Alan Got Wet!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, there were so many miracles that happened this week - I don't even know where to start. I'll start with the baptism, that sounds like a good idea. So, we've been teaching Alan for 2 months now, and he's been SO ready for the last 3 weeks. He had to wait for his baptismal date because of emergencies getting to church, but yesterday when we were waiting for his family to get there, someone asked him if he was ready and he said "I stink of preparedness." ha ha. It was really neat, because almost his WHOLE family came, and none of them had been very receptive before, but all of them felt the spirit and were making comments that he's never been this happy nor this committed to anything before. It took 4 people in the font to baptize him, and I was scared to death the whole time that he was going to drown, but he made it! 

We had him write down his testimony on his iPad and had a member of the ward read it as part of the baptismal program, and it was incredible. Basically he said "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has helped me change my life. I used to be so angry and thought that God had done this to me, but now I know that he loves me and that I can change."

I don't know that I have ever seen anyone as desirous to be baptized as Alan, and I feel like I was allowed to be a small part of a very large miracle. From everything we've seen, Alan is going to be the means of bringing about a lot of blessings to his family and to the ward. 

This week was also sister Moore's birthday, and on her birthday we had a blitz where the Zone Leaders came and worked in our area for a few hours, and sister Moore and I found 3 new investigators within those 3 hours. It was super cool. One of them is named Phillip, and we met him through a kind of crazy series of circumstances, but we talked with him briefly and then set up a return appointment for Sunday. Saturday night we ended up having some things fall through, and I felt really strongly that we should go visit him. So we went, and found him outside. He told us that he'd been thinking all day, and that lead to a really cool discussion about the Plan of Salvation, why we're here, etc. There are some people you meet and talk to as missionaries that are interested, but don't get that this applies to their life. I'm not sure how to explain it. I guess just the majority of people take a while to realize the seriousness of what we're sharing. I guess a lot of it is that most people have a pretty solid religious background and don't see the need for more. Anyway, Phillip has been really cool to work with because he takes it all seriously. It's hard though because you can see how much potential he has, but because of circumstances he hasn't been able to use a lot of that. I think that's one of the hardest things about the mission, is seeing unrealized potential. I guess that's probably how God feels about a lot of us, ha ha. 

Well, I love you all!

Love,

M

--

Hermana Reynolds

This week we had the first thunderstorm I've had in months, and it was the biggest I've ever experienced in my life! At about 12:40 I woke up to a huge crash of Thunder, and then from then until we got up at 6:15, with a break of an hour or two, there was constant lightening and thunder. Not like one crash every 5 minutes, but 5 crashes every minute. and sometimes 20 crashes every minute. and they were all super loud and close. We were all excited for the rain and coolness that it would bring. But then. We realized. 

Hot weather = no bugs.

Cool weather = a nightmare of bugs 

I don't even know how this many bugs exist. We came home and there were HUNDREDS of tiny dead bugs on the counter by the window. I don't know how they got in,  but there were bugs everywhere and while we were biking it felt like we were a windshield and kept getting hit by bugs. not the most pleasant experience. 

But, the weather was nice, and it helped me remember to not relocate back to Texas after the mission ;)

In other events, Alan is getting baptized next Sunday! He came to church yesterday, and he loved it. It's fun, because as we get to know him more we get to know his personality, and he's hilarious. He used to only be able to communicate with us through his iPad, but sister Moore and I have learned how to spell words out with his eyes, so we can talk whenever, and he'll make the funniest comments. However, the people in the ward, for the most part, have yet to realize his hilarity. Or that he is normal. Or can't talk. Or can communicate. Basically, there are a select few who have taken the opportunity to get to know him and realize that he's normal. Lots of them talk to him like he's 3 and can't understand, and it's a little frustrating. But, that'll come with time. Yesterday, there was a member who's been recently converted, and he was talking with us and Alan, and he made some comment to Alan, to which he received no response (obviously), and sister Moore said "Alan's a little quiet.." She was kind of joking, but the member thought that he really just was shy and said "it's okay, I felt that way too, at first. It'll come with time!" Ha ha. We all had a good laugh about it. Alan can understand everything, and was even in college classes for a while. We're hoping he can go back to college, because that would be super awesome for him. 

Anyway, that's mostly it for this week :) 

Until next time...

--

Hermana Reynolds

This week brought a lot of learning experiences, that's for sure :)

Transfers happened, and our beloved District Leader got called to be a Zone Leader, and we all shed tears of sadness for our loss. We LOVED our district leader, and we made lots of miracles happen as a district. All of the other companionships in our zone had one companion change except for sister Moore and I, so there is a lot of fresh blood in our Zone and we are excited to get to work. 

