July 28, 2014

Fam and Friends!

 

I hope everyone is doing well!! We had a great week!! Ever since the beginning of the transfer, Sister Ashworth and I have been praying very specifically to witness a baptism in this area by the end of August. We've been working hard to find and to teach.. and have kind of been expecting this big miracle to arise.. from including this in each of our prayers. Well, we met with Ben and Natalie yesterday and they've been investigating since November.. they come to church every week and they can meet every other week. Yesterday in our lesson.. we invited them to be baptized on SEPT. 13th and they asked if they could do it earlier.. AH, what?! It's incredible to see how their testimonies have grown.. how Natalie has overcome her concerns through prayer and now they feel that they are ready to receive the blessings from baptism! We realized that it was them all along and that we should focus on these people that the Lord has ALREADY blessed us with to teach. It's been extremely humbling to see the Lord's hand in this work and that he truly does answer our prayers when we ask in faith, but in his timing. They are praying about AUG.30th and want to receive a firmer testimony of the Book of Mormon as they prepare :)

 

We had a very interesting experience this week! We met with Jimbo at a member's home and they also invited one of our other investigator's who they introduced to the church.. Sean. Jimbo loves the bible.. hates the Book of Mormon. And Sean Loves the Book of Mormon and hates the bible. Haha.. so you can imagine how fun that was! We watched the restoration video.. which is so powerful. But Jimbo brought up his same concerns.. We're really stuck with him because he reads, he prays, he comes to church, but he's not progressing in the sense that he's really opening his heart and mind to the fullness of the gospel. We've shared with him scriptures and insights and emphasized that the Book of Mormon really is the tangible evidence of the Restoration.. Joseph Smith and every thing. We can testify all day and we can only do so much.. it comes down to HIS faith and desire.

 

AH it's so frustrating, because we love him so much.

 

We also met with David again this week! He's doing Awesome! When he first met us he told us that he has always felt close to God, and has felt the spirit, but in recent years.. has felt that feeling has been missing. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and really emphasized the gift of the Holy Ghost and that he will have that constant companionship.. I'm realizing what a blessing that is, especially as a missionary. We'll be meeting with him and his girl friend this week!

 

I read a talk this week by Tad R. Callister, "Joseph Smith- The prophet of the restoration".. so good. It's such a blessing to know these truths and that the fullness of the gospel has been restored. The Lord is so involved in our lives.. I can't imagine that he wouldn't provide us with the guidance that we need. We have that guidance through living day prophets.. the Book of Mormon and the bible. This is something so hard for people to understand and yet they know that he is all loving and that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is unchangeable and his work is not yet finished. We can easily get caught up in doubt, but if we just hold on to what we know and read we will only draw closer to him and His Son. It seems so simple.. but this really can make all the difference!

 

I love you all!!

 

Sister James

July 28, 2014

Sister James in beautiful Santa Barbara!

 

Santa Barbara chapel

Sister Ashworth and Sister James