Little Dot's Grand Adventures: Finding purpose...

I am staying in Morrisville, Vermont with Sister O'Bryant! We are still going down to transfer meeting because we are becoming a trio! I will be the senior companion with two junior companions.

12 weeks???? It kinda freaks me out that I am almost done.

So I told you about the amazing family we have been working with who have struggled to come to church because it can be so hard with their two autistic children... After having that amazing lesson with them I decided to write down all that I remembered from helping out with Berk and Callie in our ward and then did a ton of studies and research on helping kids with disabilities/autism and how to help their families. It is amazing how many resources can be found through LDS.org! Well, it came down to the quote by President Gordan B. Hinkley, "Everyone ... needs three things: a friend, a responsibility and nurturing with 'the good word of God' (Moroni 6:4). So, from there we developed a plan blending everything together into three steps for helping the boys and also three steps for helping the parents and especially focusing on step one: a friend. We presented part of it to the family and they are willing to try it. We also gave them a questionnaire we came up with so we can make "about me" sheets for both boys so the members working with them can know more about them and recognize signs of frustration/when they are overwhelmed and how to handle it. We also presented the plan in ward council and they loved it and are on board with it too. They all also understand that it will take some time and there will be bumps in the road but we are going to make it work!

I am super excited! I got to bear my testimony to them on how it worked out with our ward. The Young Women's president was super impressed and asked if I truly thought that it could work here and I told her that I know it can work here but it will take all of us and a ton of faith. The leaders also like how we had the plan typed up for each of them and loved how we presented it. So, yea, pretty much that is one big reason I know I needed to be sent to this area. There is a purpose in all things. It is also one of my main goals that I want to accomplish before the end of my mission. I want this sweet family to be able to come back to church with the love and support of their ward family.

Awkward moments:

So, on Tuesday, we tracted in to this guy and he said he would love for us to come back and share a messge at 5 pm. So that meant we had two hours to find a member! Finally we found one 20 minutes before and after pretty much calling all of the active sisters! We went back to his house and a lady answers the door and says, "Oh one of the men already came by and taught us an hour ago." What?!?! In response to our confused faces she said, "Jehovah Witnesses, right?" "Uh, no... We're mormons and we were asked to come back and share a message here at 5..." " Oh, we're not interested, we're Catholic."

Another time we were trying to contact a potential investigator and we saw her in the window and she saw us, then right as we went to knock we saw her sneak over and lock the door and hide!

Oh, and our elevator just randomly opens sometimes right as we walk by...

There is so much more to tell you, but I'm out of time. Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The following is the link with resources for serving those with disabilities. LDS.org disability resources