March 11th, 2013

             Oh it has been an amazing week! This has been one of those weeks where, as you look back, you are amazed that so much can happen in one week! It was the make or break point for two of our investigators and that was an emotional roller coaster!

The first was with Larry. We knew a certain question would come up with Larry sometime or another but we weren't sure when it would come up. It came up late last week as people started to give him a bunch of anti-Mormon lies. They kept telling him things that weren't true and telling him that he would never be able to join the church and never would be accepted and everything. It was awful! We were finally able to have a lesson with him Tuesday morning. We were scared! Ha-ha We had no idea how that lesson was going to go and we knew if we said the wrong thing it would be over for Larry. We got there, prayed really hard, and then started the lesson. It ended up being one of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had. We had Larry's best friend come with him, he is a recent convert of about two years, as well as the Missionaries for the Safford Branch to add some diversity being that Elder A'vaua is Samoan. Larry's friend hijacked the lesson but was able to share with Larry what he needed to hear and to show him that it was possible. He talked a lot about Larry praying for himself to know what was true! He was also able to bear a strong testimony that we were able to back up. The spirit is what did it! What changed Larry is we asked him (were prompted to ask him) what was the difference in the feeling that was there when we were telling him and the feeling that was there when the other people were telling him the other things. You could see that hit him as he realized the peace that was there! That changed everything! Larry is so excited now for everything! He is excited to be baptized and join this church! But that was quite the roller coaster with him that day! From scared to death to pure excitement! Then to make that day even crazier, I have to tell you about Nicole.

               Nicole is awesome! She had spent the last weekend at home with her family, not the best of influences for her. She came back and on Monday and was great but then Monday night Satan really hit her hard! She got really upset and frustrated and started having doubts and problems and everything! She sent us a text that she was struggling and having a hard time Tuesday morning. We encouraged her and said we could discuss it at our lesson that day. Right as we got out of the lesson with Larry on Tuesday, excited and on top of the world, we noticed that she had sent us a text about halfway through that lesson. The text said basically, "I'm done. I am sorry for wasting your time but I can't see myself living the lifestyle. This is not what I expected to happen in my life and I am not ready. You guys are awesome but I can't do it anymore." Talk about the wind being taken from our sails. That was like a sucker punch to our excitement. Ha-ha A small miracle happened that day right then that changed everything. We went to our car, again freaking out a little bit. In the car we were about to go home and say a prayer but we had the strong feeling to pray right there in he car. We did and then I had the feeling to call her, not text but call, no answer, and then we headed home. We later found out that after Nicole had sent that text and we had not respond (we were in the lesson with Larry) she had thought that we were done with her and had given up. She didn't feel right with that. She felt uneasy and finally decided to pray. She went into her room and poured her heart out to God and in her prayed she told him that if this was right we would need to call her back because she was too stubborn to call us. She finished her prayer, walked into the other room and picked up her phone and saw a missed call/voicemail from us. That was a miracle! That gave her the strength and the assurance to call us back. I spoke with her for a short time and then we had a meeting later that day! That was also one of the most spiritual experiences as we were able to explain how, the closer we get to God, the harder the adversary tries to pull us down. The spirit was so strong in that lesson and really touched her and she felt so peaceful that all of her worries were gone. Every doubt in her mind she said, and then realized all the holes and problems with that doubt. It was cool to see her answer her own questions with the help of the spirit! We were able to have a great lesson and she is back on track and more ready than ever!

               We were also able to go have a lesson at the temple with Nicole and we were able to have Tashena come to that to answer her questions! It was great and she kept saying that she can't wait to get to the temple! She loved the feeling that was there! It was one of the coolest experiences ever! I love the temple! Nicole is ready to be baptized on the 30th. Due to Spring break starting this weekend that will be the first Saturday she will be here! We are excited for that!

