Crazy Things are Happenin Here!

Hey all!

So we got transfer calls yesterday and some CRAZY news. Before I tell you about that I want to share some fun facts. Since the announcement of the missionary age change the average applications sent to Salt Lake City for missionary service went from 700/week to 4000/week!! 53% of those applications were Sister missionaries. We are so excited here!! :D I bet you're wondering (or maybe not) what this may mean for the Oklahoma Oklahoma City Mission. I will tell you. :)

By March (that is 4 months from now) the number of missionaries we have will jump from 130 to 216. That is 86 new missionaries. When a member of the 70 called President Taylor and asked if he wanted 86 new missionaries President Taylor said he did and he wanted mostly Sisters. So... half of those 86 new missionaries will be Sisters! :D We start getting the new missionaries in December. It is so exciting! Most of the Sisters currently in the mission will be training.

On our way to a service project to paint a house.

I have found a renewed desire to be even better than I am. The Lord is going to require more from me than he has. It is time to step up my game. I am doing my best to really become a consecrated missionary and give the Lord my all. It is a privilege and a blessing to be a missionary at this time in the Church's history. :)

To prepare the Sisters currently here get ready for when those new Sisters come in President Taylor did some crazy things with transfers. Sister Allgood is heading down to Lawton to finish her training (new missionaries RARELY leave their 1st area to finish training) and I am being transferred to Stillwater,OK! I will be in the Stillwater 2nd ward. Guess who my companion is.... SISTER NELSON! waaaa! I'm so excited! When the Zone Leaders told us I could hardly believe it. I knew I was leaving, but I wasn't expecting to go to Stillwater and I especially wasn't expecting to be companions with Sister Nelson again. Especially because I just companions with her 6 weeks ago. I will miss Norman, but I know the Lord needs me in Stillwater.

Sister Fraire with our ghost pinata

Sister Fraire will be getting two new companions. (It is really strange to transfer two of the three in companionship. Usually just one leaves.) Sister Fraire and I have become really close in the last 6 weeks. She has helped me with so much. I love her and will really really miss her. We already have plans to come back to a OU football game next football season. :) I will miss Sister Allgood too. I will really miss her piano playing skills. Thankfully she is making me a CD! score!

Okay... I guess I should update you on what else has been happening. We have one girl we are teaching who is amazing! We have been teaching her since the end of September. She is progressing so well! We have been teaching her a lot about prayer. We had an amazing lesson with her yesterday. The Spirit was so strong! We are striving to help her realize she is a Daughter of God who loves her. She hasn't felt that love for so long. I love her and will really miss teaching her. I can't wait to hear how she progresses. However, I have been getting letters from Sister Nelson, and I am excited to meet the people we will be teaching there. They have 3 or 4 people they are teaching right now who are really progressing.

On Wednesday we were on campus and met a guy and started talking to him. He told us that Mormons were some of the nicest people he had ever met. He said that we were all "out of this world nice" and then asked if it was something in the water. haha! I was able to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He wasn't interested in knowing more, but it was great to be able to bear my testimony.

I had a great insight this morning! (Sister Allgood and Sister Fraire laughed at me, but that is okay. :D ) I have been studying about faith and hope. Even before I was a missionary I was trying to distinguish what the difference is. Obviously they are not synonymous. If they were they wouldn't be used separately in the scriptures (and everywhere else for that matter). I had all these definitions of faith and hope.... but I was still having a hard time making the distinction. Well, was I was studying I was getting really sleepy. I thought to myself that if I get up and get dressed I would wake up. So I did. As I was getting dressed the distinction hit me! While I was studying I had the HOPE that if I got up and got dressed I would wake up. I had FAITH when I acted upon that hope. (see pages 116 and 117 of Preach My Gospel) It really was quite the epiphany for me. I told my companions during companion study and they just laughed. haha! It was pretty funny. I am happy I finally understand the difference. :)

Sister Allgood, Me and Sister Fraire still at the service project :)

Oh my goodness! I LOVE missionary work! I LOVE Oklahoma! I LOVE Norman! I LOVE Sister Fraire and Sister Allgood. I will miss them, but like I said, I am excited for all the new things happening in the mission. The Lord's work is definitely hastening in Oklahoma and faith is being built. The Lord has many of his children prepared to hear and accept the message of the Restoration. He has already done all the hard work in preparing them. It is our job...excuse me.... our PRIVILEGE to find them.

I love y'all so much! Thank you for ALL of your support. You are always in my prayers! Keep being the amazing people you are!

Love Always, Sister Record

The Work of the Lord Shall Roll Forth!

Hey Y'all!

This week has been an interesting week. We didn't get any new investigators, but we have faith that miracles will happen this week. In reality, we did have a lot of miracles, just maybe not in the way we expected. We were able to teach the Plan of Salvation to our neighbor. We have been teaching her for a month now. It was a really good lesson, but holy cow! Satan didn't want us to teach that to her. The opposition that was coming at me, Sister Fraire and Sister Allgood was intense all day last Wednesday. We knew we needed to teach [Name Withheld 1] the Plan of Salvation. We ended up having a really good lesson with her. She really liked the concept of the three degrees of glory. We were surprised that the biggest problem she had with the Plan of Salvation was pre-mortal life. We have a lesson with her this evening to talk more about how she is a daughter of God. We are really excited about it. :) 

Last night we had our only investigator with a baptismal date tell us that he has been praying and he doesn't feel like Mormonism is for him. He told us he felt like God was telling him he needed to go a different way in his life. It was a heart breaking moment. He hasn't completely stopped meeting with us yet, he agreed to read 3rd Nephi 11 & 17 and keep praying about the Book of Mormon and meet with us at least once more. [Name Withheld 2]'s biggest problem is that he can't wrap his mind around modern day prophets. He has grown up being taught that the Bible is it and there is no more that God had to say. We told him that as he prays he must be open to the idea that all the things we teach him could be true. 

After he and our member left, the three of us said a very heartfelt and sincere prayer. We prayed desperately that He receives some kind of answer and keeps meeting with us. He will be such a great member of the Church. However, all three of us felt the Spirit tell us that Heavenly Father is in control. He is aware of him and what he is going through. We want to do all we can to help him receive the restored gospel but also realize that this is all in the Lord's hands. It may not be time for him yet, I don't know. We love him and really only desire for him to find the joy that the gospel brings. We all have felt strongly that "all flesh is in [the Lord's] hands" (D&C 101:16). [Name Withheld 2] may not accept the message of the Restoration at this time in his life, but I'm confident that he will at some point in his life. The Lord is working with him and will continue to work with him throughout his life. Regardless of what happens, at least we have grown closer to Heavenly Father and as a companionship through this experience. I know the Lord knows everything and is aware of what each of His children needs. I know he is very aware of me and my needs. I have learned and changed so much since I've been on my mission. A lot of the times that learning and growing is painful, but I know I am becoming the Woman that God wants me to become because of it. 

