Benson Hill.... Land of miracles

Well it has been a crazy week here, lots of ups and downs. Saturday was amazing tho we had so many miracles happen.

    1. We have been working with a 9 year old girl that is part of a part member family. She wants to be Baptized so bad. We fasted Wednesday to Thursday and Thursday we went to go see her mom to see if we could build some bridges. Sadly when we went by the mom wasn't home. we kept trying and on Saturday SHE WAS HOME!!! She welcomed us in and was very friendly, she is normally kinda standoffish. She is willing to work with us to help her daughter get baptized and she agreed to have the bishop some visit her!  

   2. Saturday Night we had a ward Game night. When we got there the Elders Quorum President told us to go and find the 1st councilor in the bishopric. He was giving a church tour to a lady. The Lady said she had driven by the church  thousands of times but there was never anyone there or there was lots of cars. This time when she drove by there was 1 car. She turned in and asked the 1st councilor is she could ask him some questions about the church. He invited her in. At first she didn't want to come in because she was not in a dress, but he convinced her and started to give her a tour. This is when we showed up and finished the tour. When we talked about Joseph Smith and I recited the first vision to her she said, "That is just like me. I am looking for the right church." Then when we were in the chapel explaining the Sacrament she asked if she had to take it. We explained that it is voluntary and she was relived. She sad she understood how sacred it is and how she didn't want to make a covenant that she didn't understand. Sadly she is not in our ward. Yesterday we introduced her to the Sisters serving in her area and she attended church with them.

   3. We went to see an Investigator to invite him to church. We got to sit down and talk to his mom. She is very open and wants to sit in on the lessons so that she can know what her son is learning about.

Last p-day we went to Colan Beach. It was very pretty I will send pictures. We ate at a little diner on the lake and then walked around and took pictures. It is like we were normal!

2 weeks ago the Mission Department introduced a new way of teaching. We now use the Pamphlets LOTS more and try to keep visits to 30min. We don't even introduce the Book Of Mormon until the 2nd visit. We have seen it greatly increase our missionary efforts. People are more willing to see us and see us more often. We are also being encouraged to not tract. Instead we are working through members, part member families, less active members and investigators to find people to teach. So far it is working great. We are really seeing it work.

Next week is transfers so I will not be e-mailing on Monday but on Tuesday.

A spiritual thought or two before I go....

"Sometimes we will face things for which there is no earthly explanation. In those moments we need to erect a sign that reads, 'quiet: God at work.' Meanwhile, hold on Child of God. Keep believing. Don't quit. Don't give up. Let God do his work in you. The greatest tragety is to miss what God wants to teach us through our trials."

                                                  Ray Pitchard

"Insisting that yu have a picture perfect family home evening each week- even tho doing so makes you and everyone around you miserable- may not be the best choice. Instead, ask yourself, 'what could we do as a family that would be enjoyable and spiritual and bring us closer togeather?' that family home evening may have far more positive long term results."

                                                   President Dieter F. Uchdorft

Have a great week everyone. and Hang in there.

Sister Dekarver

 

Benson Hill..... Missionary Changes

On Tuesday we received training from President Eaton. The Missionary Department came last month and changed some things. The first lesson is now 30 minutes long. From door-to-door. We also now count lessons as having a opening and closing prayer. Instead of before when it had to include a commitment, doctrine, and a prayer. This has made our numbers drop ALOT but will lead to more progressing investigators and more baptisms.

I have found myself studying a lot about families lately. It is not like I want to I just start studying and then I am like,"wow how did I end up At families again?" Families are very important. Think about where we would be without them. President Packer said, "... nothing is more critically connected to happiness- both our own and that of our children- than how well we love and support one another within the family." Families are so important they are our support. The second point we talk about when teaching the first lesson is "Gospel Blesses Families." The Gospel really does bless families. As we strive to have better relationships with our family members we will be able to feel the spirit more in our home. And feel the love of others as well as our Saviors love for us.

On a different note ...my ward mission leader is from the Philippines. And in the Philippines they have a delacasy called Bolut. Sister Alder Has eaten it as well as Elder Bradford but Elder Mchendrick and I refuse. Bolut is a Duck egg that has been fertilized and is about to hatch. Sister Alder says it just tastes like a normal hard boiled egg with a beak. I am taking her word for it. I am not putting that thing in my mouth!

Hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you next week.

Sister De Karver   

Benson Hill....... Missionary life

Well. Our carpets are finally clean and we are getting a kitchen table this afternoon. We also rearranged the furniture in our house. Our apartment "renovation" is almost complete we just need to put all the furniture back where it goes and hang pictures back on the walls. Then just a few small things and We are done!!!! Are apartment is so nice now!!!

Sister Alder and I have learned how to Crochet (well I should say are learning.)

we definitely have lots of room to improve! It is nice to not think about gospel stuff for a little while at night. (Don't worry. I love the gospel! but it is like a stress relief. (wow I sound like a old lady:)))

I got to teach The Law of Chasity lesson this past week. Sister Alder said I did great. It was part of the new member lessons, after someone is baptized we teach them all the lessons again plus another one about ordinances, so i couldn't screw anything up to bad. ;)

Hope all is well...

Till next week...

Sister De Karver

Benson Hill..... Extreme make over Apartment edition

Wow I survived this past week.

We spent every free second we had prepping our apartment for painting. We probably filled around 600 holes!!!! On Saturday we had to get up finish prepping, go to a Relief Society Activity, then we left early and went to meet up with our housing coordinators. We finished Prepping and then started painting. two of the young mens presidency was there and 1 young man. There was 7 of us. Which was a good number. we started paining around 11:30 and finished at about 2. Then we skipped lunch and took a nap instead. While we were painting we turned the heater off. it was freezing! We decided to have Wendy's for Dinner and study in our warm car. then we went to the Tiffany Park Sisters apartment and showered and got ready and went out for the last 3 hours. Wow we were tired. We drove around trying to find more lost people. Then saw Sister Swadner. I was falling asleep the whole time. then we went home and went to sleep. Our apartment looks bran new now. I don't want to put anything up on the walls after all that hard work. We went to bed at 9:30 last night and I took a nap. (the blessings of fast Sunday!) We also decided we are going to rearrange our apartment. We are waiting until we find out when we are cleaning the carpets tho because we don't want to move all the furniture just to move it again. We are going to try and see if we can organize it so we can get a kitchen table because that would be great!   Last night we moved our beds a different way and now there is so much more room! We don't know why they weren't like that in the first place. Elders.... is all I have to say. Our Furniture is all in big piles in the middle of the rooms. it is hard to try and function and is making me anxious because things are not wear they belong. This morning instead of working out, because we don't have anywhere to work out, I put my closet back together. It is a slow process. I will have to send pictures when it is all done. I am sad I don't take before pictures.

We have started teaching a woman named Keya. We ran into her tracting. She just wants to be a good mom and do what is right for her kids. We were in the middle of our second lesson when we found out she thought we were Jehovah Witnesses. We corrected her real quick on that.

I had my first Church tour this week. with Andy. He brought a friends along as well. I think it went really well. They are both going to read the Book Of Mormon. Andy can read English but he is more comfortable with French and Lingala. We are trying to get him a Book of Mormon in French right now.

I am learning so much and love being a missionary. This is such an amazing opportunity! I love it!

Til next week....

Sister Dekarver