57 - Absolutely Golden

ATTENTION! 
THE MISSION OFFICE ADDRESS IS NOW:

Sister Hannah Sanderson

North Dakota Bismarck Mission

101 Slate Dr #7

Bismarck, ND 58503

The mission office will be all moved over come June 8th. So start sending your mail to this address today! President and Sister Anderson are already moved in here, so start sending your mail to this address today!

It's weird seeing the new mission office address and having it be the same zipcode as the address I had in my greenie area, as well as on a street name I recognize.

We are moving out of our two room apartment and into this.

What "this" actually is is the spare room you could say at this motel/hotel called Maddocks's.

Remember back when Kossi and Valorie were baptized? And I talked about these members being awesome and loaning him their spare car for awhile and how they also ran a hotel and got robbed, not horribly, but it was still not cool? Well that's who we are moving in with! The room is the only upstairs room and it's separate from all the other rooms and yeah! It's gonna be awesome! So start sending mail there too! haha.

Some things that I never got to mention that happened last week:

I got this sweet shirt that is so awesome! 

The first week I was here we watched general conference with this recent convert and her cutest-thing-ever daughter, Brooklynn, that has cystic fibrosis, and I bought a shirt and the proceeds go to helping her out! YAY!

And there was another cool story about resolving concerns from last week.

You remember Kossi and Valorie's baptism not to long ago? Well what happened is they moved right before they got baptized and so they actually got baptized into 1st Ward, so we only saw them in passing. 

Well now I serve in 1st Ward, so I get to continue teaching them! YAY!

So I went over to teach them, with Sister Barrett, and Kossi was really struggling, and is still really struggling. 

He wants to find a better job than just working at Papa John's, but he's not having luck because his ability to speak English and have people understand what he's saying is not very good. So he was just venting to us, very very frustrated, and I did the best I could to comfort him. We expressed our love and concern, shared a few scriptures, and left him Ether 12:27 to read. But before we left, Valorie asked us to come back tomorrow because she had a question. We wondered what it was.

We came back the next day to see Valorie and she had questions about baptisms for the dead. The elders did say that they taught them that just recently. So we pulled out the Plan of Salvation visuals and started explaining it that way. Though she was still confused, trying to communicate her question, which is difficult with English not being her primary language at all, and she kept talking about dead, and in Africa, and people calling people and seeing people, and selling and buying and we assured her that there was no money used to do things in the temple, only tithing used to build them. And she nodded at that, but she still was trying to explain, and finally it clicked!

"Oh! Voodoo? You're afraid that what we do in the temple is voodoo?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Oooooh! Wow, yeah, that would be a concern! I'm so glad we figured that out and could clear it up!

Now for this week. 

We were notified of this one person who hadn't been taught in awhile and who was called on the phone by the elders and they set up an appointment and then the person was actually in our area. So we went over there and she kept the appointment! Yay!

It was actually the first ever sisters in Williston (Williston has had sisters for almost a year and a half) that taught her.

And I know both of these Sisters! Sister Gogan is on the right and I served with her on her last day as a missionary while I was in Bismarck, and she is such an inspiration to me because of how she acted on her last day, that Bismarck just felt like her new area. And Sister Iono (I know I'm spelling it wrong...) was Sister Stephens trainer. She served in the same zone as me when I was in Bismarck, and Williston is actually where Sister Iono was trained.

It's surprising that this lady was still here in Williston! It's cool though because she's actually moving in the middle of June, and we got the address where she is moving to, so we can send missionaries to her down there. Super inspired!

This week it also rained really good which was cool!

And also this week, some major highlights:

On Thursday our Philippineo investigator fed us a Philippineo feast! 


It was SOOOO good!! 

And THEN! 

SHE WAS BAPTIZED!!!

