Hi!
This week has been tiring and it has seemed unsuccessful. We gave our investigator, Kelsey, who last week had the blessing from the elders, another baptismal date. We were so excited to extend her another date because she had an amazing experience with her blessing. We went to her house and were going to give her a date about two weeks away, which would have given her a chance to go to church twice, hear all the lessons and work out any other problems. She told us that she wanted to get baptized (Yeah!) but wanted it to be special to her. She wanted to do it around a holiday so near Thanksgiving. We were excited that she wanted to get baptized but a little disappointed. I'm afraid that Satan will work on her before she can get baptized and receive the strength of the Holy Ghost. We are praying about how to help her realize the importance of baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. We invited her to church and she was playing on coming yesterday but got sick and couldn't make it. It is a major disappointment when someone doesn't show up for church. Because you sit all through Sacrament meeting on the edge of your sit and look at everyone who comes through the doors. She didn't show up so we stopped by her house after church to see how she's doing. Her son, the one that received the blessing, is doing amazingly well. He is eating like crazy and isn't on a lot of medicine anymore. So that was a miracle and the priesthood does work. But she was really sick with the flu when we were over there. She felt bad that she couldn't make it.
Me and Sister Yancey have been thinking about how to help her. We want her to see how wonderful baptism is and the blessings one receives from it and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I think that her testimony of the restored gospel, especially in Joseph Smith is strong but I don't think she realizes what that means and how what it means that Christ's Church is on the earth and that it is lead and directed by him. So we've been praying about how to best help her.
I've been so exhausted this week. We've been biking and walking everywhere because we have no other investigators and everyone we talk to says that they aren't interested. Every night it takes me about five seconds to hit the pillow and I've been going to bed about 9:45 pm everynight. Sister Soldinger, whose been out 6 months, says that it gets worse. You begin to become spiritually exhausted and you feel tired and drained all the time. Somehow my body finds a way to keep going. I never realized how much work missionary work was on the body, mind and spirit.
The Lord's tender mercy for this week was from a scripture I read. Me and Sister Yancey can't get any new potential investigators, or any investigators for that matter, except for Kelsey. Sister Ellison and Sister Soldinger have been finding alot of potentials but then they never want to meet with them so they are always getting ditched. So we've been having a tough week. So I had been thinking about the struggles and trials that people go through and what missionaries go through. I was thinking about how trials or the trial of our faith comes before a blessing or some great event. So one morning while eating breakfast I picked up a Book of Mormon off our table and just turned to a random page. It opened up to Alma 21 about Aaron and the sons of Mosiah. Aaron is teaching the gospel in a city but they just argue with him and reject him. He goes to another city and is rejected. He goes to another city and is thrown in prison. While in prison he suffers (Alma 20:29). But after being released from prison, he goes back to work and continues preaching. Then in verse 17, the Lord blesses him and allows him to be the instrument in bringing many to the truth of the gospel. That scripture really stuck out to me. If I keep pushing forward through the sorrows, struggles, rejections, disappointments, trials and tribulations, the Lord will bless me. I don't know how He will bless me or when, but He will.
This week we got a new resident in our apartment. One afternoon, we were making lunch and all of a sudden, Sister Yancey and Sister Ellison yell bloody murder. It scared me so bad because I thought someone was dying. Then I realize that they saw a mouse. Then I started laughing my head off. Me and Sis. Soldinger going looking for it and were trying to catch it when it comes out of hiding again. Sis. Yancey sees it and runs around the kitchen like a chicken with her head cut off. It was soo funny! Sis. Ellison started screaming even though she didn't see it. So they made me set up a mouse trap and that night we caught it.
My testimony has grown so much during the four months I've been on a mission. My love for my Savior and for my Heavenly Father has grown so much. I see everything that they have done for me and have given me. They have done it out of love for me. When I try to comprend the love they have for me, I just can't do it because it is stronger than anything that I could imagine. They only thing that comes even remotely close is the love I have for my family. I would give up everything for them! That is just how my Savior is. He gave up everything for me. He suffered and died for me. His whole Earthly existence was to help me. There is nothing in this world that I could do to repay him and he knows that but he still did it anyway. The thing that he asks of me is to just follow him and to love as he would love.
I love you all!
The church is true so keep the faith!
Love Sister Sumsion
Monday, October 19
I'm loving Missionary work in Colorado!!
MIRACLE Stories:
We have a woman, named Kelsie, who we are working with. But recently one of her sons became really sick from a flu shot. She had to take him to the hospital and now he is on five different medications. So I called the other night to see how he was doing and I offered her son a blessing. She seemed very grateful for the offer and asked if we could come over tomorrow. I could feel that this was a chance for a big miracle and could be a great testimony builder for her. When we went over to her house the next day, her little boy seemed alot better and I felt a little disappointed. But as we talked, I found out that he was still having internal issues. She was super tired and stressed out because she was working so hard to comfort her child and to take care of him. When she said that, I thought of mentioning that she should get a blessing of comfort and strength. I mentioned that to her and she was up for it. While we sat at her house and was waiting for the Elders, nothing seemed to be going right. She was babysitting some of the neighborhood kids who kept getting into trouble outside and her little boy was really restless so I figured that he wouldn't sit still for the blessing. I kept thinking that this wasn't going to work. The Elders showed up and explained more about blessings. As they were giving the boy a blessing, I was praying my heart out that the spirit would come and touch her heart and that Elder Prior would speak through the spirit and that the kids outside wouldn't come in and interrupt. In the blessing, he gave a specific amount of time of when he would be healed. The spirit was there. After giving the boy a blessing, the Elders proceeded to give her a blessing. I once again started praying like crazy. Her little boy was quite and still for both blessings and the kids outside didn't interrupt. The Spirit was so strong there and Elder Prior was saying things in the blessing that only the spirit could have told him about her. It was a wonderful blessing. He told her that God was pleased with her desire to be a good mother, to follow Him and to find out the truth. After the blessing, she was crying and she seemed really touched. The Elders talked for a few minutes about what she felt. She said that before this blessing that she had doubts about the church but after the blessing it confirmed to her the truthfulness of our message. Me and Sis. Yancey were smiling so big! She then asked if she could say a prayer. She gave a wonderful prayer of thanksgiving and for help. She was so overcome with the Spirit that she suprised one of the Elders by giving him a hug. Elder Prior (our district leader) told her that they're not allowed to hug and so she felt really awkward. But after the Elders left, we talked to her. She said that she has never prayed in public before but she felt so grateful that she wanted to pray. She said that she had received blessings from some clergys before but their blessings hadn't really meant anything to her. We explained to her that this one was different because it was the actual power of Chirst that was given to Joseph Smith. We explained more about how blessings work, how the person giving the blessing tries to feel the spirit and tries to say what God wants them to say. After we left her apartment, me and Sis. Yancey turned to each other and started hugging each other and we couldn't stop smiling. Today we are going to recommit her to baptism. Now I don't want to leave until she is baptized. I didn't find her but I've taught her all the lessons so she would be my first baptism. She is an amazing woman who has a powerful testimony and faith.
