"When we're helping we're happy"

April 24

This week has been so good! Here are the highlights: 

Monday while we were finishing up emailing, Sister Kolb came in to the family history center with her friend Cynthia and Cynthia's mom! She has told us so much about Cynthia, how she posts general conference quotes on Facebook, bought an encyclopedia of LDS terms and beliefs, loves family history- and she's not a member. We've been trying to finagle a way to meet her for weeks! We have an appointment tonight to help her and her mom with their family history!

Tuesday I got my first sunburn of the year! We were at the transfer spot at the gas station all day helping load and unload luggage of transferring missionaries. Every companionship in the Fort Walton zone but two (including mine and Sister Crosby's) had a change this tranfer! Afterwards, we stopped by Lara Baker's house. She and several of her children are members, her husband is not. He lost his job in January, and it's turning her heart to God. She wants us to begin studying the scriptures with her!

Wednesday we had an awesome district meeting! The new elders in our district are so funny! I laughed more this week than I have in a long time. The feeling of our district is much happier and more positive now! Later, we saw the Roller girls, talked about how awesome girls' camp is and invited them to young women's. Lilly and Maggie came that night! Also, members took them gluten-free meals all week while their mom was recovering from her biopsy surgery for the mass in her lung. The Rollers are rolling! 

On Thursday we helped Jorden move out of her house! I still can't get over how awesome she is for getting outta there! We're excited to have lessons with her at her mom's house where she has moved into- it'll be a good influence for the rest of her family. Later we had a lesson with Leslie, one of our former investigators who we haven't been able to contact for a while. Her two grandkids were craaaazy, but she asked us to come back when they are at school, so that's good!

Afterwards while trying to find the new address of a former investigator, we were driving along a dirt (sand) road and got stuck! We couldn't get out for a good 10 minutes, and the elders were about to come to our rescue (we don't know how they would have...) but Sister Crosby did some mad-skills maneuvers driving back and forth and got us out! :)

On Friday the highlight was going to Helping Hands, an organization we're starting to help at once a week. They offer various services for the homeless. We met a couple awesome potentials there! A lady named Jeanette is good friends with Sister Woodard, and another lady Cynthia has a son who's Mormon and lives in Tallahassee. We're excited to get to know them! That night we had a blast at volley ball night and invited a bunch of teenagers at the park to play with us. 

Yesterday, the Vause family came into sacrament meeting with family they used to be neighbors with, who they've been inviting to come to church for years. Sister Vause was quick to usher us over to meet them. The dad said he saw all the missionaries at the gas station for transfers on Tuesday, called us "God's army," told Brother Vause who said, "it must be God telling you it's time to go to church!" He came with his two daughters Elise and Emma. We hope they come again! The Vauses are awesome!!

I really liked this quote from Elder Marvin J. Ashton in his talk "The Doctrine of Christ" from October 2016 General Conference: "Through repentance we become submissive and obedient to God’s will. Now, this is not done alone. A recognition of God’s goodness and our nothingness,combined with our best efforts to align our behavior with God’s will, brings grace into our lives. Grace “is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ … to do good works that [we] otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to [our] own means.” Because repentance is really about becoming like the Savior, which is impossible on our own, we desperately need the Savior’s grace in order to make necessary changes in our lives." When I recognize how much I am nothing on my own, and then recognize God's perfect power, love, and knowledge, I feel so much more strongly the vitality of Jesus Christ in my life, for if we are to become like our Heavenly Father, which we are, and which I could never do on our own, then we must learn to fully rely on Jesus Christ and follow Him. He lives! Please consider how much you are allowing the power of Jesus Christ in your own lives, and what more you can do to access His gift to us, as I will. I love you all!