Sunday, June 20, 2010

May 17th

Ahh.... I only have 15 minutes left of my internet time! Sorry. I had a lot of other business I had to take care of today at internet and I only get an hour and a half.
First of all, it is crazy opening up a new area, training, and not having an apartment. We thought we were just going to remodel the old one, but we officially are going to buy a new one. So, that should take a little while longer. We are currently staying with other sisters in a different area. It can be a 1-2 hour commute to get to where we need to be, so that is another fun hiccup. Wow, so much family news! The Suns beat the Spurs! In 5 games! Cool. Carrie is now a sugar-mama (Olympics? Anyone?), Troy looks like a toddler (Josh thanks for your email : ) ), Cassi still doesn't look pregnant to me : ), the good old MHS Orchestra is going to London, HB is keeping everyone busy and successful, and Mom and Dad are busy and entertaining to read and hear about as usual. Love you all.
As for me, what to say? We had a great lesson Sunday night with a reffered friend from an active member here in Ekat. It felt really great. She has four really successful kids and a really happy, healthy life. She keeps all the commandments, but doesn't have any doctrine to know why it is she should be living the way she is. Her name is Ra-ee-sa. We had planned to teach her the First Lesson, becasue it was our first lesson with her, but for some reason I couldn't get the Plan of Slavation out of my head. So, we start talking about the Plan of Salvation, and it turns out her husband passed away a year ago, and neither of us had known this. Her member friend that was on the lesson with us, her husban had passed away 15 years ago from a brain tumor. They were sealed in the Temple before he passed away, so his passing, though tragic, was really healed by the Atonement. She was able to share this experience with Raeesa, and she seemed very touched. She also seemed very interested in the BOM, and promised to read it. We have a meeting scheduled with her again, so I'll let you know how it goes. Those kinds of lessons make all the other hard things you do worth it. Maybe it's a little like motherhood?
We are trying to get into people's homes, but we're kind of starting from scratch in our area here, so we've been packing lunches and working all day on the streets mostly talking with people. We've found some good contacts and four new investigators. The hard part about finding people is that you have to start getting them progressing in the Gospel or they seem to drop off the map. So, we go through a sifting process with them and try to find those who are really prepared.
The Church is so true, and if people really understood what it was that we are offering to them, than I think we'd have people lining up outside our door. The Atonement is so amazing. It all comes back to the Atonement, and how sweet a gift it really is that our Savior loves each of us, and that he knows each of us by name. I think when we let those concepts sink deep down into our soul, then we can't help but want to change our lives. We want to know Him better, and to become like he is. I just wish everyone could understand that like we have all been blessed to understand that. The Atonement is real. You don't have to commit a big sin to understand it's powerful influence, but you can feel it just by praying to our loving Heavenly Father. He loves us.
Anyways, gotta run, love you all.
Sister Hakes

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