48 - Goodbye Sioux Falls. Next up, Williston

Sioux Falls District Missionaries

The news that you've all been waiting for!

Sioux Falls 2nd Ward Missionaries

I'm being transferred to Williston, North Dakota!!!

I'm so excited! And Heavenly Father is so merciful, having me fly South for the winter and then flying North again for the summer.

So awesome! And, this means I will be serving in the original mission, but the boundaries are just being rearranged and then the name of the mission is going to be changed to the Bismarck North Dakota Mission.

The only way I wouldn't be serving the rest of my mission in this boundary is if some weird emergency transfer happened before the boundaries officially change, but the odds of that happening are slim.

Man, waiting for transfer calls this time round was awful! I just wanted to know! The hype was extra high and extra long just because of things being up in the air because of the mission boundaries changing soon. So it was super stressful! But I'm soooo relieved and at peace now that I know what's going on.

Me, Sis Stephen, Manning and Dennison

Just about every companionship in Sioux Falls is changing. It's crazy. What's happening with the sisters you ask? Well, what used to be two sets of sisters is now shrinking down to just one. Sister Dennison is getting transferred and Sister Manning is actually going to become Sister Stephen's companion and they will serve in Sioux Falls 2nd ward, the same area I was serving in with Sister Stephens.

We sisters had a lot of fun together, going out to eat at Habachi grill and whatnot.

Sister Manning and Sister Stephens will do great with taking care of this area!

Brother and Sister Huseboe

The Cruze Family

I said goodbye to a lot of people at Church, including two of the couples/families that know Henry and Elizabeth very well.

I love the people here very much and I can always call this place a home of mine.

A shout out to Brother Terry, the ward mission leader here, and his family.

They have done so much for us, and their family is crazy and cute and I will miss having dinner at their house.

Young Women performing
for "My Favorite Things" party.

Also the Relief Society birthday dinner was this week, and it was super fun.

The theme was "my favorite things." It was awesome: on the favorite things table, we put on there sticky notes and the missionary handbook. haha.

  

As far as missionary work goes, NOW I'm going to catch up on past lessons. So this is an accumulation of experiences from three or four weeks ago to now.

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind ; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.
(D&C 9:8-9)

It was a Monday and Sister Stephens and I had just gotten done of eating dinner at the apartment. We were trying to set a transfer vision, a goal for where we wanted to see this area progress to and how we would achieve this. We were just not able to concentrate on it. Then Sister Stephens had a "feeling."

"I don't know what it is, but I feel like we should be out doing something."

"..."

"Maybe we need to tract... I don't know."

"... When you said you felt like we just need to do something, Brother Evert's name popped into my head."

"Maybe that's an answer of what we are supposed to do."

"Maybe, but we just tried him two days ago, and his wife was super not interested."

"Yeah..."

"But we can totally try. Let's do it and pray and if we have no bad feelings, then we'll knock."

So we go out and knock and Sister Evert's answers and says: "I tried to be nice the first time! Stop knocking on our door! You've come back every single week! So stop coming by- we have a church!"

Well. lol She officially hates us. We left a Book of Mormon outside. We did knock on two other doors and found one potential that we haven't followed up with yet, but ultimately I think Heavenly Father was just testing our obedience. It was an interesting experience.

...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established,
(2 Corinthians 13:1).

It's always super fun when you get to be in a trio for a little bit while the Sister Training Leader goes off to have trainings from the mission president and his wife for a day.

Sister Manning is awesome and we had tons of fun and did missionary work too. It was sweet! Also, Sister Manning knows Henry and Elizabeth! She was with me on that key day when Henry prayed for the first time. So she already is connected with the investigators we are working with most! Heavenly Father has left this area in great hands.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.
(Isaiah 25:8)

Speaking of Henry and Elizabeth, here's the current story about them. We tried to see them earlier this week and it didn't work out. We essentially told Henry to contact us when things get better for them health wise. The awesome thing is, they still trust the members and are comfortable going straight to them any time they are in need. One of their fellowshippers, Sister Cruze, called us Sunday morning saying that Henry and Elizabeth contacted her because they were both in the hospital. Elizabeth was scared of possibly having a miscarriage, and Henry has also apparently been passing out frequently. And someone in our ward was Elizabeth's doctor. Elizabeth told Sister Cruze that she feels she should go to church, but has been fighting against it.

You have no idea how nice it was to get that call. Henry and Elizabeth have not been responding well to us. Its nice being able to leave with this being the last real thing I hear about them. God is so mindful of them. I didn't get to say goodbye, but that's alright. Things are going to be ok with them. I just know it.

Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you, that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony.
(D&C 58:6)

Sister Schultz

We totally tracted into a deaf women the other day!! WHAT!? SO awesome, but she had to go to work so we didn't have time with her hardly at all. But she told us a time to come back and we just hoped and prayed she would be there and we took the deaf member of our ward with us, Sister Schultz. This deaf member is a convert and she served a mission, taught a lot of people in Chicago. How cool is that!

When we got there this guy answered the door and was deaf too and he said 'we aren't with you people, we are Lutheran.' Well this Sister Schultz to be Lutheran, and she bore her testimony to them like nothing we ever could. He didn't except, but, she bore her testimony, and it was so cool! I will miss this deaf sister.

Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.
(Jacob 4:8)

One of the less actives that we got in with has been studying Mormon history (in the form of Anti-Mormon Literature) for eight years. When we found this out, we knew he wouldn't be receptive. We shared this scripture with him and that should have been the end of it, but we had a member that wanted to continue conversing a bit. This guy was super nice, but just, wasn't going to change at all. The last thing he said was: "It shouldn't be called anti-mormon literature, it should just be called non-faith promoting."

We might try to see his wife if anything, but he's not receptive at this time.

...Ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.
(Mosiah 18:8)

First I would like to mention that this scripture was quoted in the women's conference by President Eyring which was super good.

Molly is awesome and she really reminds me of my cousin, Melissa. She is super sweet and innocent and unsure of herself but is super profound and she just needs to have confidence in her answers!

She was talking about her friend at school and how she's worried about him and doesn't know really why and how she is basically his only friend and she's trying the help him. We told her that that is so great because she is fulfilling her baptismal covenants!

We gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet to give to him to hopefully help him out a bit. We also helped her feel good and confident about giving it to him before we left. We found later that she tried to give it to him, but he didn't accept it because he's atheist. Sad, but man, Molly, you are so awesome and so sweet and cute and I'll miss you!

I have run out of time, but I will write the three remaining experiences I need to share next week. Or I'll try to. haha.

P.S. Josh Taylor won't be reporting to the MTC 'til mid August. Forgot to mention that. But keep an eye out for Elder Taylor in the Tempe, Arizona mission when it gets to that point!