YAAAAAAAY!!! Her husband is an active member, has been forever. She started meeting with the missionaries a little over a year ago. She was catholic and after the first lesson she said she never wanted to meet with the missionaries again. She dropped the missionaries for awhile, but she still came to church occasionally, and then it was more. They even named their now four-month-old baby Ammon after the Book of Mormon character for crying out loud. Two months ago she did NOT want to be baptized, because she wasn't ready. A big worry was her family, going against them. But then, and it wasn't a switch of a button, nothing necessarily triggered it, but all of a sudden she decided she really wanted to be baptized. She felt different when she came to church and when she read the Book of Mormon. And when she told her family this, they actually supported her! And now she has been SOOOO excited!

During her baptism the opening song was "I am a Child of God." And she started crying, and I've never seen her cry yet, and I was conducting the music darn it! So I was up there almost crying, ah! The spirit was so strong! And her husband gave a talk and he's so happy, and when she came up out of the water she said thank you to everyone and ah! It was so spiritual and just, yes! It was awesome.

The next most exciting thing this week! 

We were trying formers and on Monday, Memorial Day, we knocked on this one door and the person who used to live there moved, but this new family from Africa just moved there and WOW! There is a mom and she has two girls ages 2 and 4. The dad works a LOT so we haven't been able to teach him and see where he is at, but we had a lesson with the mom and her two girls and brought a recently returned sister missionary with us and the mom is SO receptive to the gospel! She knows it's a sin to not be married and to have kids and they've actually been working on the paperwork of getting married. She wants to come to church, wants to be baptized, speaks English very well, though we gave her a Book of Mormon in Swahili and she says she can read it in less than a month and she is so excited! She didn't come to church because she got called into a job interview, but she was sad she missed church and yeah! I've never met somebody more golden! Wow!

We invited her to the baptism, and she was so excited! But she didn't come... And she was so excited to come to church... but she didn't come. We went over to ask why and she didn't come to the baptism because she couldn't find nice clothes for the kids and she didn't come to church because she had to go to this job thing. I suspected to was things like that, aw. But it's ok! She's going to read the Book of Mormon all this week and share her testimony when she sees her husband!

I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!! Her name will be Golden. haha.

This week we will be spending the week days out our area. Monday through Friday. Because it's Zone Training Meeting and Sister Barrett has to do all sorts of things and I will be in a trio with the Sisters in Minot for some of what she has to do. Five days is a lot of time not to be in your area. But the Lord is taking care of the people there and providing a way for us to be here. Fellowshippers are such a wonderful thing, especially concerning our investigator who is an older women who really had a lot of questions answered the other week when she was taught the plan of Salvation, who is wonderful friends with the members who were at that lesson and they are bold member missionaries, teaching simply and powerfully and she told us we can't meet this week because she is taking this time to give up smoking, and her member friends are going to be a wonderful support for her! Wow!

So things are wonderful. This has been a wonderful week! Till next time!

P.S.  Here are some AWESOME pictures of this member who has a hawk!! What!? He let us feed it before dinner. This was actually taken before we figured out our areas, so he's not in the ward we are serving it turns out, but, it was so awesome that we got to see his hawk while we still could!

56 - From Concern to Comfort

Hope you all had a great Memorial Day! It impresses my how different this Memorial Day was compared to last year. Reflecting back, I remember last Memorial Day being an emotional roller coaster, as well as a pivotal point in my mission. 

This year it seemed to be strikingly inverse. I stood with confidence while tracting, unlike last year. I was the one comforting as apposed to the one being comforted. 

It is striking the difference this year has made on my character and my ability to be a missionary. I always had the capability, but now I have had experience under my belt and have become more of what my Heavenly Father wants me to be.

So the weather! 

Has been absolutely wonderful!

So wonderful that you see kids at dinner playing in the mud, cuz that's just what you do in the summer time!

Nice and mud caked. It's the best.

And with the great weather came a great Luau!

This Luau has been being planned for quite some time. 


This is the third time I think that the wards have put this on. 

It was absolutely a blast!

Serving food is a great way to put your card into the hand of the people! 

I would say "If you're a member, give it to someone who's not!" 

