#72 - pictures

#71 -Fire, Rain, Baptisms, Temple!

We went to the temple Saturday with Samantha to do baptisms! I always enjoy seeing recent converts that I taught strive to stay temple worthy. Paula from Franklin was also baptized on Saturday! Woot woot! 

This week in one of my old areas their apartment caught on fire! Here is what happened. On Thursday afternoon as they were getting ready to leave, Elders Litchfield and M. Johnson discovered smoke coming out of the vents of their apartment. They went over to the office of the apartment manager to tell them, and when they returned to their apartment, the building was in flames. They never were able to get back into their apartment. They had their backpacks with them and they lost everything else. The burning roof, which was heavy with water from the firetruck’s spray, collapsed into their upstairs apartment. Everything inside was destroyed by either water, fire or smoke and soot. 

As you can imagine, the hardest things to lose were their journals and scriptures. We all quietly prayed that somehow their journals and scriptures had been protected. On Saturday, Elders Litchfield and Johnson arrived at the fire site to check to see if anything else had been found and just as they arrived, workers found the rest of Elder Litchfield’s and Elder Johnson’s journals and scriptures. I know this was an answer to the prayers of a lot of people. These missionaries were recipients of a miracle. The Lord had preserved these precious records – though they were wet and soggy and covered in soot.

Saturday night we had dinner with the Andersons. They are sooooo sweet! Sister Andersons parents arent members and after dinner we had a great lesson with her mom! The family had invited her every week for the past 5 years to come to church but Saturday night the spirit was strong and we invited her to church and she said YES! She loved church and will be coming back! Funny thing is she has already read all of the standard works and knows they are true. We are praying we will begin to teach her and help her on her path to baptism.

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#70 Peace and Blessings

Happy Mothers Day! It was super to hear from my family yesterday! The girls are looking so old! 

It was a great week! Transfers were on Tuesday. Each transfer there are so many good friends I will miss. Wednesday we went down to Mishawaka to interview Dorean for baptism, and Thursday we were in Plymouth for another interview for Dakota. He will be moving out to queen creek in a few weeks! He is so cool! We plan on hanging out after the mish, it will be fun to see how he has grown since his baptism.

We met a man named Courtney yesterday. We had a super good lesson with him! He is so cool! He is a gospel singer (he will be great for the ward choir ha) and so we listened to one of his recorded songs, hope you enjoy it as much as we do ha!

#69 - Been a great week!

Things here in Niles have been great! We are witnessing so many miracles and seen so many people progress. Funny story we were in a lesson with an investigator yesterday and we invited a member along. We were reading the book of mormon and came to the part where Nephi kills Laban. We were on the edge of our seats, hoping she wouldn't have a problem with it. Luckily she understood it and was ready to read on.... until the member began telling her how we are not allowed to kill and going off on the repentance process... AH!! haha he told us later he was following the spirit (which one, we are not sure). Somehow we got into the church courts and everything. It made for a very interesting lesson haha. So instead of inviting her to baptism we had to try and climb ourselves out of a big hole ha! Funny story! So if you are ever invited to go out with your missionaries just remember to teach simply and following the Holy Ghost :)

Zone conference went great! Focused on how to use temple and family history consultants, and finding! There was a stake conference broadcast on Sunday. Our new investigator Faye came to church for the first time... she was a bit confused ha! But she enjoyed it and will be back, it was a great conference. Elder Oaks spoke on missionary work!

Life is good. The work is great! Cant wait to skype home next week! 

​Fun facts: 

1. If someone wants you to knock on the side door they will put a chair in front of the front door!

2. If someone says, "its been a minute." it doesn't mean a minute, it actually means it has been a while.

3. We were helping an old man with tearing down paneling on his wall this week and took a box of his cigarettes. Im sure he wont mind! We are going to start a collection of stolen cigs :)​

#68 - Raise your sights

We had another super week. Miracles and trials! We went to the foot doctor for an xray and luckily my ankle is not broken, just a high ankle sprain. No worries we didnt miss a beat! The work is still progressing. Jonathan is working for his baptism next month. It has been a true tender mercy to watch him grow and change. At stake conference last week his dad received the Melchizedek priesthood and I think it really touched him. Woot woot!

We were also doing some service for an old man and he mentioned he had a weight set in his basement he has never touched.... SO I GOT MORE WEIGHTS!

We taught the 5th Sunday lesson in 3rd hour yesterday on missionary work. My goal here is to raise the sights of the members. This week during studies I came across Acts 7:55-56 where Stephen looked steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand. He had this experience because he looked up! We must raise our sights if we are to be great! "When the Lord said lengthen your stride and quicken your pace, heighten your reach, widen your vision, stretch your capacity, he was in reality saying expect a miracle. For these are what miracles are made of." If we are to see miracles we must live as the prophets of old, faithful, humble, diligent, obedient. The Lord is hastening his work and I am a witness of this. I testify of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know God lives and loves us. He will support us as we go in faith, to bear you up D&C 84:88. 

Fun facts

1. We went to lake michigan last week!