Thursday, August 23, 2007

His Will

Due to the lack of interest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ from our investigators, We have been praying hard to find some that would have an interest. The neatest thing happened a couple of weeks ago we went back to a couple house that the Elder had tracked into before. One lady said she wasn’t interested and referred us to Lori who lived in a cream house down the street who had MS. We Just thought that the lady was trying to get us away by sending us to another house so we kind of blew it off until the other day when we both kept thinking about this Lori lady. We went one night to all the cream house, meet a guy who wasn’t sure if he was a member or not but said he didn’t even had 30 min ever to meet with us. So we presided to the other cream houses. Lori opened the door and after running after her cat she invited us in not knowing why we were there.

We told you that her neighbor referred us and how we have a message about the restored gospel. That word Restored caught her attention and she stared asking question. We ended up teaching her the first lesson which went so smoothly because she was understanding and asking question. She had thought that there was never apostasy and was curious about the restoration. I have never taught the whole first lesson to someone the first time we meet them who lets us in with such a desire to learn more. After making another appointment we her for tomorrow we tried the Ott’s. Now we meet Mr. Ott a while ago and kept going to his house over and over again but it seemed like no one lived there and her gave us a bogus address. But following the spirit always works. We went by again cause there was a car there. The church next door saw us knocking on the house door and stared pointing finger and talking amongst themselves. We thought they were going to yell at us but they informed us that the house belongs to the church and the Ott don’t live here. He kindly show us where some more houses would be and lead us in the right direction cause there we found the Ott.

Although we had the wrong first name we meet his wife and taught them both. It was really neat because she started of stubborn but by the end she had picked up on the fact that her Methodist faith might be wrong and that she would have to pray about it. That meant we had three new investigators for that day. Our usual goal is 2 new investigators for the whole week so it was a great start for us. Oh and I never taught a husband and wife before at the same time. So this week has been good and hard. We sadly got declined from one of the member’s next door neighbeors’ who we thought was going to go really well. But the Talkington did not accept. It was really hard for me cause everthing before hand was perfect. The Wardell’s son waiting for the Talkingtons to be there to open his mission call just so we could share the reason why we are on our missions, to invite the spirit and invite them to hear the gospel. But we never know what Heavenly Fathers Plan is for us. I know that I was prompted to give them a BOM even though they really didn’t look too excited, I know I planted a seed and the husband later down the road will read the BOM and come to find the truth on his own.

None the less this was probably the hardest rejection I have received on my mission. It lead me to be stronger though and rely on My Heavenly Father’s will and not mine. Just wanted to know that I Know that the lord is on my side and through him anything is possible
Love you all
Sister Barrand

P.s It rains like every night and morning here. The weather is getting a little cooler so that’s a lot more comfortable when tracking!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Elder Jones

Ok so last letter concluded that I had a discouraging week but it wasn’t that bad. This week really made up for it though. We had Elder Jones from the 2nd Quorum of the Seventies for a fireside and then Zone Conference. The spirit taught me and lead me to say what they needed to hear as we were teaching our investigators. For The Patterson (a Part Member) family it was to let them know that their relationship was one of the best I ever seen. By that comment his heart his opening and he love having us over. He even came to his first Church function the fireside with Elder Jones. It was on missionary work and Bryan Patterson said it was all very spiritual and Elder Jones is a very learned man. He is looking forward to having us over for some gospel conversation. There were some things said in the fireside that was directed toward Bryan that he needed to hear and that was only because Elder Jones followed the spirit.

I’m learning a lot about how and when you say things. It all on the lord time and you have to have the spirit helps you out. I can totally tell when I listen to the spirit and say what the savoir would say compared to when I think I got the lesson down and I go off my own knowledge, it’s a humbling experience.We just had a missionary return in this ward and his talk was an excellent talk about our loving heavenly father, it’s to bad our investigator chooses to ditch out on the ride we found them and cry in their bed instead of enrich their lives. Oh well we just feel so bad for the member who went to go pick them up and they didn’t come.

Oh how I love my companion. Her mom got her and I some glow sticks and we had a glow stick party before we headed off to bed. He he you all missed out. But I’m sure you all were having fun in Utah with the fam.It so great to have a single sister in the ward to come out with us. We have been taking out a lot of the members to get acquainted with our investigator so that they can feel welcome and the people love it, because they are normal. Cause we are two young sisters that just talk about Jesus to them.I have to tell you that I really love all of you and appreciate everything you do. I really love my mission, I love figuring out what theses West Virginia people need and helping them out. I love when we get to witness a change of heart. I love the changes in my own life as I devote all my time and energy to serve Heavenly Fathers children.

Love you all
Sister Barrand

Sunday, August 12, 2007

This is a bad letter

Well well, I always feel like I have nogthing to say and this is the same old stuff over and over again, but it all exciting to me. I know by the time I get home I think I will have a tiny portion of what it takes to be a good missionary. All I can do know it try my hardest. This week was kind of pathetic for our investigators. We had to drop quite a few of them. They are so unwilling to try and put a little effort in putting God first. They’re priorities are all messed up.

Sister Larsen and I have worked really hard to simplify the gospel and promise them blessing but they don’t even try. You know I love my mission and all the wonderful people and their silly quarks but I realized that it is really hard to watch people miss out theses blessings. I thought everyone wanted a more happy life? I thought that people would pop out of the bushes pleading to know more about why LDS people are so grounded and love life. It’s sad to think about how people feel they know everything about Christ and they don’t need any more of Him in their lives. Ches, one of our investigators told us that he was going to go back to his old faith, after finding out and praying for himself the truths about our church. We wrote him a long letter which pretty much had all the lesson in it with our testimonies of this gospel. The spirit directed us to what we needed to say to Ches. It was a pretty powerful letter and I hope he ponders on it and comes to a conclusion for himself and not have his mother decide for him. We had a excellent zone conference on getting out of our comfort zone.

This reminds me of selling pest control. Something I thought I couldn’t do but would gain experience. I’m grateful for that experience. It reminds me of the sons of Mosiah (Mosiah 27:3)and how they could stand the thought of anyone not knowing about their Salvation. So they diligently went out and preached to everyone. Why can’t we all be a little more like them? It a commandment to love one another and if we follow this commandment we would care about others salvation, so why are we so afraid to open our months?

Now, don’t think that this just applies to us missionaries, because I know that’s what I thought before my mission. But since I been out I have been so excited to not return from a mission but to be a missionary all my life. We need the help of the members, it’s like the difference between using a shovel and a excavator. And you my friends and family are the excavator. And I’m not calling you fat but I’m calling you to help out. I know I sound preachy but I preach all day. So get out of your comfort zone and bare your testimony to a gentile. He he. I’m so horrible. I still love you all
Love
sister Barrand