Week 38-The Lord qualifies who He calls

So sorry if my titles has been one before..one of my bigger struggles on the mission. Coming up with new email titles *siigh**

So we have certainly been seeing so many miracles here in Mustang 1st East. It's rather sad because our area is simply so, how do I say this, 'Prime' right now. There are SO many great investigators, less-actives, and missionary minded members here now, that it's going to be hard to leave. But I certainly know that the Lord has blessed us in our efforts here to make this area stronger. I'm just so grateful for the growing experiences he's given me here. I only pray every day that I can more better learn things from them every time they come around (*cough cough* every day). And I hope that sentence made sense too. I just want to make sure that I'm getting everything I can out of this mission opportunity for it's such a gold-mine of growing opportunities. I can so easily get stressed out here about SO many things that I know that I could be doing better on and am even more frustrated that I haven't done so already! But BUT.. something that our District Leader, Elder Keller, told Sister Franklin and I the other day is how we need to just be making sure that we're a little better missionary today than we were yesterday. And that is where the true progress is going to be made. Our Father wants us to enjoy the work out here! And He knows that we don't learn best when we're constantly putting ourselves down and focusing on every little thing making it so that we can't really even focus on a single thing! Anyways, I know that's true. I've started another journal that I right in every night of my progression. On just a few simple things that I did that day that I know helped me take a little step forward in being who He needs me to be. Tis a grand idea I must say :)

Well, sorry about that. That was a lot. But here's the good stuff :D

So there's a family in the ward, the Stotts, who have been working with this family in the City for a few weeks now. They're friends and they invited them to a church tour Saturday night. It went SO well. All of the kids (from the two families combined there were about 10 of them. BIG FAMILIES FOR THE WIN) played in the nursery together while we took the adults around. When we got to the Chapel at then end, the Spirit was so powerful. Brother Stott has an amazing voice and he actually sung the first verse to "A poor Wayfaring Man of grief." It was wonderful. Music is so beautiful, and can be so powerful. They are VERY interested in the church and we'll probably have some missionaries in the city teach them but it sure was a privilege being able to work with them for a minute. 

There was this Less Active that we visited the other night and while we were talking to him a woman came walking out and her face completely lit up! Turns out that she'd been baptized a few years ago and became inactive a little after then moved to Mustang. The main reason she doesn't go now is because she doesn't know anyone. Well, guess who's going to change that! She's coming to church next week! And kicker, she wasn't even on our records.

Love you all, 

Sister Call

PS. I'll be going to Lawton to be an STL down there. Going back to the SOUTH. YES! Love you!   

p.p.s - The mother's comment- STL is a Sister Trainer Leader. Lani was one of these...kind of like Zone Leaders for the sisters.....we did not have these in Paraguay ... we only had 15-20 sisters in the mission...back in the good 'ole 80's.

Week 37-"Why I Believe"‏

What a great week.

*siigh* what did we do. Goodness, where to start. First off, we were able to go and do Baptisms at the Temple with one of my Recent Converts, Jan Elrod!! Hermana Johnson and I were both called up a few days before by the Sulphur Sisters telling us that Jan wanted us to be there. One quick call for permission to President and we were a go! It was a beautiful experience. Seeing her with that big smile on her face in that white jump suit was one of those great times that things come into perspective for you as a missionary and you remember why you're out here. 

We were then able to have a GREAT lessons on Temples with Drew the other day. She's incredible. She really wants her mom to get baptized but she's in stage four of Alzhiemers and so that probably wouldn't be the best idea. We had a member with us who had done her own mother's work a few years before and as she testified of her own experience the spirit was really incredible. Drew has such a testimony of the temple and knows that she'll be able to do the work for her own mother when the time comes.

We had a rather, dare I say, 'sketchy' experience on Saturday night that quickly turned into one amazing miracle. We were out with the Stake President's wife Sister Bellows (who is an absolute champ and has 'no fear') at a trailer park that no other members dared to take us too (it's pretty far out and fine...rather scary) looking for some less actives. We were trying to find some people and oh boy, was this place rather run down. Well, finally we gave in and went to the 'front office' (Just this rather dinky place with a rickety door) to ask if any of these people lived there. The lady there was pretty nice and told us they didn't. Here's the miracle. We began talking to her and turns out that she and her husband had been taking the discussion in..Mississippi? a few years back. They were pretty interested in having us back. HUZZAH!! WHO KNEW! Well, WE didn't..but the Lord did. :) I have such a testimony of the care that he has for his children. He's certainly going to take care of all of them. We need to make sure that we're worthy to allow him to trust and work through us.

In other words, AP Steed called us Saturday night and Sister Franklin's training. I'm SO proud of her. Really. She will do incredible. But alas, that does mean that I'll be leaving. 

Love you all, have an INCREDIBLE week!

Sister Call

Not sure what this is!

Not sure who these folks are...I will ask next week.

Week 36-Most beautiful sound; Water running in the Baptismal Font

Helloooo familia!

This past week has been a complete blur. One amazing blur.

Drew Overton was baptized on Saturday and it was one of the most powerful experiences of my mission yet. She is good friends with Kevin Pletcher the tall one in the right shirt to her left. He's a less active but who's entire family is VERY strong in the church. His brother, Jason, on the far left with his wife and daughter actually are in the Pauls Valley Branch Presidency in my last area. Brother Pletcher called me a "Greenbean" at the pulpit when he announced me to speak my very first Sunday out in the field! (*siigh** aah Brother Pletcher). And then their parents are the ones to the right of Drew. THEY live in Ardmore and every one of these wonderful people drove all the way up to Mustang to attend her Baptism. Brother Pletcher, the father, baptized her.

