Some GREAT THINGS!
1. On Monday I met our investigator Elizabeth, and we were able to teach her with a member at a member's home. We make a big deal out of this because the correlation between having members at lessons and people actually getting baptized is crazy relevant. While the amount of lessons that missionaries teach on their own? Pretty much zero correlation to how many people get baptized. We can teach and teach but without members we aren't fully effective. Ponder this my friends... and go on splits!
2. We had an amazing zone conference on Wednesday! We left empowered, ready to go home to Westerly and implement - to challenge ourselves and our members. President Hutchins (our stake president, Providence RI) talked to us about what an impact we have on members, how much we strengthen them when we take them with us and teach in their homes. He challenged us to invite and bring 75 non-members and less-active members to the musical fireside on June 2. He told us if we did, he would treat the entire zone to dessert. He stood in front of us, called his ward's missionaries up, read Ruth 4:7, and gave them each a shoe off his foot to keep until he fulfilled his promise of inviting 30 people to fireside. He stood there in his socks and challenged us to do more - he is amazing and inspired and he has such a vision for our stake. The Providence RI stake is about to explode with missionary work! We are ready to work.
3. On Thursday we were going to visit a woman who is recovering from a surgery and unable to go to church. We have been visiting her for the past few weeks, and we always try to share something to help her. This time we wanted to share a mormon message. I was looking at the back of the DVD and had absolutely no idea what we should share, Sister Christensen was at a loss as well, and we were both pathetically debating between a few of them, unable to choose. When we parked outside, we still couldn't decide and so we said a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help us know what she needed. We left the car saying we would share a certain one, a decision that we still didn't know was correct but needed to make. When we got inside, we shared the one that we had decided on. She liked it, and we talked a little about it. I mentioned that the one pictured on the background was about Stephanie Nielson, and a little about her story. The sister then asked if we could watch that one. We of course said yes. The video started, "My name is Stephanie Nielson, and I am not my body." Sister D started crying, afterwards she said, I REALLY needed to hear that, I loved that, that is just was I needed. She then told us multiple times that she is so glad that we came over. It was such a testimony builder for me, to know that the Lord was behind us, and that when we didn't know what to do, but continued in faith, that he helped us. I know that he cares about Sister D and that he cares about us each individually so much that he is looking out for us and helping us - even through mormon messages.
4. Friday was such a slow day, and we spent so many miles trying to find a LA that lives, in "a large green house with a sign 'farm fresh eggs' in front of it." We couldn't find it and we were so frustrated and our miles were going down the drain. That night we started a fast for the next day that we would find people to teach. We REALLY need people to share the gospel with. Saturday was such a bummer, we even had a media referral that would answer the door. We felt like nothing had come of our fast when we ate dinner that night. Then we went to the adult session of stake conference that night and afterward a man finds me. He says, "are you the westerly sisters? I want you to teach my family!!!" He told us about his extended family in Westerly, and got our information. It was an answer to our fasting and prayers! We really hope to teach them!
5. The adult session of Stake Conference was absolutely brilliant. Amazing. I learned so much! We can't wait to help the members invite to the fireside - to start there and never stop!
I'm happy out here, I don't exactly have a ton to do at every moment, but sister Christensen and I really make a point of finding things to do!
love you all,
go out with the missionaries this month,
for me, :)
Sister Hannah Rose Preszler
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