February 9, 2015 --- Power of Prayer

Us with Tracey's daughter Bella!  the weather was so pretty!

Dear Familia,

This week has been good.  I am learning so much about everything every day, it's like everything I feel every day of my mission is being heightened for these last few weeks!

Every time we fall, Heavenly Father picks us back up and pats us on the back.  For that I'm forever grateful!  

So I said a fervent prayer about my little memory card with all the mission pictures on it, and knew I needed to put up a sign in the library with a picture of what it looked like it.  So the library workers helped me do that (all the ladies here were so sad that I'd lost it, they would do anything to help us!) And I had peace about it after that.  So it showed up!  And I know it's cause of prayer!

The England family who live wayyy far away from us...so fun and nice 

We also prayed that we would be able to give a good training at District Meeting on Thursday, and our training on "The Gospel Blesses Families" went well- although I know I learned way more from it than those we were teaching!  It's kind of like training, I am learning so much more from Hermana Loper than she is from me.  I am grateful for our companionship, we have a lot of fun together!

That day we went to teach a contact, Judy and her husband Otis.  They don't really go to church, but have a close-knit family.  So we taught the Restoration to them simply and thoroughly, and it was so cool to see the light-bulb go off in them.  Judy agreed to baptism, and so did Otis, they both said, "The way y'all present it makes so much more sense than anything else we've ever heard!"  So they committed to prepare to be baptized in the end of March!

  Also cause of prayer, during weekly planning, I was inspired to call Sister Osborne (our RS pres) about a referral she'd given us for her great-niece Neveah.  We went over and got to know her family.  Neveah, who is almost 12, wants to be baptized!! So we taught her about prayer, she is one of the most excited people I've ever taught.

  We are also teaching Tracey, the friend of a recent convert.  She came to church last week and is coming along, she loves to talk! But we like teaching her and her daughter Bella :) 

​The Ramsay family from Utah, love them!

  We've kept teaching Miranda.  I love this investigator, she has real intent.  She is so shy and very busy, but I know that she's going to keep learning and will get baptized one day!  Also taught Paige, who is in a lull, but she has good desires.  She almost came to church again, and almost received the blessings :)  but when we taught her we found out something sad, I'll get to that again.

  I had the epiphany that the Lord is blessing us with success and I may not be here to see the end results, but I know that what really matters is these individual's salvation, and I am HAPPY to see them receive a remission of their sins anytime, whether it's now or weeks down the road!

  We also had some great times with the members!  We ate with the Gibbs, and she taught me about the history of the Cumberland Gap ward which is super interesting.  It all started with one family who taught their children the gospel without having a way to worship, and then eventually those children taught their children and now we have a ward of 150 people! 

We also got to eat with the Cosgriff family, they are a sweet and crazy family, one girl and 3 brothers, it reminds me of how much I miss my brothers :)  Sister Osborne also fed us, and oh yeah! Another story.  We went to visit a Less active who lives a little far in Pineville.  We taught her a lesson, but also got to see for a moment her daughter Brenda and Brenda's boyfriend.  She avoided talking about church things with us, but seemed nice enough.  When we went to Paige Cloud's house later, we found out bad news.  So there was a murder in Pineville a couple of weeks ago, someone robbed the house of Paige's friend's mom, and then killed her mom when she surprised them.  The sad news is that they found out it was Brenda's boyfriend that had done it, and so he's in jail now.  This family has many family ties in the ward so we're praying that everyone is okay.  

  I don't know why such awful things happen, when people use their agency in bad ways, but I am super grateful for repentace and forgiveness!  

  I love you all, have a great week!! 

Love Mads

​In Oregon, they pump your gas for you.  This was one of Hermana Loper's first times doing it on her own. She's already a pro!