Sister Franklin and I sang 'Come unto Christ' at the beginning and things got fairly emotional. Everyone headed into the cultural hall (where the font is. odd, I know) while Sister Franklin and I walked into the bathroom with her. She completely burst into tears and just held onto us for a few moments, shaking slightly. Drew lost a 2 week old son about 30 years ago because her ex husband abused her all through the pregnancy. She's blamed herself for it all these years though. It's been a very hard road for her. While she was in the bathroom though, she just kept saying through her tears how this huge weight that had been on her shoulders and heart for years now was literally being lifted and how she just couldn't believe it had taken her this long to find the church. Sister Franklin and I stood there, crying ourselves. There wasn't too much to be said. The burning in our hearts but yet complete peace in that bathroom was all that was needed. 

The next morning Brother Tucker, one of our amazing ward missionaries, gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was beautiful. Drew and Kevin came in a tad late (a tad stressful for us..as you can imagine :) ) so we weren't able to sit with them. Well there was 5 minutes left for testimony meeting and Sister Franklin and I see this little blonde head come bobbing through the crowd, from the back of the chapel up to the pulpit. We both couldn't help but smile. Drew came up and she was shaking so it was pretty hard for her to unfold the wrinkled piece of paper she'd written her testimony on, but she did. She then bore the sweetest, simplest, but most powerful testimony I've heard in a long time, finishing with "In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen." 

As I sit here, telling you all this, those powerful emotions are coming back. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for giving me this opportunity to see people change through the Gospel. It confirms to me every day just how true it is for the effects are real and powerful. The Savior and his gospel are real and true. And I'm SO grateful to have it in my life. I pray every day for more courage and diligence to be able to allow others to have it in theirs as well. Please strive your best to do the same. It is the most important work that we can do in this life for as we share it, we become more converted and like our Savior ourselves.

I love you all so much. And thank you for the examples that you have been to me throughout my whole life. 

Love one another, enjoy life, and Keep the Faith!

Love,

Sister Call

In our e-mail exchanges, she commented that she is so happy and grateful.  What a blessing are missions!

Week 35-"When you feel his LOVE, you'll never be the same"

Sister Franklin flying while we wear matching'ish socks

I love that song, Come unto Christ. Sister Franklin and I are singing at Drew's Baptism on Saturday and instead of singing the "I like to look for rainbows" song, we're thinking Come Unto Christ, we'll see.

The Lord is in charge out here, that's all that I can say. We met with this lady on Friday named Melodie. She is an aunt (we think) to this less active who used to live there. It's a long story, but let's just say that it's really random and a MIRACLE that she was there.

It was a really sweet experience actually. Her life seems to just be falling apart with the death of her daughter, having to take care of her daughters children, AND working. She told us that all she wants in her life right now is to be able to feel the love that she believes He has for her. Sister Franklin and I got choked up, and were able to testify to her that we know that it is through this gospel that we will come to realize just how much our Father in Heaven loves us and wants us home. And it has the way to do that. We taught her about the Book of Mormon, promising that it's through those pages that we will feel that love. In her exact words she said "Oh girls, you don't have to tell me twice. I believe ya." 

It's humbling to realize that Heavenly Father has entrusted us with these wonderful children that he's been preparing for this time. We need to make sure to live worthy of his trust though through obedience and diligence. Just remember "Worthiness is a direction, not a destiny" -President

Drew is getting baptized on Saturday!! Ooooh goodness, we seriously can't believe it. I've never come to love some one so quickly. She is amazing and SO prepared. We called her yesterday, seeing how it was going with not drinking her morning coffee. She laughed and told us "Well, I made it out of habit this morning and I swear I was just about to drink it when I remembered. Oops! Poured it down the drain right away. Promise" :) (inserted the smiley face because I know she would have) PHEW! She finished up the phone conversation by telling us that she'd read everything already and was "Wanting something else." Sister Franklin and I just smiled and gave her Alma 32. SO GOLDEN.

So pretty much, there's just too many miracles to tell y'all. Yep, that's pretty much where I'm at. I know that my subject is true though. It's feeling that love, that pure, perfect, endless love that He has for us all is what changes lives. For when we know how much He loves us, then we WANT to serve and follow him. I've come to realize that that's my biggest motivation when times get rough out here. No, I don't serve or talk to every individual I meet because I love them right away, but because I love my Savior. And I know that's what He is asking me to do. After all that He's done for me, I think I can make these sacrifices here and there for which I end up just getting blessed by doing ANYways! We can never repay him.

How I love my Savior. And that love is increasing every day. Nothing but a blessing I tell you. :)

Love y'all. Keep the Faith and continue trying to see everyone as your Heavenly Father does.

Sister Call

And incredible family called the Webbs that moved to Texas this week that lived in our apt complex. She came out with us some. She's amazing

1) So once upon a time we went to Devon Tower

2) Then we REALLY got to Devon Tower 

3) Sister Franklin was real excited

4) and THEN..we ate at a truly posh restaurant

These are the sisters at the zone at Devon Tower today beneath an elegant painting