It is raining today, and that is just one more added bonus to the awesome week I have already had! It was also raining last night. It was so fun to bike in it, and sometimes Sister Rogers and I would have to trek through puddles that would have been up to my ankles had I been standing in it. I love rain.
I officially have a new question for the soul: What is the hype with fidget spinners??? About a month ago, our friend, Jeff's daughter had extra fidget spinners and decided to give them to Sister Rogers and I. I gotta admit that it is nice to have when you've been sitting in church for eight or nine hours and still have more meetings left. But holy cow, every time someone sees my fidget spinner, someone freaks out--whether for good or bad. Yesterday, I was at church, and I saw this little kid playing with a fidget spinner. I decided to hold up my fidget spinner just so he could see it. Well, he did, and immediately, the benches immediately surrounding the little boy were filled with him yelling with so much glee, "SHE HAS THE SAME TOY AS ME!" which resulted in a few adult members whispering, "The missionary has a fidget spinner" . . . so again, what is the hype with fidget spinners?
Apart from the controversy of the fidget spinner, our week was full of miracles. It all started with a phone call last Monday. I was sitting in my room, folding my laundry, when the phone rang. I answer, and I hear, "Hi Sister Sabey! It's Darrin! I got this number from the mission office. Do you have a minute to talk?" Well, Family, quick recap on Darrin: he was in Meridian YSA when I served there last summer in Desert Ridge Zone. He had been less active since returning from his mission, and was struggling to return to activity--he had the desire to, but he was struggling. I'd seen him a couple of times around the mission since being in Desert Ridge, and he was still the same old Darrin. Well, let me tell you, the Atonement of Jesus Christ works because the phone call I received was not the same old Darrin. He called because he wanted to let me know that he was going to church every single week and had finally been able to regain his temple recommend! I could not stop smiling. It was one of those moments where everything is worth it. I was so glad that he called, and it started everything off on the right foot for a killer week.
We had dinner with an awesome family one night this week (and the food was AMAZING), and it was so fun to see how much their kids knew--they actually answered the questions, and they had stellar responses! It was a lesson that I really enjoyed teaching. At the end, we were saying goodbye before we headed out, and their nine or ten year old boy, Kingston, yells, "I WANT A HUG!" and next thing I know, I'm caught in the hug of a boy. I did not know what to do with myself, so I ended up being an awkward missionary and just looking at his dad as if to say, "Help?" It was also very sweet and made me smile. It's nice to know you are loved and people want to hug you.
We had Sister Patrick with us again this week, and I think it was definitely inspired that we had her on the exact day that we did. Sister Rogers and I have been trying to contact all the referrals we have received, as well as anyone who had said we could come back. The morning we were with Sister Patrick, we went out and contacted some people in 4th Ward. We get to the house of a person named Michelle. She wasn't home, so we were about to bike off when Sister Rogers sees a person outside next door. She goes to talk to him, and we begin having an awesome conversation.
We find out that his name is Erik, that he was baptized a member when he was eight years old, and had since just stopped going--he wasn't on our ward roster, so we didn't realize he was there. I like to call people that are members, but we don't know it, "Easter Eggs". Anyway, we start talking to Erik, and we have a pretty good conversation. And then he asks, "Okay, so what are your thoughts on aliens?" Oh boy . . . anyway, we talk about that, and it is still going pretty good. Eventually, a man walks out of the house we had just been at (I'm assuming Michelle's husband?), and Erik yells over to them, "HEY! WHY DIDN'T YOU TALK TO THE MISSIONARIES??" and gives him a hard time about it. The man yells back, "I didn't want to talk to them!" so I guess we can say he is not interested. It made me laugh, and we went back to talking with Erik.
This conversation goes on, and meanwhile, we are in the beating hot sun, but Erik is still completely content talking to (and sometimes sassing) us. We are able to share testimony, talk about why the ten commandments are still the same as they have been since Moses, and then Erik asks Sister Patrick (this is the part where it gets really inspired), "How do you know that God loves you?" Sister Patrick has a pretty amazing story, and her story was just perfect for Erik. She continued to talk, and he continued to listen. At the very end, we asked him if he would pull out his own copy of the Book of Mormon and read it. He said he would. We then ask, "Can we follow up with you in a week?" He thinks about it, and then this was the most sincere answer I've received about a follow-up. He said yes.
We also met Joe and Mike this week. They were both people that members had suggested we stop by. Joe is incredibly intelligent and very focused on his family. We had a really long conversation, and he talked a lot about history (which I thought was fascinating). Sister Rogers was really good at bringing the conversation back. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon again (he said he already had once), and he said, "Sure. Maybe I'll have a different experience this time." He gave us his number to follow up in a month.
Mike was also very receptive. It was a miracle because we were on splits with Brinley, and she is still deciding whether she should go on a mission or not. (She should. She's ready.) Mike answered the door, and we said, "Hi, are you Mike?"
"Yes, how did you know that?"
"Your neighbor said you are pretty cool and said we should come meet you."
"Well, that is true. Come on in."
What? People never just invite us in. But Mike did. He invites us to sit down, offers us water, and then pretty much asks us what we are all about. We tell him our purpose, introduce our message a little, and invited him and his family to take the lessons. He said he wanted to see what it was like first before bringing his family into it, but he is willing to meet with us and to read the Book of Mormon. I'm just hoping as he reads that he will feel the Spirit because the desire to learn more and have his family come will follow as he does.
This area is going to see miracles. I can feel it. God is preparing people. At the beginning of July, President Wheeler invited us to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days, and told us to expect miracles. God keeps His promises. As I've been reading the Book of Mormon, I've been trying to underline the different promises that God makes, as well as highlight the Doctrine of Christ and circle names for Christ. I've discovered a lot, and this has been one of my favorites so far: 1 Nephi 21:25 promises, "I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children."
This is when Isaiah is prophesying about nursing kings and queens and whatnot (which has been really cool to learn about thanks to Sister Roger's determination to understand), and he talks about how the children will come back. As I read this, I came to the conclusion that God was promising those of the house of Israel that if they will remain faithful, He will take care of everything else--even down to helping their children to come back to the fold. God does take care of everything we could ever need, and all he asks is for us to remain faithful to Him. He's got this. It's amazing to see over and over the main thing our Heavenly Father just wants us to answer is this: "Do you trust me?" I am grateful that I have the opportunity to learn to trust Him, even though I am far from perfect at doing so. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan, and just as He promised, everything will work out when we remain faithful to Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. I love you, Family!
Sister Emily
1001 N Burk Street
Gilbert, AZ
85234
Ball is Life.
Our attempt to capture the moment
RAIN! :D
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