I am thankful for all the wonderful things I'm learning from Sister Fraire and Sister Allgood. I am thankful for Sister Allgood's ability to play the piano. Yesterday after our lesson with [Name Withheld 2] she played the Hymns, "Saviour, Redeemer of My Soul", "Sing We Now At Parting" and some other ones. It brought the Spirit and really calmed my troubled heart. 

Thursday we talked to Jeff about starting his family history work. Jeff is the ONLY member of the Church in his family. Not only is he the only member of the Church in his immediate family, but also the first in 100's of years. Jeff committed to start his family history work and prepare names to be taken to the temple! :D I can't even describe the feeling that came over me after we were done talking with him! I feel SO BLESSED to have been one of many instruments in the Lord's hands in bringing Jeff into the Church of Jesus Christ. It is an indescribable feeling, but my heart was overflowing with gratitude and joy. Even as I talk about it now I feel so happy! It is amazing & humbling to know that the Lord is using me, an imperfect person, to accomplish his purposes. (Moses 1:39) 

I have learned that each of us has a far more reaching effect on other people than we realize. I love being a missionary because the work we do reaches far beyond what we see. As we fulfill our purpose and help others come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End we effect generations. Jeff is sharing the gospel with his mom and brothers and soon will take names of his family who have passed on to the temple. His conversion to the gospel will affect generations in the future as well. And there are tens of thousands of people like him! This work truly is marvelous! 

Oklahoma football is insane!

I love what Elder Holland said "Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you. No, don’t turn and look at your neighbor. I am talking to you! I have struggled to find an adequate way to tell you how loved of God you are and how grateful we on this stand are for you. I am trying to be voice for the very angels of heaven in thanking you for every good thing you have ever done, for every kind word you have ever said, for every sacrifice you have ever made in extending to someone—to anyone—the beauty and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ."- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (“Because of Your Faith”, Ensign, Oct 2010)

I have thought a lot about the scripture in Alma 26:27 over the past few weeks. "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." I know that things in life are hard. It doesn't matter at what stage in life you are at, things are hard. However, I do know without a shadow of a doubt that this gospel WILL help you overcome any of the challenges you face in your life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ heals the wounded soul (Jacob 2:8) and brings comfort when all seems lost. I know this church, which teaches the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is true. I know it, I live it, I love it! 

My pumpkin.... I didn't know what to
paint, so I just painted whatever came
to mind. So, this is what I came up with.

I found this scripture this morning which gave me a lot of peace. 1st Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 

I want to thank all of you for all you (and like Elder Holland, said "don't look at your neighbor, I'm talking to you.") have done to help me become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for teaching me by your example. I am so blessed to be given the opportunity to be here in Oklahoma serving the Lord. I thank all of you for the role you have played in getting me to this point in my life. I will forever be grateful to you for you love and sacrifice. :D 

Love, Sister Record

I Never Want to Leave!

Howdy!

Oh where do I start this week? Last Monday we went and played soccer on campus. It was so much more fun than the usual pday activity of going to the church, writing letters and playing scatterball. The weather is cooling off (it's in the 70's & 80's haha!) so we are enjoying going outside. Allergies here are the worst. The nicest thing about summer was the fact that there were no allergens. Every time my allergies kick in I think of Elder Record and think to myself, "it's a good thing he didn't get called here to Oklahoma." haha! :D Monday evening I had a killer headache and I felt like I was going to throw up. It was terrible. However, we had lessons to teach and I couldn't just sit in the apartment. Miracles happened that night though! We taught 3 fantastic lessons with members present and got 1 new investigator. All that happened in just over an hour!!! To make things even better, each time we were in a lesson teaching I didn't feel my headache. As soon as we were done teaching though, it came back in full force. The Lord provided a way for us to do those things we needed to do. I have such a testimony of prayer. :)

All the Sisters at Sisters Conference

Sister Nelson, Sister Christensen, Sister Ellingson,
Sister Record, Sister Bowles

Tuesday was amazing! We had Sister's Conference and I got to go back and see Sister Bowles (my trainer) and Sister Nelson and Sister Christensen (my last two companions). It was wonderful to see them! It hit me that was probably the last time I would see them here on the mission. Sister Bowles leaves in 2 weeks and Sister Christensen and Nelson leave in December. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a tearful goodbye. Those three sisters are so amazing and I love them so much! They were all there my very first day in Oklahoma and made me feel so welcome. I have learned so much from each of them and I will miss them, but will definitely be seeing them next summer. :D

I learned a ton of great things at Sister's Conference! We talked a lot about how important it is to be patient with ourselves. We tend to be harder on ourselves than the Elders so President Taylor wanted to stress that we were all doing a great job and that the Lord loves each of us. (This isn't just a problem with us as sister missionaries, but for women all over) There are so many thoughts I have been having, I'm not sure how to express them. I am so thankful for President and Sister Taylor and how inspired they are. Always remember, if you are feeling discouraged and are beating yourself up that IS NOT of God. A loving Heavenly Father wouldn't say those kind of things. However, if you are feeling empowered and have a desire to be and do better than it IS FROM God. Remember Moroni 7:13! :)

My district: Sister Fraire, Sister Record, Sister Allgood,
Elder Dewey, Elder Pugmire, Elder Appedale, Elder Orellana
(District Leader)

We have a new investigator who is AMAZING! We love her so much! She is in the Elder's area, but she requested Sister Missionaries so we are teaching her. We have been trying to contact her for months! She has just been really busy with work, I guess she is really involved in the elections coming up. We finally met with her Wednesday and man were we so happy afterward. First off, she reminds me of you mom. :) This woman is incredible! She has known members her whole life. Everywhere she has gone she has been friends with members of the church. She told us that she doesn't know why, but she has always been drawn to people of the LDS faith. (that comment made us smile of course) She has always been impressed with how members of the church live their lives. She told us it was because of the members that she was now seriously considering joining the church!!! ahhh!!! My whole mission I have wanted to teach somebody like her. :D As we talked to her we each felt such gratitude for all those members of the Church who had been examples to her throughout her whole life. I gained a stronger testimony of the scripture in 1Timothy 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Thank you everybody for how you live your life! You never know who you are affecting!

