So, sorry I didn't email you all
yesterday. So I'm emailing you today... hope that's okay. Yesterday we went to
the Temple Visitor's Center for the FIRST TIME with our AMAZING investigator
Michaela (I'll attach pictures at the end). She's just amazing. She was able to
feel the peace that accompanies the temple and she started crying while
watching the #BecauseOfHim video. AND we got to meet (and learn from) a Member
of the Seventy, Elder Gillespie! What!? So cool. Yesterday was a great day! AND
to make this week even better, our mission temple day is Wednesday, SO I get to
go back to the temple to do a session tomorrow! Twice in one week! What a
blessing. That temple is beautiful. And I've never seen something so gold until
yesterday. So much gold. I can't wait to go inside tomorrow.
So, this last week has been pretty
fantastic! We met with this old guy named Gary who we met while we were walking
in Shepherdstown and he shouted at us out his window for an appointment. Not
going to lie, he's kind of a creep, so we only visited with him one more time
to give him some comfort after his son died. He read most of the Book of
Mormon, but he refuses to be baptized again, so it's been more of a service for
us. We'd turn him over to the Elders, but he refuses to meet with anyone
besides Sisters. Like I said, kind of a creep.
We had dinner with our Bishop and
his family last week and it was right before Bishop Van Vliet was about to
teach the youth at Youth Conference and it turns out he taught his youth the same
lesson we taught him 5 minutes beforehand. So basically we taught all the youth
at youth conference via bishop. I just thought that was funny.
We also "stole" the
Elders' investigator PJ, who is living with our member friend Holly while he is
playing pro baseball (living with her in a non-romantic way; she's married). We
sat down to read the Book of Mormon with Holly and we invited PJ and he said
yes, so basically we just taught him a lesson and the Elders have been trying
to teach him for months now. This is the magic of Sister Missionaries who
follow the Spirit :) it was pretty cool :)
So, THREE MIRACLES in ONE day! First
Miracle: we got to see the Elders' investigator Deborah (who I just love to
death) unexpectedly and we were able to give her some encouragement. Miracle
#2: We had our first lesson with our new investigator, Betty, who is this sweet
old lady with a diseased cat. She accepted everything we taught her including
the invitation to be baptized! So, she's on date for August 15th, but she doesn't
technically count until she comes to sacrament meeting, and she works on
Sundays, so she's working with her boss to get off. I'm hoping she'll
come!
Miracle #3: We found a less active
named Diane L., who we thought lived on the "mountain" because
that's the address she gave us, but we were looking for another potential
investigator, and she was outside her garage working on her car. We approached
her and she was very stand-offish, but we got her name and found her real
address! SO, the Relief Society presidency can now make contact with her.
Yay!
Good day full of miracles! And
Exchanges started on Thursday! I was over the Harpers Ferry area and Sister
Jeppson had to deal with me :) I was leading out in every discussion and I
planned every day, so it was like being a Senior Companion even though we don't
really have that in this mission. It was pretty cool seeing how much I could do
when I didn't really have my trainer to lean on. Super fun. And I got to teach
in the way that I feel most comfortable. Awesome. I loved exchanges. Sister
Jeppson is just amazing. Yup. Love her.
So, back to Michaela. We showed her
the video "How Rare a Possession: The Book of Mormon" and she was
able to feel the Spirit SO strong! She opened up and told me that she'd been
angry with God because of some stuff going on in her family, but since she's
been meeting with us, her faith has grown so much and she now realizes how much
God actually loves her and she's been able to feel her relationship with Him
strengthen. YAY! That's our whole purpose as missionaries! And I taught that
lesson, so Heavenly Father definitely gave me that little confidence boost that
I needed.
Coincidence! I was able to meet this
lady named Francis during exchanges and we got to begin teaching her. She just
so happens to be Diane L.'s ex-mother-in-law (complicated story) and her
brother is actually LDS, so she has some knowledge and is totally cool with us
coming and teaching her! YAY!
Our other investigators, Lily and
Debra, are just so cute. We've been teaching them and Lily told us she believes
we came into her life for a reason. YES LILY, WE DID! So she's just awesome.
Her goal in life is to make people smile. What a cool goal. And her son was
actually murdered, so she's been feeling pretty sad and depressed about that
(for good reason), so we've been able to give her some comfort there. If only
she would come to church! Haha, but they're great people. Love them.
HAPPY LATE PIONEER DAY! How was that
in Utah, for those of you in Utah? It's basically non-existent here. That's
normal, though. Sister Jeppson wanted to wear bonnets all day and laugh at
people when they laugh at us. Sadly, though, four businesses actually burned
down in downtown Harpers Ferry on Pioneer Day (or the day before, I can't
remember). No one got hurt, luckily, but it was still pretty sad. Those were
historic buildings.
Jesse and Deborah, the Elders'
investigators, had a little setback this week. They were going to have to get
evicted from their home and things were crazy, but they're still holding on
strong. Their baptismal date has to be pushed back a week because they couldn't
come to church due to all the craziness at home, but I know it'll be for the
best. We gave Deb some "scripture cigarettes" that are just pieces of
rolled up scriptures/quotes on them that can give her some inspiration whenever
she feels the urge to smoke to help her. She started crying because it meant so
much to her, so that was really cool. She's a strong lady. And so is her
husband, Jesse. And they just love this gospel because IT'S TRUE! And they know
that and they want to live it! #Miracle!
So, I also got to watch the Alice
and Wonderland play that many of our ward members are in because we invited
Michaela, so technically it counted as a lesson (President Christiansen
approved it (; ) So that was fun! I have pictures of that, too! I think that's
all I have to report so far, but I'll definitely email again if I missed
anything (Like last week). Enjoy the pictures!
To end with something spiritual, I
had a couple thoughts during my studies this last week. I was reading in 3
Nephi 17:17-22 and it's when Jesus Christ is with the people in the Americas
and He's praying for them. Let me repeat that, He's PRAYING for the people in
the Americas. And that just hit me. Jesus Christ prays for us. He weeps when we
weep. He wants us to be happy and He wants the best for us. So, He prays for
us. Wow. What a blessing to have our Savior, who's already done SO MUCH for us,
take our worries and sorrows to God to help us. I love my Brother. He's
definitely becoming my Best Friend and I hope one day I will be able to
confidently say that He's my Best Friend without feeling insufficient. He loves
me. He loves you. Each and every one of you. Always remember the sacrifice He
made for us and the aid He gives us EVERY SINGLE DAY. "Because of Him, you
can have clean-slates, second chances, new beginnings... because of Him, you
can leave your past behind... because of Him, you can be happy again."
"Worry fades away when we know
for sure our future is secure in God's hands."
Also, I want you all to listen to
John Bytheway's talk "Get an Attitude" YES! It's amazing. And while
you're going through life this week, instead of asking yourself how
"bad" you can be, or how much you can get away with this week, ask
yourself how "good" you can be. Ask yourself what you can improve on
rather than walking the line of good and bad. We should always strive to be our
best self so we can one day grow into the person Heavenly Father knows we can
become. I leave you my testimony that God loves you. That Jesus is the Christ
and that as long as we are striving to do our best to be our best, we will have
The Lord's help. He does not leave us Comfortless. I know this Church is true.
Without any doubt in my heart, I know that what I'm striving to teach each and
every day is the true and everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is His
church and I represent Him through my actions and dealings every day. I know
that I am not alone, and I know that through the Savior's Infinite Atonement,
we can all return to Him. We can all be saved by Grace after all that we've
done. I leave this testimony with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, my Best
Friend and Brother, Amen.
Love,
Sister Humphrey
