Great week in Rivertucky!!
Last Tuesday I officially survived 19 years on this planet, so it's cool to not be 18 and a baby when people ask how old I am anymore! We spent part of the day at the park with some members who's dad had a birthday on the 19th too.
Wednesday was an amazing day! The night was full of miracles, I definitely think the Lord was testing our faith. We had two appointments fall through during the day, not much success finding either. One guy asked us for money and we couldn't really give him anything and he said "if Jesus loves me he'd give me $2 right now" it was pretty sad. Then we went to dinner and there was no male there (there had to be an adult of the same gender in the home for us to go in) SO we had to eat dinner outside. It actually wasn't that bad the weather has been great here. So it was kinda a bummer day, BUT that night we had a great lesson with a recent converts mother. Straight after that we met with another family (a mom and daughter) and they were amazing. They had gone to church the Sunday before and loved it, and the 8 year old has been loving the Book of Mormon and actually took it to school! After the lesson we ran and grabbed a children's book of mormon and brought it by and she answered and told us she had been praying when we showed up! AGH! So good things were happening. Then we got a text from someone we've been trying to meet with so we called the member that is friends with this lady to try to set up and appointment. The member said she had just texted her and told her that she wants to be baptized. So many miracles that night, but didn't happen until about 7pm. We were blessed for working diligently even through the trials and disappointments of the day for sure.
Friday was a GREAT DAY. We woke up early and went to seminary at 6:30. I am so thankful I had seminary during school. Anyway, it went great! We role played sharing the gospel and inviting people that ask questions at school. We'll be back next month to follow up! We then ran home and changed and left for Martin's Cove! If you don't know what that is, you should look it up. It's a historical pioneer place, and they needed help from a bunch of missionaries moving handcarts out of warehouses. So we spent all day there basically. After we did service and they fed us, they took us on a tour. It was a powerful spiritual experience that I will most likely remember for the rest of my life. We got back from that and showed then walked to dinner, and someone we've been trying to teach was there! The members invited her and we were finally able to teach her again so that was a huge blessing for spending all day doing service!
Saturday was good, we did a lot of walking around for fun and were led to a bunch of people who needed us! But at the end of the night we had only talked to 18 people, and it was late and nobody was outside. We were walking down a street and a guy literally came out of nowhere and was running and ran last us! I turned around and yelled at him and offered a free copy of the Book of Mormon. He stopped in his tracks, turned around and said yes. We ended up teaching him a little and giving the Book to him. Huge blessings having someone who was interested literally run into us at the very end of the night. Then we saw 1 other person and were blessed with our 20 people!
Monday was a GREAT day. I was on exchanges with Elder Michelsen from my district. The whole day was great, but we had an amazing lesson that night. We met a guy for the first time and it went perfect. He's met missionaries in the last but he said last time he didn't take it seriously but this time he wants to take it seriously. We taught him perfectly what he needed and at the end of the lesson we set a date for him to work towards for baptism! It was a great week, full of miracles. Miracles happen each and every day!
Spiritual thought: So I mentioned how amazing the experience was on Friday at Martin's Cove. The Martin handcart company, I'm pretty sure 1/4 of the handcart company died before they made it to salt lake. In Martin's Cove they were basically waiting there either to die or to be rescued, and at least 56 of them died there. Also the Sweetwater River is there and there is a cool story about crossing that river and men carrying people across! Walking through the actual Cove was very reverent, nobody was talking, but the spirit was so strong. The only thing I could relate the spirit to is the spirit of walking in the temple. My mind was thinking about a lot of things. One of which was all the pains and sufferings I can't even imagine these people went through. One thought that came was how could God watch and allow this to happen. Then the answers came. One answer is God has a perfect eternal perspective. In the new testament this week I read Matthew 19:29 "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names sake, shall receive hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life". These men and women were saints and gave up everything. Heavenly allowed it to happen because he knew what these people could become, and he knew how great and blessed they will be in the life to come. Also he didn't leave them alone. They eventually were rescued. And they had their savior Jesus Christ by their side the whole time. Jesus Christ suffered for them, felt their pains, and they knew it. I believe it was probably one or the only things that allowed them to keep going, their faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement. I pondered what I am willing to give up....2 years? 2 years of my life is nothing. Also this gospel that I am sharing, is the gospel people literally died for. This gospel is true, and I need to give more, and I need to recognize more how important what I have is.
Fun stuff:
-it's been in the 50s and it's SO NICE. Its strange that I wear a jacket then get hot and take it off
-Elder Buchanan got bit by a horse the other day...then it laughed at us as we walked away
-I asked a sister if there was anything I could do better to be a better missionary and she said it looked like I was growing a mustache....
Pictures:
-picture an 8 year old girl were teaching took of us (guy on the right is going to the Scottsdale Arizona mission on April 10th)
-yeehaw
-Casper and Riverton Zone at Martin's Cove
-Im on the wall Of fame
-Martin's Cove
-Sweetwater river
These statues were near the Sweetwater River....if you can see zoom in on their faces and look at the expressions. Also one of them is holding two children.
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