We try to hit as many Ward Council meetings as we can each month. Most Wards only hold the councils on the 1st and 3rd Sunday. When possible we attend 2 on each of those Sundays. As we attend these council meetings we get to know the wards and and are usually given referrals. With Jan and Feb over for this mission we have attended 6 of the Ward council meetings and have 2 to go. We then try to attend some of 2 ward Sunday meetings each week. Usually we do one ward for all 3 hours and one ward Sacrament Meeting only. This is why Sunday is so very busy. We have also had 2 Sundays this month that we had teaching appointments in the evening and one Sunday that we had a stake missionary meeting on Sunday. We spoke in 2 Sacrament meetings this month as well. Needless to say, Sundays can be exhausting.
We have had some very good and spiritual experiences this month. We mentioned Sister Kitches last blog. Well she has now attended 4 weeks of church and it appears she is established as a fully active member. What a wonderful and rewarding thing it is to see someone progress and so fast. It is a great start to our mission. We are still meeting with more widows that the Bishops have assigned us to visit. We have seen some progress in another less active widow. We pray that she will continue to move forward.
We have met and visited with, on several occasions, Kristi Bebo. She is a middle aged single sister. She is a less active member. We were invited to go visit her by her home teacher. She has been welcoming and eager to learn. This time in her life is full of struggles. We met her just after her break up with a long time boy friend. This break up and then our meeting her was not coincidence. The Lord knew that this was the best time to have her heart opened. She works on Sundays, but has agreed to change her schedule, if possible, to have at least Sunday mornings open. February's schedule is already set, but she did speak to them about changing it starting in March. We will pray for that to take place. Elder Smart has worked on her family history. She is happy with the things he has found. We showed her the video called "Good Things to Come." She has questions about prayer and we are scheduled to return next week. We pray that the spirit will be present as we teach and her heart will be touched.
We have had many opportunities this month to use our family history experience to help and teach others. One sort of active family, wanted help with their family history. We spent one evening with them teaching family tree and some research techniques. We taught a returning to activity couple also how to do their family tree and find temple names. 3rd Ward invited us to speak in their Relief Society activity meeting and teach family tree. Our district leader asked us to talk at district meeting on how to use family history as a proselyting and retention tool. Most rewarding of all of this teaching has been helping newly baptized members to prepare family names for temple work. Sister Kremer-Steel has obtained her limited use temple recommend and will soon be doing this work. The Stewart family is also getting their family names ready for their first temple experience.
One of our biggest challenges has been to visit with and try to teach and bring the spirit to a man that has had Church disciplinary action. We feel that the Lord has sent us to him because it is time for his return and repentance. He is fighting any change, but he has been kind to us and let us visit with him twice this month. We feel that we do not want to give up on him, but he has let us know that he does not have any desire to change. We pray his heart will change.
We are working with a couple in our home ward, the Prunty family. I think that we are the first missionaries that they have allowed to visit with them. It is family history that has gotten us in and is still keeping them with us. Her father was adopted in Germany and the family wants very much to find his parents. Elder Smart has asked his old friend that specializes in German research to help. She is working with her sister this weekend to get all the information together that they have to help him search. In talking with me on the phone today about the information, she asked, "When is Sacrament Meeting in our ward?" I told her and she said she would see us there Sunday. Wow, what a blessing. We just pray that she will not change her mind.
We have met with so many other people this month -- part member families, some that have completely separated themselves from the Church, and active members with struggles. We love meeting so many wonderful people.
Mission transfers this month took one of the Elders from our stake. Elder Outz is gone and Elder Werner is now training a greenie, Elder Rogers. Elder Rogers was born in Russia and adopted by a family in Missouri when he was 7 years old.
Sister Smart had a good afternoon with a Sister's Activity this month. It was for all the Sister's in our Zone.
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| Sisters in Draper Zone |
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Elder and Sister Smart