Alan didn't make it to church again yesterday, because his Mom went out of town and he had to go stay with his sister far away and then to top it off, he got sick. It's ridiculous how hard Satan will work against people progressing. But, that leaves lots of room for miracles. Alan has been an interesting situation because it requires a lot of work with the Ward, and this ward has had 1) lots of bad history with missionaries before and 2) a lot of strong families that carry the ward and do all of the service. Anyway, we've gotten a bit of chastisement for asking favors from the ward with bringing Alan to church and wanting him to get baptized... I've definitely been learning the importance of wards and missionaries working together, which I had no understanding of before the mission. Anyway, that being said, his baptism won't be until the 30th of August. But it's gonna happen. :)

This week we went over to the Stake President's house to help his wife sew a quilt (a dream come true service project), and he was home from work and so we started talking about the things he'd been studying, and he asked us a few interesting questions I thought I'd share. I've made them a matter of study during my personal studies this week and have gleaned many helpful insights.

1) what is the difference between having "faith in" and having a "testimony of" God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost (the first temple recommend question).

2) Why do have have to have faith in those members individually, and how are they different (hint: Faith in God has more to do with Commandments, Faith in Christ is more about Atonement)

Well, I still haven't found my camera cord. One day i will and I'll send pictures of the AP's planners. They turned out beautifully:)

Love you all!

--

Hermana Reynolds

Another transfer ya se va!

I can't believe this transfer is already over! crazy. The AP's were at one of our meeting this last week and they both said "Sister Reynolds, you're making our planner covers for next transfer, right?" I realized I've never send pictures of the ones I made last transfer, so I'll have to repent and send some next week. They look pretty beautiful ;)

 

A few weeks ago we were eating lunch with the Bishop's wife, and we asked for referrals and she said we could try by the neighbor and that they had a son who might be receptive, but that the parents were a little weird. We tried by a couple of days later and talked with him - he was super nice, but was just leaving so told us to come back. We had a few other experiences like that with him, and then finally this week found both him and his mom at home and they invited us in to talk. Usually we try to talk with people to "find a need" and then apply the gospel to that need. Often the need is pretty hidden, but one of the first things the mom said was "wow, that's really cool what you do. Lots of people go through hard things and need that help, like we just had a death in our family, obviously." Not sure why it was "obvious," but it was a super clear need! They had questions about life after death, and we were able to testify and teach and they accepted baptismal dates and we asked them to say a prayer at the end. We taught them how, and the mom said it. It was brief and heartfelt, and at the end she said "Wow! I could feel that! I've prayed before, but doing it in the name of Jesus Christ has a different kind of power - that was really cool!" Yessss. I think one of my most favorite things about the mission so far has been when people pray for the first time - their prayers are so simple and beautiful and it makes me reevaluate mine.

 

Alan is doing great! We've been teaching him and 4 other little kids who live in the same house as him, and Alan knows everything now - he's getting interviewed for baptism tonight and then can be baptized in the next couple of Sundays. Sometimes getting support from the ward for baptisms can be tricky, so prayers will be appreciated muchisimo :)

 

Much love! Hope all is well :)

Hermana Reynolds

more miracles

Hey!

 

On Wednesday we were going to have a mission-wide Sister's meeting, but it got cancelled, so instead our district met at the church and we (the sisters) made lunch for everyone. Oh wait, So, that did happen but actually the story I wanted to tell happened at lunch the day before (Tuesday). We were eating lunch as a at the church ( since it was the end of the month and we're out of money we all just brought our own food to the church instead of going somewhere) and my compy and I brought cereal as part of our lunch. The other two sisters had brought it for us, and they accidentally brought the wrong box of cereal, but no biggy, right? So we're eating cereal and my companion all of a sudden yells "STOP EATING! Don't ask, don't look, just spit it out and throw it away" It turns out the box of cereal they brought was really old, and there was a dead lizard in it. Yup. Delicious.

 

A happier thing of this week was that we were walking down the street and a car pulled up to us and a the lady inside told us she was a member that had just moved back from AZ and that we should come over. Her mom was a less active member that we had been trying to find, and when we went over a couple of nights later we had a wonderful lesson with them, and they all came to church! Not only that, but the daughter brought a friend who isn't a member, and we're going to have a family night with them this week, and they told us they're going to invite their family and friends who aren't members. It was a super big miracle.

 

We also had some time one day and ended up knocking on the door of a woman who said that her parents were baptized into the church 15 years ago and eventually stopped going, but that the week before she had been talking to her husband and that they were wanting a church to take their kids to. We're going back this week and we're going to baptize them :)

 

Also, Alan, our handicapped investigator, is doing really really well. He came to church yesterday, as well as his step-sister and niece. It's always a super big miracle when people come to church because that's by far the hardest part about teaching someone, but they came and it was magical. Also, we have another investigator named Michael (who's a girl) and she came to church and she's been to mutual twice and loves it, but her family is moving to Austin in the next couple of weeks. Tragic. But, the missionaries there will get a gift-wrapped referral :)

 

Oh wait! This is really exciting! I talked our ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD into washing their hair with Honey. Score. I felt so very happy.

That's all :)

 

Okay, well I hope ya'll are doing well! I lost my camera  cord so  I can't send pictures until I find it.. sorry... but I love you :)

 

 

Love,

M'ana Reynolds