Which leads me to another point. She LOVES relief society. She hasn't been to church yet, but she has been listening to conference (thanks to a member friend) and told us, through text, that she wants to get involved in relief society. After our first meeting with her we got a message telling us thank you so much for the Book of Mormon we gave her. She started reading it that night and already feels like this is a "good and right path". I wish y'all could have seen how excited she was to learn about the gospel! She loved the First Vision and was so happy to be hearing the message of the Restoration. We are so excited for our next meeting with her. :)

I feel I have grown a lot in the last three weeks. I have learned a lot about love & charity, about patience, about humility. It hasn't been easy, but I am so grateful the Lord gives us trials and moments that send us to our knees. It is in those moments that I have really come close to my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I have become more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have really been hit hard with the fact that serving a mission is preparing me to be a wife and mother one day. The things I learn and do as a missionary are fantastic. But, all that is preparing me for something even more important. That is to raise a righteous family who is converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for all the experiences I have had the last 9 months and I am excited for all the experiences I have yet to have. Thank you for all you have done mom and dad in helping me become converted! Thank you Grandma Record for joining the church! I can't even tell you how your decision has blessed my life and many others. :D I love y'all!

Love, Sister Record

Ponies and Camping

Hello everybody!

Sister Allgood, Sister Fraire and Sister Record camping

It has been a good week. It is all kind of a blur though to be honest. I can barely remember what has happened. Wednesday was Sister Fraire's birthday. We went camping. Don't worry, we didn't break a single rule to go camping. We camped out in our living room. We even made a tent that would put the boy scouts to shame. ;)

We bought sweet calendars for the Zone Leaders. They came into our apartment while we were gone. (We needed them to pick something up for us. So we gave them permission to go inside. don't worry.) They rigged our sink so when we turned on the water it got us all wet. It was pretty funny. Later that week they asked if we had a blank calendar, so we went to the dollar store and got them this calendar. We thought we were pretty clever. :)

Pony Calendar

Saturday was our stake conference and Elder Bruce A Carlson of the seventy was there. He spoke in conference, check out his talk about obedience. It's great! In stake conference he talked about why the age for missionaries to serve was lowered. He listened a few reasons.

1. It would save many young people of this generation. There won't be that gap of time between high school and a mission to hang around.

2. The church needs more missionaries

3. It will have a positive effect on marriages. Young people will be more prepared for marriage.

4.The fabric of the home will be changed. Gospel teaching and learning will be central to raising a family

5. To hasten the work of the Lord.

Elder Carlson said the 5th reason was the biggest reason for the change. As a mission each fast Sunday we fast for a list of things and for the Lord's work to hasten in this area is one of them. That prayer will be answered in the next few months. President Taylor sent us an email. Here is an excerpt from that email,

"As I write this letter to you I am filled with great love for each of you. Sister Taylor and I think of you constantly and you are in every prayer offered by us and our boys. Please know of our trust in you and our admiration for each of you. We are privileged to be here with you as you learn to develop and exercise faith in Christ and His Atonement and repent. We respect you for the choices you make that lead you to Christ and result in you becoming “converted unto the Lord” and a more “consecrated missionary.”

With you, Sister Taylor and I were thrilled to hear of the announcement in General Conference regarding the new minimum age for missionaries. I am confident this announcement will lead to a further expansion of our mission and an increase in sister missionaries. This will be a great blessing for our mission. We must accelerate the development of our missionary skills so we can train these new missionaries in the months ahead. They will be spending less time in the MTC before coming to the field so the responsibility to train these missionaries will fall to us......

What we are doing is greater than we can now see and understand. We do not always see the hand of the Lord in the lives of the people we meet each day. We often do not see it in our lives but it is always there. This is a spiritual work and God’s labors in our areas are best seen through spiritual eyes. He is “mightier than all the earth” and can accomplish all his purposes in us and the people of our areas. If we have faith in Christ we “shall have power to do whatsoever is expedient” in Him (Moroni 7:33). Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

What a blessing to be a part of the Lord's work! Its an amazing thing! I am so thankful for President and Sister Taylor. They are so kind and loving and want what is best for each of us.

Yesterday we got a solid baptismal date! :D We did finally get a baptismal date though! He was taught previously by the Sisters. It has been a year but he is ready to be baptized. We had our first meeting with him on Sunday. He came to stake conference and really enjoyed Elder Carlson's talk. He told us that when he heard him speak he felt a peaceful feeling. It gave him comfort to a concern of his. He told us that spark he felt lasted for just a moment.

We talked to him about the Holy Ghost and that when you are baptized by proper authority you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We told him that he could feel that peaceful feeling always. We told him he could have the Holy Ghost as his constant companion. He replied rather shocked, "I didn't even know that was possible!"

We invited him to be baptized and he said he would, but that he would be a lot of hard work to change. He grew up in another denomination but isn't working for him. He had questions about the authority of the church. He wanted to know how we know a man really has authority. The member we had with us explained that he had the priesthood and that he got it from his dad, who got it from his dad, etc. He explained that he can trace his authority all the way back to Christ in an unbroken line.

Then, unexpectedly, [Name withheld] exclaimed "Well then! Lets schedule the baptism for next Sunday!" We were all surprised but very happy. We explained that we had a little more to teach him and that he needed to come to church. [Name withheld] is so eager to learn and already has a testimony, we need him to have conversion though. :) He trusts the member we had with us 100%. He had been talking to him about the gospel over the last year.

I'm telling you, its only through the members that the church is going to grow at the rate it needs to. Keep doing missionary work! We are doing a great work and we cannot come down. :D I love you all so very much! I am deeply grateful for all your love and support. Have a great week!

Love, Sister Record

General Conference

Well howdy family and friends!

Wasn't general conference amazing? :D I absolutely loved it. I was spiritually fed and found answers to questions I had. I am especially excited with the announcement of the age change for missionaries. As I heard the announcement I felt so much joy in my heart. The Lord needs more missionaries. He is calling out more troops! :)

Me, Sister Esau, (from Kirabati. She went home last week. I love her! She is one of the most loving people I know! amazing!) Sister Allgood (the new missionary) Sister Fraire

As I have reflected on my mission (I hit my 9 month mark 1 month from today! scary! The time goes way too fast!) I have felt like I am being prepared to be a wife and mother. I had that impression especially strong throughout General Conference. Everything I go through as a missionary is teaching me how to be a better wife and mother one day. Being a missionary is the hardest thing I have done in my life up to this point, but it has also been the best decision I have made. I am so grateful to have this opportunity. It has been amazing to see people change as they have accepted the message of the restored gospel. It is also amazing to see how much I have grown emotionally and spiritually in the last 8 months.

