We dropped all of our investigators so that meant a week full of tracting. On Monday we went to the very bottom of our area. We went to a less active's house and met her mom who was super cool! She is from Vietnam and met with missionaries in Massachusetts. She wants us to come over another time when her daughter is there and asked if we could keep her in our prayers and pray that she would gain faith again.
On Tuesday we went tracting again and walked everywhere!!! It was almost 100 degrees and we were sweating a ton! We both forgot to bring water so we stopped at this convenience store and asked if they had any tap water. The employee waled to the back room and gave us a water bottle for free. After that we walked a little further and saw one of the members working so we went and said hi and he gave us more water. We found out that another member works there too and she invited us over for dinner that night. As we were leaving, the first member insisted that we let him get us ice cream and so we got ice cream. :) Even though we didn't really find anyone that day, we were super blessed for working hard to find.
Wednesday we walked again. We had a lesson with a member who is starting to prepare to go through the temple. She is so service oriented and is a hard worker even through her tribulations. She is taking care of one of her friends who is on her death bed. Last week we had a great restoration lesson with both of them and her friend told us that she believed everything that we have said and taught. We got the prompting that we should invite her to be baptized. We asked if she would like to be taught and she said that she would love that and to come over anytime she is feeling well. So next lesson we have with her we are going to invite her to be baptized.
Thursday we visited one of our new investigators. Her name is T and she is a young, hard working mom with two cute little kids. We shared the restoration pamphlet with her. The Spirit was so strong!!! We told her that this could be an answer to her prayers and with tears in her eyes she nodded and said that it was. We told her about the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy and committed her to start reading it and shared some of our favorite verses out of it about Jesus Christ.
Friday was our planning day, as usual, but we got to go over to Sister Keplinger's and had lunch and shared an amazing message.
Saturday we found another new investigator.
Sunday we had dinner at the Spencer's with them and the Raferty's. We had them role play with each other sharing the gospel and inviting someone to church or a church activity. We had them line up in two rows then face each other and role play. After that we went and visited T again. She didn't have time to talk or have a lesson but she asked if we would pray with her and then we set up another time to come visit her.
So, cool studies I had this week:
I was reading in Isaiah 62:6
6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,
Then I read Ezekiel 34:11-16, 22-31
11 ¶For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.
25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.
31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.
Then I read 3 Nephi 12:13-16
13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
As members of the church and as part of our baptismal covenant of taking the name of Christ upon us, we become the watchmen, the shepherds of His flock. We are called to help find those who are lost or in other words those who have not found the restored Gospel. We are called to help bring again that which was driven away - those members who have stopped coming to church and are losing faith. We learn and gain testimonies so that we can share them with the rest of the world, with our brothers and sisters, our light shall not be hidden under a bushel. For we know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better than the rest of the world and we know the higher laws. And if you know this, then keep not silence.
D&C 88:80-81, 126
As they were tracting, they almost stepped on this little bird. They saved it by moving it off the road.
80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.
81 Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.
126 Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen.
She also encouraged youth (16 and up) to go teaching with the local missionaries. It doesn't matter if you are planning on going on a mission or not. She has seen so many in her mission who have done that and have really strengthened their testimonies.
Whitney with Sister Morgan. They almost look like they could be sisters with those eyes!
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