Monday, March 3, 2014

Huuuuge miracles this week

Hi family & friends!

This week was a little bit different, but we were still blessed greatly!

Poor Sister Mork got a bad case of the flu last sunday night and was pretty much out for the count for most of this past week.  We even took a nice little trip to the ER till 4:30am one night!  (No worries!  Just had to get rehydrated and stuff.)  But she's getting a lot better, and we're going to get out a lot more this coming week!  Woo!

Even with all that, though, we still had huuuuge miracles this week!  We taught 11 lessons to investigators with members present (just 2 fewer than last week), and were able to set 3 more baptism dates with investigators!

One was that little girl Hannah I told you about last week.  She's so precious!  Her sister was there, which is a plus, and we're going to try to get her whole family there this next time we see her!

One is Matt that I told you about last week also!  He faces a lot of challenges with his family, but he's agreed to work towards baptism on a specific date!  He and Allison and Carol are sweethearts.

Another is..... Pat!  Aaaahhh!!  I think I've told you about him before, but if not, he's been taught many times before, including the past few months before I even got to this area.  We've extended invitations for him to be baptized soooo many times in each of our lessons, but he's never committed.  However, this past week, we had an incredible lesson with him, where he started off by saying he didn't want to waste our time anymore.  He didn't see himself as progressing towards anything and knew that we have other things to do, so he suggested we stop meeting.  We both felt like we should keep going though, and fought tooth and nail to help him see how important this Gospel is for him personally.  Eventually, the lesson shifted from how all he has to do is try what we ask him to do to feel the blessings to how much Heavenly Father loves him, and how much more he can feel that through this Gospel.  I've come to see so much on my mission that sometimes, people just need to feel that God loves them.  That anybody loves them, for that matter!  (Sidenote: if you're reading this and feel unloved, unappreciated, or unknown, know that there is Someone who knows, appreciates, and loves you more than any limited human being can.  He loves you.  I promise you that.)  Through talking about all these things, we invited him to be baptized on a specific date one more time, and he finally said, "Ok!"  AAAAAAAHHH!!
 
Kaj got baptized!!! So precious!! 
 
I went with Sister McKnight and Sister Riding to the Parrish family funeral We got to be a part of a missionary choir that sang prelude music to the family before the funeral. So beautiful. (A family from Pocatello all died from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in their home. The parents and 2 boys ages 12 & 14 were home at the time. Two older children were living away from home serving as LDS missionaires as Katie is doing)

God's love is the sweetest thing in the world.  Also the most addicting.  One taste can hook you for eternity.  Best part?  No end, no crash, no adverse side-effects (unless you count becoming more like our Savior Jesus Christ as adverse.... in that case, I would advise you to REPENT.)

Really though, God loves you.  You.  Individually, personally, completely.  He wants to hear from you and is eager to talk back!  Pray to Him; talk to Him!  He may give you lighter burdens and increased flocks when you ask for deliverance from bondage, He may make you wait out your personal storms just for a little longer, but He does answer in the way you need to be answered to best grow to your potential (Mosiah 21:14-16).  He also wants to hear from you often, not just a "spasmodic cry in the time of crisis," otherwise it is "utterly selfish!" (Howard W. Hunter [Preach My Gospel pg. 97]).  Just like our fathers or other loved ones would LOVE for us to call just to tell him we love him (p.s. Dad, I love you!), or just to talk, so He wants to be remembered more often than just when He's a last-resort effort to fix all our problems.  Just like the children's song says, "Pray; He is there.  Speak; He is listening.  You are His child, His love now surrounds you."

I testify of the power of prayer.  So talk to Him--He's waiting. :)

I love you all!
-Sister Jacobson

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