Monday, May 4, 2015

A Baptism and a Very Scary Experience



Dear Family and Friend,

This week I am entirely grateful for the spirit--for multiple reasons of which I will get into in this email. It was a truly great week! And for the first time this transfer, I am entirely content :)

On Monday, we saw T who is doing awesome and is getting baptized on May 2. We taught her at Sister Sifton's home and they bonded before we got there. She has so many friends. It's great! Then we went to Sister Couch's house for FHE. It was only us and Sister Couch but it was really good! We did this activity with her that Brother Valencia taught me once: we read the white part of the pages. Each of us thought of a question that we had regarding anything. Then we said a little prayer individually and just flipped open the scriptures. It was really incredible because I was half afraid it wouldn't work...but it did! for all of us! We all got he answers to our question in the most random scriptures. It was really cool to see. I challenge all of you to try it out this week and let me know the results! After that we saw the H family. Z is so sweet. He's easily distracted and we're trying to come up with ways to help him but we haven't quite been able to do it. We're working hard on it though!

Tuesday we had district meeting and we trained--on companionship unity. It was actually really good. Sister Arruda and I have been working on teaching in unity for a while and that training I think helped us a lot. It went really well. We were able to see I S, a recent convert, and it has been so incredible to see her change the last few weeks. I don't know when it happened, but she really has changed a lot and I'm grateful I got to see it. Tuesday was also the day that marked my eleven months in the field. Crazy right? I honestly cannot believe I have been a missionary for that long. It seems like yesterday that I entered the MTC. Time has flown by so fast! I can't believe it! We were able to see E this night too. I love her so much. She is so great. We just wanted to keep her excited and upbeat about her baptism and it worked! She was so excited leading up to it.

Wednesday was a good day too. We saw T and she is the best. We went over the baptismal interview questions and she is so ready to be baptized! It's awesome to see. I have seen her change so much. I love her with all my heart. We went to dinner with the bishop's wife, Sister Hill. She took us to Panera. I love Panera. You should look it up and see if we have any in Idaho...because it's the best restaurant ever! They have really good mac and cheese. Then we saw a less active named B G. She has been coming back to church recently and she loves it. She is so much happier now and I love seeing it. It's incredible. We were able to see a couple that live near us--B and K. they just had the cutest baby girl ever named E. she is so sweet. They aren't married yet...but they are getting married next month! I sort of invited myself to the wedding...oops! Haha, but they are sweet. K is a member and B is sort of learning but I'm not sure how interested she is. She's great though!

Thursday, I got to see Melanie Kuhn! She came to Hanford and took Sister Arruda and me out for lunch. I missed her! We went to Superior Dairy which is a really good restaurant in Hanford. When I came here, people told me two things: Go to Superior and don't drink the water. It's really yummy! And I was so glad to see her. I miss Melanie so much and I'm so grateful for all she did for me. We ate dinner with the Haroldsons. They are the best. I love them so much. They know members from my last area so it was really great to talk about that! Then we saw an investigator that the elders asked us to go see. They are teaching her but they want our help. She actually lives in our area now but they aren't giving her up. her name is M. She is super sweet. She has a three month old and we went over and just...followed the spirit. And she loved it! She texted the elders and said it was the first time she has felt the spirit in a long time. It was really awesome to know I was working for the Lord.

Friday was a crazy busy day and this is where my scary experience comes into play. We had appointments all day after we served at the soup kitchen. We went to see the L family and they are so awesome! B is such a solid recent convert and J is loving it too. We got a lecture on what isn't healthy (apparently sugar is more addictive that cocaine?). AND I FOUND OUT THAT J HAS FAMILY IN MIDDLETON!!! Isn't that crazy? She actually went there this weekend. I don't know what ward they are in and I am not quite sure of their last name but I thought it was pretty crazy. she offered to take me with her but unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that isn't allowed. It made me happy though. We saw E at Sister Sopp's house too. It was our last meeting before her baptism. She was so excited! We found three new investigators that night--the H family! Sister H is less active but the kids are so sweet and well-behaved. We saw T with Sister Robison. I warned her that Satan would attack this week and she has already seen it. But she can make it to her baptism! After T we were both feeling anxious and we were trying to figure out where to go. Sister Arruda thought of J so we went there. However, we were still feeling anxious and we thought it was maybe because of T so we said a prayer. We still couldn't figure out what was wrong but we got out of the car and went to see J. the first house was the wrong one which was odd since we actually do know where she lives. So we found the right house and rang the doorbell..but the moment we did, I had the strongest urge to just get out of there, that we shouldn't be there. I told Sister Arruda but then she opened the door. She let us in and was really sweet but there was something...off about her. I think. We sat down and the feeling to get out was stronger. So after we said a prayer I wrote Sister Arruda a note and told her we needed to leave. Not too long after she got up and said we needed to leave but we were just checking on her. There was something different and it was really scary. It was the strongest I have ever really felt the spirit telling me to leave a place. It was the first time as a missionary I was afraid. But we got out of there and ran back to the car. Then we drove to the church and took a breather before calling the elders. We dont' know why we needed to get out of there but we did. We followed the prompting and I know there is a reason for it. We went to the Greens after we called the elders and they let us in and listened to our experience. They are awesome. I love them.

Saturday was a good day! We served and then we did the halftime show at the elders' baptism before our baptism. Then E WAS BAPTIZED!!! It was the best thing ever. I loved being able to witness someone I had come to love so much enter the waters of baptism and take that first step to enter the gate. I am so happy she was baptized and I am so grateful I was here to witness her change. We saw J and S, M's parents. They gave us pizza. It was good. They are so sweet. Saturday was a really great day.

Sunday E was confirmed! It was really great. Her mom, who has been inactive for years, came! And so many people knew her. It was way awesome! We had to weekly plan and we had a complete bonding moment as companions. We talked and I told Sister Arruda how much she had helped me. She has helped me love being a missionary again. I didn't realize I had lost sight of it until we were talking about it. We also decided that whatever happens at transfers (which are next week) we know we were successful and that is what matters. We ate dinner with Sister Sifton and she made mac and cheese which was really good! Then we got a really awesome call from Sister Oberst. Her sister in law wants to be baptized! She is ten. I think.  So...we schedule all the lessons and the baptism is happening on May 24!!! I'm so excited to teach her! It'll be a great experience. I have always wanted to teach someone so prepared. We saw M again on Sunday too. She is the best. We shared the story of the stripling warriors and how their mothers taught them (Alma 56:47-48, 57:21). She loved it! I love her so much...I hope we can continue to help her.

I love you all and I'm grateful for you and your support. I love this gospel and I love being a missionary!

Always <3,
Sister Abigail Reese

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