Questions: 12 March 2012

Dad: What were your MTC companions' first names?

Sister Jamie Olsen and Sister Fatima Ehelschi-Piepgrass

Dad: What is Sister Bowels full name and where is she from?

Sister Jenna Maria Bowles from Mesa, Arizona

Dad: What is your apartment address?

I can't think of it off the top of my head. I'll send it with my SD card today.

Dad: What is your area, district and zone?

I'm in the Village area in the Quail creek district, Quail creek zone.

Dad: What are you area boundaries?

I dunno... I took a picture of the map that has my area boundaries though so I'll send that.

Dad: I assume you have 6 week transfers like Elder Record, so what day is the next transfer in your mission?

Yes, 6 week transfers. However, I'll probably be in this area training for 12 weeks before I get transfered. Next real transfer is scheduled for April 11th, but I probably won't be transfered until May 23rd.

Dad: What did you do on P-day?

Last P-day I tried to recover from the cold I got on the first night here in OKC. I'm feeling much better now. We also cleaned the car and went shopping. I wrote letters too. We didn't really do anything to be honest.

Dad: Have you done any tracting? If so, what streets have you tracted on?

Yes.... I've done tracting. I couldn't tell you where I've been tracting though. It's been all over the place. My mission has this thing called 5 by faith. So anytime an appointment falls through or somebody isn't home we knock on 5 door or talk to 5 people before we leave that area. So I've been on a lot of streets. I think my area is about 10-15 miles going north and south and about 5-10 miles going East and West and its in the city so there are a TON of houses.

Love, Sister Record

Email: 12 March 2012

Sorry I didn't do an audio update. We didn't get home until late last night and with the time change I just wanted to go to bed right after planning. :)  I will update you through email and a letter home this time.

 

We are teaching a stay at home mom who is very interested in reading the Book of Mormon.  She is so awesome! The way we came in contact with her was actually something that happened before I got into OKC.  Sister Bowles and her other comp were getting in the car and the little girl (4 years old) yells out to them from across the parking lot and asks them their names.  She then asks why they are dressed like princesses.  :D She is so adorable!!!!

 

Then my first week here Sister Bowles and I went to their home to introduce ourselves. The mom is super sweet and is just looking for the truth.  She has such a love for Christ and His atonement already. She is very interested in reading the Book of Mormon. We've been over 3 times already and her husband told us we were welcome in their home anytime.  They are a wonderful family.  They told us they were surprised we came back a second time. Every other time anybody from any other church comes over and they find out they will not go to the church they never hear from them again. I guess they were impressed that we keep coming back to see them.

 

Last Thursday we went to read the story Christ in the America's and blessing the children from the Book of Mormon reader to the 4 year old.  [Name withheld] daughter, is very hyper and full of energy. As soon as I started reading to her she went silent and her mom came behind us  to listen to the story.  The Spirit was very very strong and I was able to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon to [name withheld].  She got a little emotional as we talked, I know she felt something.  She is amazing! 

 

There are so many miracles happening here in OKC, even if that miracle is to just keep us missionaries going. :)  OH! We made homemade sushi at a member's home this week. It was so good.  I also tried Kimchi. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

 

We had a thunderstorm that shook the walls of the house, that was incredible! Then, there was a clap of thunder that made car alarms go off. >:D It made me happy inside.   Anyway, all is going well here in OKC. The people are super friendly and very nice.  It's a little tricky though because they all pretty much have a church they go to and already believe in Christ and think thats all they need.  Like I said though, some of the nicest people I have EVER met. :)  I love y'all  very very much! I'll talk to you soon and be expecting my SD card in the mail.  Have a GGGRREEATTT DAY! 

 

Love, Sister Record

Email: 12 March 2012

I just want you to know, please don't worry about me. Thanks for all you do and all your support! I sure love you!

Today is a great day! If I'm being honest though, last week was really tough.  I wrote this in my study journal yesterday. Jacob 2:8 says, 'and it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea the word which healeth the wounded soul.'  As a missionary, I feel I am on the front lines in the war against the adversary. I'm trying to protect myself from those "fiery darts" he is constantly throwing my way.  I'm trying to help those who have been severely wounded and most of the time they don't want my help for whatever reason.

 

And then there are time I feel wounded. I know I have to keep fighting, but I don't know how I'll do it.  It is the word of God that heals my wounds so I can move forward.  Best of all, I'm already on the wining side. I know whose side will win. So why do I sometimes feel like giving up?

