Miracle Week!

 3-9-2015

 

What a wonderful week!

Last Monday evening we went to the Millers (neighbors) and taught the Restoration. I couldn't read their body language on how they felt or what they thought bc they were both very tired. Tony though said he wanted us to come back while what we taught is still fresh in their minds when we watch the resto DVD with them. AWESOME!

Tuesday after our studies and lunch we went tracting. YAY FOR TRACTING! I love it so much! We started on Oak Hill st which we came to find out was the st the library was on. Poor sis Blau was terrified of doing a door approach! We started way down on the end of the street. Was a good workout walking up and down those hills. Pretty much everyone we talked to wasn't interested. Finally the last house we went to, a woman opened the door. This was Sis. Blau's first door approach. The woman was really nice and talked to us for a little bit. Sis. Blau extended the invitation to come to church. I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!! She said she wouldn't mind visiting! She ended up letting us inside as we talked more. She told us she's on the waiting list for a liver transplant. It was then I noticed she had yellow eyes instead of white. She insisted she had never consumed alcohol - but that it was hereditary.  We ended up setting up an appt to come back and gave her our card with our number and our church address. Her name was Lori.

Wednesday - we taught an 8 yr old girl of a LA family - she's preparing to be baptized on April 11th! On our way to the Delps, Sis. Blau and I were talking and laughing a lot! We ended up talking about our personal lives. We had to wait for the Delps because they had to ru na ten min errand - so we chilled in the car and talked. We laughed SO much! We felt like...well, I felt like we were best friends already - only been one week to the day. I love Sis. blau SO much! My attitude towards training has changed extremely. I felt very inadequate in the beginning.  We taught Mia the Plan of Salvation.

Thursday - During our weekly planning, Sis Blau said she came to see me as a best friend so quickly! It made me so happy she felt the same way! After lunch we went tracting! YAY! We prayed about what street to go on, and we both came up with Milton Dr. after knocking on a couple of doors, we got on return appt with a man named Billy - then the third house a man named Rick let us in (his wife was home). We ended up teaching him the Resto. He asked throughout the whole lesson about only needing the Bible, why BOM? We tried so many different ways of sharing / answering. At one point, I stood up and leaned over the table to show him an object lesson. I kept talking while standing afterwards. Suddenly, Sis Blau came in with a soft voice. It was then that I realized m yoice was a little louder and firmer than it should have been. I was grateful she followed the Spirit. It was such a humbling experience. At the end of the lesson, Rick said, "It's just as if I were to force a slice of pizza down your throat when you don't like pizza." Sis. Blau, once again being in tune with the spirit replied, " Yes, but if I never had pizza, I would give it a try." YOU'RE SO AMAZING SIS BLAU!!! "True," was all he replied. there was a couple minutes of silence. He finally and I mean FINALLY (after two hours of trying) he said he would read the chapter we assigned him! YAY! WHAT A BLESSING!

We taught the POS (plan of Salvation) to Lina and Juan AND Rex (Lina's husband). I really struggle to know how to help them. Juan is SO ready! I know I've already said this, but it's so true! He just sucks it all in like a sponge! I wish his mom, Lina would be ready. I'm glad she is taking this seriously though! I think we got a little leeway with Rex (LA)! I don't know a TON because it was in Spanish. Sis. Bauserman explained some to us.

Kat and Dan (neighbors) dropped us. They still wanna be friends - but not interested in the Gospel. Sad day.

Friday - had a great time at District Meeting (DM). Afterwards we played basketball with the elders during lunch! Was a BLAST! I got hit in the eye....OUCH! No bruise tho YAY! Hurt for two days tho haha! What's a game without getting hurt tho right? Don't worry - I was still cautious about my back

Saturday - 9:30am the STL's (Sister Training Leaders) came over to do a power up. from 11-1 we went TRACTING!! WHOOO! Sis. Husted went with Sis. Blau and I went with Sis. Smith (new STL). We all stayed in Abingdon - aka power up! during this tracting we felt we should go to Ivey St. When we got there, we found out there was only one house on that st. But it connected to another st = Henry St. We tried the one house = not interested./ It was then that it dawned on me that Henry st was not on the lists of St's we were praying about. What if Heavenly Father sent us to Ivey St to get us to Henry st?  Four houses later on Henry st, we rang a doorbell. A woman opened the blinds of the window next to us, then slid open the window making only the thin screen between us. We said we were missionaries of the...she came in... "Y'all mormons?"  Excited yet cautious we agreed we were. she ended up telling us a full yet quick version of the POS. Pretty good! once her husband came home about 15 min later we were invited inside. She originally said she wasn't feeling good, but the more we talked with her, the more energetic and happy she became. I love what the gospel can do for other people! She talked a lot to us! she apparently a while back had elders come and talk with her! She bore a beautiful testimony of the Savior. She talked about how we need to go or stay - do whatever the Lord asks of us. The hymn, "I'll go wherever you want me to go" popped into my mind. I looked at Sis. Smith and asked if she liked to sing. She agreed she did. We ended up singing her and her husband (lula and Dale Greenman) 2 vs of that hymn. She was crying by the end. We talked for a while more. She had a guitar lying out, and found out that Sis Smith plays (also has a beautiful voice) - she performed How Great Thou Art which caused MORE tears. Lula ended up telling us she was struggling because she was really sick and prayed to God - she said she felt we were God sent! AWWWW! ( not interested in lessons tho).

After them, we went to go check up on Terry. I tracted into her when I was on exchanges with Sis crapo a long while back, and haven't had the chance to visit her again. When we knocked on the door and ran the door bell, no one was coming - yet I didn't feel rushed to leave or really even ... I don't even think it came to my mind. Eventually, Terry opened the door. She said we could come in for a few minutes, but her husband, Terri (yes, they both have the same name - haha) and her little son were sleeping (like 1:30pm - nap?) We started off with a prayer then began the Resto. We got to the part about prophets, then Christ with the priesthood. It then led in to How to Begin Teaching - how we were there for her and how the Gospel can help her. She then started crying. She talked to us about the struggles she was going through. In the end, she too said she felt we were God sent. That's two people in a row that have told us that! I asked for Miracles in my morning prayers since I knew we were going on a power up / exchange.... and miracles usually happen on Exchanges / power ups. That's two already. WHAT A BLESSING! We had to go, but she said we could go back towards the beginning of the following week! SO sweet!

After a delicious meal with the McMurrays, Sis. McMurray went with us to the Delps to teach Mia! mia had remembered SO much more of the POS than we had thought! The Spirit works in wondrous ways!

Around 7:30 Sis Blau and I went and sang at the Abingdon Health and Rehab Center. There was a woman that we sang How Great Thou Art. She ended up telling us that she always sang that song in her head when she was struggling, and guess what? She told us that she felt we were God sent! THAT'S THREE!!! Remember how God always works in threes in the scriptures? Yeah ... well.... THAT JUST HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE! WHAT A WONDERFUL BLESSING OF MIRACLES! I was so excited to share this day with y'all!

Sunday - Sis. Blau and I got to be the teachers for the 9-11 yr olds. Only 4 kids. Super fun! Taught about the Beatitudes. Was great! Had a GREAT day!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! Hope to hear from you all this week!

Love,

Sister Thomas

 

 

Giant Fish Tank

Sister Blau and me