09/16/13-Week 32 [Week 3 of Transfer 6]

Hi!!!

I have been out for officially 8 months today. I just can't believe it. It feels like I have been gone forever...but at the same time it feels like I just barely left. It is crazy. I hope that the time is flying for all of you back at home too! I know that I am loving the work I am doing! It is all worth it. The young women came and heart attacked out apartment this week :D It was adorable! It made us feel loved!

Bowers Family Baptism

First things first :D The Bowers were baptized on Saturday!!! YAY!!!!  It was wonderful. Sister Bowers was really nervous and tense before she was baptized. She was overwhelmed and you could tell she had been crying before they came. She was just trying to hold it all together. But after they were given the Holy Ghost (they did it at the same time because Brother Bowers had to work on Sunday), she was just beaming. She put her arms around her kids, she smiled more, she was just so happy. It was amazing. It was a great day for their family! This is what this work is all about. Bringing families together forever. I am so happy for them and the dedication they have put in to get to their baptism. They have taken one of the biggest steps that they ever will in their life. 

Then we found lots of new people to teach this week! We had a really cool experience on Monday  night. We were going to have an appointment with the Bowers family, but they had to cancel, so our back-up plan was to go tracting. I will be honest, I don't really like tracting...but I said "Well, God must have someone on this street that He wants us to find." So, we started knocking doors. First we met Matt. We talked to him about families and how they can be eternal. At first he wasn't too interested, but as we bore testimony, you could see the light come into his eyes. We will be going by this week and meeting his wife too and their kids. We will teach them and then they will get baptized and then they will go to the temple and get sealed!!!! It will be wonderful! Then we knocked on this door, and a kid came to the window and asked us what we wanted. We told him that we were missionaries and he ran to go and get an adult. Then a few minutes later of hearing some talking back and forth in the other room, he came back and said "8:10pm would be a better time." We said "Okay" but weren't sure if we really should come back. So we kept tracting. Then at around 8:10, I just thought, "well, why don't we just try and see if anyone is home." So we went back and actually ended up talking with Cindy and Carrie. They don't live there, but they happened to be there right at that time. They asked us questions about the after life and wanted to know more. So we got their number and will hopefully see them this week! God works in mysterious ways. Then we met a girl named Mandy who actually knows Sister Bowers from High School. We had a good conversation with her and she was very nice and friendly. We gave her a card and encouraged her to look into our website. Later that week when we were at the Bowers home for a lesson, Mandy texted her and told her that we had come over (Sister Bowers and her have been best buds since High School). She said that we were really nice and she thought that she would actually look into the church a little bit. Sister Bowers said that she can give us a call. Then her friend said "maybe I will be a Mormon..." Sister Bowers was really surprised because I guess that Mandy has had some really awful experiences with churches. She never thought she could get Mandy to go back to church. But, she may be interested eventually! We really saw so many miracles from that night! It was incredible. We had an amazing time talking with people and sharing with them God's love. This is His work. And I most definitely can't do it without Him. I learned a lot about how my attitude plays into how successful my work is. The more positive and willing I am, the more God will send miracles my way.

Saranna is still on check for her baptism!! It will be in 2 saturdays! Wahoo! She is ready. Yesterday we went over to review the Plan of Salvation with her because she said that she was a little bit confused. We asked her "what do you remember about the Plan of Salvation" and she literally blew out the ENTIRE plan of salvation. Start to end, without our help. She knew about the war in heaven, about the spirit world, the different degrees of heaven, EVERYTHING. It really blew our mind. It was incredible! She may be a little bit behind socially, but she is brilliant. It really was amazing. We just said "well! I guess we don't need to teach you anything!! What were you confused about again??" It was really cool. I am so excited for her! It will be a wonderful day for her. 

We also will be teaching some children of a less active starting this week :D She wants them to be baptized before the middle of November so that their grandpa can baptize them before they move. It will be so much fun! She has an 8 and 9 year old. I am so excited! I love working with kids!! I am excited to be able to bring a family united again. Then in a year, they can go to the temple and all get sealed together!! Horray!! Forever families. That is what it is all about. 

Sister Corbridge and I are getting along so well! We are just the best of friends. We have only known each other for a week and a half, but I feel like I have known her all of my life! We have just connected so quickly it is amazing. I am so grateful that she is my companion this transfer! I wouldn't be able to do my calling if I didn't have her as my companion. She helps me so much. She makes me laugh and we just have a blast together. We are so much alike. The only bad thing is that we cannot control ourselves in the store....we just buy everything. We are going to gain so much weight. Hopefully the running every morning helps...If you have any healthy-yummy food ideas, please send them our way!! We need some ideas. 

I love this work! It is crazy hard. I am so exhausted all of the time. I haven't been sleeping as well as I would like, but I will make it. Things could always get worse. I am so honored to be able to do this work. I know that this is the Lord's kingdom. It all fits together too perfectly. We know our purpose here. We know where we came from. We know about our divine potential as Sons and Daughters of God. We need not doubt our worth. Our Father in Heaven loves us beyond anything. He loves us more than any of His other bazillion creations. He finds the most joy in watching us follow Him. He is our Father and He loves us. All He wants is for us to follow Him and return to live with Him. He has done everything for us. The least we can do for Him is show him appreciation for this life and follow Him. We have to stop thinking about ourselves and our comfort zone or what we like doing, and start thinking about what He needs us to do. This is His time that we are on. And we must use it well. I hope that you are all doing family prayer and scripture study every single day. There is a POWER in the Book of Mormon. One that I cannot even describe. I have seen it change lives. And it can change yours. Just take the time for Him and He will give everything to you. Do Family Home Evening every week! You will be blessed because of obedience. I love you all! I know this gospel is true. Rely on Him and all will work out.

Love, 

Sister Emilee Brooke Farr