The Mission Tour! (9/1/14)

This week was another amazing week! I don't have a lot of time but just know there were many miracles and The Lord is truly in every detail of this work.

On Wednesday, we had the mission tour. Where half of our mission came together to hear from a general authority. We got to hear from Elder Switezer, from the seventy, and his wife. In addition to them we heard from President T, Sister T, and the AP's. It was probably one of the coolest meetings I've ever been to as a missionary. Elder Switezer talked about the power of observation and following the spirit. As well as baptism by Fire and the Holy Ghost. He encouraged us to watch the district and training segments in our companionship
studies to pick them apart and really receive revelation. It was way cool. President T talked about Humility and Sister T talked about charity. I realized that as a missionary, nothing we do is for ourselves. This mission is not about me at all. It's truly about loving everyone; companions, members, and investigators. I am slowly learning how to love.

We visited C this week and we decided we are going to start over with the lessons with her and just go super slow. It was cool how during the lesson, because we were just really focusing on her and her needs, we were able to discuss her concerns. I've learned that people are more willing to open up when you love them. And REALLY love them! We visited E for the first time in like 3 weeks. She shared with us that she has figured out on her own about how we are all on earth for a reason and that after we die it's not the end. It was so cool, we shared he plan of Salvation pamphlet with her. She was amazed how she had just had this realization and then we come over and share with her the same thing and confirm what she already knows! It so cool how
before this life we were all taught the gospel and now we are just bringing it back to peoples memory.

Saturday we did service in the morning, helped a lady move in, and I actually got a little sunburnt on my face! It's crazy! First time in a while I've gotten burnt. We also went to the ward potluck on Saturday with some investigators!

On Sunday Sister E and I gave talks in sacrament meeting. Surprisingly it was my first talk as a missionary. She talked about faith and I talked about the power of the gospel and sharing it. The biggest miracle of the whole week though was the R family came to church!!!! After 4 months of meeting with missionaries, they finally came to church!!! It was a miracle and a huge answer to prayer.

I love it here! I love being a missionary! I loved playing soccer in 100 degrees today as a zone.... Haha it was worth it though. Haven't played in a while. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Sister Dewey

"Dancing in the rain. Every time it rains it's like manna from heaven! It's the best!"

"We tracked into this super cool lady MB! And she collects my favorite animal, elephants!! She goes to another church but really respects our religion and our morals, values, and focus on families."

"Ward potluck with our investigators M and AR"

"Messing around in the car before we did service on Saturday!"

"Instead of bringing food we brought supplies for members to hand out! I'd say it's better than any food anyone could offer."

Week of Miracles!

This week was SO Good! I feel like I learn so much in one week it's crazy! One thing I learned is I love rain!! Haha go figure. I have never been so happy to wake up to it raining outside. We woke up to it, got to tract in it, then go to bed while it was raining! And that day it stayed below 100 degrees all day! #miracle

Another thing I re-learned is that the Members Rock!! Seriously though, this week was awesome, during our lessons they would just like take over and start teaching and testifying exactly what the investigator needed to hear. They were able to connect so much better and help bring out concerns. This work truly would not go forward without the members!!! Speaking of hastening the work, I hope you all got to watch the Talk by Elder Bednar this past week about sharing goodness! It was cool, this week I got to see the contrast of evil and good in this world. Sister E had a doctors appointment this week so I sat in the waiting room trying to read my scriptures while the news was on. There was so much evil on TV! Then during lunch after her appointment we watched elder Bednar's talk and he brought up flooding the earth with goodness, and using technology to do it. It made me think how blessed I am to have this Gospel of HAPPINESS! :)

We are working with the R* family still. We gave them this cool "map to baptism" which is a calendar that we give them with all of the things they need to do to be baptized. They do have some concerns that we are working with but I have faith that they will be ready and prepared by that date! We also got some sad news this week.... The B* family who are amazing and supposed to be baptized soon. Well the dad who is working in South Dakota got called from his work that he needs to stay longer. And now we don't know when he will be home! This is a major setback because the mom and the kids are SO ready!! And the longer they wait the harder Satan is going to work on them. But I know God has His own timing.

