Family!
Well, after two weeks of what felt like really rushed emails I have decided that the FIRST thing we would do today would be emailing so I can share all the awesome things that happened in my week and that I don't feel so rushed. But thanks for all your emails and, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER CHADDERTON!" In America it's your birthday today so I might have to go eat something in remembrance of you. I should have thought of that earlier. Anyway, Happy birthday! I hope you got my package.
Anyway's, family this week has been full of miracles. Just incredible miracles! So, last Monday was P-Day and it was mostly spent with Sister Schoepf saying her goodbyes. Tuesday was the same along with a few meetings that we had scheduled with the Relief Society Presidents. They were great because we got some good referrals from them. Then it was time for Sister Schoepf to pack, had dinner together then visited a few more people before calling it a day. Sister Schoepf was getting picked up on Wednesday morning at 5.45am by the Assistants to the Mission President (AP's) and President Cannon too and I was to stay at the house until 10:00 a.m. with Sister Christensen - (the lady we live with) - where later the AP's would then come and get me and take me to meet up with my new companion. Well, what was cool about Wednesday was that our whole day was booked from about 2:00 p.m. onwards. I met my new companion and her name is Sister Moncur and it turns out that we were both at BYUH together. She was there from January 2010 until April 2011 and yet we never knew each other. We also figured out that we took a family history class together. What a small world! Another coincidence is that she started her mission about the same time I did, but her original mission call was to the New York South Mission - Spanish speaking - but she got really sick so she has been home for a month recovering and hoping to go back out. If she survives these next three weeks with me then she should be cleared to go back to New York to finish her mission. It is truly the Lords hand in putting us together as companions and I know there are people that need her in their life right now. So back to our Wednesday, we had this awesome lesson with this guy whose name is Matthew. He told his wife he was ready to take the discussions and we went over there and were talking about why he is suddenly interested in the gospel and he said, "I am just ready to be a Mormon" and it blew us away because I wasn't expecting him to be so golden. It was an awesome lesson but, I was a little upset with myself because normally, before going into a lesson where we are going to commit someone to baptism, we would pray about a date for them but I didn't realize he would be that golden so we hadn't prayed about a date. Anyway, it worked out and instead we told him to pray about a date. I am excited for this week when we visit him again and learn how he went with his praying. His wife is less active but teaching her husband will definitely help her to come back to church. Then we were able to see another less active lady and set up an appointment with her. Our Wednesday finished on a real high note and it really was an awesome day. I love being busy!
The next day was Zone Conference! It was incredible. I don't know if I've told you about the Atonement Packet that our Mission President gave us to study. We have been studying the atonement every day for the past month and so our Zone Conference was focused entirely on the atonement and it was incredible. One of my favorite talks from the whole packet was a talk by Elder Bruce R. McConkie entitled, something like "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane" and it is possibly the most powerful talk on the Atonement that I have ever heard. It just brings you all but to tears reading it and the spirit at Zone Conference was awesome. Our Zone leaders trained us and challenged us to become Christlike Missionaries and said we need to study a principle from the Preach My Gospel (PMG) book every day, so that is my goal. I really do love PMG and the Book of Mormon (BOM) so I don't get a lot of other things studied. That night we met these 4 girls who so desperately want to be baptised but there parents won't let them. We had a good lesson with them and they still have a lot to learn before they are ready for baptism. Then we talked to a sister who is a couple of weeks away from leaving on her mission. It was sad though because she is having doubts about if it's the right thing for her to be doing so we just tried to help her realize that it really is the best decision to make. So that night ended good as well.
