Turtle

Sister Stephens and I have been blessed so much this week! We were able to teach a lot more lessons and see more of our investigators and other people. On Monday we had dinner with Christophersons. Brother Christopherson and his son told us all about helping with the flood cleanup efforts in Louisiana. We heard from them and a lot of people in the ward that went, and how they gutted homes for people and hauled out all the destroyed items.They said there were about 9,000 Mormons over there helping. Everyone camped outside the stake center in one of the towns and there were two enormous sacrament meetings of standing room only! They said the destruction was awful, but that it was an amazing experience to be able to help people there. Sister Stephens and I wish we were allowed to go to Louisiana to help, but it sounds like they have a lot of people helping, which is awesome.

On Tuesday we went on splits with Alli and Alivia Brill! It was way fun! Alli came with me to teach Melissa. She told us she didn't feel ready to be baptized in a few weeks. She really liked coming to church and wants to come more, and she believes the Book of Mormon is true, but felt like she hadn't received an actual answer from God yet. On Sunday she wasn't able to come to church because of work, but afterwards, Sister Stephens and I went by her house. She said she had really wanted to come to church, but that she had received an answer that the Book of Mormon is true! She said she feels closer to Jesus Christ and has been happier from reading it. She's progressing so well!

On Wednesday we went with Sister Tedonne to Susan's house (a different Susan than the one I've previously written about.) This Susan we met while she was walking her dog. She's a sweet lady in her seventies who's from the Philippines. She told us all about how she met and married her husband who was an American stationed at a military base in the Philippines. She kept laughing about how she married a stranger, but that it worked out. :) They were married for 52 years until he passed away two years ago. Susan is Catholic, but she's interested in learning more about our beliefs. We talked with her a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and are meeting with her again this week.

Later that day, Sister Brock picked us up to go teach some lessons with us. On the way to one appointment, we saw a big turtle in the middle of the road! We didn't want it to get hit or anything, so we found a plastic bin, helped the turtle into it, and drove down the street to a gully that led to a big pond and freed the turtle there. :)

Something I've been studying this week is the nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Their whole desire and purpose is for us to live again and be able to have eternal joy. They are perfectly kind, loving, selfless, and possess every virtue in its complete form. Everything they do is to direct us to the source of true joy, which is Jesus Christ and living a life centered on His teachings. I know that Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits and that we can become like Him. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us so that we can overcome every challenge, weakness, and sorrow we face, and ultimately become even as He is- perfect.