To Kennewick with love: 11-24-13

Hola Familia!

This week has been another fantastic one! why? for so many reasons! Obviously because of my birthday, and we had a meeting with Elder Richards of the second quorum of the seventy, and we had some really really good work this week!

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes they were fabulous! It was my Golden Birthday! 21 on the 21st! and when i looked at hte temperature gauge as soon as it got light outside it was 21 degrees! Must be lucky! And the cake from home was a very nice touch :) It was delicious and i got to enjoy it with a family in our ward and Owen, because we had a lesson with him right after we went to pick it up. Leti made me dinner for my birthday and it was awesome followed by chocolate and peanutbutter cupcakes and then my cake! It was a really good birthday. We got to teach a lesson to Ed and Beverly, she has been reading the Book of Mormon and said the more she reads the more questions she has, and that she wanted to know where this Joe Smith comes from. We told her we could start on whichever question and she said ok, sit down. It was amazing what can happen when people are looking for the truth, to simply find understanding and hope in a World that as she says is becoming hopeless. As she talked about things that were happening in the world she told us that she yells and hollars at the TV, maybe she should try praying for all of it instead. (i didn't really do her justice through my words, it was much more animated and comical). I told them i couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday. Then i got told at dinner that I needed to go to Castletons because they had something for me, this is where I got my cake from home. Then that night we had a lesson with Owen and he bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon to us! It was awesome!

Earlier in the week we had a meeting with Elder Richards about teaching simply and how we need to be there to help people learn and make sure they know it. He talked about the 4 things that we need to know to be converted:

1. Jesus Christ is our Savior

2. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son Jesus Christ

3. The Book of Mormon is true

4. The priesthood power was restored to the Earth.

Seems simple enough, but if you aren't asking people questions, it doesn't spark them to think about these things for themselves. It was hard to realize that I may not have been helping people in the way they needed it, but this week i have tried really hard to apply that, and since we have done that, we have had some really really awesome experiences. It is fun because every lesson has become so much more personal and different. One of our investigators used an analogy to compare the celestial kingdom to Earth right now and the different people there are. It has deepened my appreciation for the way that the Savior taught through questions.

One of these lessons was with someone new we are teaching. Beatrice is a young mother with a lot on her plate. As we started talking to her, we weren't sure that she was going to be open to the gospel, she has some beliefs that are different, but for some reason she is always happy to see us and lets us in. Through questions we figure out that she had had a misunderstanding with some other missionaries about the Book of Mormon which gave us the opportunity to explain and invite. We also talked about a few other things that all came from asking a question and letting questions and concerns come forward. By the end, she said, well remember how i changed my curtains after the first time you came over. (which was something i had noticed and commented on like 2 weeks earlier). They were maroon and now they were white. She said after you left, I felt like I wasn't alone, it felt happy. SO i changed my curtains so it would be lighter and i open my windows every morning. We talked about the feelings and how it was what the Holy Ghost could do and then we tied that back into how we ourselves can bring that feeling into our own lives and homes and how when we read the Book of Mormon we can feel those. It was an awesome experience and the spirit was so strong! Almost tangible. And she doesn't realize it but she was the one who invited him to come in.

Overall it was a week of happiness :) Lots of learning, lots of smiles and lots of growth for both me and those who are teaching me. As we talked with our relief society president we talked about what we are grateful for. As i am out here, i learn a lot and one thing i learned is how much i have to be grateful for. maybe for thanksgiving i will make a list. But i can share a few. I am so thankful for you, My family who i really love. That is really the best way i can express it, i couldn't have been given to a better family. I am also grateful that i can testify about the 4 important truths someone must understand to be converted. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that Joseph Smith saw God and his son Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and in reality Another Testimony of Jesus Christ. I know the the power of God has been brought back to the Earth again to bless each and every one of us. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and find the time to look at what is truly important and the many things that God has given us.

Hermana Ray