Letter #10

Well hello all,

It feels like it was yesterday when I wrote you... and yet so much has happened! Today we had transfer conference. It was so much fun! But we had to be on the square at 6:30am. My body is dying. Yesterday we lost an hour of sleep, of course, due to daylight savings time, and then Saturday we had to wash the car in the morning (5:45am). We're all struggling in my zone, Ha! Yesterday was hysterical. It was the most beautiful day of the year, and tons of people were at Temple Square, but every sister you walked by had glazed eyes... ha ha. . . so funny. Sadly enough, there's no time to make up for sleep here. :)  I'm sure my family is shocked that I'm even awake at these early hours. :)

And yes!!! Did you all see my picture?! How cool, right?! What  are the odds that I would speak in a Sacrament Meeting with someone Brother Gallacher works closely with? The church is so small. Even with 14 million of us! Yesterday was SO fun! The ward we spoke at (me and Sis Wilson, Sisters Chernyshova from Russia and Dorff from Tokyo) went to a ward in Cottonwood Heights, and I got to drive AND play the piano, as well as speak. :) It was fun. The sisters said I'll most likely be able to go again because I can drive and play the piano. I love it! I've also been asked to be a driver for transfers on Wednesday, but I'm only the backup driver. I love driving. :)

Grandma Orchard sent me an AMAZING pioneer story!! Thank you so much grandma!! These pioneer stories are seriously the best. I'll definitely be using it!

Oh family, this week was so great. So, so great. We had a District meeting about extending the baptismal commitment to our investigators... which is the scariest thing ever, because we've NEVER been taught to do that before over the phones!! But it looks like we are now! And we asked our investigator, Franklin from England, if he were to find out if this church is true, if he would be baptized or not... and he said YES!!!! It was seriously one of the most amazing moments of my mission thus far. The spirit was so strong!! We're so excited about it. We're trying to figure out the missionary situation because the missionaries haven't been able to go to his house yet, and it's been over 3 weeks.  That is the only problem with this work. . . it takes a long time for our referrals to meet with missionaries in other countries! It can sometimes even take months, but it's okay! We've contacted the Bishop and he's going to try to work something out. Hopefully it will!! Franklin is "officially" a new investigator. :)

We have another former investigator of Sis Wilson's who answered his phone again. He hadn't answered for a few weeks. His name is Long Su, and he's originally from Taiwan but is actually in the LA area. Brad, look for Long Su!  :) Ha!  jk. He has been having a hard time with his teenagers recently (he has 2 of them) and we were able to explain to him how the Book of Mormon can help him with his kids in knowing how to raise them, etc, and how it can give him peace. He works a lot and says he is missing peace from his life. We told him that the Book of Mormon can do that for him too!! He just needs to read it! So we committed him to reading it, and he said yes. We're calling him again tomorrow... so hopefully he read! We also gave him a scripture to read over text. And let me just tell you, this work would not go nearly as well without texting. Texting is an INCREDIBLE blessing we have on this mission! We're able to set up appointments so much easier because of it.

PS. The above all happened on Tuesday. It was SO great!

Thursday we got not just one, but TWO new investigators!! The Hallelujah Chorus was definitely playing! ElDuane (he goes by Duane) is seriously SO golden. This man has been waiting for the gospel for a long time. He's incredible. Everything we teach him makes sense to him--prophets, apostles, modern-day revelation, even the idea of more scripture (Book of Mormon) he LOVES. It's absolutely amazing! The only problem is that he lives with his parents currently, who are BOTH anti's. Ha Ha! Of course the golden investigator would have parents that hate the church!  How could it be any other way? (hint of sarcasm). Anyway, Duane is super great and funny. We're excited to teach him again in a few days. 

Myrple is officially a new investigator as well!!  We taught her just a little... mostly did the introduction of teaching, telling her how the gospel will bless her life, etc. We mainly focused on Jesus Christ, and the story the Book of Mormon gives us of him after he was resurrected. I think she really liked that. She already has her own religion, which is so false. It's called Maravian?  She referred to meet with missionaries right off the bat so we're hoping for good things from her! 

Sister Harris from my district gave me a referral, her friend from Michigan. He's 22, went to Arizona for school, etc. I called him a while back and he actually called me back and left me a message! (extremely rare with potentials.) He is SO awesome! He's absolutely hysterical. He and I clicked right away and he reminds me a lot of Brad. :) It was SO much fun to talk to him! I feel like I'm just talking to Brad when I'm talking to him. It makes me happy. :) He didn't refer to meet with missionaries, but he is going to let us call him and teach him. So exciting. He doesn't have much purpose to life; kind of thinks religion is for other people and not him, but it was interesting because Sister Harris gave me his name and she's in her 11th transfer... she's been waiting this whole time to give him to someone because she's never felt like it's right. Now he is having a hard time and is receptive. So cool how things like that happen! It just shows me that the Lord really does have his own timing, and that it WORKS. 