Sis. Ellison got a new companion named Sis. Soldinger who has had alot of experience with working with members. She is all fired up about contacting inactives and doing member missionary work. So we are all excited to have her here.
We had Zone Conference this week. It was wonderful! We talked alot about teaching by the Spirit. I love this district and the zone and the mission president. I could be here forever! Well, not really.
Testimony: I've gained a stronger testimony of Priesthood power and the miracles it can bring. Not only can it heal people from sicknesses but it can heal hearts and faith. I know that God is there because He listened to my prayer that Kelsie (the one who received the blessing) would gain a testimony. He is wonderful to me and is always blessing me with tender mercies. It is wonderful to be on a mission and to see the miracles that happen everyday. The many hard days are worth that one amazing day!
The church is true so keep the faith!
Love, Sister Sumsion
We have a woman, named Kelsie, who we are working with. But recently one of her sons became really sick from a flu shot. She had to take him to the hospital and now he is on five different medications. So I called the other night to see how he was doing and I offered her son a blessing. She seemed very grateful for the offer and asked if we could come over tomorrow. I could feel that this was a chance for a big miracle and could be a great testimony builder for her. When we went over to her house the next day, her little boy seemed alot better and I felt a little disappointed. But as we talked, I found out that he was still having internal issues. She was super tired and stressed out because she was working so hard to comfort her child and to take care of him. When she said that, I thought of mentioning that she should get a blessing of comfort and strength. I mentioned that to her and she was up for it. While we sat at her house and was waiting for the Elders, nothing seemed to be going right. She was babysitting some of the neighborhood kids who kept getting into trouble outside and her little boy was really restless so I figured that he wouldn't sit still for the blessing. I kept thinking that this wasn't going to work. The Elders showed up and explained more about blessings. As they were giving the boy a blessing, I was praying my heart out that the spirit would come and touch her heart and that Elder Prior would speak through the spirit and that the kids outside wouldn't come in and interrupt. In the blessing, he gave a specific amount of time of when he would be healed. The spirit was there. After giving the boy a blessing, the Elders proceeded to give her a blessing. I once again started praying like crazy. Her little boy was quite and still for both blessings and the kids outside didn't interrupt. The Spirit was so strong there and Elder Prior was saying things in the blessing that only the spirit could have told him about her. It was a wonderful blessing. He told her that God was pleased with her desire to be a good mother, to follow Him and to find out the truth. After the blessing, she was crying and she seemed really touched. The Elders talked for a few minutes about what she felt. She said that before this blessing that she had doubts about the church but after the blessing it confirmed to her the truthfulness of our message. Me and Sis. Yancey were smiling so big! She then asked if she could say a prayer. She gave a wonderful prayer of thanksgiving and for help. She was so overcome with the Spirit that she suprised one of the Elders by giving him a hug. Elder Prior (our district leader) told her that they're not allowed to hug and so she felt really awkward. But after the Elders left, we talked to her. She said that she has never prayed in public before but she felt so grateful that she wanted to pray. She said that she had received blessings from some clergys before but their blessings hadn't really meant anything to her. We explained to her that this one was different because it was the actual power of Chirst that was given to Joseph Smith. We explained more about how blessings work, how the person giving the blessing tries to feel the spirit and tries to say what God wants them to say. After we left her apartment, me and Sis. Yancey turned to each other and started hugging each other and we couldn't stop smiling. Today we are going to recommit her to baptism. Now I don't want to leave until she is baptized. I didn't find her but I've taught her all the lessons so she would be my first baptism. She is an amazing woman who has a powerful testimony and faith.
Sis. Ellison got a new companion named Sis. Soldinger who has had alot of experience with working with members. She is all fired up about contacting inactives and doing member missionary work. So we are all excited to have her here.
We had Zone Conference this week. It was wonderful! We talked alot about teaching by the Spirit. I love this district and the zone and the mission president. I could be here forever! Well, not really.
Testimony: I've gained a stronger testimony of Priesthood power and the miracles it can bring. Not only can it heal people from sicknesses but it can heal hearts and faith. I know that God is there because He listened to my prayer that Kelsie (the one who received the blessing) would gain a testimony. He is wonderful to me and is always blessing me with tender mercies. It is wonderful to be on a mission and to see the miracles that happen everyday. The many hard days are worth that one amazing day!
The church is true so keep the faith!
Love, Sister Sumsion
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