Highs and Lows

Hello All!! 

Another week in Rawlins has passed! This week was probably the hardest one this transfer, which wasn't even that bad but it wasn't as great as the rest of our weeks this transfer. Interesting how each transfer brings a different set of trials.  One neat thing I have really come to know is how much service and missionary work can help you get through your trials and hard times. That and prayer really are what keep me going. It's just interesting how when I have a hard time happen or a trial I just automatically think, as soon as I get to work, it will all melt away and get better. And guess what? It works! It doesn't work all at once, but as I keep pressing forward in doing the work, by the end of the day, I have stopped worrying about my silly trials and really look at how to help others. It's a neat concept. Now I just hope I will be able to apply that principle I have learned to life when I get back home. 

So, enough about me, let me tell you about our investigators here. 

Adrianne-We taught her once this week before she leaves for her vacation for a couple weeks. We taught her about tithing and guess what? She told us that she had gotten some money in the mail last week and she knew it was a blessing from God and her very first thought was, "Now, I can pay tithing on this!" She was already wanting to pay tithing before we even officially taught her about it. We organized her baptismal program and she is excited. It is on Sept. 20th. I don't know if I will see her again or get to be here for her baptism. We find out this coming Saturday about transfers, so I really have no idea. I hope I get to stay for at least one more transfer.

Bonnie-We taught Bonnie the Plan of Salvation this week at the Campbell's house. It is so great teaching in member's homes and having them there participating in the lesson. She just loves everything that she is learning and is so ready to move forward. She is working on quitting smoking and drinking coffee right now, so keep her in your prayers. She has set a baptismal date for Sept. 27th. 

Galilea- She is 11 years old and is part of the spanish speaking family that are members but Less Active. She is working towards her baptismal date on Sept. 13th. And guess what?! She came to church for the first time yesterday!!! With her older Sister Yasmine. It was so exciting to have them there. We have been working with them for a long time now. They both seemed to enjoy it even though they need to get used to the 3 hours of church. haha. 

Claudia- Remember Claudia? Well we were finally able to get a hold of her again this week! She actually just got  married to her boyfriend a week or 2 ago and is super excited to start learning again now that she is a bit more settled. We set up another time to teach her this week and really invited her to pray about the Book of Mormon and to begin reading it. The Book of Mormon is really the key to gaining a testimony. It is amazing the power that the Book of Mormon has.

There were a few other great lessons this week too with investigators but there is a brief update of some of our top progressing investigators. But I'll share a few other neat experiences and stories of the week. Early this week we had an interesting day. We ended up talking to some Chinese boys on the street, it was a bit tricky to communicate but we managed to understand each other a bit. We showed them a pamphlet and then they realized what we were talking about. One said that he has a Book of Mormon in Chinese. Neat right? So we got their address and might go try to teach them sometime. Even though...I don't speak Chinese! Goodness, there are such a wide variety of people that I have talked to here. Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Taiwanese, who would have thought here in little Rawlins, I would have such a cultural experience:). That same day, we tried to visit a Less Active and they weren't home but I had the impression to go and try other apartment upstairs of another Less active we had tried multiple times in previous transfers with no luck. So we did and a couple answered the door and we began talking. They aren't super religious but they have 4 adorable kids and want to go to a church. But the last one they went to the preacher told them to get out when their kids were making noise. We told them that they didn't need to worry about that at our church. haha. Told them about how family centered we are and how their family can be strengthened as they base it on Jesus Christ. They were interested and gave us a time to come back this week. Then he referred us to his brother. So we will see what happens. 

Another neat experience happened last night. We do service every week at the museum and there is a super neat lady that works there. We actually saw her outside one day in Sinclair while we were there, last transfer, and talked to her for a while. But last night we were in Sinclair, after having a wonderful dinner with the Taylor family, love their family, and we felt like we should go visit her. We went over and got to talking and she ended up really opening up to us and telling us some things that had happened that had caused her to loose her faith. We just listened for a while and then told her about the message that we bring and teach and how it can help her build that faith again and give her the peace that she has been looking for. She said she was totally open to learning more and we  set up a time for this coming week. Such a neat experience for her to open up like that and for it to be the perfect timing. 

Another story of the week, so we stopped by a Less-active's house, this man's records have been lost for years and years and he finally decided that it was time to come back to church. We asked how his prayers have been going and then gave him a Book of Mormon. I read him Helaman 5:12, and then we left him with 3 Nephi 11 to read to get him started. We left and not even half an hour later he called and left a message on our phone. "Hey! I read 3 Nephi 11. That was pretty powerful. Thanks for leaving it with me." (In his country accent.) That was it. Haha. It was great that he already read it and felt the spirit. He was at church this week too.

On Saturday, we felt like we needed to set up a visit with a family that live 45 miles outside of town. That is how big our area is. Ha. So we called them to see if we could come over and they asked if we had dinner plans, which weirdly enough, our dinner had cancelled, so we said no. They invited us for dinner and then gave us directions to get there. They weren't normal directions though. They were directions like. "Pass by the Boat Club sign, turn right after a couple miles at the house mail box, past the stone barn and house, then we are the one with the green roof. If you reach the end of the pavement, you've gone to far!" Haha. So we traveled out there and had a wonderful dinner with them. They are a real cowboy family. He works at the ranch out there and they don't come into town much, just for church on Sunday. They are such a neat family though with super strong testimonies. It is neat to see how everyone can build the kingdom of God in their own way and area that they live. They are the only members out of everyone that works at the ranch but they have already made a huge impact on all the workers there. Their examples are great and they have had many missionary opportunities even in the middle of nowhere. It was a great evening with them. Then on the way home, there was a sand dune right off the road, so Sister Johnson and I took a quick run up the hill and rolled all the way down! It was so much fun:) We were just in the middle of nowhere rolling down a sand dune! I love Wyoming. 

Well, I've created another novel. Sorry it is so long. I know I told some people that I wouldn't write super long letters but I manage to write them long every time. Like I said, we find out about transfers this Saturday. I am really hoping to stay to be able to be here for the baptisms in September and continue teaching some of these amazing people but the Lord knows best, so we will see what happens.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love, 

Sister Young

P.S.-My address is still the same and will be whether I transfer or not:) It is

Sister Karissa Young

Colorado Fort Collins Mission

5285 McWhinney Blvd. Suite 100

Loveland, CO 80538

Adrianne with her cute baby:)

Us after the Sand dunes.  You can't really tell. hah