The Lord truly has a plan and we just try to follow along with it

Dec 10, 2012

     Mom, I love you lots, I hope you are doing well. This has been a really good week, the Lord has really guided us a lot. There have been many time where we have been at just the right place at just the right time. We've also had times where we have been able to say just the right thing to help someone through what they are going through. Sister Tennison we have been working with, her daughter is trying to recieve guidance and an answer for a huge decision in her life but despite her efforts and even going to the temple to pray for an answer she has recieved no answer and it has discouraged her. We talked to Sister Tennison about all the different things we can do to receive revelation, most of which her daughter is doing, but also bringing up some she has not tried, including fasting and receiving a priesthood blessing of counsel. We bore powerful testimony of the power of the priesthood, especially as something to help us and a way for the Lord to speak to us. Another time I was talking with a member who was struggling with something and I just talked whatever was on my mind and related a lesson Sister Fine taught me and the member thanked me saying it was exactly what she needed to hear. The Lord truly has a plan and we just try to follow along with it and as we pray and purify ourselves He lets us be a part of His work.

     I've also seen and petted a lot of cats this week. It makes me really happy.

     Our recent convert here named Dave recently received a priesthood blessing. He was really struggling and was lining things up for in case he died (he has diabetes for a long long time) and just having a hard time and we felt strongly we needed to talk and testify of the priesthood then sent one of his friends in the ward who is a high priest over to talk to him more and he recieved a blessing. That is what happened last week. This week he is feeling better, so much so that for the first time in years he mowed the whole lawn in one go without needing help. He has energy and his whole family is amazed at how much he is doing, how active he has become. They had some small bad things happen but each time because of the small bad thing a big good thing came. For example he is on disability because of his condition and there was an error where they didn't send him his check, after he checked with them they resolved the problem. They have to take $400 out of each check for some kind of something and this had somehow made them not send the check this time so because of all the inconvenience and since it was a reoccuring problem they sent him the full check and they got the extra $400 which helped them catch up on bills and they also went out to eat for the first time in many months. His daughter got her job and it is good, they are just so blessed right now, its so cool to see.

There are miracles all around

     Things are going well in the Winterwood ward, its so funny to now just cover one ward instead of two. We just had our ward Christmas party this last Saturday. This whole week we have been focusing on getting invitations to all investigators, potentials, and Less actives we have been working with of late and many other less actives we picked out during planning and truely the party was a success. The ward put a lot of time and work into the Christmas party and it was truly amazing in decorations, food, and holiday activities. Of all the parties I have attended in my life this was the funnest for the Spirit was so strong and I have never seen so many smiling people in one room. So many less active familes showed up, every table was full or mostly full. The members were so happy and excited to see these people who they havent seen in a long while and we were overjoyed to find that many people we have even had trouble meeting with of late came. One of these was our investigator Elizabeth, she called us because she had prepared some food for the party and needed someone to drive it to the party. Sister Waldron asked her why and after some probing Elizabeth confessed she wasn't going because she didn't have a ride. She is so silly, she is so much more important to us than her food and anyone that could give her food a ride could give her one too. So we got her a ride and she came and she was just glowing. You could tell she just felt so loved, she is already a part of the ward and people comment on how much she has changed. Being new to this area I have not been priviledged to see her growth but I do see her at this late stage and plainly she looks like a member, she has that brightness in her countenance.

     Another investigator we were really focusing on getting there was Melissa. She lost power in her home this last week and though she wants to learn we can't really teach her at the moment since she is temporarily living with a friend out of our area. We prayed to know if we should pass her and have her taught in that area but for now we have been instructed to continue forward and keep working with what we have and not pass her. Anyway, the day of the party she called us and said she was dropping off her friend's child and gave the adress of her friend's home so she could get a ride (she was using her friend's car so she couldn't drive herself to the party). So we arranged for a ride to meet her at her friend's home but it fell through as not only her friend's car died while she was driving home but her phone died too so attempts to call her and find out where she was were in vain. Funny how that works, the advasary works so hard to keep people from going to things. They are so golden though. They really want to learn more, and they feel the Spirit so strong. We want them to be taught so much but perhaps her friend's home is not a good environment for that and thus the Lord doesn't wish us to pass her just yet. We do not know, we trust the Lord has a plan though and are seeking to follow it as best we can through dilligence and personal revelation.

      Our numbers are still low but we are seeing a change in the ward, the less actives in the ward are progressing in activity and testimony and our Bishop is doing better, he is on his feet again after his surgery and you can see the difference it makes. We divide our efforts between seeking new investigators (we have trouble meeting with the few investigators we have despite our best efforts) and strengthening this ward. The ward has recently been merged and during that transition time many people faded away, now it is healing and we are doing our best to help and seek out and support those who have a desire to come back, they just know not how.

I hope you are doing well and I love you so much.

Take care and feel better.

Merry Christmas, have a wonderful Christmas Season

Alyssa

Dec 17, 2012

     OH I AM SO HAPPY I THOUGHT SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAD HAPPENED TO YOU WHEN YOU DIDN'T WRITE FOR SO LONG! I TRIED NOT TO WORRY BUT IT DIDN'T WORK I KEPT THINKING OF YOU! That is why someone from the mission tried to call you, I got word a couple days ago that you were fine. I'm glad to know it was just internet malfunction. Sounds like lots of things are going wrong. I love you and I'm praying for you a lot. Do not worry about the Christmas present stuff. If I get it in Febuary I don't mind. I know you love me and I love you, that is all that matters really ^_^

     I'm glad Cameron is better and I'm praying for him too. History and English are hard, just keep helping him with homework and praying and it will work out. I have a firm testimony that when we ask with true faith He will give to us. The most repeated phrase in the scriptures is 'ask and ye shall recieve'. I am gaining a more and more powerful testimony of that on my mission for I have seen so many prayers answered. I am learning how to pray with great faith. One thing that helped was when my companion taught me a little spanish (She is a spanish speaking sister as I think I have told you). In spanish the word for Hope is Esperanza, which means to wait. Faith is a hope for things not seen, and when you hope for something it should not be tentative 'oh but only if the Lord wills it' it should be waiting with a certainty that it will happen, just in His time. You move forward certain that what you have asked for is good and so you will recieve as He has promised. It has changed me as a missionary and a person. I am praying with greater faith and have seen mighty miracles because of that, all that changed was my outlook and yet many many miracles have come because it and I have gained a greater closeness and trust in the Lord my God.

     Oh, right, my point. Just keep praying with faith and the Lord will open up a way for Cameron to succeed and that you both can be healed and taken care of. Just have faith and keep going, seek to increase your faith and it will get better. I know it for I have seen it. Please be happy. I love you a lot and things will be okay, don't let your heart be troubled, the Lord will open a way just trust Him. I am praying for you and He has promised me He will take care of you, I know you will be okay.

     This week has been really busy, we have had a lot of meetings and a missionary Christmas party because our mission President wants us to be proselyting on Christmas day. Again and again this week we have showed up at just the right time for people. The Lord has been leading us one step at a time and we have been able to speak His words to His children. I know they were His words for the power they had. As a missionary you often say and speak not knowing what to say or what you are getting out but by the response of the listeners you realize that what you said was exactly what they needed to hear, those words were not from you, you did not know what they needed, but those words were given to you to speak so that they could feel their Father's love and know how they could take the next step in their lives.

I love you a lot, Merry Christmas

Alyssa