               Oh there is so much left to say! That only gets us to Tuesday! We were able to see some really cool miracles on Wednesday and Thursday as well as yesterday but I am out of time! I am sorry! I will write them in my journal!

 Love you all! The Church is true! The Book is blue! And Moroni is on the ball! (if confused look at a temple) 

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March 4th, 2013

Oh it has been another crazy week! 

There is so much to write but so little time so again I will just hit the big things!

This week Tashena was able to go to the temple and do baptisms on Tuesday! That was one of the coolest things in the world! We were able to go and meet them there as soon as they had finished and have a lesson/talk about it on the temple grounds! Oh it was so cool to see Tashena walk out of the temple! I remember back to when Danielle had gone to the temple for the first time after her baptism, though we were not able to go we were able to talk to her about it later that day! It is times like that where you are so proud and happy to be a missionary! These are the times that make everything worth it and times that we will remember for the rest of our lives! It was cool as Tashena explained her feelings while in the temple and said that she never wanted to leave! That it was the most peaceful place on earth! So cool! I love the temple! I love being able to go and attend the temple and be closer to my Heavenly Father and come to know of His plan for me! We also had some more lessons with Tashena this week and she continues to impress and teach us! She has such an amazing understanding of everything it is crazy! She will pass my gospel knowledge pretty soon! She is definitely an elect child of her Heavenly Father! 

We were able to have a really cool experience with Tyler this week as we watched Joseph Smith: the Prophet of the Restoration with her. The spirit was so strong! I love what that movie can do! I have never watched it with someone and had them not receive a testimony that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God! Tyler felt the spirit so strong! She said afterword’s that, "The whole time I have been meeting with you two, every time you told me that God would give me an answer that Joseph Smith is a prophet and this is all true, I didn't believe you. Sorry but I didn't! I didn't think that God would answer me. Well.....I was wrong! I just got my answer!" It was such a cool experience! The change we were able to see in her is night and day. We had a lesson with her the day after and she was a different person, overnight! That is the difference of someone who is unsure about their relationship to God and someone that comes to understand that God loves them and knows who they are and that He has a plan for them! God loves us all! He is wanting and waiting for us to put forth the faith so that He can communicate with us and bless us! I am thankful that I am a member of His true church here upon the earth and that I can communicate with Him and He can help me through all of my trials. 

The best part of this week is the lessons that we had with Nicole. We found her last week and she is Legit! We love teaching her because she is so much fun to teach! She is a huge testimony builder to me that God prepares His children to receive his gospel! It was so cool to teach her about the Plan of Salvation this week! It was so funny as she was asking questions about the parts of the plan that we had not got to yet! For example, as we were teaching about the fall of Adam and Eve from the presence of God she asked, "If God knew that Adam and Eve were going to eat the fruit and fall and not be able to return to Him, why would He do that? Is there something that can fix that?" We were happy and were like, "Yes that is part of the plan! Let's talk about the Atonement of Jesus Christ where everyone has an opportunity to return to God's presence!" Another example happened as we were teaching about the gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End) and how those things are required for salvation. She asked, "I love this stuff but what happens to the people that die without having the chance to learn about these things and do them for themselves?" We were stunned for that one and both of us just started to smile! We happily discussed the spirit world where all people will have the opportunity to learn and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ! It was so amazing! This is God's work and He is leading it and preparing the way for us! 

The other thing that we had this week was ZLC! I love and hate ZLC! It is one of the best opportunities and such an amazing spiritual experience but it wears me out! Ha-ha we wake up at 4:45 am after having finished our phone calls around 11 or 11:30 and then we drive for over two hours into Tucson. We generally get there around right as the meeting starts at 8:30. Have the meeting until around 1 or 2. Go to lunch. And drive back! Lots of time sitting that is super tiring! Ha-ha But it is always a great experience! President Killpack, President Larson, and President Rahel all talked about the Atonement and it was so cool! I love the spirit that is there at ZLC! It is great! 

Well that was my week! 

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