Week #52

January 21, 2013

Hi family!! 

Well this is going to be another shorter email because I am typing it on an iPad... long story :-). This week was incredible!!! My new comps are Sister Heward from Idaho and Sister Miles from Sandy, Utah! :-)  They are amazing!!! I feel like we are long lost best friends. :-)  We are having a lot of fun together and we are getting along amazingly well! It is going to be an amazing last 3 weeks here in Ontario! The Lord has blessed me much more than I deserve. 

One great thing that happened this week... WE COMMITTED FRANK TO BAPTISM FOR JAN 26th!!!! :-)   So so so exciting right?? He's so ready-- its ridiculous. We taught him about tithing yesterday after church, which I honestly was a bit worried about, but he absolutely loved it and I think it strengthened his testimony that much more in the Gospel! We also went over the baptismal questions and he answered every single one beautifully. He is completely and totally ready!! :-). Ana's being supportive which is really good, but we are still not sure if she will join anytime soon... I personally think she will, as long as the sisters and I help her understand the priesthood and that there's actually a true church set up by Christ.  I know she will accept it. She wants to follow him and do as he asks, but she has a military mind that really makes it hard for her to accept 

men holding the priesthood, and not women. So hard. I guess i just don’t really understand. Oh well. It will come! 

One other cool story. We were driving around our area and we saw that a "do not contact" was around there, so Sister Heward, being the awesome sister she is, decided to just visit them anyway, and oddly enough, I wasn't nervous about it at all, ha ha! So we knocked on the door and low and behold, a different lady answered the door. We asked for Sister Thompson, but she said, "sorry, I'm brenda. I just moved in." Well.... we just contacted her right then and talked about how our church goes around and visits our members to make sure they are doing okay, etc. She definitely liked that :-)  She hadn't been going to a church or anything, ha! ... 3 adorable little children and wanted to come to church! She unfortunately didn't show up, but we are teaching her on Wednesday :-). Goodness, I love the miracles that happen here!!! 

Also, did I tell you that Birko ( the one from Germany) got baptized on Saturday???? Sister Nakaima couldn't wait to tell me. ha ha. I miss her so much and am so proud of her taking such good care of Birko while I've been gone! :-). 

Rachel's doing good, but she's still planning on moving in with her boyfriend. That definitely makes things difficult. We were pretty upfront with her at our last lesson, but we have a more upfront lesson planned for this week... she just needs to realize that we can't teach her if she is not living the commandments, especially one so important as the law of chastity. Kind of a bummer, but please pray that she will only think of her other possibilities this week ( finding her own job, moving out alone with her daughter, etc) and that she can realize the importance of this gospel. I know that she'll do it... she just needs that motivation! 

I love you all more than I can say. The gospel is true. Jesus truly is the Christ, and God really is our loving Heavenly Father! He answers prayers. That's obvious from my prayers that he's answered of having a baptism out here, and the prayers he's answered for all of you with the move! :-). What an amazing Father we have. Sometimes I get sad about so many people rejecting the gospel... but I know that I at least am doing my best in helping them have the opportunity to accept it or not, then everything else will work out. :-). Have am amazing week family!!! 

 Love, 

Sister Nat 

PS. Do you know an elder Heward? My companion's brother is serving in the Roseville mission! ! Such a small world! Yes, she also knows the elder you're talking about, elder Olson. :-).  Can't wait to tell you about the baptism next week!!!