Dana and Sister Record

By the time you are 21 you will be a returned missionary and be so ready to have a family of your own. I think this announcement with the age change (especially for the young women) will, in the long run, improve gospel teaching and learning in the home. At 21 girls will already have a mission experience under their belt which will be a huge asset to strengthening the family. I am so excited for Annelise to go on a mission! I can't think of anything better to do with my time than to serve the Lord here in Oklahoma. I love this state, I love the people and I love the missionaries I am surrounded by. I still have a lot to learn and I feel like I should learn it all in the next 10 months, but I know I won't learn everything by then. I need to learn to be more patient. :)

Sister Fraire and Sister Record

We were talking to our recent convert, Jeff last night. He told us about how grateful he is for all the missionaries who taught him. He told us how he can't adequately express in words that gratitude he has for those who taught him and helped him join the church. He mentioned how happy he is to be a member of Christ's church and thankful he is for the covenants he made at baptism. On the flip side, I don't have the words to express how thankful I am to have been blessed to be a part of Jeff's journey into the church. I have learned SO MUCH from him and from the struggles he faced as he made the choice to be baptized. You develop such a love for the people you serve. It is a love I don't know if I have ever really experience before. You start to see people, in a very real way, as Christ see's them. You see their potential to become a strong member of Christ's church. It is amazing!

Well, I love you all very very much! Thanks for all your prayers! I have felt strength come into my life from them. James 5:16 is my favorite scripture about prayer and I have seen it first hand on my mission. Wow guys, I love you! I love the Lord! I am grateful for prophets and apostles on the earth today. I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am only were I am at now because of Him.

Love, Sister Record

A New Companion, Now a Trainer

Hey everybody! This week has been an interesting one. We got our new missionary, Sister Allgood. She really is Allgood. :) She is a very dedicated, obedient, faithful missionary. I feel like she has more to teach me than I have to teach her.

Hunter received the priesthood on Sunday. That was amazing! :) I have loved to see Jeff and Hunter and their progression in the gospel. Anytime I get sad or discouraged, I think of those two and how their lives have changed in the last 3 or 4 months of knowing them.

To answer your questions:

What is a common question you get from investigators?

A lot of people have questions and concerns about the apostasy. A lot of people don't see the need for a restoration. There are a lot of different questions that arise from that concern. That is probably a very common thing.

What is the biggest fear that holds investigators back?

I don't really know. I think it is different for everybody because each person is so unique.

Tell us about your new companion. What is her name and where is she from?

Sister Michelle Allgood from Hyrum, UT. I told you about her at the beginning of the letter.

What are your new companion's strengths that you have noticed so far?

She is fearless. She will talk to anybody and everybody. She takes missionary work seriously. None of the time she has is her time. It is all the Lord's and she works hard to use every minute of time wisely. She is going to work miracles in this mission.

I am so excited for conference!! I have been looking forward to this for weeks!! :D Sorry the letter is so short. But I am sending pictures. I love y'all so very very much! Have a good week!

Love, Sister Record

Questions and Answers from 24 Sep

Hey there!

The week was pretty good. I mean, I don't think I have any super huge news for the week. I'm glad you just sent me a list of questions dad. I was worried I wasn't going to have any question to answer. :)

1) Do you ever have webcasts in the mission? Meaning, the mission home streams a training or transfer meeting via the Internet. Missionaries can then watch by going to a URL like http://streaming.lds.org.

Nope. Our mission really isn't that big. I think the farthest area from the mission home is probably about 2 hours. Whenever there is a big event we travel to the stake center in Moore, OK (which is also were the mission home is). From Norman we are only about 15 minutes away.

2) If you do watch streamed events, do you have the URL?

see question 1

3) When do you have your next event?

We have transfers on Wednesday, so that is a "big" event I guess. I will get to meet my new missionary on Wednesday. I'm pretty excited. :)

4) What do you hope to accomplish in the next two months?

Oh boy... that is a loaded question. I have so much I want to accomplish and I feel like my time on the mission is so short. Okay... in the next two months.... I really want to work harder than I ever have on my mission up to this point. I want to become better at using and applying the principles of gospel leadership. Like I said, I have a lot of things I want to accomplish. I really like what Elder Callister said (see below in italics).

5) What is something new you learned this week?

Saturday we had the chance to hear from Elder Tad R. Callister and Elder Johnathan C. Roberts of the Seventy. I learned a lot from them. Some of the things that stood out to me was when Elder Callister spoke about becoming a consecrated missionary. He talked about how important it is to put all your heart and strength into the work. There is one thing that has really stuck with me from Elder Callister. It was one of the last things he said. He said, "The Lord doesn't expect perfection tomorrow, but He does expect progression." That is my favorite quote right now. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Elder Roberts talked about obedience. He used the story of Nephi and Laman and Lemuel. His question was this. "Were Laman and Lemuel obedient?" At first a lot of people said no. Then Elder Callister pointed out that they were obedient. Laman and Lemuel went back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates, they went back to get the daughters of Ishmael, they stayed with their father in the wilderness. The key difference between Nephi and Laman & Lemuel was a willing heart. It isn't enough to simply obey to obey. It is crucial to have a willingness to serve the Lord. Obedience should come from a sincere love of God.

One thing he said that really sunk in deep for me was in reference to Doctrine & Covenants 130:19 "And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."

Elder Roberts connected the words Knowledge & Intelligence to Diligence and Obedient. As we are obedient to the Lord and diligently do what he asks us to do our understanding of things is increased. That really hit me. There are so many things I don't understand and sometimes it is frustrating. However, the more I am obedient and diligent I will be able to have a better understanding of things. He also promised the whole mission that increased joy and understanding will come through obedience.

6) Is it beginning to feel like Fall yet at all? Still looks like 100 degree weather there.

A few weeks ago it got pretty cool. It dropped down to the 60's and 70's. That felt wonderful. We are definitely back up in the 90's and low 100's. To be honest though, it doesn't feel that hot. Fall should be coming soon though. I am so excited! Fall has always my favorite time of the year.

