Hello!
I
am doing very well! I am struggling to remember what has even happened
this week..haha. Good thing we have nifty planners that spell out what
has happened. Otherwise, I would have nothing to say.
First
things, first. I forgot to tell you about Cheryl and Zach coming to
church last week! Well, I don't know if you remember them from the past,
but they were the people who were suuuper prepared...she was the one
who asked US if WE wanted to start studying with her. They loved the
story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. They are truly golden. But
then, they got really sick. They kept on cancelling appointments and we
were having a very rough time getting in touch with them. But then
Sister Buckles in our ward started visiting them and working with them
using DoTerra oils. And last week, they came to church!!! Ah! It was sooo
exciting. Everything in church was just directed to them. The speakers,
the lessons in classes, everything! In Sunday School, Sister Cordner and
I were teaching about the restoration of the gospel and started to talk
about when Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. We recited
the first vision and when we said personages, Cheryl asked us what we
meant. We told her that God has a body of flesh and bones....and she was
taken a back. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth and tears
started coming to her eyes. She said something about it confirming an
experience that she had that week. It was a very cool experience. You
could tell that they both felt the spirit so very strongly. It was
incredible. They are so prepared! At the end, we bore our testimonies
and there were tears in the room. I have such a firm testimony of the
restoration of this gospel! I know that we are the only true church on
the earth. I know that we have the fullness of the gospel. I know that
we have a living prophet who speaks to Jesus Christ.This church is just
so true! I can't even handle it. :D
We
had another cool experience this week. We taught Carol and Charlie
(potentials from the past) about the restoration of the Gospel. Charlie
was more closed than Carol was, but it was cool to see them change as we
taught them. When I recited the first vision to Carol, tears literally
came to her eyes. You could tell that the spirit spoke to her so
strongly that she couldn't deny what she felt. We asked her how she felt
and she said "different" (in a good way). It was incredible! We have
not had someone react to the first vision that way before. But Charlie
asked us 'what we were trying to do..' and we told him that we were
trying to bring him closer to Jesus Christ. Throughout most of the
lesson he was kind of stand-offish and would not accept much of it. But
at the end, I bore my testimony of the restored gospel, and you could
see him change. At the end he said "I am sorry for what I said. I can
tell that you know more about things than I do." (and he is probably in
his 70's). We gave them the Book of Mormon to start reading and they
accepted it. It was such a great lesson! I love the power of the spirit.
It can truly soften hearts and change people. Sometimes when others
will not accept the message of the restored gospel, all you can do is
bare a simple but powerful testimony, and the spirit can enter into
their heart and change them. It is amazing!! I just love this work!
We had a funny
experience the other day...we were sitting outside of Manor Care (a
nursing home where we volunteer playing Bingo) and this old man walks
past to go inside. A few minutes later he walks out and says "hello.
What are you ladies doing here?" We told him that we were missionaries
and that we volunteered playing Bingo with the old folks. Then he says
"Oh! Well, I am a retired minister." He chats for just a minute, and
then walks out to his car. A few minutes later, he walks back up to us
and says " I just want to say one thing." Sister Cordner and I were
bracing ourselves for a lot of anti-Mormon stuff, or some type of a
bashing situation. But instead this old man starts to tell us a little bit of a
story. He tells us that "there was this lady who is currently married to
a funeral director and was talking to her friend about all of her past
marriages. She said that first she was married to a banker, then she
married a ring master for a circus, then she was married to a Pastor,
and now she is married to a funeral director (or something along those
lines). Then the friend says, wait a minute.... that sounds like... one
for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!!"
Sister Cordner and I just crack up laughing. Then he says, "Well! Have a
good day!!" and walks back to his car. Sister Cordner and I are laughing
quite hard at this point and thinking 'what just happened?' We were not
expecting that at all! Then the man drove up to us in his car and says,
"most of all, Good luck with your ministry!" and drives away. We could
not stop laughing....It was very funny...and very unexpected. Later that
night, after we had turned out the lights for bed I whispered "one for
the money.." and we both laughed and laughed. It has been quite the joke
for the past couple of days. You have gotta love the people here in
Indiana! They are just a hoot.
I didn't tell you
about Dawnitta and Jay last week I don't think. But I was on an exchange
with Sister Fullmer last week and we had a really cool experience! We
were trying to contact a former investigator, and when we knocked on the
door a woman came to the door and had a very confused look on her face
at first, but was very friendly and invited us right in! She had a 10
year old son who came in and was going to get a ball to play with
outside. She told him that he was welcome to go outside and play with
his ball, but we were ladies from a church and we were going to talk
about church stuff. He then decided that he wanted to stay and listen to
us! (what 10 year old boy would rather listen to missionaries than play
with a ball? I don't know, but he was an amazing boy!) He sat through
the entire restoration quietly and very respectfully! Dawnitta was so
sweet! Her and her son loved hearing about our message and were so open
to it! They accepted it all. When we finished the restoration, I asked
her how she was feeling, and she said "Where can I get a Book of
Mormon?!" And we said, "You can have this one!" and handed ours over. It
was amazing. She told us that we could definitely come back! She even
told us that we could come back every day if we wanted to! When we were
leaving, I committed Sister Fullmer to inviting them to baptism the next
time, and yesterday I followed up with her, and Dawnitta and Jay have a
baptismal date!! Dawnitta was even telling us how she wanted to be a
missionary just like we were and do what we do. I don't know if any of
that makes sense, but they are just amazing! Soooo prepared! :D
Then I went on two
more exchanges this week. One with Sister McDowell (from Gilbert, AZ) and
another with Sister Saunders from Utah. We had a lot of fun! We had
some great experiences! Sister McDowell and I got lost numerous times on
random dirt roads in the country, but we eventually found our way! It
has been a blast getting to know all of the sisters! I have loved going
on all of these exchanges..even though it is completely exhausting!!
Other than that,
this week has been great! Our numbers are soaring and we are just having
so much fun! I wish I had more time to tell you about other things, but
time is limited. I love you all! Thank you for your help and prayers! I
definitely need them.
With Love,
Sister Emilee Farr
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