"As Sisters in Colorado" : I Love Being a Missionary!

August 11, 2014

Hey Everyone!!

This week I truly can say without any hesitation that I LOVE being a missionary. This has been the best week of my mission so far. It was filled with miracles, hard work, joy, some disappointments but tons of fun on top of it all. I really cannot even express my joy this week for being a missionary, which is good. The miracles of all the hard work are coming. The field really is white and already to harvest. We reap what we sow and I am seeing the reaping of the blessings happening. I knows times might get hard again soon, but for now I will relish the joy and how much I love being a missionary.

First off, Adrianne has a baptismal date!!! We went over last night and taught her and she asked us if we had been praying to know another date, we said we had and then asked if she had. And she got really excited and said, "Yes! But it might be too soon. I have been feeling like September 20th." Which is perfect! We had been feeling like that weekend or the next one too. So she will be baptized the week after she gets home from her vacation. She said that she is doing it whether or not her husband decides to be there. He is not too into religion and she doesn't know if he will be there. But some day his heart will be softened. She is so ready! I feel so blessed to be part of this process of helping her come unto Christ. He had already prepared her, it was just a matter of "harvesting" the white field. Doctrine and Covenants 4: 4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

Remember how we said we have been working hard to involve members more? The Lord is providing so many opportunities for us to be able to do that! The members are getting super excited and the receive so many blessing by coming out with us to help us. We had a sister this week who came with us and after, she just thanked us for calling her because going out and doing missionary work really lifts a burden off of her shoulders. She loves the uplifting feeling she gets by serving with us. She really opened up to us. We are seeing that with all the members that we are involving. They receive so many blessings in return. Everyone is blessed by missionary work and miracles really DO happen as members and missionaries work together. I have a strong testimony of that. The work is booming here and it is because the members and missionaries are working together. So neat to see.

We had a couple really random, only in Wyoming experiences, this week.:) I won't share them all...but I'll share a few. I don't know if I ever told you about the man that we met at Music in the Park? His name is Elvis. He is African American. When we met him at the park he was drunk and took a lot of pamphlets and a Book of Mormon, and gave us his address. We talked to a member who knew him because he grew up with him and said that he really just needed some direction in life and he is a really great man. So this week we took a member with us and went to visit him. It was a miracle that he was home and that he was in a good state of mind. ha. We taught him the Restoration and he understood it quite well and said we could keep coming by. We tried again later this week and found him once again drunk but this time he was dressed like a cowboy. We still talked to him outside and said we would try again next week to stop by.

Do you all remember the G family? It's been a while since I have talked about them. Well this week we got all of the older kids at home. The family is Less Active and doesn't have records here but their youngest daughter is not baptized. We taught them that night and showed Galilea how to work the scriptures on her phone. She got really excited to be able to read them on her phone. Then we asked if we could come back and set up a time. Which, is tricky because they usually set times and they aren't there. But we came and they were there and guess what?! They had actually started reading the Book of Mormon and read the whole pamphlet! That was amazing. They haven't showed much interest until now. They said that they had both felt really calm while they read and had been praying before they read and after as well. Galilea said that she wanted to be baptized! So we will continue working with them. They seem a lot more serious about it now and more committed. Everyone has their own timing.

Another neat thing. LAst week I talked about contacting the Martin's Cove referral right? Anna? Well we have been wanting to contact Lucy, her sister, because her sister said that she is really interested and she speaks English more than the rest of them. So we felt prompted this week to stop by and then happened to run into Sister Clyde in the trailer park, and asked her to come with us. We went and Lucy was home!! We introduced her to the Book of Mormon and read her the promise given. She said, "I want that promise." Then she just held the pamphlet and Book of Mormon to her heart and got really emotional. It is so neat to see her joy and want to learn more. It might be more tricky with her crazy work schedule and the fact that every time we stop by there is someone new that we meet at the house:) But in the Lord's timing it will work out.

We also had Zone Meeting this week in Laramie along with interviews with President. The Zone Meeting was one of the most spiritual meetings I have been a part of on my mission. It was nice to be able to be spiritually recharged to go out and do the work. One thing that really stuck out to me and hit me hard was something that our zone leader Elder Ascheris said. He said, "We need to base our self-worth off of correct principles. If we base it off of inconsistent things such as our career, friends, family, talents, etc. then we will never be happy. Base your self-worth on the Atonement and love of our Savior."

Such a powerful quote. The atonement is the only consistent thing that we can rely on. We can be truly happy as we base our self-worth off of the love of our Savior and His Atonement.

Also, some sad news. President Brown said that sisters will not be in Rawlins for very much longer. I don't know when it will be, but I could be out of here soon, which breaks my heart. I'm not ready to leave. I LOVE the work here and the people. I can't even imagine leaving but such is mission life. I also am super bummed that sisters will be leaving Rawlins. There have been so many miracles since sisters have been here. But I know President will follow the spirit to know what needs to happen.

Working with Sister Johnson has been really fun. We have a good time together and get along well. There are still struggles but the joys outweigh the struggles by far with her. We teach really well together. We use the pamphlets and scriptures a lot and teach as simply as possible. Going in with a plan and teaching equally. It is so great to work with her.

Thank you all for your prayers, support, love and letters. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love,

Sister Young

P.S.-Also the temple prep class was finally started this week!!! YAY!!!