Thanks for your emails, you guys! If I get the chance, I'll respond to them personally. And, there's been a policy change! I can email friends AND family! So I've put Staci on the list. If there's anyone else who wants an email from me, let me know, I'll put them into my addressbook. But, I'm only going to send personal responses to family. If friends want a personal response from me, I'm gonna need letters...:). no, but really. I only have an hour. I don't have time to email famiy AND friends, besides the mass one!
This week has been pretty good - there have been a few rough spots. Mostly with people around me not being focused, which makes it SO hard for me to focus. I've discovered that I can sit and focus on the scriptures and Preach My Gospel for two hours, no problem, but if people around me are talking, there's no way. My district is very boistrous, so it's hard to focus. They haven't quite seemed to grasp the concept that our time is meant to be productive, that we are on the Lord's time. I hope they get it soon.
Monday was really, really rough. We met with an investigator (pretty sure she wasn't a real one) and the lesson went into chaos. My companion jumped ahead, and then the investigator started asking questions, and then I didn't know how to get everything back on track. It was rough. We met with her again on Wednesday, though, and it was pretty solid. I even was able to invite her to be baptized! She said yes - but like I said, I'm pretty sure it wasn't real. We also met with a less-active - though I KNOW he was just acting. We saw him later in the MTC, all dressed up. Turns out he works there, but his story was true. We were able to teach him about the Plan of Salvation, because his wife had passed away and he was really, really bitter. It was so amazing to see the spirit that was in the room, and see it working upon his heart. It may have not been real...but it WAS. That's the thing about these lessons we get to teach. The majority of them are not with real investigators and everything...but it's still a real experience. They do their best to make it appear as real as possible. It was such a wonderful experience, and I felt such an intense love for that man. It was incredible.
There was another person that we taught. She was a volunteer, and I'm pretty positive that this one was legit - because there are a few people who come in as volunteers who are not members. How she came to volunteer is through her neighbor - and her neighbor, Kacee, actually sat in on the lesson! Kacee is preparing for a mission and leaves in about a month. It was a really good experience, for her, and it made me so happy that she was there. But, Sue, the woman we taught, had a lot of questions. We didn't really know what we were going to teach her as we went in, so it was like a real referral or tracting experience. But, we went in, and followed the spirit. It was so neat to see Sue go from skeptical curiosity to a mild desire, to a great need to know what we're about. All in about 40 minutes! It was awesome! She had so many questions at the end, I invited her to read 2 Nephi 31, which is about the doctrine of Christ - the Gospel, essentially - and she enthusiastically accepted. It was so awesome to be able to include Kacee in on the discussion, and to see Sue's genuine interest. I'm sure she'll end up actually meeting with the Provo missionaries - which is what happens when volunteers go to the MTC and they become interested in actually being taught.
We had one last investigator. This is someone that I truly have come to love a lot. Which has been kind of an interesting experience. The teachers pretend to be one of the investigators they taught on their mission - and they actually become them. They pray and work hard to not be the teacher. My investigator was Pat - Sister Chatterton is the teacher. I seriously LOVE Sister Chatterton!! - and Pat was a bit..stubborn. She has met with tons of missionaries before. We could only meet with her for 15 or 20 mintues at a time, so it was hard to try to get pieces of doctrine in. But, we slowly started making progress. We met with her almost every day. She was stubborn at first. She would pray, but said she wasn't getting an answer. She didn' treally see how it all applied to her. She didn't see the need of it. Sister Chapman and I were slowly able to identify her needs, and were able to figure out how to meet them. We invited her to fast in order to get an answer to her questions. Last night, she said she was ready to be baptized!! It was AWESOME!! It was sad, though, because that was our last meeting with her. But, I cant wait to have an actual experience like that. To see the progress someone makes and see them change, and see them be willing to give things up and change the way they live. Pat is an incredible person. Haha I kinda wish I knew the REAL Pat!
I seriously am SO ready to get out of here. I know there's much to learn, but I know that much of it will be best learned out in the field. I am so excited to get a trainer of my own. I'm just so ready to have these experiences for real. I know it's going to be hard. I've experienced glimpses of it in the past week and a half. We're heading out on Tuesday morning. I'll be in Washington by about 9 or 10 in the morning. I don't know if I'll get the chance to call anyone - there's no layover.
To answer some of Mom's questions: flying on a plane was pretty cool! There were a lot of missionaries with me, though only 2 sisters. The Millers were wonderful. It was great getting to spend some time with them. Of couse I thanked them a lot! I truly am grateful for them. We were able to eat at that Navoo Cafe place, and the car was fixed while we were eating, so it wasn't too bad. My health has been good, no problems there - though I'm actually getting tired of the food here!! I didn't think that would happen!!
I have learned a lot here, and I'm SO grateful for this expereince. This is the Lord's work, I know it! I have already seen miracles! Say hi to the sisters there in Mesa for me. Let them know I'm doing well and that I'm going to kick butt - uh, do awesome. I guess kick butt isn't exactly appropriate missionary lingo - in Washington! :)
I love you all. Thanks for your support. I'm grateful for the Rogans, too. Can you get me their address? Maybe I''ll write them when I get the chance. And, Sarah! I'm planning on writing Alyssa today.
Sister Beth Ann Root!
PS It for some reason didnt like Amy's or Michael's email. I don't have time to fix it, will you forward it to them? Thanks!
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