Week #48

December 17, 2012

Hi Familia!! :) 

Well I have some bad news and some good news... Bad news is that I won't be able to email you next week because the library will be closed... but the GOOD news is that I will be able to SKYPE with all of you!!! :) I will be on Skype next Tuesday at 2pm. No time difference!! :) Yay!! It might be a few minutes late because Sis Brinks tends to be late to things ha ha, but it should work out okay. I might be giving you a call beforehand to let you know how it will all work out. Some members in our ward are being super nice and letting us use their computer on Christmas. :) So great! I love how kind the members are here. I'm hoping I'll be able to use Christie's account, but if not I'll probably use this email to set up a new one. It won't be until that day though. I'm sure everything will work out fine ha ha! :) I'll try to use mom and dad's email accounts to connect with. We'll just pray everything works out okay!! I'm SOOO so excited though!!! I seriously was dying of happiness when I found out. :) It will be soooo so great! 

This week was much better than last week. We got 2 new investigators last week which was exciting. Philip and Edna (the ones that just showed up to church) met with us on Wednesday. Well, we were on splits, so Sister Brinks met with them. She said it went really well. She had lots of questions about tithing and baptism and random stuff like that which was awesome. Philip is TOTALLY on board for all of this!! He's super excited to come back to church and is really feeling the Spirit working through him. Edna is definitely warming up to us. She really enjoyed church a lot! We had dinner with them right after that with the Mangold's in the ward who are AWESOME couple. All of their kids are grown up similar to Phil and Edna, so it was a lot of fun. 

I'm so impressed with your missionary work family!!! Seriously, everyone is doing SO amazing!! :) Especially momma who never was a missionary ha ha! Just preparing for your full-time mission in a couple of years! :) I wish you could serve on Temple Square. You and dad would be a PERFECT "Senior couple" there!! :) Then we can all visit you all the time, ha ha! 

Frank and Ana came to church yesterday!! It was SO fun to have them there. I know they felt the spirit really strong and enjoyed most of their experience. I'll explain what "most" means later. Sister Brinks and I decided to play "match-maker" with the ward members by calling select members of the ward and having them go up to Frank and Ana and meet them. We literally told them what to say with Frank and Ana, ha ha ha. It was so funny. It was like feeding people lines for a play or something. :) It worked out PERFECT though!! They did AWESOME!!! Sister Brinks and I talked afterward and it was pretty obvious that we need to keep helping the ward out this way. We need to train them on how to do missionary work!! They haven't done it in SO long that they're simply out of practice. :)  We had a REALLY long weekly planning session on Saturday/Friday (4 hours), most of it involving the members and how to help them. We literally saw people come together yesterday in the ward from Frank and Ana being there!! It was a very sweet experience that I get a little bit emotional about. Honestly, I feel very strongly that I was sent out here to help the members. Yes, Frank and Ana need us too, but the members REALLY need the missionaries.... a LOT!  Being here has been a great experience that I will treasure forever. 

So, about Frank and Ana coming to church and enjoying "most" of their experience... One little older lady in the ward gave a talk on Sunday and read from a Children's book rather than the scriptures, and just started telling stories of her life.... and then made the HUGE mistake of making a negative reference to Catholics.  Frank is Catholic.  No, he's not strong at ALL (didn't even realize his church baptized to cleanse babies of the "original sin"); however, there is NEVER, EVER an excuse or reason to talk negatively about another church or religion... ESPECIALLY over the pulpit!! You have NO idea who is sitting in the audience!! Of course Frank and Ana had to come for that and it was one of the worst feelings I've ever had in my life. So many prayers, dedication, studies have gone toward Frank... I honestly wondered if it was all over. Well, fortunately for us, Frank and Ana decided to stay for the second hour (we taught Gospel Principles again) and Ana loved it so much that she took notes. Ha ha!! It was awesome. I think Frank really enjoyed it too, we're just SUPER nervous about our meeting on Tuesday because they didn't bring up the comment right then... knowing Frank though, he will. We have planned to simply apologize and read from Moroni 6, explain to him what Sacrament really should be like, and ask for his forgiveness from this silly old woman. PLEASE pray for Frank family. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! 

Another positive note too, Ana agreed to meet with us on Wednesday night and we're really looking forward to that!! Hopefully we can make up for our losses by being humble and listening to what they have to say. Again, please keep them and us in your prayers!! Thank you! 

Frank and Ana met the Stake President at our ward!! (Frank also came to the baptism on Saturday. It was an awesome baptism!!!!) 

Brandon is another one of our new investigators. He's awesome!! (at least I think so. :)) He grew up in a super rough family situation and background. His mom has been married and divorced several times, and his parents are deaf!!! I can talk to them a little because I sign! :) ha ha. I'm so amazed with God's plan for us!! Anyways, Brandon was in Juvey (sp?) in high school and had some problems with drugs for a while. His parents weren't religious at all and didn't even teach him about God, but he told us (and said he never tells ANYONE this) that he's always known God existed. Even though no one told him about God, he still believed. How sweet, huh?! He really is a sweet guy. He's pretty rough looking with his lip ring, ha! but he's awesome. We taught him the Restoration and have a return appt for Friday. We'll also teach Edna the Restoration this week too! 

Also, Rachel (excommunicated member) came to church on Sunday!!! Her mom was the one that spoke... ha ha. Yes, it opened my eyes a lot about her situation. :) She did awesome and looked SO cute. When you look at Rachel you can definitely tell she's not a member by the way she dresses (36 but dresses like an 18 year old), but Sunday she looked so clean cut and beautiful. I'm SO proud of her. :) She stayed all 3 hours too!!! I know it was SUPER hard for her to come to church on Sunday, but we KNOW she felt the spirit while she was there!! She came to our class too. It was pretty fun having 3 investigators at church on Sunday! :) Miracles are definitely happening in Ontario!! 

Well family, I love you all SO much. Thanks for all your prayers and support!! You're the BEST!! I'll most likely Skype around 2-2:30 on Christmas Day. YAY!! :D 

Love always, 

Sister Nat Savage