March 14, 2011

this week. I don't remember what happened. I shall go to my journal....

monday: we had a lesson with Steve that day. He is still the best person ever. He is just great. He came to church yesterday and he very much missed it. He called us later with a question. Perhaps one of the best questions ever. He asked, 'when will I get the priesthood?' He is very excited to be doing something in the branch. He just needs to
stop working on sunday. I am praying hard that his boss will stop scheduling him on sunday.

tuesday: We met again with the Flinchums. This time the wife was there. Vanessa. Tim and vanessa. We have high hopes for that family. We saw them again on saturday. Everytime we go over, it seems that vanessa is not very happy to talk to us but when we start talking, she
relaxes and she is good and listens very intently. On tuesday, we told them they could call us at anytime. So come 9:00pm, they call and had a question of the book of mormon. They wanted us to read a chapter to them. So we told them a 'bed time story'. :) It was so cool. I felt
the spirit working over the phone. on saturday Tim told us that he slept better after he read the book of mormon than he had in a couple months. TESTIMONY!!! :) I am going to really like them. I already do. We also found a couple (two) other investigators. The lord is blessing us tremendously.

Wednesday: it was the longest day on my mission. I don't really know why. I just wanted it to be over. I actually think it was because I really was not feeling very well. But i had a crazy dream tuedsay night. I had a dream that I was told to leave Beattyville in the middle of the transfer and go to another place. I was not happy about it but then I came to the realization that God told me to do it so I did. I will not be surprised if I left this area next transfer. I feel I will and sister mikami feels that I will. Yikes.

Thursday: we had a neat experience at the nursing home. We were talking and singing to Irene and all of a sudden, someone we talked to about a week ago came in a said,"I have lots of questions." he went on and we talked about the restoration and then we got to joseph smith
and he said, "Joseph smith is the closest man to the devil you can get." I just smiled and laughed inside and asked him why he thought that. Of course he could not give me a direct answer. We asked him to read the Book of Mormon for himself to see if it is true. He at first
refused but we persisted and then he accepted. We soft committed him to baptism and he said, "IF I find out that it is true, THEN I will get baptized." Sweet. We got another investigator. His name is millard. I am excited for him. I think he will find the Book of mormon to be true. I think he will try to prove it wrong but then can't. It is going to be awesome.

Sunday: We got a new branch presidency this week. That was a surprise for sure. now we have president ellison. He is going to be great. He lives an hour and a half away. Which is strange. The east is definatly different than the west. He and his wife have been called as
missionaries as well. So we have 6 missionaries in Beattyville. The lord has something in plan for this area. Something great planned.I have a really good surprise for you all. it is the best. Gladys didn't come to church yesterday and so we went over because we thought she was just sick but no. One of the first things she says, and she said it matter of factly, "I have decided to not be baptized but to continue in the religion of my parents." I am sad about this. When she told me I got tears in my eyes but I contained myself. I cannot tell you the difference I felt in her apartment and in her heart. She was very hard hearted. There was
nothing that we could say that would change her mind. She was not budging. So we left after she again came up with some lame excuses to not join and deny all the spiritual experiences that she has felt. I feel more dissapointed in gladys. Satan got to her and she didn't even
realize it this time. I read in my scripture study something that comforted my soul. It is Alma 48: 23-24. It was personal revelation that I had. it says. "they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world,
uprepared to meet their God. Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives , that their wives and their chilfdren shuold be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren," I learned alot of that scripture. I was very much not happy last
night and very sad. But today I am great because of this scripture. We have family all around us who need to hear the gospel. I am trying to find them. We found Gladys. We were helping her prepare to meet god. But then when she got so close, satan got to her and now she is not
going to be prepared to meet god. That is what makes me most sad. But then I know that I should not be 'massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren.' I should not let gladys keep me sad. I know that I can't be sad forever. I know that I must be
happy because I still need to prepare myself to meet god and to help other come to him. I learned alot. :)

I love you all very much. I hope your week goes fantastically. :) I love you.
Amanda