D&C 122: 7-9

Wow, this week flew by like wild fire. I can't believe it's already Monday AGAIN! I do love our p-days though. Today it is sunny and warm and we are going to the point defiance park in our area to play around. It is a giant park with a  zoo, gardens, and lots of grass to play on-oh and the beach, but we cant go there :(

This week we witness many miracles and a few disappointments. Monday we invited one of our Investigators, Mark to the Ords home for Family home evening. The second counselor in our bishopric also came with his family. We didn't know we were eating,but we showed up and they had dinner all made, BBQ chicken and hamburgers. This family is hilarious!! They did a puppet show for the lesson, Staring....Sister Phillips and Sister Lyles. It was so funny, Sister Lyles was snorting ha ha! We then had a fire and made scores yumm. I really think he enjoyed it!

Sister Lyles and I had 3 "insta-tours" tours this week. That is when we ask someone if they want to take a church tour and they accept on the spot and follow us down to the church building right away. The first guys name was Jason. He said he always wanted to know what this church looked like inside. (for some reason people are really interested in what is in our building-I dunno!) He said he felt the most peace he has felt in a church before and would love to learn more. When we took him by the font to teach him about baptism, we didn't even have to ask him and he already knew he wanted to. Then he said, "So do I get baptized naked or what?"  We explained to him that we do not, we actually wear white. He said, "oh good because I think some people might get bashful!!" hahaha. We laughed about that one forever! Then all the sudden Jason's brother showed up. He said he was driving and saw his car, so he thought he would come see what he was up to. So, we gave him a church tour too, but he wasn't as interested, he just started practicing "Veganism"-No thanks!!

On Friday we met a lady named Marquiva and her daughter Cherish. So, so cute. Anyway, we drove into these appt. buildings in the intent to check up on this referral and ran into Marquiva. She accepted to come down to the church and we took her on a church tour. Her daughter Cherish is a lil sas-a-fras and very energetic lil 6 year old. So pour sister lyles was trying to distract and entertain Cherish, so we could try to get Marquiva to feel the spirit. Gotta love kids! It ended up being really great for her. She has been going to the Lutheran church and doesn't feel that she connects with the doctrine. I am so grateful for the power of the spirit. We do not convert people,but that is the spirits job. Our job is to help these people open there hearts, so the spirit can testify to them of the reality of what we are teaching is true!! That is something that one of our Investigators Lawrence mentioned. He has been searching for the truth for over 10 years. He has studied with every religion in the book and guess who he came to last?? Us!! But he said that he was taken back that we were not trying to make up his mind for him or try to convince him of what we know to be true, but that we trusted enough to let him go to the source of all truth...that is our Heavenly Father. I have complete confidence that if these people will but go to our Heavenly Father and ask with a sincere heart and with real intent just like Moroni promises, we will receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that we cannot deny!

Sister Lyles and I found out that we were a bi-product of a baptism, yahoo!! His name is Paul and this is how the story goes....

On May 31st we just arrived back into our areas from being at the Seattle temple all day. I was EXHAUSTED to the point I was falling asleep driving (but didn't). I told Sister Lyles that I really needed some energy before we did our 5-7's (tracting for two hours). We stopped at a gas station, ran in and grabbed a soda. While we were waiting in the checkout line Paul came up to Sister Lyles and said, "I don't have to know who you are, I can tell that you are different!" :D We checked out and asked Paul if we could come visit him. Oh, P.S. Paul is around 86ish. Unfortunately he didn't live in our area, so we got his info and passed it along to the elders. When we received the phone call from Elder Richards he told us that Paul said the same exact thing to them and he let them in right away. They taught him the restoration and he loved it so much it brought him to tears and said he has been waiting for this all his life. The next day the Elders had another appt. with him and when they arrived Paul was waiting out side for them. Paul told them that his daughter was anti-Mormon and she told him he either had to choose her or the Mormons. So what did Paul do??? Paul said, I told her, I'm Moving out then!!! What?? Paul said that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard, when these people were the most pure individuals he has ever met. The Elders took him down to the church for a tour and not only did he accept to be baptized, but he covenanted to be baptized!!! I told Sister Lyles it was the light that was shinning from being in the temple that day :)

Something the Lord has taught me this week from that experience and countless others, is to just live in the present! There were so many little things that fell through this week and didn't go the way we planned and got frustrated or discouraged, but right around the corner the Lord had something else in mind. Now when things don't go as planned you just keep pushing forth with Faith in Christ knowing that if you are being led by the spirit, your day will truly be a perfect day!

This Sunday we only had two investigators show up to church and we were planning on 10. I was very sad inside for a while during Church. Then as I was pondering on Christ I instantly remembered all that my Savior had done personally for me and the world and all who didn't  and still do not accept Him. I had a thought of, "this is what It must feel like when I dont' do what he asks of me." I truly felt his mercy that day, that even when we have hard days and we tried to everything right, those opportunities are for us to use the Atonement, to use our Faith and show Him how bad we want something. Sister Lyles and I read the Scripture in D&C 122:7-9 and changed our attitude right around! I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and I knew that day that we weren't alone, but that he was teaching us enduring and eternal lessons. That may even be the greatest miracle all week!

I love you all,

Sister Phillis

***We have a member who was baptized when he was 8 and then didn't go to church ever again until he married his wife who was Mormon. He came from being anti-Mormon to having one of the strongest testimonies and beating up co-workers that talk bad about the church. He also has two sons who are 8 and 10 that he wants to baptize, but just cant seem to kick smoking. He said, he doesn't even remember a time in his life when he didn't smoke. His mom gave him his first cigarette when he was 13 yrs. old.:( Our ward is really pulling together in helping Anthony and we have fasted and prayed many times for him. Does anyone have any conversion stories of how they quit smoking?? I would love to share them with him if you do!! Thanks!