Oct. 11, 2010

Hiya! I hope everyone is doing really well! I love to hear from mom, of course, so I know that the immediate family is doing good. But, in being honest, I haven't heard from Daniel and Cat, yet, or from Jaymi and Steven, in a while. Also, I got one letter from Jared while I was at the MTC (which you didn't finish or sign... you sent it with the rest of the letters from the branch, so I didn't even know whose letter it was for a long time, and I had to rely on the spirit of revelation to figure it out. lol). On the flip side, I did get the white tie this week. Again, my companion, and everyone at the mission office, got a big kick out of the fact that there was a package for me from my family, with no letter. I just laughed. I asked Bro McArthur to wear it when he performs Napa's baptism, and he said yes, and then got all choked up when I told him how Daniel and Jared had both used the same tie for their whole mission. I just love that guy.

Speaking of... Bro McArthur was ordained to be a Priest yesterday. I am so proud of him I can hardly come up with the words. To see the change in him and his family is one of the strongest testimony builders I can even imagine for how the Spirit changes people. He's reading the Book of Mormon for the first time in his life, and he and Napa have started a family scripture study program with Keith (age 3) and Tyler (age 6). It's the best. For everyone who is in the Derby Singles Branch, you'll understand when I say: "Finger thing!!!"

San is getting baptized this saturday. It's going to be amazing! She and Napa hang out all the time, and San is also starting to get to know other members of the ward. She sat with the Goldthorpes yesterday at church, and even brought her 30 year old daughter too. I know that the daughter, whose name I can't pronounce yet, but who told me I could call her Terry, was surprised to see that her Mom has so many friends at church. San has been lonely for a long time, I think, and Terry was worried about, I'm sure. So it did Terry good to see that San's testimony isn't just the crazy talk of a lonely lady, but that it is also worth something good. I know that San's prayers for Terry will help Terry to investigate the church someday.

So, Friday was the best day this week (outside of maybe Sunday, because of Bro. McArthur). We started out by leaving the house early so that we could teach English to Alicia. She's a mexican grandmother of one of our member's neighbors. We're teaching her English as a way to get into the home to talk with her son in law, who has reservations about the church. Once they're resolved, we'll be able to start teaching the whole family. So for now, we're teaching English as a way to gain trust. Anyway. It's going really well, and it's a lot of fun. I love Alicia... she's hilarious, and very serious about learning English, which I give her props for, because there are many people who live here in the United States who never bothered with learning English.

Then we went to Napa's house. We had another lesson with Napa and San together. Since they're both so close to baptism, we've been teaching them together, so that we have more time to find other new investigators. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Napa had invited her sister, Ida to come to the lesson. We had prepared to teach the Law of Chastity, which both San and Napa needed to hear and commit to in order for them to be baptized. So we looked at each other, checked with the Spirit, and then proceeded to teach it, even though Ida had never heard anything, really about the church. That part of the lesson went well, especially since we had another ward member there, Sis. Goldthorpe (who, by the way, is my mission mom, here in Antelope. I love the Goldthorpe Family. So mom, don't worry, I'm being well taken care of :-)... After we wrapped up that lesson, Ida started asking questions about what we believe, the history of the church, and the Book of Mormon. We answered a few of her questions, and Napa answered the rest. It was AWESOME!!! Ida asked why Napa could even consider joining the church because there were so many restrictions, and Napa, like an old pro, answered by telling Ida that, now that she knows what's right and wrong, every time she does something wrong, she feels guilty, and wants to repent. She wants to attend church because the spirit instills in her that desire. She loves having the spirit with her, and KNOWS the difference between when she has it and when she doesn't. And she said that she never wants to not have it. After that stirring testimony, Ida looked at us, and asked if we could start teaching her too. *** BIG GRIN!!! ***

After that lesson, we were flying high on the spirit, but had to rush off to another lesson. This time with Heiu. We met Heiu at a member's home (Sis. Smedley - the Relief Society President, and another one of my favorite ward members). The lesson went really well, and we taught about the Godhead (because she has no foundational knowledge about God) and the Doctrine of Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, Endure the End). The best part is that we committed her to be baptized, and she said YES!!! We didn't have time to set a date, but she said she'd come to church this week (which she wasn't able to, but this next week for sure), and that we'll get to meet her kids, and hopefully start teaching them as a family. It'll be so great!!!

That's pretty much it for this week, really. Next week's email will be a little later in the day because one of our ward members is taking us to Apple Hill, which is a collection of Apple Orchards about an hour from here. It's going to be really fun, and I'll take and send lots of pictures... but we won't be home till later in the afternoon, so I probably won't be able to email until 5:00 or so.

I love you all a ton, and I look forward to all your emails and snail mails. Keep 'em coming!

Love, Sister Reid