I realized I forgot to make Happy Easter the title of last week's letter!
This week has been another long and crazy one, but I will try to simplify and intensify. :)
Here are the highlights from each day:
Tuesday-
Carmela Dubbs was in town and took us to lunch at Panera!! She's a
member who lived in Fort Walton who I came to adore, and she moved to
Anchorage, Alaska in December for her job as a travelling nurse. It was
so fun to catch up and see her again! I've missed her bubbly personality
and bright spirit!
That evening we went to
meet and get to know Cynthia, who used to go to church. She is Jeff's
ex-wife (Jeff was Angelica's boyfriend that she lived with before moving
to Fort Lauderdale.) She was very kind, and talked with us about Peru
where she grew up.
On Wednesday,
Sister Stapley (from Niceville) and I went to Sharing and Caring, a
non-profit organization we are beginning to volunteer at that collects
food donations and gives it to individuals and families in need. There
we met a fellow volunteer named Nancy; she told us how about a month ago
she was on an airplane and her seat buddy was a Mormon who lived
somewhere nearby and owns a jewelry shop in Destin. She said they had a
nice conversation and that the woman "left a good impression"! Sister
Stapley told Nancy that she knew a member in her Niceville ward that
owned a jewelry shop in Destin! A physical description confirmed that it
was the same woman they both spoke of! We gave Nancy an Easter pass a
long card and plan to set an appointment with her next time! But the
craziest part of the story came on the car ride home, when Sister
Stapley told me that about a month ago, the member had shared in Relief
Society an experience she had having a gospel conversation with a nice
lady who was her seat buddy on the plane!!! She said she didn't get the
woman's name or address, and that she sure hoped she would run into the
missionaries some day. WOW! That day was Wednesday!!! If there was any reason Sister Stapley came on that exchange with me, that was why!
On Thursday,
the elders planned a volley ball activity at the park; everyone we
invited couldn't come, but we went anyway because the elders said their
investigator was bringing some non member friends that we could talk to.
When we showed up, we met these two sisters Kelsi (17) and Joci (11)
who were not the investigators' friends, they were just at the park
wanting to play volleyball. We started talking, exchanged phone numbers,
and they're interested in learning more!
Saturday
was bittersweet as we had a lesson with Joe where we told him we were
no longer meeting with him, since he isn't progressing and just wants to
stick with his Methodist church for now. It was a positive experience,
though- he knows we care about him, he still intends to read the Book of
Mormon, and Sister Rudd was present and bore powerful testimony. It can
definitely be difficult to decide that we need to stop meeting with
someone (usually because there is a lack of desire or action or
willingness to act on a witness of the truth, like Joe), especially when
we want so much for them to have the blessings of the restored Gospel,
but it's important that we spend our time where it can be best
received.
Easter Sunday!!
We had breakfast at the Toolans, church was very nice, and we had
dinner with the Curdy family, and then with the Corbins, because they
had a nonmember aunt over. Too much good food! But I'm very grateful for
the kindness and generosity of the members.
This week Abraham 4:18
stood out to me; this chapter describes the creation of the earth, and
this verse speaks of the Gods ordering the separation of the waters, the
division of the light: "And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until
they obeyed." I learned that the creation of the earth with all its
beauty, order, and organization was possible because of obedience to
God's laws; the things that made up the creation of the earth were
obedient to the commands of Jesus Christ and those who were aiding in
the creation. Similarly, the way that Jesus Christ will be able to make
of us the most we can become- even as He is- is through obedience to
God's laws, which will bring order, organization, and the beauty of joy
and peace into our lives. He will help us to truly become His sons and
daughters who can do anything with Him. I love you all!
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