So remember last week I talked about how we were going to focus on referrals this week?!? WELL... Let me tell you, God hears and answers prayers! In every prayer this week Sister E and I prayed that we would get a referral. And then we were doing Facebook and got a random call from Elders in the Mesa Mission that said they have someone moving into our ward! #miracle. Then, the next day we were out with a member and asked if she knew anyone that could use an uplifting message and she said her neighbor! So we will go by them the next time we are out with her! #miracle. Then, we went out to the desert again this week and after off-roading a little bit we found this less-active lady's house and come to find out she has 2 kids that haven't been baptized yet and are semi-interested! #miracle. Lastly, at dinner the member told us his neighbor wants to talk
religion with him so the member's going to ask his neighbor if we can join them! #miracles!!!!

Also another miracle real quick. If you remember C*, a lady that is totally against the Book of Mormon and doesn't understand our church... Well we found out that her DAD is getting baptized Mormon on Saturday in Mesa!!! That is Huge! Hopefully while she is there she will feel the spirit touch her heart and the power of that sacred covenant.
I love this gospel, I love the work, and I love you all!

Sister Dewey

"When we go out to the desert I feel like I'm at the zoo! Or more like a farm. Haha the members have sweet birds, cows, peacocks and cacti. Haha."

"At the H family's house for dinner in the desert!! Got to hold their bunny, take pics by their car, and see the skulls of the cows they have already eaten."

Week of Inspiration!

"Recent convert M S and his boys came to K's baptism last Saturday!"

"At the mission president devotional with M and Sister C." 

"Recent convert B and his family we met in the desert, and they gave us cool things!"

"In the desert when we went to the less-active family's house! We got to try on all their clothes and hold their guns! It was crazy!" 

This week was super good! I learned A LOT, seriously, being on a mission I learn so much everyday about myself and The Lord and this Gospel and all the wonderful people we meet! The biggest lesson I learned this week would have to be about humility and love. I realized that my pride was getting in the way of feeling the Spirit and having unity in our companionship. It's so cool to see how without the Spirit and the help from God, we really are hopeless. I realized I need to be humble and submissive and in tune with the Spirit. I am trying harder this week. :) I also learned that this work is not going to move forward without the members help. I realized that the most solid people I have taught on my mission come from member referrals. So this week we are praying for referrals and focusing a lot on that.

At transfer meeting-we all went even though we didn't get transferred-President T* talked about making every moment count. These moments on our mission shape us into what God wants us to be so it's our job to make them count and to let it shape us. I loved it.

This week was a slower week for us. We got dropped by a couple people... But, we had some miracles and found a few super cool people! For example we had been knocking on this one potentials house forever and this week, the day we got dropped by E, the potential finally answered the door! And we have a lesson with her!

We went out to the Desert! It was way fun! We visited a recent convert and his family and the Grandpa makes these super cool toys and souvenirs from Arizona and we got to pick out a bunch! Then we visited a less-active family where the dad has been trying to get the wife to church and it was the perfect timing for us showing up!
The family does mounted horse shooting as a sport so we got to try on their clothes and see the horses!

We did some service for this family in the ward. It was CRAZY! We went to go clean the whole house, but we ended up spending 2 hours just on the kitchen. And it wasn't even all the way finished yet. Let's just say we worked hard. And while we were working I lost my CTR ring... Yeah there was no way in heck we were going to find it in that house... BUT, with a prayer and A LOT of faith, we found it! #miracle. Later, We had another miracle happen, We went by a member to see if she could come visit her neighbor with us (the same one as last
week). So we go over there and they weren't home... We asked if she knew anyone else on the road that could use an uplifting message. She took us to her other neighbor, S*, and we shared the Because of Him video with her! It was way sweet and hopefully we will be able to meet with her again sometime! The miracle is though, that the member introduced us to her friends!

Later that day we went to the temple visitors center with the B family! Their grandma, who is super catholic, came and loved it too! We watched the testaments and they all committed to read the Book of Mormon afterwards! It was sweet! And the best part was when we wen through the "God's plan for our families" the grandma just cried as well as sister B. The spirit was strong. Let's just say, I'm so grateful for families and Gods amazing plan for us! :)

Lastly, last night there was a Mission President Devotional. And our recent convert, M*, was chosen to speak! It was so sweet. He just spoke from the heart and testified that whatever the missionaries had taught him is true because his whole life has changed. The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly does change lives. I know it's true without a
doubt. I love you all!

Sister Dewey

"Our craziness!"

"Some members of our ward. Gotta love them."

"We made it a transfer together!!! Hahaha."

"K's Baptism!"

"Super cool rubber ducky for sale. Oregon pride. Really wanted to buy it. Haha."

"On Saturday we went to the Temple visitor's center with the B family! Their grandma came, who is catholic, and loved it!"