Monday, January 26, 2015

January 19, 2015

It has been  quite the week!  I'm so grateful for our family!  I've been so blessed with a wonderful family who has taught me and been an example to me of love and service and I'm so grateful for the gospel.  So I need to tell you all about the events leading up to when I found out that grandpa had passed away.  The Lord was very aware of us that day and really helped prepare me.  That morning we visited an older couple.  The husband is trying to return to church and the wife is just softening towards missionaries.  We taught them a little lesson and then they started talking about good pancakes.  I immediately thought of grandpa Prestwich's banana pancake recipe.  After that we went tracting and met a lady who let us in and we taught her the plan of salvation.  During that lesson I felt the spirit so much!  The Spirit really impressed on me the truthfulness of it.  She didn't become a new investigator but I don't doubt it gave her some peace. 
Then we went to Lakeland and taught Yu more about the Book of Mormon and the word of wisdom!  He said that he is going to try to go 20 days without drinking any coffee to start!  He told us maybe he needed to stop anyway because he had spilled coffee on his laptop and it ruined it.  He didn't come to church this week though because of some school things that he had to do.  I hope that we can  help him learn that when you make it a priority the other things work out.  He said he will come next week though. 
We then had a lesson with a recent convert named Marsha.  We had planned on starting her family history with her because she wants to go to the temple and take a family name with her for her first time.  Her internet wasn't working though so we decided to teach her the plan of salvation instead.  We were just going to teach the end but in starting I just felt like we should start at the beginning.  We did and part way through she said, "I can't believe this!"  She went on to say that she had been asked to give a short lesson on our life on earth and didn't know what to do so she had prayed that she would have help with her lesson.  Then she said, "and then you two come and teach it to me."  She said it was an answer to her prayers and a great strength to her testimony. 
After that we had an appointment but on our way they called and said they were sick with the flu. So I turned down a different street and realized it was the street of the church and remember that the relief society meeting was just starting.  We hadn't planned on going because of our appointment but we both felt like we needed to go now.  It was on the temple.  We sang "families can be together forever" and enjoyed wonderful little talks about the blessings of the temple and preparing to go.  We have a lot of recent converts who are preparing to go.  Anyway it was so beautiful and a great spiritual boost.  After that we came home to do our nightly planning and President Cutler called and said that grandpa had passed away. 
 Heavenly Father was so aware of me and really strengthened and prepared me for that!  I was reminded of the beautiful plan that Heavenly Father has for us right before and it was so comforting and I had so many opportunities to share it that day!  We also shared it with a couple who is going through cancer right now.  I'm grateful for the plan of salvation. 
Our recent converts are doing so well!  Ebony gets so excited about the Book of Mormon!  She is reading it three times a day and it is truly changing and strengthening her!  It is fun to see her enthusiasm for the gospel.  She is the only one in her family that goes to a church and they sometimes give her a hard time about it but she just says, "yes I am going to church!  I like church!"  Jared and Kathryn, also were so excited to tell us about their Book of Mormon reading this week!  It is so fun to see the fruits of the gospel!  We also had a lady come to church this week who we haven't seen for a long time!  My heart just leaped for joy when we saw her at church!  Last we saw her she didn't want us to visit her anymore but at church she said she would text us. 

I love you all so much and will be praying for grandma Prestwich and the family!  Thank you for your support and prayers!  Miracles come after the trial of your faith! 

The church is everlastingly true!  Love you!