The week has been awesome! We got lots done and we are finally getting lots done! The difference between Sister Fitzgerald and I. I like to do a whole bunch and really fast. Sister Fitz likes to do very detailed work which takes longer. So we pretty much balance each other out. We are now getting lots done, but making sure that what we are doing is effectively. Not that it wasn't effective before, its just more effective :)
okay so to my week---
I already told y'all but the temple was great!!!! AHH I wish we could go more! It was such a re-boost which was what I needed. We also visited a members later that day, the Rogers, and they are awesome! In fact Brother Rogers used to be a band director and loves Jazz music so connections for the future right there.
We also had our FHE group with some of the less actives which is always great. (Now that we don't have one of the trouble making members there.) In fact some more of the less actives have been coming and they are just so sweet! When we are there we read through chapters of the Book of Mormon and discuss what it all means. Recently we were studying Jacob 5 which was harder for them to understand at first but as Sister Fitzgerald and I explained it a bit they got sooo excited! The finally understood something from it :) They were glowing and wanted to keep reading which was a neat experience. In fact, Sister Fitzgerald is really good at making difficult things easy to understand. #talent .So this week when we went to FHE, Sister Fitzgerald was comparing what we were reading to her own personal life and talked about some of the struggles she had had with doubt and literally the rest of the lesson was them teaching us about enduring to he end. Its was priceless! They got so excited and it was cool because they kept bearing their own testimonies. I think one thing that helps less actives more than anything is when they hear themselves bear their testimony. Once they say it out loud they realize how much they know to be true. Its probably one of my favorite things. Anyway, so that was a really neat experience and I can see a difference in these people.
We also did service at one of the members homes this week AND THEY HAVE WOLVES! I got to feed one of them a treat. I felt pretty cool. Also I love wolves. Also Sister Fitzgerald calls them woofs. LOL.
We also saw Michelle this week! We actually met her in Kent at one of the Panera's and she brought her Friend Jordan whom knows Sister Fitzgerald. I guess Jordan went to BYU and they lived across the hall from one another. Anyway, Jordan is actually the one who introduced Michelle to the church so it was perfect to have her there!
We finally found another one of our less actives. It was actually a hilarious experience. We had stopped by this families home like a million times but they never answered the door. So then one night we still had like 15 min until we needed to be home so we decided to stop by this family, the Deal's. So we knocked on the screen door and their actual door was open and their dog was right here barking like crazy a us. Then we hear someone inside yell at the dog and it ran off into the house. So then we sit there a minute wondering if they are going to come to the door. Complete silence for about 2 min. In the meantime Sister Fitzgerald and I look a each other, then the door, then each other, then the door...etc Until finallllly this man comes to the door shirtless. And then it gets real awkward. And then he says, I'll be right back... and then disappears... and then we are like freaking out because we don't know if he is going to like come back with a gun or something dangerous.... Seconds later he is back at the door, with a shirt on, and steps outside. First thing he stars rambling and tells us that its very rare for him to be home and how he never really can answer the door and how we just shouldn't worry about stopping by because he really just is never home. But he is being so nice in the mean time, just trying to come up with some quick excuses. Also this man is from he south. Heavy accent, super sweet, but also trying to make up excuses so he doesn't hurt our feelings. So then we start some small talk and I start talking about the south and using my Texan-ness to my advantage and he starts to loosen up and talk to us. Then his mom comes out to the porch and she starts chatting with us and then we ask them about their conversion story and it was great. They basically told us that they were less active but that they still knew the church was true. Back to that thing I talked about earlier--they got to hear their own testimonies and then BAM! It sparks something in them.
So that was cool. Its just a matter of time that they start coming back. Plus we have been working a lot with the ward council making sure that the less actives are getting the attention they need.
We also met with Sister Farmer his week, another less active, and she is the sweetest! She has a hard life but dang is she strong! We talked to her about the sabbath and then she showed up to church on Sunday! Miracles! In fact they had her give the opening prayer at church. So we are going to start working with her more.
We also finally saw Freedom again! Its been weeks. It was a drop or not lesson and we didn't feel we should drop her. We were super planning on it until she started really opening up. WOW! She finally started ell us her doubts and we found out a better way to reach her., She had go cheated by a church in the past and has never felt comfortable since joining a church. We had a very deep lesson on he Book of Mormon and why its important. She has been told to read the Book of Mormon over and over again bu she never truly understood why she needed to. So we shall see later this week if she actually reads. If she doesn't keep her commitment though, we may have to drop her and give her a few months to think hings over. I know she will figure it out! I just know it! But its all in Gods timing.
This week we also had several youth tours which are always my favorite! Ohh funny thing. Each group I took said I looked like some famous girl. I cant remember what her name was, but some new celeb. Anyway, they all waned to take pictures with me so they could tell their friends they were hanging with this famous girl. I felt pretty cool.
Also another thing I love to have youth groups do is ask them to show me that dance move "the whip". Its so funny because they all get so excited to show me. In fact it helps the group connect with me and get more comfortable so then our tour is awesome. Plus with teenagers its hard to get them to listen unless you can find some common ground, so this weird dance move has been a huge help. Hahaha funny how things work.
Whaaaaat else....
Another thing that we have been starting to do is get some of the elderly people in our ward involved in the missionary work. Sometimes its hard for them to do missionary work when they don't leave their home often but we have invited them to start writing letters to some of the less actives. Its been awesome to see the change even in these ward members, not only do they see that we are trying to get the ward working together but they feel important which has been one of the struggles that our ward has faced in the past.
One thing I have been thinking about my whole mission is how Heavenly Father wants us to try and seek solutions ourselves. He doesn't just give us the answers directly because He wants us to grow. Sister Fitzgerald has helped me see this as well. She is always coming up with new ideas to improve our area and as we test them out we learn more and more. Its all about the trial and error. I always was thinking a lot about how Heavenly Father teaches us line upon line and precept upon precept. Like when the saints first built the temple, Heavenly Father didn't just give them everything at once, He gave it to them over time to teach them! Its the same with so many other things. Like we get baptized when we are 8 and then we wait until we are 12 to go to the temple and then we wait until we are 14 to go to dances and then we wait until we are 16 to date and then we wait until we are 18 to go to college and then we wait until we are 19-20ish to go to get our endowments in the temple and go on a mission and then we wait to get married and be sealed, and to have a family and then to be old. Its all a growing process. If we went straight to being old then what do we learn? I remember when I was younger always wanting to be older because I waned to be able to do more things. But now I look back and I see that I had to learn more before I could take those next steps so that I could be prepared. Its like what I read in my personal study this morning... found in Jacob 4 verse 14 -- the Jews desired something they could not understand so God gave them what they wanted and then they all go confused. They weren't ready for hose things. Likewise, we have to be patient in life because we aren't always prepared. We have to trust our Heavenly Father and also take the experiences we have right now and ask ourselves, what am I learning? Its all about the growing. Sorry for that ramble! These realizations just amaze me. Ahhh! I love being on a mission! Well everything else is going super well and we have been keeping very very busy!!!! I LOVE YOU FAMILY!!!!!
Have a great week and enjoy the farm without me!
Love,
Sister Katie Call