September 2, 2014 -- We Are His Hands

This is where we live -- 1890's farmhouse.

Dear Familia,

I have a bit of a cold today and I'm a bit out of it so forgive me if I do not make much sense.

This week has been HARD!!  But I think it's just proof that the gospel will continue to go forward! First you have to know, Stacy and Anaka, the new investigators, live with a man named Bob who is just a family friend and is very nice to let them stay there. Anywho last Monday, we had an AMAZING lesson with Stacy and her daughter and friend in the Bishop's home.  We had a fun, delicious dinner together, then we sat down and discussed the Plan of Salvation.  The Bishop and his wife are converts themselves, so it was simply perfect.  Stacy did have a lot of questions, but everything seemed good.  We invited the girls to Young Women on Wednesday.

The view from outside the church at night.  Look! the Titanic!

 On Wednesday, we had a good day in Kodak, especially in a lesson with a less-active family, that night the girls didn't show up to church.  Thursday was my 1-year mark, we found a new investigator that day and taught some other great lessons.  However, we began to be a little worried because Stacy had not been responding to our texts as much as usual.  

Friday afternoon, we were finishing some weekly planning, talking about how to prepare Stacy and Anaka and Elizabeth for their baptismal date.  We came to a roadblock of sorts, as we were planning, Stacy called us.  She told us that they'd been thinking about it and decided that they want to look at some other churches.  We were shocked - she was so so solid before!!  We were so surprised.  By this time we'd already had a lesson arranged for Saturday and then a ride for Sunday, so we just asked if she could at least come give church a try.  She said she would.  Five minutes later, Bob called us, demanding that we don't come over again, and that Stacy was not interested at all, and they won't be coming to church.  Sister Guevara talked to him, and apparently he wasn't very nice about it.

So, it was one of the hardest things to see - especially because it felt like it wasn't entirely Stacy's choice.  However, she had told us she'd been looking around on other websites and found some other things, and so we do believe that anti-information could be a huge part of what happened.

Preaching in a primitive baptist church in the smokies.

But it's been a good weekend!  We've taught Margaret, our steady investigator, seen a part-member family progressing, and at church we had a good talk about missionary work in sunday school.  Some members complain about our church building and so we talked about how it doesn't matter where we worship, it matters that we're bringing others closer to Christ, and we must DO HIS WORK!  So it was fabulous! Yesterday for Labor day a sweet family took us up to the Smokies and we had lunch and went through Cade's Cove which was absolutely awesome.  Reminded me of roadtrips with the family, driving around in a minivan and getting out to look at historical signs.  I loved it. And we had a good lesson last night with Laurel.

Hope is not lost even when we're sick and sad for the choices of others!  I know this will be a great week!  Love you all!  

Hermana Collier

Cade's Cove