 

I love the analogy of putting on the whole armor of God found in Ephesians 6.  If we have that armor, especially the shield of faith, we'll be able to "quench the fiery darts of the wicked".  Then I asked, why does the Lord allow us to get "wounded" so to speak? I mean, we're His soldiers fighting in this war against evil.  I then thought if I wasn't receiving wounds that needed healing, would I ever go to Christ, the master healer?  Would I feel the gratitude towards my Savior and love towards Him if he wasn't constantly healing me?  Would I have increased faith  to continue fighting, knowing I always have my elder brother to make all the hurt go away?  I can say I probably would not.

 

I can think of many times in my life when I felt wounded and it was only through, "the pleasing word of God" and ultimately Christ's atonement that I have been healed.

 

Sister Bowles and I talked about this yesterday and after we talked I felt much better and felt a renewed strength to keep going.  I am so blessed to be out here in OKC serving a mission.  I have so much to learn and so much I can improve on. I know the Lord will constantly be strengthening my faith.  I feel a renewed commitment to keep working hard and persevering through the hard times.  This is the Lord's work and it will not fail.  I am the Lord's missionary and I can do hard things. :)  I know as I am obedient and faithful the Lord will bless me.

 

Love, Sister Record

Email: 5 March 2012

This week has been great! I have really enjoyed my first week out here in OK.  It's definitely been hard, but so worth it. Sister Bowles and I have seen quite a few miracles already.  She is a great trainer and I'm really thankful we are companions. We get a long great and a lot of the time are thinking the same thing. We had a great experience with an 18 year old young lady.

On Saturday during comp study I mentioned to her that I really wanted to go to a park to talk to people since it was Saturday and the weather was nice.  So later in the day she and I finally made it to the park. (a park that sister Bowles "randomly" drove to  We sat in the car and looked at the people in the park. Neither one of us was feeling the prompting to go talk to any of them.  So we just sat in the car for a few minutes.  I saw a young woman walking at the opposite end of the park and told sister Bowles we should talk to her.  We both jumped out of the car and went to talk to her.  Before we had a chance to introduce ourselves (we were still a little ways away from her) she called out and asked if we were from a church.  I said we were and that we wanted to talk to her for a few minutes.

We caught up to her and I started to ask her about her religious background. She told me she use to go to one church but stopped going and is looking for a different one to go to.  So sister Bowles and I basically gave her the first discussion in 5 minutes.  I also asked her how she would feel if there was a prophet on the earth today.  She really liked that and said she thought that would give her more direction in her life.  Sister Bowles then showed her a picture of President Monson.  We told her that he was the living prophet on the earth today.

Then (name withheld) asked us if we do baptism in our church! We told her we did and explained some more about why baptism in our church is different than other churches.  We left her with a copy of the Book of Mormon and a restoration pamphlet. She agreed to let us come back and teach her more about the church. So with that, sister Bowles asked her if we could say a prayer. After the prayer Sister Bowles and I left. When we were almost back to the car Sister Bowles said she was hoping I was going to invite her to be baptized because the moment was so perfect. She said we could always go back and invite her.

So that's what we did. We turned around to go invite her to be baptized.  When we turned around we were shocked to see her throwing up on the grass.  We asked her if she was okay and if there was anything we could do to help her.  She told us she has just been feeling sick all afternoon and that she was on her way to the store to get a 7up.  We told her we would go get it for her since we had a car.  Once we were back with the 7up and after talking to her a little, I told her I had one more question to ask her and that's why we had come back.  So with that, I said, "(name withheld), when you come to know of the truthfulness of the things we told you, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by somebody holding the priesthood authority of God?" she said yes!! She is scheduled to be baptized on April 14th.  She sure is wonderful and Sister Bowles and I love her so much already.

I feel very blessed to have the Lord working through me. I'm thankful that the Holy Ghost was guiding Sister Bowles and I all day on Saturday just to lead us to be in the right place at the right time.  It was amazing.  I'm thankful that Sister Bowles mentioned that we could always go back and talk to (name withheld).  Sister Bowles is the greatest! She is so good at listening to the promptings of the Spirit. 

This was one of the best parts of my mission so far! :D  Saturday morning I really wanted to extend the baptismal invitation but didn't have the chance to. The week was coming to an end and I was running out of time.  Heavenly Father really does grant us the righteous desires of our hearts.

-Sister Record