They don't call it a passalong card for nothing!

It was a super fun night!

And SOOO many People!

In the beginning of the week, we drove all the way to Bismarck, about four hours away, for a zone conference. 

It was long but good, and hey! 

It was in Bismarck! 

And I got to stay in my apartment again!

 

But it will be the last time because Elders will be living in this apartment now. 

Weird. 

But I made some contributions to this apartment!

And the mission home is in Bismarck now which is weird.

And guess what?

We got to go to the temple! 

It was awesome! 

This is my third time on my mission, but Sister Barrett's first time!

Dan -- DUDE!

Darn, so little time. Now, a story.

So remember dude? Well, I have a story about him.

One awesome Sunday he got up in fast and testimony meeting and bore his testimony. While he was up there he said that this was the first time that he was every baring his testimony. He said that he's done a lot of bad stuff. He's screwed up a lot. And he didn't believe in God that much. But one day he came home and he sat on the couch and the T.V. was going, commercials playing, and he got annoyed with all the noise that is in this world, and he turned it off and just sat there in the silence. And then, as clear as day, a feeling came over him, and he wanted to cry. God spoke to him right then. He now knew that God was real, and that he loved him. Just in that moment of silence.

We were teaching him a lesson later and this concern came out.

"Remember when I bore my testimony on Sunday and I felt that God loved me? Well, I was a little high on weed. So I don't understand, if it brought clarity to me, why is weed, just in moderation, a bad thing?"

And I was prompted of a story.

"Dan, I'm going to tell you a story about some people in the Book of Mormon."

"And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the people of Ammon, who, in the beginning, were Lamanites; but by Ammon and his brethren, or rather by the power and word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord; and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla, and had ever since been protected by the Nephites.

"And because of their oath they had been kept from taking up arms against their brethren; for they had taken an oath that they never would shed blood more; and according to their oath they would have perished; yea, they would have suffered themselves to have fallen into the hands of their brethren, had it not been for the pity and the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had for them.

"And for this cause they were brought down into the land of Zarahemla; and they ever had been protected by the Nephites.

"But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.

"But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made.

"And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls; therefore all those who had entered into this covenant were compelled to behold their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time," (Alma 53:10-15)

These people, they wanted to go to go and fight for the people who took them in. They were moved with compassion. They had the right motives, and other people were fighting, right? But it was a covenant that they personally had made with the Lord. And they knew that if they broke it, they would likely be pulled back down, because it was a weakness. So then, what is the right thing to do? 

They knew the right thing was to keep their covenant that they made with God. And God made it possible for them to prosper AND for them to keep their personal covenant, and you can read on about how that happened. And it was hard, but it was possible. It may be hard for you to feel the spirit sometimes without having that little high. But is it worth going against the word of the prophets? You need to decide what your personal covenant is.

"That made a lot of sense," he said, contemplating. "Thank you."

I felt the spirit working through me SO strong in that lesson.

Unfortunately the elders teach Dude now because he's in third ward. He's a little concerned about having Elders, but I'm sure they will do a great job. Dude is well on his way to cleaning himself up. He comes to church faithfully and the desire is so present! So cool.

Well darn it, I'm out of time and I had more to say, another story. ...We only have an hour instead of the usual two hours while it's summertime. It's lame. But oh well. Till next week!

P.S. We are going to have a baptism on Saturday! She is so ready! So you'll be getting pictures of that next week!

55 - Serving ALL of Williston!

Sorry, I think my card reader decided to give up on life. I'll have to get a new one next week so I can actually send pictures, cuz I've got some cool ones.

This week has been pretty crazy. We got the transfer call on Monday, Sister Edwards spent the following days mostly packing and saying goodbyes, and we drove to Dickinson on Thursday morning to drop off our companions at the transfer train. We went back to Williston and in-between two dinners and a lesson cleaned out the kitchen fridge and cupboards! I have been just itching to do that! It felt good to de-junk our kitchen. Especially with only having two sisters live in the apartment now, we don't need that much in there.

