This week has been AWESOME. So many good things are happening. Yay!!
We started teaching this girl named Tierra. She really wants her life to be better than it has been. She's fresh out of jail (again) and those types tend to be really bad at keeping their commitments, which has been true so far (not that I'm being judgmental because I've also seen too many times the power prison has to change people's hearts) but we hope she will find her way. She really wants something better.
Tuesday we left home at 8 am and didn't get back until 9:30, and that's always fun. We went to ZTM, and I love our ZLs. Good mission leaders make a big difference. Then we heated up some leftovers and ate them on our way to Algoma, where we had several really good lessons and saw some people we don't normally get to see (Algoma's killer for our mileage). We also taught Robert...our awesome friend whose trying to prove us wrong. As it happens, we discovered the problem while discussing the Plan of Salvation. Robert's bible church doesn't believe in free will.
Yeah, you read that right.
Seriously. He said it himself. They don't believe in free will. They believe everything is God's will, and then he allows for like 5% 'permissible will', where he lets us choose stuff. It was ridiculous. So we sent him home pondering agency a little bit. It was been blowing my mind all week that people actually believe that way. It's so sad :'(
We had a hugely successful lesson with Melissa again. They only happen once in a blue moon, but she was in a good mood and super honest with us. She's so close it's driving me crazy!!
We moved like 15 TVs again for service. The fun part is where you throw them in giant boxes and hear them crash. Lol.
And we did service for a fundraising project held at Hope Church, which is my favorite church around here (besides ours). The people are super open and nice. We got some new potentials out of it and I really hope we can find a way to do more service there...basically that whole church is ready to be converted.
Friday Game Nights, which used to be a relaxing, wind-down time have recently been some of the most tiring, service-oriented parts of my week. So many people come to the game nights just to get away from something or because they really need fellowship and we just spend the whole night trying to help all of them simultaneously. And make everyone else feel loved. It's totally exhausting but totally spiritually rewarding.
Then randomly a member who is a baker showed up at the church, left us a 2-foot loaf of cheese bread, and walked out. Talk about strange but perfect tender mercies.
We extended a baptismal date to our awesome 16-yr-old friend, who accepted. Fellowshippers are everything. He and Krystal have been having deep discussions about testimonies. What better way to help convert?
Then at church a LARCPM family came. The husband, who normally works out of state, is around for a few weeks, and has been studying with the missionaries for about a year. He's ready to get baptized here, so his family can be there. Free baptism. He's actually really cool and I think he will be an important strength for his family. He plans to get baptized this Saturday...so we have some preparations to do :)
I had a headache all day yesterday after church, and had to kinda sit out all day. I need to start bringing snacks places, cause I always seem to get these headaches after church if we stay too long, such as for branch council. It also happens when I fast. Bleh. But it was actually a good thing because Sister Karlsson got to watch The District 2, which was the last thing she had to do in her 12 Weeks. We're finished!!
And we're staying together for my last transfer. I think I couldn't ask for a better area or a better companion to end on :) And because of all this stuff that is happening, I know for sure that I was meant to stay. I kinda worried I was just being selfish, so it's good to know it's also the Lord's will for me :)
Sister Neal
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