Friday was another good day. Honestly we didn't have a bad day this week. IF anything it has been the busiest week we've had in a long time. It was awesome. So, Friday was District Meeting and the assignment I was given for District Meeting was to talk about how we recognise pride in ourselves and it was a question found in PMG under Humility in the Christlike attribute chapter and it was commical to me that the district leader assigned me that question. But at the same time it was really good to study and it made me realize that any form of contention is an indication of pride. So, if we are contentious with our companions, or our investigators or our leaders or anything it shows and is evident that we have pride. Its funny cause some of the Elders in our district aren't/ weren't getting along, but I enjoyed studying that question. That afternoon we went and contacted some of the referrals we were given and they both agreed to have us back so that was AWESOME! That night we visited another referral and learnt that this ladies husband had committed suicide last year and she was so distraught. As we walked up to meet her and she was like, "Wow, you ladies are so young and I really don't think I can talk to you!" We were a little surprised and told her that we have been called of God and she needs us at this time. She let us in her home and then proceeded to tell us her entire life story which for the most part was so sad. She honestly has lost all reason to live and she just doesn't understand why she was left alive or why she wasn't their to stop her husband. It was a really sad situation but by the end of the visit she was laughing and not crying so hopefully that's a good thing. She was hesistant to make another appointment but we will be going back because she needs the gospel whether she realizes it or not.
Saturday was another awesome day! We went to a breakfast fundraiser, the Christensen's invited us to it, then another family took us to lunch and shared their conversion story, and then we met and taught a guy by the name of Anthony! This is the kid who came up to us last week at church and told us he is ready to take the discussions so this was our first meeting and it was awesome. A little intense because some of the stories and things that have gone on in his life are a little overwhelming but at the same time he is so ready for the gospel. So, we committed him to baptism on May 5th! He will pray about it but seemed confident when we challenged him. It was just so cool to see how much he wants the gospel become a part of his life. Then we went to teach Kristen the other lady whose baptism is scheduled for May 5th and we met at a members home and it was great. She is so excited about her baptism and I don't think it can happen soon enough. So, needless to say I am kinda excited for my birthday for more then one reason. To see people truly prepared to make covenants is pretty much the best. It's going to be a great day. Oh and guess what? We met a lady who wants to make me a birthday cake. She is not a member but her name was given to us as a referral and when we went to see her she wasn't really interested in the discussions but she loved talking so much about baking that I told her she needed to make me a cake for my birthday. I just have to tell her what kind of cake I want and she will make it. Im excited!
Anyway, Sunday was awesome and as we looked over our goals for the past week we were happy that we had accomplished most of them, except we needed to teach 6 more lessons to get our goal of teaching 20 lessons. So, we prayed really hard and we worked really hard so that we could get the 6 lessons and we got our goal! Between Church and two meals it was just nice to see that you can set goals and accomplish them. So, it was a great finish to the week. We achieved every goal we set! Kinda a good feeling. Also guess who surprised me yesterday? Sister Westover!!!!! She is going to school at BYU and her sister lives in Meridian so she called and was like, "I'm in Meridian and I want to see you". IT was so cool to catch up with her but it made me miss my first area a little bit. But this week has been very humbling to see the way the Lord works in our lives. Honestly, to see his work rolling forth. Really we aren't doing much but he is placing people like rain drops on our path and we just have to make sure we petition him for his help. Missionary work is awesome. I am learning to truly rely a lot more on the Saviour and his will not my own wisdom.
I will send some pictures through for you. Oh and for my birthday absence dinner you should have home made hamburgers because I'm pretty sure I request that a lot for birthday plus I miss EGGS on the burger! And also for dessert have home made carrot cake!!!!! Well, thats my input. I love you family. Its been an awesome week. The Lord is truly taking care of me. I am looking forward to next transfer when I have the same companion for 6 weeks but I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been with Sister Schoepf and Sister Moncur. Good times ahead. Have a good week. Take care of yourselves and I can't believe I am nearly 23..... When did I get so old????? Love you. Take care, Sister Chadderton xoxoxoxoxo
001 - Sister Schoepf and I
002 - Me attempting to paint someones house. I didn't do too bad a job
003 - Alec and Shyanne - the two children we saw baptized last week
004 - Sister Westover and I
005 - Sister Moncur and I
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