Monday, July 14, 2014

Monday, July 14, 2014

Family, Family, Family,

I HAVE A NEW COMPANION! This is such a bitter sweet time.  I LOVEEE Sister Montgomery so much!  She is in Plainview, like we thought she would be. She was blinded in with Sister Peacock who was a Sister Training Leader before but was released, and recalled.

I am companions with Sister Williams!  This is so fun!  Sister Williams is the sister who had poor health and had to go home, and then she came back. That’s when we were in Midwood together, and I ended up being in a trio with Sisters Lewis and Hodgson. She has been back for 2 transfers, and this is her third.  We came out to New York on the same MTC flight.  She was Spanish speaking.  She will be going home one transfer after me now :)

She is a WORK HORSE! She works hard, and is obedient in the small things. Which you ALL know I love and need. Nothing like having a clean conscience.

So, a few miracles to report. We committed a family to baptism on the first lesson, which is a standard of excellence in our mission.  I think it is church wide too. It is easier than you think to commit someone to be baptized. I always used to be freaked out. But luckily with the spirit there, they can feel the importance and want that change in their life.  Her name is Crystal.  She has 2 kids an 8 year old and a 10 year old. Get how we found her! You’ll die!  It was so funny.  We were teaching a returning less active, and we had just got her all set up to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.  When we walked out of her apartment, Crystal’s door was open, and this member says to her, in her house, "in this church you can be baptized for your brother, and your mother and your grandparents!  You gotta learn more!"  Hahaha!  It was so funny.  Long story short-- we are teaching her now.

When we went to teach Crystal during the appointment time, she wasn’t home.  The time before we went to the LA’s house, we met another set of neighbors that knew Crystal-- but they were pretty straight forward and a little overbearing. But I had a prompting this time to knock on their door and see if they knew if Crystal was home.  I was so scared, but I figured the worst that could happen was they yell at me.  So we knocked, when they answered they said she was at work. So we left a note on Crystal’s door. We had another place to go later that day that was by her house so we decided to stop by again. SHE WAS HOME!  We taught her a short lesson, and she was excited. Crystal said that her neighbors told her that we came by and that they want to learn about the church.  So next time! :) Everyone needs the gospel, we are happy to share!  Even better, was on the way to Chrystal’s house we fearlessed a woman who just had a baby.  She looked to be about 18.  She said she wanted us to come and talk to her about the church. MIRACLES.

Another miracle.  I fearlessed a man in Midwood when we were doing zone service at Prospect Park, and we talked for about 20 minutes.  We got his number and I just called it yesterday. The person that answered the phone was a girl, and she said she knew a guy named Joe, but as we started describing the Joe we knew and she described the Joe she knew -- it was 2 different Joes.  We continued to talk and she asked questions about our church and she said that she wants to learn more about prophets and how Christ's church is on the earth again. It was so cool!  So she said we can call her back—she wants to think about it more.  But she talked to us for quite a while.  It is so nice when people have sincere questions, and aren't looking to prove the church wrong with dumb questions.

I have 13 spider bites on my legs from the night! WAHOO! Not. Haha!  I don’t know what it is about bugs, but they EAT ME ALIVE!  I’m not looking forward to the brunt of the summer. So many mosquitoes to come. Haha!

We had Mission Leaders Conference this week. Booya!  It was so good.  The spirit was so strong and just testified to the whole room about the importance of Preach My Gospel.  I wish you could all be there to experience the almost tangible feeling.  We have a new Assistant, Elder Baker, he is just a boss!  He will be a mission president one day.  Mark my words. Most humble person I think I have ever met.

We have some more news to show the growth and hastening of the Lords work. We have added ASL SISTER MISSIONARIES, they have just finished training.  So like the Chinese sisters were, they were blinded into/in charge of making a new pool. So the ASL elders used to be in a family ward/YSA district and now they get to break off and be ASL only.  It is a pretty huge deal…And Korean sisters are coming into the mission in a few months, and that was just made an official language here.

I notice that the Lord is really involved in the work. You really can't deny that.  I have been thinking about the importance of consecrating our efforts.  There is so much to give. I just need to take the steps to really give it.

We are teaching a Muslim woman, and it is so fun to be able to teach her about our Savior, and about how to pray and things. It makes me appreciate the basics of the gospel so much more. A lot of the people that we teach already have a testimony of Jesus and things.   So teaching the other things sometimes comes a little easier. But I know that He hears and answers prayers.  It is pretty evident if we take a step into the dark.

I have made some vision goals and plans for this transfer.  I am pretty excited about them!

The Sister’s Conference is coming together well too.  I am thankful for Sister Calderwood. She is taking on a fair amount so we can still work.  I am thankful for her example.  We went to the mission home to plan for the conference yesterday, and President was home. I wish you could see their family interact. It is just amazing.  They are great parents.

:) I love you all.

Love,

Sister JaLynn Freeze