Hi everyone!
Well, this week was DEFINITELY better than last week for the area...(I was in Baton Rouge, so it was a really great week last week) but this week, we were able to find 2 new investigators! It was a miracle. But I will tell you about that in a minute...
Last Sunday we were planning for Monday, and we got the feeling that we needed to go and see one of our Recent Converts named Tina Vice. Well, we had not peddled our bikes that far yet, and there are no sidewalks, narrow roads, and ditches on both sides...Can you say SCARY? Ha, but I actually think it has been kind of fun...Sister Aka is a little bit slow at riding her bike (but she learned just before she came out), but she gets scared. Anyway, back to Tina! Well we peddled all the way there, and she was just over joyed that we were there. She had been having a really hard week and has been trying and trying to find a job, but she has had no luck, and she is scared of what could happen if she doesn't find a job soon. Well she felt really stressed out, and was SO relieved that we felt like we needed to come see her. We had a great lesson with her, and we were able to help boost her spiritually. It's really neat to see how following the promptings of the Spirit can make a difference in someone's life. Ha, I wish I would have followed the promptings of the Spirit a lot more before my mission...man, that would have been wonderful!
Well, one of the Elder's/our investigator was going to get baptized this last Saturday, and her name is Kim. She was so excited! She quit smoking cold turkey, and she just has SO much faith! She amazes me. But, on Thursday, just before the baptism, she was given an ultimatum...her mom found out she was getting baptized, and she said "You can either be baptized, or you can be homeless"...well obviously, she chose not to be baptized. Hopefully her mom's heart will soften.
This week we also had a lesson with a family that is from Congo. They only speak French, so Sister Aka has to teach/interperet. We took a member who speaks some Cajun French, but it is still very different. We talked about our Pre-Earth Life and Adam and Eve, and Sister Aka interpreted for me when I taught Pre-Earth Life. Ha, it is really weird to be in a lesson when you have no idea what they are saying...and when there is a cute 2 year old boy who I just love! Ha, his name is Joel, and he was so cute! He was super shy when we first got there, but I started making faces at him, and we played our own version of peek-a-boo! Then we would look at the Swahili scriptures, and point to them. It was fun! He put pennies in my hand, then would take them, and then he found our phone...he played with it for a while, and when the lesson ended I had to take it from him...he kept saying mine, and I felt really bad, but I had to take it! He just started bawling! And just before we left he stopped, ha he bounced back, but he is adorable. As for the lesson though, it went fairly well...she is attending another church because it is a French Speaking church. Her husband wanted to be baptized a while back, but he wouldn't do it without her, and she won't do it. Hopefully her heart will soften as we keep going back. She is a very sweet woman, and I just wish I could understand her! Language barrier's are lame...I need the gift of tongues uber bad ha, ha!
On Wednesday we had a Zone Meeting (Not conference) and we reviewed some of the stuff we learned at the Leadership Training and it was really nice. I am really grateful that we are reviewing it, because I have no idea how to teach Sister Aka everything! It's a little bit overwhelming. Sister Woods was at the meeting, and after it, she came to and taught Ian with us. It was a REALLY good lesson that was truly led by the Spirit. Sister Woods talked about why we keep the Law of Chastity, because he really did not understand it. She said the reason we have the law of Chastity is to protect the laws of procreation. And you know, I always knew that, but I had never really thought about it that way! Ha, it was kind of like a DUH moment for me. Man I love Sister Woods, she is amazing. Ian is kind of frustrating some times...I just want to smack him upside the head and shake him and say "YOU KNOW IT!" I swear he knows...he's just scared. Until he makes the decision to make the life change, nothing is going to change for him. We'll just keep praying and teaching, and hopefully the Spirit will let us know how to make a difference.
I love you family. It sounds like things are going well! I am so grateful for all you do.
Thanks for everything!
Love you!
Sister Stacy Jo Earl
This part came a little later:
Um, I didn't even tell you anything about our new investigators! Sister Aka and Sister Smith found a really cool lady named Minnette while I was in Baton Rouge. She is AWESOME, and we are hopefully teaching her family tonight. We also found Donna. She is an interesting character, and I think she is great, but I also think that we are going to have to teach more simply so that she will understand more. I'm excited!
My first week on bikes has been a lot of fun. It has been really nice weather, and now I just have to make sure that as it gets warmer that I don't freak out and ride into a ditch if a bug hits me! Ha, ha! It'll all work out though!
Love you!
Sister Earl
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