Thanks for the weekly update Dad. Sounds like the experince in Eager was very worthwhile. You should share some of your notes with me!
Mom, I anticipate the package(es) and thanks for sending them! You da best! What a cool spiritual expereice you had at the post office. I was so elated and happy to hear that my sisters went contacting together! Ahh! Made my day. Any interesting stories - good or bad?
Cami, you're an all-star. 2nd place?! Haha you still have some Shannon Miller in you I guess : )
Sister Schill and I had a great week in Botanika! We seemed super busy all week long with meetings, and we were tired in a very satisfying way. I think I had more investigator meetings this past week than any other week of my mission. The work is coming along! We had some really cool experiences this week too.
We got a member referral last week for a Babushka named Nina. She came to Church last week, and said we could stop by any day to meet with her. We stopped by this week, and we were able to teach a first lesson to her and her husband. She didn't come to Church this Sunday, but she seems pretty interested. She is not too old in that she understands us, which is kind of nice and crucial. She has been reading the Book of Mormon, says she doesn't understand everything, but she will keep reading it. She and hr husband are very very humble people, and Sister Schill and I felt the Spirit very strongly with them.
Also, Sister Hanks and I contacted a nice guy about two months ago named Ivan. We had tried to find his number to call him back, but we couldn't find it anywhere. This past week, without even trying to find it, it just suddenly showed-up right where I had been expecting it to be the whole time. We call him, and he agrees to meet with us the next day. Before our meeting with him, we had a meeting with Lena (our investigator with a baptismal date) and Zhenya (a recently baptized convert that helps us a lot with Lena, I taught him in Chili). Ivan shows-up 30 minutes early to our lesson, and we tell him that he can come join us on the lesson we were having with the other two. We didn't know what else to do. Anyways, it turned out to be a really good first lesson. I was really anxious because Lena usually asks really difficult questions, and I was afraid that having the two investigators together would be bad, but they ended-up supporting each other. Ivan is atheist. He was under the presumption we were just wanting to teach him English (oops!), but when we explained our Purpose to him, he seemed kind of interested. He assumed that really religious people only wear turbans and had long beards or something. It was a new experience for him to see younger, devoted people that were still somewhat normal looking : ) He is very smart and thoughtful, and his questions were a lot like Lena's were when we first started teaching her. She even told him that she used to be just like him, but now she has most of her questions answered. She defended the Church and us, which was really cool to see, and I know it was good for her to to see all the progress she has made. Zhenya helped a lot too. He knows Englih perfectly, and he might become Ivan's private teacher now. He has really helped Lena progress, and he seems to be doing really well. Ivan agreed to read the BoM and to meet with us again. I don't think he would have ever showed-up to a first lesson with us if we knew we were wanting to talk about the Gospel. Plus, he said he had been extremely busy before, so it was a good time we called when we did. Even though he is kind of anti-religious, Sister Schill and I both feel like he was prepared for us to teach. I hope we get another lesson in! We had been all pumped and ready to get a Baptismal Date with him on the first lesson like we've been taught, but we both really felt it was not the right time. I still feel good about that decision, so I think it was for the best.
Oh yeah, Lena is still sober! She hung-out all night Saturday with her friends at a club, her biggest temptation she says, and she still didn't drink! She knows it is best to avoid the clubs and other tempting places, but she insisted on going to see if she could avoid the temptation of alcohol. I don't know... we didn't want her to go of course, but at least she didn't drink. That is a step in the right direction. She has a desire to follow her Savior and keep His commandments, so I feel that through time, the club won't even interest her anymore. We need to get her to realize that too: that her desires will change the more she chooses to follow Him.
Well, as for me, I am doing well. I feel exhausted every morning as I get out of bed, but by the time I go to bed at night, I am usually so happy and content with my day that I don't want to fall asleep : ) Things are well. I still desire to grow more spiritually, and to be more in tune with the Spirit, but I assume that growth is gradual. I sometimes feel like I am relying too much on myself and not on the Lord, but then again, I don't know how to rely on the Lord more, so it is hard finding the balance.
Hi Family,
Thanks for the weekly update Dad. Sounds like the experince in Eager was very worthwhile. You should share some of your notes with me!
