Week 5--Half Way Through Training

Week 5 :)

So basically this week was amazing! It went by so fast!!! I can't

believe I'm on my half way mark for training:) We had our last

district meeting with Elder H and during the meeting my mission president

called us out one at a time for our interviews! It was so good to

see President Johnson and his wife this week, they can always

brighten your day! I love President Johnson and he always knows just

what to say. He works so hard to help us missionaries and truly loves

the Lord.

We also had Zone training and a zone activity this Wednesday which was

really good! We talked about The Book of Mormon and how important it

is in conversion. The Book of Mormon is what truly helps us come

closer to Christ and endure to the end. I have a new found love for the

 Book of Mormon and I get so excited to read from it each morning! 

I know that there is true peace and joy that can only come through the 

Book of Mormon.

We contacted our referral from Church Headquarters, the one that we

brought a Book of Mormon to. We were pretty nervous about what he would say,

but when we called he was super nice and said that he read the whole

first chapter of the Book of Nephi!! Oh man I was so happy to hear

that he had actually started reading! He said he wanted to read the

rest of it before he met with us to discuss it, but that is totally fine

by me, if he's actually reading. I mean the scriptures can teach him a

hundred times better than I can:)  I just hope and pray he'll keep

reading!

We were able to finally have a lesson with one of our less-active ward members

that we've been trying to get in contact with for week s and it went

so well. The spirit was so strong and I really grew to have a true

love for this woman. I know Heavenly Father is aware of each one of us

and the things that we are going through. He sure is aware of Sister

B:) She said she wants to come to church, but she is worried that

people will judge her for smelling so strongly of smoke. I told her

that church is like a hospital and that if someone is sick at the

hospital and coughs, we don't ask why they coughed, because you're at

a hospital where people need help. It's the same thing with the church.

We are all spiritually sick and seeking help. I know there will always

be people who judge, but maybe that is the "sickness" they are working

on. We talked a little about the talk, Latter-day Saints Keep on

Trying by Elder Dale Renlund. It's such a great talk and if you

haven't read it, you totes should :)

The stake has put together an addiction recovery program and they have

two service missionaries who run it, but they also wanted all of the

missionaries in the area to attend as well. It was such an incredible

experience to see how the Atonement can truly heal each of us. I loved

hearing the experiences of the people there and how they had such a

strong desire to change. It reminded me of that talk, Latter-day

Saints Keep on Trying and where he quotes President Thomas S. Monson

by saying, “One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying

again, for no failure ever need be final.” It's so true and as we

really turn to our Savior I know he can help us overcome anything!

Service at the ranch was brutal... once again! Sister Hokafonu said

they didn't used to do such labor intensive work until the new elders

and I got there. The lady that runs the ranch probably took one

look at me and thought, "Oh man, this girl needs some work" haha!

Elder R was really sick so the elders couldn't come with us...they

only missed sweating out in the sun while shoveling rocks into this

huge crack by the barn wall! Let's just say I was really tired when we were

done with that project ;)

We had a pretty busy Sunday and had a few appointments with some of

the less-active members we've been working a lot with. Sister R

is turning 86 tomorrow, which she's not too happy about... She's a

funny lady, yesterday was the first time we were able to stay on topic

for about half the visit, and I think she's actually considering on

coming to church after not having gone for like 35 years! It's a

serious goal of mine to get this lady back to church! I know it will

bless her life so much and she won't feel so lonely all the time if

she knew more of the ward members. The hard thing is that we think she

might have early dismissal because she's having a really hard time

remembering anything. But she will go... One of these days :)

Well I hope yins have a great week! Thank you for all of the prayers,

I truly can feel strength from your prayers and support!

Lots of love- Sister Douglas;)

We made Elder Hunsaker a cake out of Tastykakes doughnuts that he loves. Haha
good times! It's going to be so weird without him here! 

Scripture Power :)