7) What is your favorite day of the week and why?

Ummm..... I don't know if I have a favorite day of the week or not. I like them all and they are all fairly the same. The only day that is somewhat different is Monday.

8) Are you still in a threesome, or did Sister Nelson leave already?

Yup. Sister Nelson leaves on Wednesday, but we will get a new Sister and will still be in a trio.

Thanks for all you love and prayers! :) I love y'all very much! Talk to you next week.

Love, Sister Record

Baptism and Trainer Next Transfer

Hey Hey Hey!

It has been quite the week. We were dropped by a few of our investigators and we have somebody we think may drop us soon. Saturday we had five lessons with investigators and all but one canceled. The one who didn't cancel we came to a mutual agreement to stop meeting. He is a super nice guy, but not really willing to investigate, just curious. Anyway, none of the disappointment from all that happened mattered by Sunday night because HUNTER GOT BAPTIZED!!! :D

Jeff, Sister Record, Sister Freire, Sister Nelson and Hunter

Hunter was baptized yesterday and it was a wonderful experience. :) Hunter's parents were both there. His dad is not a member and his mom is an inactive member. I loved being able to meet them. They were so nice! It was also great to see Jeff baptize Hunter. Jeff has come so far in the last three months. It is amazing! At the beginning of the week Hunter was so happy and excited to be baptized. He has faced a whole lot of opposition this week as he made the decision to be baptized. It made us sad Hunter stayed strong though and made it to Sunday. :) After Hunter was baptized and confirmed we could tell he felt great! :) He even told us later that he was at peace with the things that had been happening throughout the week, something he hasn't felt before. We told him it was because of the Spirit. :)

Jeff and Hunter

Bishop Ellis welcomed Hunter into the ward and told him that from the very first day he met him He knew that Hunter was a great young man. Bishop Ellis said he could see Hunter being like Captain Moroni one day. He assured Hunter that it wouldn't be something that happened today or tomorrow, but something that would take time.

I feel like with Jeff and with Hunter I can see the potential each of them have to do great things for the Lord and His kingdom. I know that neither one of them feels the same way. As I have thought about Jeff and Hunter I wonder how the Lord feels about each of us. I know there have been times when I don't feel like I have a whole lot of potential. After working with Jeff and Hunter and being able to see the potential each of them has, I think of Heavenly Father and how he sees each of us. He sees the big picture. He can see the potential we each have long after we pass into the next life.

Sister Nelson with the Gecko. "We found a gecko in the
baptismal font when we went to clean it before
Hunter's baptism!"

The baptism was definitely the highlight of the week. The spirit was so strong and my testimony of the gospel was strengthened. I love being a missionary! I love the change that has come over people I have taught as well as the change that has come over me. I am learning so much! I will forever be thankful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission. It is the best thing ever! :) I was reading Alma 24-26 this morning. I especially love Alma 24:22,26-27.

22 And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God.

26 And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved.

27 And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.

I love this story. At first it seems sad, and it is. Over 1000 people were slaughtered. However, the Lamanites saw that thy would not fight and their hearts were softened and they were converted to the Lord. Not just 2 or 3 either. It was more than the number of people killed. It is a perfect example of how the Lord's ways are not our ways and that his ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8)

Yesterday after the baptism we found out about transfers. Sister Nelson is leaving (sad day) and Sister Fraire and I will be training next transfer. It is going to be different, and I am excited, but nervous about it. I have had a gut feeling the last 2 or 3 weeks that I would be training this upcoming transfer. I haven't felt like I would be the best trainer and that other people would be better, but experience has taught me that everything happens for a reason. I am thankful for the trust the Lord has in me. :) I have a new trainers meeting on Wednesday.

I'm excited for Saturday! Elder Tad R Callister of the 70 is coming to speak to our entire mission. This means not only to I get to listen to a member of the 70, but I also get to see all my friends in the mission. Oh it's going to be a good day! :D I can hardly wait!!

I know this church is true and that the church helps us more fully live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon more than any other book. I can't read books multiple times, but I can read the Book of Mormon over and over again and I always learn something new. :) Because of my testimony of the Book of Mormon, I have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored Christ's chruch back to the earth. Because the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was called of God I know this church is true. I love this talk by Elder Callister from the October 2011 conference titled "The Book of Mormon – a Book from God" Elder Callister said,

Years ago my great-great-grandfather picked up a copy of the Book of Mormon for the first time. He opened it to the center and read a few pages. He then declared, “That book was either written by God or the devil, and I am going to find out who wrote it.” He read it through twice in the next 10 days and then declared, “The devil could not have written it—it must be from God.”

Likewise, we must make a simple choice with the Book of Mormon: it is either of God or the devil. There is no other option. For a moment I invite you to take a test that will help you determine the true nature of this book. Ask yourself if the following scriptures from the Book of Mormon draw you closer to God or to the devil:

“Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).

Or these words of a loving father to his sons: “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation” (Helaman 5:12).

Or these words of a prophet: “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32).

Could these statements from the Book of Mormon have possibly been authored by the evil one? After the Savior cast out certain devils, the Pharisees claimed that He did so “by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” The Savior responded that such a conclusion was nonsensical: “Every kingdom,” He said, “divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every … house divided against itself shall not stand.” And then His compelling climax: “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (Matthew 12:24–26; emphasis added).

If the foregoing scriptures from the Book of Mormon teach us to worship and love and serve the Savior (which they do), how can they be from the devil? If so, he would be divided against himself and thus be destroying his own kingdom, the very condition the Savior said could not exist. An honest, unbiased reading of the Book of Mormon will bring someone to the same conclusion as my great-great-grandfather, namely: “The devil could not have written it—it must be from God.”

The only way to know if the church is true and if the Book of Mormon really is the word of God is to test it out. So, if you haven't tested it out, I strongly encourage you to do so. If you already have, I would encourage you to reread the Book of Mormon to strengthen your own testimony of this great work. :) I would not still be on a mission if this wasn't the work of the Lord.

I love y'all! Thanks for all of your support and love! I know I wouldn't be able to do any of this without your prayers.

Love, Sister Record

Another Good Week

Hey family & Friends!

We got special permission to go to the temple this week. :) It was fantastic and was just what I needed. I have really wanted to go to the temple over the last couple weeks. The only reason we got to go was because there was a home football game on Saturday. When there is a home football game there is really no point in going out and knocking on doors because everybody is either at the game or watching in on TV. So President Taylor gave us permission to go to the temple because he thought it would be a better use of our time. After the temple we came back to the institute and handed out free hot dogs, water, cotton candy and snow cones. It was a lot of fun and we even got to talk to a couple people about the gospel, so that was great.

