A Heart Full of Love

October 27, 2014

Howdy fambam! I am so happy that y'all are back home! And can I just say how much I love Elder Weston? hahaha what a gem! AND OMH CARLY HUNTER. CONGRATS. Ummmm but please wait until I get home to get all married? K thanks. (and some lady named Sister Gold found me at the Trail Center. She knows you.)

 

This week has been incredible. So many miracles and I am in awe at it all. I love this work! I never want it to end. I am so happy!

 

So lets start off from the beginning--last Monday the zone played chubby bunny. HAHAHAHA BEST THING OF MY LIFE.

 

 *oh and I don't think I ever told you? But Tyler Woodfield's roomie--Elder Sadler--is my zone leader! He's a gem. I'll snag a picture with him one of these days.*

Elder Sadler

   All the sisters at the trail center did this work out program for this women here that wants to take it to Salt Lake for all missionaries to use for working out. Lets just say that this week was deattthhhh. Almost all of us sisters were limping around and walking all funny while giving tours because we were SO sore. Highly embarrassing....

Post Workout

 

 We have Trail Center Training every Saturday morning--and I made a promise with Heavenly Father that if he let me stay here for another transfer that I would sing the musical number one of these weeks--and I finally did on Saturday! And Sister Cragun played the piano. It was oh so wonderful. I'll send you my flash drive soon so y'all can hear it.

I love YSA. Why? Because we got to help our member with her wedding decorations on Saturday. BEST SERVICE PROJECT. Hahaha and she was so excited to show us her flowers and shoes and engagement pictures and tell us all of her cute stories. Just loving life over here in Omaha.

Angelica is doing incredible! She came to church yesterday and loved it! And we had 2 great lessons with her. We gave her a tour around the Trail Center and she was just teaching us the whole time! She loves God and can't wait to be baptized! She was like "a sacrifice is really just a blessing because she get closer to God." Who is she?! Then later on in the week we taught her the Plan of Salvation...it was a rough lesson. Her roommate was really distracting (who is a guy...woof.) and Sister Cragun and I were just constantly struggling for the spirit and testifying constantly. And the questions she was asking! Good golly. But she said the closing prayer and actually thanked God for her questions because it was helping her see that she was putting forth an effort to understand more and that she had the faith to know that this plan was true.

 

KAYLA. I love her. We had a lesson with her on Wednesday and her dad actually was there! (Kayla tries to have lessons when her parents aren't home because she says they will try to "run us out.")He basically kidnapped us. He despises Mormons and he answered the door and goes "we're catholic." "Okay :) well is Kayla here? We brought her some cupcakes." He gets all confused and takes the cupcakes...and says she's asleep...so basically go away. Well we were not taking that for an answer and smiled our way into his house. *cupcakes soften hearts haha* So remember--Kayla refuses to ever come back to church, but she for some reason is still fine with meeting with us. We talk with her and then her dad starts hounding us with questions and being super rude but we were able to hold it together and THEN OUT OF NO WHERE KAYLA STARTS TESTIFYING TO HIM AND TURNING TO US FOR HELP EVERY SO OFTEN BUT SHE BASICALLY TAUGHT HIM THE RESTORATION. Sister Cragun and I were just picking our jaws up off the ground. Then on Saturday we took her out for ice-cream. Again, she's never coming back to church the second we sit down. Okayyy Kayla, we just want to be your friend. She still doesn't understand that. I want to testify that the spirit was there in that lesson outside of Dairy Queen. So strong. Probably one of the most spiritual lessons I've had on my mission. She is so sad. And she's trying so hard to push us away...but God loves her and He always will. I can hardly remember anything that I said...but I know it's what needed to be said because it was all the spirit. There were even times when I would say something and then just look over at Sister Cragun because I just realized what I just said and sometimes I thought it was way to bold and Kayla was going to be ticked-but she wasn't. Because she needed it. At the end, I was about to give her a promised blessing and she goes "God doesn't keep promises. He never has and he never will." So I told her to give me a minute and I just sat there and prayed my life away...asking him for something that I could promise Kayla if she just read the introduction to the Book of Mormon. We probably sat there for 5 minutes in silence...but I finally just said, "Kayla, I can promise you with everything in my heart, that if you will read the introduction to the Book of Mormon, you will have a good day." So simple. It was so....weird? to me. But she just looked into my eyes and asked when that would happen...because she hasn't had a good day in over 15 years. We testified to her more...and I know she left with a pinch of hope in her heart. Sister Cragun and I walked out of that lesson with so much peace and assurance that the spirit was there. That the atonement was working on her. And that God knew her.

Sister Case and Sister Cragen

I love this work. I love my Heavenly Father. I've really been opening up to him more and I finally told him that I'm ready. I'm ready to grow and become all that He wants me to become. I only have 3 transfers left--and I want Him to stretch me. I'm willing to accept whatever it is that I need to be better. I essentially gave Him my heart. I probably won't be at the trail center next transfer and I'm going to have a new companion and I don't know the area because it's the whole stake and I'm terrible at directions and I'm going back out to full proselyting...but I know everything will be okay. In the Book of Mormon, the words "look forward" keep sticking out to me. "Now let us be wise and look forward..." and it "will make for the peace of this people." Peace comes to those who are patient, and humble, and willing. And there is nothing I want more than peace in my life. I know God will take care of everything as I continue to tread through the mud and never stop pushing my own handcart. I'm confident that I'll make it to "Zion" as I turn to Him and allow him to mold me. I can't have fear--only faith. The atonement is real. The Book of Mormon is true. And I am so happy.

 

I love y'all! 

 

Sister Case

It's been a little over a year.  So happy to have Chick-fil-a!