And this week a less active we have been working with, who was finally progressing and wanting to change, unexpectedly passed away.  It killed me a little bit.  This is the second person that we have worked with that has passed away since I have been here with Sis Sweany.  It just makes me very, very grateful for the knowledge that we have about God's plan for all of us.  I don't know how people survive without it.  I'm kind of nervous about what is going to happen this next transfer....but super excited at the same time!  Miracles are going to continue happening. Glad I am on the winning team!
The best miracle this week was this girl, Christina, who we have been teaching for a couple weeks.  She has been through sooo much and has a very gruff, angry persona that she puts on.  Well this week we had a break through.  She has been just eating up everything that we have given her, reads a couple chapters that we give her from the Book of Mormon everyday and had a page full of questions for us like " how can I be an instrument in God's hands" or "how do I humble myself before God?"  Things like that.  It's so amazing!  But she has been praying about the date we committed her too (and decided to fast too!!).  So, we greeted her at the door for church and she tells us that she was praying and got her answer that the date in September was too soon for her and she needed a date later.  But then church started so we had to go sit down.  We had been fasting with her as well and said multiple prayers during church that she would get her answer.  After church, she comes up to us and her mother-in-law (who is a very active member) and tells us that she really got her answer during church and that she wanted nothing more than to be baptized in September.  It was probably the happiest moment ever!  She is changing so much and actually smiles now and laughs and doesn't cuss as much.  It's amazing what the gospel does for people!  It makes me really happy to see the changes in her life she is making.  The gospel is a total 180 change for her.  She is such an amazing person.

But yeah.  Life is awesome. You're awesome.  Missions are awesome.  Hope everyone has an awesome week! :)

Love,
Sis Rae

Kids Say the Darnest Things

Can I just say, I love being a missionary?  It's the best thing ever.  I couldn't be doing anything better with my life right now.  What makes it even better are some things that people say to you, like....

"Why don't you just go melt like a snail?!" --Gotta loves Psalms

"Sorry, I can't meet today, I have to go make my bed" --Well ok, you could have just told us you didn't want to see us....

"I bet dinosaurs even had dinosaur prophets" --Apparently prophets were a thing even before Adam

"I get so offended when people don't wave back" --Courteous Nevadans

"Where does Jesus go potty"  "What do you think rain is??"  --A four-year-old’s pressing question and her brother’s reply

"Dang, I am just so attractive" --Going over For Strength of Youth with a recent convert

"To get to know someone, you have to talk with them; you can't just stare at them!"  --Lesson on prayer 

You just had to be there.  Seriously though, people are the best.  So this week was pretty great.  We got to go to the temple with several of our recent converts to do baptisms for the dead.  It was wonderful.  I love going to the temple and wish we could do it more on our missions but missionary work is pretty awesome too.  Then we have been able to have just some good lessons.  People are keeping their commitments (yay!!  Best thing you can have as a missionary) and actually reading and praying about the stuff we talk about.  Because until they start doing that, there is no way that they are going to find out for themselves.  God can't answer an unasked question!  So that made us happy this week.

Oh!  Crazy story.  Apparently Sis Sweany and I are awful missionaries and should be ex-communicated.  So if I come home early....my bad.  We have this guy that we have been teaching that got baptized a couple months ago.  His wife used to be a member and wanted to get back in the church so she actually requested us to come over.  Well, after the first couple lessons, she decided she didn't want to learn anymore but her husband continued and was baptized.  She is a little unstable mentally and it has just gotten worse because she won't go get help.  Usually we never see her because when we come for a lesson (with another member, don't worry) she hides in the back.  Well this week we stopped by and she is not happy.  She had just ripped up his patriarchal blessing (that he had just gotten) and thrown away his scriptures, wedding rings, and every picture of them in the house.  I'm not sure exactly what she was upset about but her mom is learning from missionaries in Reno and she called them and told them all this crazy stuff about us and how we were disgraceful missionaries and should be kicked out of the church.  She even told us she was going to write President!  It was kind of amusing because the things she was accusing us of were so absurd that no one would ever believe her.  Especially if you even kind of knew us.  That was last Tuesday and we are still alive so that's a relief  ;)  So that was our exciting adventure of this week.  Missions always keep you on your toes, that's for sure!

Hope you all have a lovely week and are staying out of trouble more than I am!

 

Love,
Sis Rae