It was kind of crazy to see the difference between the temple and being back in the world. We were handing out all this free stuff and there were so many parties going on all around us. I felt like it was the epitome of the phrase "in the world but not of the world." I am thankful for the chance I had to see the difference between the temple and the ways of the world all in one day.

We are still planning on [Name withheld] getting baptized on Saturday! woohoo!! We are pretty excited for him. :D

Did y'all get to watch the CES devotional last night by Elder Holland? I got to see the last half hour. I love Elder Holland! He is so great! I love how bold he is. :D Well folks... I really don't have a whole lot to write this week. I apologize. I will be sure to have more to write next week! I love y'all so much! Keep being awesome! Thanks for all your support and love. :D

Love, Sister Record

OOOOOKLAHOMA!

Sister Nelson and Sister Record all matching

Hey family and friends!

It has been a fabulous week! We should be having a baptism here in the next two weeks. :) We are pretty excited to see another one of our friends enter the waters of baptism. Ever since Jeff got baptized we refer to those people we are teaching who are really progressing as our friends. To be honest, I feel like I am teaching my friends. So I guess it is pretty fitting to call them our friends. I love the people we are teaching just like I love my friends. I love serving in a student ward!

Last Saturday we got permission from our zone leaders as well as from our mission President to baptize [Name withheld] here in Norman since this is were all his friends are. He has been fasting and praying for the day he needs to get baptized. He has chosen September 15th 2012 to be baptized. :) We are so excited for [Name withheld]! He's had a hard couple weeks, but he is desirous to be baptized. He has even started to tell his friends in Norman that they need to meet with us. haha! He's doing missionary work and he isn't even baptized yet. He even joked about how he is telling people how he knows the church is true and he has not even been baptized yet. On Sunday he went to the ward in Texas that is near his parents home. He told us how he wanted to get up and bear his testimony, but didn't because there were so many people in line to bear their testimonies.

Sister Record's tan line!

Since [Name withheld] is not in Oklahoma right now, we still have lessons with him, but over the phone. We have a lesson with him today and we are going to plan out his baptism as well as talk to him about some other things. We are pretty excited! :) We love [Name withheld] so much and he has changed his life so much in the last 3 months. We are so proud of him and the choices he is making to come closer to Jesus Christ. He called us today to tell us that his job interview went really well and that he is practically hired. (He's been searching for a job for awhile now) [Name withheld] told us that on the way to the interview he prayed that he would be calm and that the Spirit would be with him. He told us that during the interview he was so calm and peaceful and that the words he needed to say in the interview were practically put into his mouth.

We are so grateful that we knocked on [Name withheld]'s door back in June. Like I said, we love him so much and are so proud of him. He is one of those people who has been prepared long before we even showed up to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord was preparing him years before we got there. We were in the right place at the right time and the Lord led us to him. I will send pictures of the baptism in a few weeks. :) Please continue to keep [Name withheld] in your prayers! He is doing great, but I am a firm believer that the prayers of many people on behalf of another works mighty miracles. (James 5:16)

Yes, it was Sister Freire and Sister Nelson that raised the seats on
the Elder's bikes.

I have a goal to read the Book of Mormon every 3 months. I just started Alma the other day. I love the Book of Mormon so much!!! I am learning so much by reading this book of scripture. I feel my testimony of the Book of Mormon growing stronger and stronger each day. I love it so so much! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. When I read it I can't put it down. It is so exciting! I know that is the Spirit testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. (Alma 32:28)

Well.... That's about it. :) I will talk to y'all next week. Love you!

Love, Sister Record

Email: 27 August 2012

Hey hey hey!!

Life is so good!!!!! I love being a missionary! I love my companions, Sister Nelson and Sister Fraire, I love the people we are teaching, I love the ward, I love you (yes, I'm talking to you) and I love the Lord. I always find it hard to express in writing how much I love being a missionary here in Oklahoma. I guess I could do an audio recording so you could hear the excitement in my voice. Like I said before, I'm too tired Sunday night to do anything like that. These letters will have to suffice. ;) It's been a great week! For the first time in weeks we have reached all our goals (except for one) for the week. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm saying it's all about the numbers.... every single one of the numbers represents a child of God who we care about.

Anyway, it's been a great week! [Name withheld] has been coming up to Norman the past couple weeks so we've still been able to teach him. He is just about done with 1st Nephi in the Book of Mormon. He is soaking it all in. We should be having a baptism with [Name withheld] soon. He moved down to Dallas but he wants to be baptized into the Norman ward. We were not sure if that was allowed. We counseled with the Zone Leaders and with President Taylor about it. They both said [Name withheld] should be baptized here in Norman since his ward family is here and he is here in Norman on a weekly basis anyway. We are so excited for [Name withheld]! He is so ready to be baptized! We don't have a date with him yet. He is praying about a day to be baptized. We are meeting with him Tuesday and will talk more about it. It's an exciting time for all us!

Jeff was just called as the 2nd counselor in the Sunday School presidency yesterday and passed the sacrament for the first time. Jeff has changed so much in the last three months that I've known him. The Gospel is changing his heart and he is becoming the person God wants him to be. We've also taken Jeff out teaching with us. He is such a great teacher! It is so amazing to be able to see the change that the Gospel has on people who live and act on it. I love how much I've learned about the Doctrine of Christ while I have served a mission. I am sad that after today I have less than a year left to serve a mission. I am comforted to know that serving a full-time mission is just the beginning of my missionary service. I am going to have opportunities throughout my life to share the Gospel, to "bring others into the light of the Gospel" as my patriarchal blessing says. To be honest, my biggest worry is that I won't accomplish everything the Lord has sent me here to do in Oklahoma. I also want to learn everything I need to learn while serving a mission. I don't want any experience to go by that I don't learn something.

The other day I read Jacob 6:5

"5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts."

I love that phrase, "cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you." God wants so badly for us to return back to Him and we need to have that same devotion to him that he has in helping us. (Moses 1:39) I thought of the talk by Barbara Thompson titled "Cleave Unto Covenants". It is by making and keeping covenants or promises with God that we are given the strength to go through life.

I am learning so much as a missionary, and it is amazing! I have already learned so much in the last 6 1/2 months! I know I am developing skills that will be greatly beneficial to me as a wife and mother someday as well as in future callings in the Church. I am very excited for the future and what it has in store.

