letter sixty.nine 07.21.14 member friend lessons :)

Ann got to spend this last P-day in "the bush with her district and a family in the ward.

We had a great week! It has flown by! It started off looking like it might be slow. All of our appointments on Tuesday cancelled. Even the people that never cancel…cancelled. But, we still went out and did our best and were blessed to find a new investigator.

But then, Wednesday was epic! We had four member present lessons! That is how many we had total last week! It was such a blessing. Lessons with members are the best. It makes all the difference. 

One of the people we saw was the partner of a less active member. She was amazing. She has such a sincere desire to learn and to do what it takes to find out. With the help of the Spirit we were able to teach a very powerful lesson about the restoration.

That day we went to another part member family with the ward mission leader and had an amazing restoration lesson as well. I have really been feeling the spirit and power of the restoration. The kids were soaking it in! The ward mission leader was the perfect fellowship as well. He helped them feel so comfortable. They had us all stay for dinner as well. The ward mission leader actually ended up staying for 45 minutes after we left talking with them. It really was a member friend lesson more than a member present and that made all the difference! What a blessing. They are such an awesome family. They have so much potential!

We also have had many lessons with our golden investigator this week as well. They were also, all member friend lessons. She is progressing so much because of it. She's 15 and she is changing so much. She has been coming to church steadily for the whole time I've been in Kalgoorlie. She is close with a lot of the girls, but bringing a member had made all the difference. She is really living the gospel. 

One of the lessons we had with her at the beginning we showed us that she had memorized Moroni 10:32-33 that we had shared with her because she liked it so much. She showed us how she'd been highlighting all the verses she loved. Then we were talking about enduring to the end and she opened up to 2 Nephi 31:20 and read it to us. She said it was her favorite one that she had read about enduring to the end. She is AMAZING!!! I can't get over it. She's looking to get baptized on the 2nd August.

She is incredible. She even went down to Perth with the youth this weekend to youth conference. She also told us that she has seen a change in her life since she has been coming to church and living this life style. She noticed that she's much happier and her life is going in a better direction than other friends who are taking a bad path. I feel so blessed to be teaching someone who is so prepared!

I think the best part of this week was when President and Sister Lindsay came. It was sooo amazing to have them here. They came just for the day, but it was so uplifting. I remembered again how much I love them. They came and gave us the training that they did in zone conference and it was so good. 

My favorite part was Sister Lindsay's. She talked about change. She talked about how we all change when we're here on a mission and invited us to reflect on the ways that we've changed. As I sat there reflecting on the many ways that I have changed I felt overwhelmed by how much I have changed. I am amazed by how God has molded me and shaped me into something much better than I have ever been before. I am so grateful for that. 

We were also able to spend a lot of alone time with Sister Lindsay. She came with us to a lesson and it was another beautiful lesson on the Restoration and teaching with her was delightful. Then she did a flat inspection and we went shopping for a few things. It felt like being with our mum. She just praised us and made us feel uplifted and loved the entire time. It was such a tender mercy. 

Just before they left President did interviews with each of us. I went last of everyone and their flight was leaving soon so mine was very short, but it was so powerful and uplifting. As we sat together he told me how much he loved me and appreciated the things I have done over the course of my mission. He told me how thankful he was for me. Again, I felt like I was with my own dad for a minute there, he even teared up just like dad would have. I felt so much love for he and Sister Lindsay. I love them so much. I have learnt so much from them, and it was so nice to feel so much love for them. It was just what I needed to feel even more motivated to keep going strong to the end of my mission.

And one last tender mercy; we have become good friends with a member who is going through a really hard time. He's come with us to many lessons and has always been a bit closed off. On Sunday we were at another members for dinner and he was there. We shared a message and the spirit was so strong. I looked over and he was getting a bit teary. That is so completely not like him. A while after the lesson he texted us and told us that that was the first time he's felt the spirit in a long time. I thought I was going to cry. That is not like him at all to text something like that. I felt so blessed to be able to be a part of something that finally was able to touch him because he's such a good person, he just needs more of the spirit in his life. God softened his heart. God is good. 

I love being a part of this work, a work that changes lives. It a work that is continually changing mine and I know it will continue to do so even after I'm done being a full time missionary. I am so thankful that God knew better than me and that He guided me here to Western Australia as a missionary. I love it! I love you all!