Speaking of the apartment, we also got a call on Friday from the mission office saying that the lease is almost up at our place and that we need to keep an eye out for a one bedroom apartment. I guess they aren't planning on putting another set of sisters in Williston for a bit. We just don't have enough sisters coming out right now to support all the areas that did have sisters in them is the problem.

So Sister Barrett and I are companions and we... really didn't know what area we covered. We tried to figure it out before the companionships all changed. We called the zone leaders, President, and we were unable to come to a conclusion of how to divide up the areas. There were just too many variables. And everyone wanted to be in third ward. Ray is in third ward and only sisters can stay at the Boone's, too many girls and not enough guys, and both sets of Elders have a Spanish speaking companion and third ward is the only ward that has a Spanish group. And President Anderson says it is logical seeing as there are now three companionships, to have one companionship per ward. But then there would be a Spanish speaking elder not being used when he could be. Not to mention all the attachment you grow to the areas you have worked in, and yeah. It was just a mess. So on Saturday the Zone Leaders were able to come down and help us figure things out.

But during that Friday Sister Barrett and I decided to make the most of the situation and do work in all three wards! We hunted down names on the ward list, all three of the ward lists! I was quite epic, it was a good day. We didn't get in with anybody, but we met a nice lady and we set up a return appointment with someone, so it was still fruitful and good to be out and about.

Saturday we spent basically all day at the church. It was the Family Discovery Day, a family history day open for the community. And we met a nonmember that was drawn there, and the Lord really made it possible for him to be there and to get started on finding his ancestors, so that was cool to see.

Right after, we met with the zone leaders to decide what areas we would cover.

So you know how the apostles have talked about how all things that are done in the church and that they decide upon must be unanimous, and how they are all men of various and very different opinions and backgrounds, and how that makes it no easy feat? Yeah, that's exactly how this meeting went, only with eight missionaries instead.

It took over an hour of discussion. Many points were raised. President Anderson was called two different times. And it seemed that with every idea posed, there was a point brought up to make the idea no good anymore. President wanted to have us each in one ward so we could proselyte on Sunday, but we had been doing fine serving in two, and we brought up that we cut studies in order to get the full proselyting time because we attend two wards, but he brought up that working with two different bishops is not what he wants for us, and just back and forth. And we wanted to still go up to Ray. But they elders brought up something reassuring. They work with a couple who just got baptized and that couple lives just fifteen minutes out of Ray, so the Elders could stay with them if needed. That brought me peace.

The power of prayer is real, because after getting off the phone with you and discussing things a little more, we determined we NEEDED to say a prayer and as we knelt, Elder Adair offering it, Elder Bewall received revelation during the prayer and he told us what came to his mind and it made so much sense. The Sisters would serve in first ward, (Sister Barrett's ward), one set of Elders would have 3rd ward and they would teach anyone who was in 1st ward who needed Spanish, and the other set of Elders would cover 2nd ward, and they would teach anyone who needed Spanish in either 2nd or 3rd ward.

We all were at peace and we said a fervent prayer of gratitude! I'm so grateful for revelation and the organization of this church!

In the moment, the changes and figuring out our area couldn't happen fast enough! It felt like we were in limbo for awhile! But it was figured out pretty quickly in retrospect and perspective and we thank the zone leaders as well as you for helping us figure out what to do about our areas.

It's crazy to think that I served in all three wards, and to think that I totally and in a weird slow way got transferred. It's just been progressively. I mean, I am serving now in a completely different area geographic wise, I'm in a different ward, we are keeping the phone that I wasn't using and giving that one back to the mission office, AND we will be getting a new apartment. So I totally got transferred. Yet I still see the people who I served with last transfer all the time in passing. Weird. But awesome too.

I'm at peace. It'll take a bit to pick up the investigators that the elders had that we have jurisdiction over now, but things should settle in time. I'm just glad that now everything is figured out!