It's kind of funny. Yesterday I was reading a Ensign article about a lady whose husband struggled with pornography. She told about all the heartache and pain that came from that. My first thought was "that's it, I don't want to get married." I didn't really mean it, but the thought of marriage really scared me. Then I grabbed another Ensign at random and came across a talk called "Confidence to Marry" haha! It was all a very funny experience and my companions laughed at it as well. Oh shoot! I just love my companions so much! Sister Nelson and Sister Fraire are so great!

I feel like more has happened this week... I'm having writers block though. I also left my journal at home. Have a great week everybody! Sorry this is not very long. I love you!

Love, Sister Record

Email: 20 August 2012

Hey family and friends!

This week has been much better than last week. I have truly seen miracles and seen the "Lord's angels round about to bear [us] up". I am crunched on time today, so this email may be kind of short. Today is the first day of classes so all the students are back. It is a marvelous thing to see so many people!! :D Oh sheesh! I don't know where to begin. It has been a roller coaster the past two weeks. We haven't had any new investigators, which was hard.

Last Wednesday my companions and I decided that we were going to find somebody new to teach and that we were going to have the faith to see miracles. As our dinner hour came to an end I got so antzy and excited to go out and knock on doors. (That hasn't happened for a while) With each minute that went by I got more and more anxious to get out and work. We got in the car and Sister Nelson suggested we go to an apartment complex we'd never been to before. We got there and the few doors we knocked on there was no answer. Then I saw an apartment complex across the street that we'd never seen before. So we went to that one. The craziest thing happened! As soon as we stepped foot on the property we knew this was the place we were going to find a new investigator. It was insane! Both Sister Nelson and I could feel it. It was almost tangible. We knocked on a few buildings with no success. We still knew this was where we needed to `be though. I mentioned to Sister Nelson and Sister Fraire that I was so excited to find a new investigator here. We knew that person was somewhere in the complex, we just had to find them.

We knocked on a door and as soon as the girl opened the door I knew she was the one we had been looking for. We offered to pray for her and for her family and she accepted. The spirit was so strong and she felt it. :) We set up an appointment to go back and visit her that Friday to teach her more. As soon as we left her apartment we were all three so stinking happy! We hadn't had this kind of experience in weeks! It was definitely a miracle. :)

The day before (Tuesday) we had been walking on campus and for whatever reason we walked a way we never had before. We ran into our investigator [Name Withheld]! It was so great! He had moved to back to Texas so we stopped teaching him. Well, we were able to set up a time to teach him Wednesday afternoon. It was such a miracle/blessing from the Lord to be able to actually teach and feel like we were fulfilling our purpose as missionaries. Teaching [Name Withheld] gave us the boost we needed to keep going. It was a fabulous lesson! We talked with [Name Withheld] about baptism and confirmation. We talked about how baptism is a covenant we make with God. When we make and keep covenants, God blesses us. We told him we want him to make and keep covenants with God, not just get baptized and then never come back to church. We read him the baptismal interview questions, which he passed. :) He is well on his way to getting baptized. Keep him in your prayers please! He said he feels like he needs to keep reading from the Book of Mormon and be more consistent with his church attendance. Oh [Name Withheld] is so great!!! We love him so much! Well... he also told us about how the day we taught him the Word of Wisdom he prayed in his living room asking if all this was true. He got a very distinct "Yes" answer. From that day he started to live the word of wisdom. Why he didn't tell us this sooner I don't know. It made our hearts soar to hear this from him.

Life as a missionary is hard. There are times where you don't feel like you can go on. However, moments when people are open and accepting to change their lives and come closer to Christ makes it all worth it. Then again, life in general is hard and there are times you don't feel like you can go on. It's not something that happens just to missionaries. As we are faithful though, the Lord provides for us and helps us. I know that Lord is mindful of us and loves us. Although things can be hard, there is so much good, joy and happiness in this life as we live the Gospel. I love you all! Sorry this is so short. I am doing fine. I love missionary work! I am learning and growing so much. :) Love ya!

Love, Sister Record

Email: 13 August 2012

Hey there!

Well..... I don't really have anything to report. This last week has been really slow.... probably the slowest week of my entire mission. It's been tough. Hopefully things start picking up soon. We got transfer calls yesterday. Sister Nelson, Sister Fraire and I are staying in Norman! woohoo! I am so happy I get to be companions with Sister Nelson another transfer. Sister Fraire is so great too! I love my companions! We already knew we were staying before we got transfer calls, but Elder Hanes, our district leader tried to convince us Sister Nelson was leaving. What a punk. haha! So I will be in Norman until the end of September. I think I will stay even longer than that, but we shall see. I would love to stay here in Norman for awhile. It's a fantastic place!

Despite how slow things are right now, we were able to give away two of the Books of Mormon this week. One guy we met on campus. He was just sitting on the bench and we knew we needed to go talk to him. We went over and started to talk to him. We showed him the Book of Mormon (Karla Johns wrote her testimony in this one) and we explained what it was. I gave him the copy and as soon as I handed it to him his face lit up! He was so excited to get the copy of the Book of Mormon. I have never seen anybody more happy and excited to read it. He took it from us and said "I am going to read this today!" He was so happy and excited to read. It was pretty great! We talked to him the next day and he had started to read the Book of Mormon. We haven't been able to meet with him since, but hopefully a really good seed has been planted. :)

The second Book of Mormon has Monica Rudd's testimony in it. On Sunday we had a girl at church who is dating one of our members. She told us she is planning on coming back to church next Sunday. She really seemed to enjoy church. I gave her the copy of the Book of Mormon. I didn't get a chance to really explain a whole lot about it, but I'm sure her boyfriend will. We are hoping to start teaching her soon.

On Friday we went to visit a less active member of the ward. On the way up I noticed two people in a cemetery and thought "we should say a prayer with them" but didn't mention it to Sister Nelson of Sister Fraire. Our less active member was not home so then I mentioned to my companions that we should go pray with the people in the cemetery. We drove by and Sister Nelson mentioned that this was weird, I agreed and we drove past the cemetery. We got to the stop light and talked about it briefly and decided we needed to turn around and go talk with them. We got into the cemetery and discovered Sister Fraire's fear of cemeteries! :) We walked up to the two people sitting next to the gravestone. They were obviously distraught over the loss of a loved one. We offered to pray with them and they accepted. After the prayer we shared a little bit about the plan of Salvation with them and about how family relationships can go beyond this life. We prayed with a brother and a sister who were in their 20's. Her son had died 2 years ago to the day at only 5 months old. It was a really neat experience. After we left Sister Nelson mentioned how she felt really awkward as we were driving up but as soon as we started walking towards them she said she felt really calm and knew this was going to be a really good experience.