Claudia, (originally from Mexico but living here in Utah) is doing well I think. Hopefully she'll respond to our teaching. She's interested in learning more about the church, but, of course, her whole family is Catholic and she's nervous that she'll be outcast if she joins another religion... she's REALLY close to her family too. 

We had a literal miracle on Saturday. We chatted online with this boy, Chris. He's only 13 years old and feels like the church is true. He's looked into it already himself. AMAZING!! We had to get his parents’ permission to teach him, and they won't let us teach him over the phone because they don't want us knowing their information (understandable.), but we are able to teach him online. SO great. He seems like the sweetest boy ever. We are having to clarify a lot because he doesn't really understand the difference between Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but he seems to be getting it okay. 

Also, guess who I met on Temple Square on Saturday??!! Megan and Karl Taylor, Linda and Jeff Taylor's oldest son. Ha!! Crazy right?!  It was so funny because we went up to them and I kind of said to myself, "Wow, he looks kind of like Brother Taylor." Sure enough it was his son. So crazy! Megan, his wife, is giving us some referrals too which is exciting! (She's a convert.)  I just see people I know ALL the time here! Or people that know people I know... I love it.

I met a man named Shahed Latiff. BRAD- I think you might know him. He told me he works for KPMG and that he's a partner from IPBR which I have no idea what that means. Ha!  I told him you had only worked there since September, but he said that you should know him or that you will know him soon. Kind of crazy that I would meet someone that could know my brother, and he's a Muslim from England! Funny stuff. He was a nice guy though. We can't teach Muslims if they live in certain countries, but we were able to share some things with him about Temple Square, why it's so significant, etc. Very cool guy. And I met 2 men from Saudi Arabia yesterday! They were the nicest men--3 muslims and 2 hindus in one day. Score!  :)

Last but not least, I must tell you about this new guy we are going to teach. He was a referral from way back when--I think from last conference. I literally was calling him for the last time, and he answered! (we only call about 5 times, because we don't want the church to have a bad or annoying connotation.) His name is Mat Bixler. Literally the coolest guy ever!! He already has the Book of Mormon and LOVES the church. He loves our values, works with people from the church, had a tour of Temple Square 6 months ago and absolutely loved it. I could go on and on about Mat. He is so, so great!  He and I talked for half an hour (same with Logan), which never happens, but he was seriously so friendly! He has two kids, loves everything that involves outdoors, chastised me because I don't ski or snowboard, ha ha.  I think he's really interested in the church. He's seriously the best! He's in his 30's but he acts like a college-age student ha ha. He's actually living/ working in Utah right now.  He owns 4 different businesses. Crazy stuff! Even though he's very busy, we have been able to get a hold of him just fine! We were going to teach him today, but we called a little too late... he wants to learn more though. Hopefully we can get him to meet with missionaries.

One favor to ask, mom and dad, I need to get my friend Rachel's number. I really want to give her name to one of the sisters here. Rachel went to beauty school with me forever ago.  I haven't talked with her for a while, but her name keeps popping up in my head. I think I need to have the sisters call her. She's in my phone under Rachel Sroka. She's on my Facebook too.  Her name is Rachel Lillie I think on FB. Please let me know! I would love that.

The mission is so, so great! I seriously had an amazing week. The Lord really blessed Sister Wilson and I this week. We were able to see "the fruits of our labors." I LOVE Section 6 of the D&C. It's one of my favorites.

 29 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they ^areject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me.

30 And even if they ^ado unto you even as they have done unto me, blessed are ye, for you shall ^bdwell with me in ^cglory.

31 But if they ^areject not my words, which shall be established by the ^btestimony which shall be given, blessed are they, and then shall ye have joy in the fruit of your labors.

 32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as ^atouching ^bone thing, behold, there will I be in the ^cmidst of them˜even so am I in the ^dmidst of you.

 33 ^aFear not to do ^bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye ^csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow ^dgood ye shall also reap good for your ^ereward.

I have truly been so blessed to be here on this mission. It has been the greatest experience. I still have a hard time "annoying" people on Temple Square, but I know that I will, over time, recognize that I have the right to preach the gospel to these people. It's my calling. I love you all SO much.  Your prayers make a huge difference. Thank you for always being so good to me, and loving me enough to give me this gospel. :) I am so incredibly blessed. My new favorite quote is this one:

"I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun, not just because I see it, but by it I can see everything else." -- C.S. Lewis.

He truly is the light that reflects upon ALL things. We can literally see it daily. Love you all. Until next week!

Sister Savage

Nat :)