It
hasn't been terribly snowy here, unlike Utah where my dad and sister
seem to be tearing up the ski slopes, but that is just fine with me!
They can go ahead and have as much powder as they want ;)
Quick
Summary: We are teaching 7 people and working with 3 more, and have 2
people we're preparing for baptism - so we are incredibly busy and
incredibly happy! The greatest gift that we can give anyone is the
knowledge that God loves them personally, and that they aren't
forgotten.
The Cheney Man: he's a random man
that walks the streets of Cheney, no one knows why or what he's doing,
but I never saw him until this past week and I can now rest easy. He's
like the bigfoot of Cheney. We said hi :) He's nice!
This
week has been yet another week of miracles! We have a Zone goal to be
more bold in testifying of the truth and power of the Book of Mormon, in
an effort to try to hand out more copies. The idea is that instead of
just handing a copy to anyone who will take them, we need to get their
names and know that they actually have an interest in reading it at some
point in their lives. It's been amazing to see how many people are
actually open to the idea of learning about the Book of Mormon. My
favorite thing is to ask if they want a personal relationship with God
and Jesus Christ, to which they usually answer, "Yes!", at which point I
can bear my witness of how I've gotten to know my Savior and Heavenly
Father on a deeper level through reading the Book of Mormon. Don't get
me wrong, plenty of people have told us no and we had a couple of door
slams, but it's all worth it for the couple of people who are open and
willing to try.
One of the people that we went
to see this week is named Z, and she's from Ethiopia. She lives on her
own and just really wants some friends, since her family all lives far
away, but is open to learning about our beliefs and said she wants to
try coming to church with us next week! It was cute to hear that after
our first visit she called her dad and told him all about us, and he
encouraged her to keep seeing us and learn more. Z is the nicest person
ever, and she is a GREAT cook! We got to try some of her Ethiopian food
before we left (just a smidgeon) and it was amazing!
We
also had a wonderful first lesson with a young woman named Ar**.
She came prepared with questions about how to grow closer to God, how to
recognize Him in her life, and why there are so many churches that seem
to have different approaches to worship. It was amazing to watch the
light and excitement as we were able to answer all of her questions. She
said that it all finally makes sense, and that she is so excited! She'd
already had a goal to start reading the Bible daily (she started in the
Old Testament, bless her heart) and praying more often, which we told
her is a great start! We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and
invited her to stay for the Institute dinner (which she did), and are
hoping to teach her again on Wednesday!
Sister
Thomas and I are so excited for one of the people we've been teaching
(the one who switched her date, named Alyssa) to be baptized this week!
It's a little stressful, but she's so excited that she just skips
everywhere. We've also made plans to go to the temple with her about
three weeks later, so that's going to be fantastic!
I
am constantly amazed at how my mission just seems to get better and
better! It seems impossible that I could be happier tomorrow than I am
today, yet I always seem to be! It's amazing to me to see how much
Christ can change people, even little old me, into something so much
more than we ever envisioned. His grace truly has transformed me and
given me a hope that I want to share with every person that I meet. What
a privilege it is to be able to serve as His hands here in Cheney,
Washington, all day every day! We're so busy every day that I go to bed
feeling completely and utterly spent, but it's the best feeling in the
world. Nothing is so fulfilling as serving others.
The
people here are wonderful and I am definitely in love with this area!
It's not perfect, but I know that when my Visa comes that I'll be sad to
go.
Please keep Anne (pronounced like Annie)
in your prayers! She's a cute old woman who helps to run the Care and
Share, which is a charity that we volunteer at. She recently had back
surgery and has run into some complications with recovery.
I
hope that all of you know how much God loves you and how wonderful you
are. We are truly all loved children of a Father with a plan for us.
Until Next Week!!!
Com Amor,
Sister Avery
It's a Sherbethday Cake!! (January 14, 2019)