Well... that's about all for the week. Thanks for all your support and your prayers I love you! Please continue to keep the missionaries and their areas in your prayers. :)

Love, Sister Record

Email: 6 August 2012

Smoke cloud from fire

Hey everybody! I want you to know I am safe from any fires. Honestly, as missionaries we were hardly affected by them at least our companionship. I am assuming everybody else was fine too. I don't even know if the fires are still going. There is no more smoke in the sky, so that's a good sign. We did fast for rain yesterday though. We got a text from President Taylor on Friday telling us to just be aware of the fire. There were a few people in our ward who were near the fires but I'm pretty sure they are all okay. I haven't heard anything.

This may be the most unexciting letter ever... brace yourselves. Hey, you kept reading! Good job! ;) It has been pretty dead here. There is a two week break between the summer semester and the fall semester and all the students have left. Except for the sororities who are getting ready for rush week this week. We can't tract the sororities or fraternities though (obviously) so there really are not any people here who are student age to talk to. 

We are so excited for students to come back! Basically we are preping the area for the return of the students. We still go out tracting because it is a way to show our faith, but we are focusing on our teaching skills. We are doing this by teaching the members the lessons. Yesterday we explained the situation to the members of the ward and sent a sign up sheet around to have us teach them. We have quite a few people signed up for the week. We are pretty excited about it. We will be able to practice our teaching skills with the members and improve on things. We will then be "master teachers" (as President Taylor says) and the work will explode in this area. At least that's the vision. haha! It may take more than two weeks to become master teachers, but we are always striving.

We had a meeting with our ward mission leader. At the beginning of the year the ward set a goal of 12 baptisms for the year. The ward is only at three. The ward mission leader, as well as us, feel very STRONGLY that finding those who are ready to hear the Gospel are going to come through the MEMBERS. We were talking about all the baptisms that Sister Nelson has been a part of and they have all been through the members, except for one and he was a self referral. I'm not saying we are not going to be knocking on doors ever again, what I am saying is that those who are introduced to the church by their friends and family are those who usually stay active in the church.... which can easily be translated into they make and keep their covenants with God.

Sister Record at district meeting

I never realized how important member missionary work was until I became a missionary. I also never realized how important visiting teaching was until I came on my mission. There is a quote by Harold B Lee in Preach my Gospel that says "Missionary work is but visiting (home) teaching to those who are not now members of the church, and visiting (home) teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to church members."

That is pretty intense! Visiting teaching is vital to the building up of the kingdom of God. I would challenge you to go and do you visiting/home teaching and don't do it for the numbers. Really become that person's friend. Help them know you care about them. I love this quote by President Monson "Perhaps when we face our Maker, we will not be asked 'how many positions did you hold?' But rather, how many people did you help? In reality, you can never love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His People."

Anyway, I wanted to thank everybody for the testimonies in the Books of Mormon! We are excited to give them away. Yesterday we got a text from a ward member who talked to his neighbor about the Gospel. He told us that he just felt prompted to share with him. His neighbor was very receptive and wants a Book of Mormon and our member is going to teach him the 1st lesson and then maybe we will be able to teach him. I am giving away the first copy of the Book of Mormon with the testimony inside. I will keep you updated on what happens with that. Our member is giving him the Book of Mormon that Valerie Evans wrote her testimony in. Thanks for all the missionary work you are doing Canyon Ridge ward!! Y'all are great!!! I sure do love you! 

Sister Fraire shared a great scripture this morning. It was from 1st Nephi 8, Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life. 

12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.

15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.

Sister Fraire pointed out that after Lehi knew of the Joy of the fruit of the tree he was desirous to share it. Not only did he want to share it, but he called out to them with a loud voice.

It is important to share the Gospel through our example. However, we should still speak up to our friends and family about it. Share with them why it makes you happy. We don't have to be preachy, just share the truth about how you feel about the Gospel. :) The Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a HAPPY message! We should be happy to share it with all those around us. We can share it so many different ways too! Sure some people won't want to listen, that is their choice. Our choice and duty is that we share the Gospel and when we share it with those who are ready to accept, "How great shall be your joy." I feel like this is something I am really coming to learn as a missionary.

OH YEAH! there was something really exciting that happened this week. We taught [Name withheld] twice, once on Wednesday and once on Saturday. On Wednesday he expressed his concern about prophets and apostles. We talked to him about that and his concern was resolved. On Saturday we showed him 5 video clips from the Prophet and the apostles. (I'll include the link to the ones we watched with him) As he watched he told us that all the things they talked about were things he already believed in. At the very end of the lesson [Name withheld] told us that he really liked the videos and that as he watched he had this "feeling in my rib cage that felt like something expanding and I feel warm inside." I'm pretty sure the smile on all of our faces were huge. We explained to him what that feeling was and that it was the Spirit. We told him to pay attention to those feelings as he goes to church and reads the scriptures and meets with the missionaries.

[Name withheld] is so great! He is moving back to live with his parents in Texas so we won't be able to teach him anymore. We're sad about that because [Name withheld] is just starting to have great fellowship in the ward and is really progressing. I'll send a picture of us with [Name withheld] as well.

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#mens-hearts-shall-fail-them

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#things-as-they-really-are

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#addiction-you-will-be-freed

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#mormon-messages-what-matters-most

http://mormonchannel.org/prophets-and-apostles-speak-today?v=1101417692001

Yesterday [Name withheld] came to church for the 3rd time! And he stayed for the first two hours. Turns out he needed somebody he felt comfortable coming to church with. Jeff has been the perfect friend for him. [Name withheld] had accidentally packed all his church clothes and wasn't planning on coming to church. He asked if he could wear regular clothes. Of course the answer was yes! :) Then Jeff told [Name withheld] he would come in regular clothes too so [Name withheld] wouldn't feel so weird. It was great! Oh! and Jeff got the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday!! :D

Oh shoot! I just LOOOOOVEEE missionary work! Thanks for everything y'all are doing to do member missionary work! I really appreciate it.... even though I'm in Oklahoma. haha! I love you! Have a great week!

Love Sister Record