Happy Tuesday, I hope you all are dying to read this email because I was absolutely dying to read each of the ones I got! I had to wait until today because of a couple of reasons. Reason number one, yesterday the library was closed so I couldn't get to the computer. Usually this would not matter anymore because I have an iPad and can read my emails throughout the week as I receive them. Well, I had a working iPad. Now I do not. Bah! We were at a member's home baking cookies with our recent convert, Taylor and her sister Kassidi. They wanted to use my iPad and try and guess the passcode. Sure, whatever, go right ahead! Bad idea. Apparently, when you try the passcode too many times, it resets your iPad. Totally resets it, like brand new from the store type of reset. So, everything is wiped from my sweet iPad that I have had since February, EVERYTHING IS GONE. I now do not have one that has the materials downloaded onto it that I need. And now I will have to patiently wait for a replacement! It is so sad. Haha, I could NOT believe that happened when sweet little Taylor was playing with it. I haven't told her yet because I don't want her to feel bad or get in trouble! Hopefully Salt Lake will make it snappy with my replacement!
Onto the week...
From last week, I talked about one of our recent convert families inviting their friend's over for conference. Well, her name is Gwen! We got to meet with her twice this past week and she is absolutely incredible. She has been so prepared to receive and accept the gospel into her life. The first time we met her we did service and helped her to clean her kitchen. As we talked with her, we learned about her past and mostly about the things that are causing her stress at this time in her life. We continued to turn the conversation back to our loving Heavenly Father and she just cried and cried. We gave her a Book of Mormon and told her about the blessings that will come to her from studying it. Right after our lesson, she called her friend who had invited her to conference and told her, "They gave me my own copy of the Book of Mormon! I have one now!" She was so excited! She is really praying about baptism and when she should progress to do that. One of her daughters is interested at the time and we are so excited to start teaching her too. SHE WENT TO SEE MEET THE MORMONS! That was good news. She texted us after and told us how much she loved it because it showed her "how accepting Mormons are of others, no matter their background." Those were her words! What an amazing movie that was, I loved it!
Phyllis participated in her first ordinances this week! She was baptized on 11 October and received the gift of the Holy Ghost on 12 October! It was such a happy weekend for her and for us. She was so nervous when she first arrived, but ended up feeling much better. I blame that on Bishop Chandler! He is so amazing and brings the spirit into each and every conversation he has. This was only the third time he had talked with Phyllis, but he completely understood her and made sure she felt comfortable at all points of the baptism. It was so wonderful! After the actual baptism, Phyllis came up out of the water, stood there for a moment, then said, "Is that it??" Haha! It was so hilarious. We kept trying to tell her that the actual baptism was nothing weird, or complex, but very simple. But, she didn't get it until it happened! She is so cute and funny, I adore her! Before the baptism, we were in a room with her and Bishop talking and she said to him, "These girls are my helpers. They helped me learn about how to get to heaven." Then she sat there for a moment and added on, "They're like my friends!" I love becoming friends with those sweet individuals I have taught. How do you not become friends while you are sharing such sweet, spiritual moments together! It was a good weekend 
Now, for a funny story. We didn't have a dinner appointment this Wednesday, so we picked a less-active family we have been working with and asked them if we could come and make them dinner! Of course, they said yes! It was a blast. We were working on the dinner with the kids, while we had the parents go relax for a little bit. They both work long schedules! It was so fun to cook with the kiddos, they're 15, 13, and 10. We made stir-fry, it was delicious! The youngest, Jason decided to make chocolate chip cookies before we finished so they would be ready for dessert. Then, we all start pigging out on the cookie-dough. Well, Sister Jensen and I did! We all eat dinner together, then go over to begin the clean-up. The cookie dough is still sitting in the bowl and Jason is beginning to put them on the sheets. Sister Jensen goes to roll up the bag of sugar and put it away in the cupboard, but sees something moving inside. She looks in and the sugar had maggots in it!!!! AHH!! Oh my gosh, haha! We had eaten so much cookie dough and 10 year old Jason can't remember if he had seen them while scooping it before. AHHH! The mom was freaking out and so embarrassed, the dad tells us we'll all be fine. I am just dying laughing and Sister Jensen thinks she feels one crawling up her throat. It was so hilarious! I don't recall being sick this past week, so we were safe. It was too funny, I couldn't believe it had really happened!
A woman we are teaching finally was able to make it to church this week! It was such an amazing experience to really get her there! Right after, I asked Shani if we could go to the visitor's center at the temple after church and talk about the temple and explain what had just been talked about. It worked out and was such a miracle! She understood so much better, and she understood how it related to Jesus Christ, which is the most important. Thank goodness for the Visitor's Center that is only 15 minutes away!
I fell in love with my Bishop and his family this week! I am slightly obsessed with them and so grateful for their testimonies and the experiences they are willing to share with us. Bishop and Sister Chandler are incredible people. I am so impressed with their faith and with how far they have come from their past. He gave us a copy of his story and testimony that I really want to share with you, so I will definitely read it to you when I get home. I just am so grateful that God loves us enough to reach out and speak to us individually! We are blessed.
I hope all is well for each of you, you mean the world to me! Thank you for all you do, thank you for your examples and your hard work in taking care of me and those around you. I love your testimonies, I love seeing you share your testimonies online and through the stories you send me. I love that my family is a family centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ. I know of the devotion that each of you has to our Savior, thank you for that, it strengthens me! I hope your week is happy. Xoxo!
Sister Kerr
No comments:
Post a Comment