(OK, so I ran out of time last week - the library was packed and computer times were shortened slightly. I'm sorry this didn’t gets out till today this will be a combination of what I meant to write last week and what I want to say this week.)
Yes, I know I'm late. No, I'm not getting transferred. We went to the temple the morning of the 23, so we got back late. Because we're so far out of the way, we have to ride in with a member or take the Metra and a couple three buses. Well, luckily, we got a member. We and the English sisters headed out to the temple, and the session was just packed. At least, the sister’s side was...
I've heard that many of the brethren don't like to go to the temple because the workers can be less than humble sometimes. I find that disheartening to think that the temple can be an unpleasant experience, but to the brethren, I say, man up! You know members aren't perfect, and to let a little brusqueness get in the way of the blessings of the temple is just silly. I always wondered why there were three times as many sisters as brethren in the sessions, and from what I've heard, there isn't any really good reason for it. Gentlemen, take it like the man's duty to ask the girls to dance. It's slightly uncomfortable at times, but it’s well worth the result.
Anyway, it was a great session. I wish we could go more often.
This week has been pretty good. We've got some amazing progressing investigators, and we really think they will go all the way. They're already making huge changes in their life! And they want to come to church so bad. But things are just so hard for them. They have two sons who have been into drugs (one just came back from rehab and the other is just going in) and from their tattoos, I'd guess they're into gangs as well. Her brother is getting deported this week, and she's being asked to work Sundays now, on a job she can't afford to lose.
Another one of our investigators just read the "Testimony of Joseph Smith," which is basically JS-H with notes for non-members, and it sent his mind spinning. We spent most of the lesson trying to calm him down, because he wasn't making much sense. He acted like he had never heard the story before (ignoring the fact we had told it to him twice before) and was freaking out about what that meant about his membership in the Catholic Church. We focused on getting him to "try the fruits," (Read the BOM, come to church, etc.,) and praying to know if it was true. He said he needed to study and pray some more, but I have a lot of hope for him.
Things are melting out here, if not necessarily getting warmer. The skies are clear, so the snow is melting, but it's still extremely cold at night. We've had freezing rain several days too. Hermana keeps trying to ditch her coat, but I don't think we'll really be able to get rid of coats for a while. I'm just glad we can leave our boots at home.
We have a new ward mission leader, and he's on fire. He had been working closely with the elders for the last few months, and is taking to his new calling like a fish to water. We’ve always struggled with getting members to lessons, but things have really picked up, now that he's really keeping track of what we're doing. It feels good to work with him, too. Our old ward mission leader is doing fantastic as a Sunday school teacher. I think the branch is building strength in its callings, and I hope that means the lord is preparing us to grow soon.
That's about all here. BTW, it's P. Doll's birthday this week. Just so you know.
Love,
Hermana Maren Jones