Mom, I anticipate the package(es) and thanks for sending them! You da best! What a cool spiritual expereice you had at the post office. I was so elated and happy to hear that my sisters went contacting together! Ahh! Made my day. Any interesting stories - good or bad?
Cami, you're an all-star. 2nd place?! Haha you still have some Shannon Miller in you I guess : )
Sister Schill and I had a great week in Botanika! We seemed super busy all week long with meetings, and we were tired in a very satisfying way. I think I had more investigator meetings this past week than any other week of my mission. The work is coming along! We had some really cool experiences this week too.
We got a member referral last week for a Babushka named Nina. She came to Church last week, and said we could stop by any day to meet with her. We stopped by this week, and we were able to teach a first lesson to her and her husband. She didn't come to Church this Sunday, but she seems pretty interested. She is not too old in that she understands us, which is kind of nice and crucial. She has been reading the Book of Mormon, says she doesn't understand everything, but she will keep reading it. She and hr husband are very very humble people, and Sister Schill and I felt the Spirit very strongly with them.
Also, Sister Hanks and I contacted a nice guy about two months ago named Ivan. We had tried to find his number to call him back, but we couldn't find it anywhere. This past week, without even trying to find it, it just suddenly showed-up right where I had been expecting it to be the whole time. We call him, and he agrees to meet with us the next day. Before our meeting with him, we had a meeting with Lena (our investigator with a baptismal date) and Zhenya (a recently baptized convert that helps us a lot with Lena, I taught him in Chili). Ivan shows-up 30 minutes early to our lesson, and we tell him that he can come join us on the lesson we were having with the other two. We didn't know what else to do. Anyways, it turned out to be a really good first lesson. I was really anxious because Lena usually asks really difficult questions, and I was afraid that having the two investigators together would be bad, but they ended-up supporting each other. Ivan is atheist. He was under the presumption we were just wanting to teach him English (oops!), but when we explained our Purpose to him, he seemed kind of interested. He assumed that really religious people only wear turbans and had long beards or something. It was a new experience for him to see younger, devoted people that were still somewhat normal looking : ) He is very smart and thoughtful, and his questions were a lot like Lena's were when we first started teaching her. She even told him that she used to be just like him, but now she has most of her questions answered. She defended the Church and us, which was really cool to see, and I know it was good for her to to see all the progress she has made. Zhenya helped a lot too. He knows Englih perfectly, and he might become Ivan's private teacher now. He has really helped Lena progress, and he seems to be doing really well. Ivan agreed to read the BoM and to meet with us again. I don't think he would have ever showed-up to a first lesson with us if we knew we were wanting to talk about the Gospel. Plus, he said he had been extremely busy before, so it was a good time we called when we did. Even though he is kind of anti-religious, Sister Schill and I both feel like he was prepared for us to teach. I hope we get another lesson in! We had been all pumped and ready to get a Baptismal Date with him on the first lesson like we've been taught, but we both really felt it was not the right time. I still feel good about that decision, so I think it was for the best.
Oh yeah, Lena is still sober! She hung-out all night Saturday with her friends at a club, her biggest temptation she says, and she still didn't drink! She knows it is best to avoid the clubs and other tempting places, but she insisted on going to see if she could avoid the temptation of alcohol. I don't know... we didn't want her to go of course, but at least she didn't drink. That is a step in the right direction. She has a desire to follow her Savior and keep His commandments, so I feel that through time, the club won't even interest her anymore. We need to get her to realize that too: that her desires will change the more she chooses to follow Him.
Well, as for me, I am doing well. I feel exhausted every morning as I get out of bed, but by the time I go to bed at night, I am usually so happy and content with my day that I don't want to fall asleep : ) Things are well. I still desire to grow more spiritually, and to be more in tune with the Spirit, but I assume that growth is gradual. I sometimes feel like I am relying too much on myself and not on the Lord, but then again, I don't know how to rely on the Lord more, so it is hard finding the balance.
Sister Schill is doing very well. Her biggest fear is talking to people, and she knows that is a struggle for her. We are trying to get her to open her mouth more, and she is getting there. She doesn't like it, but she knows she should do it, so she does it. She is coming more out of her shell though on lessons, and I think she is starting to feel more confident and comfortable as a missionary. We have a great time togther and, our Mission President was right, we are a lot a like in a lot of ways. I am grateful to have served with her.
Have a great week everyone!
Sister Hakes
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