July 16, 2012

Hello Family!!! :)

It's so good to hear from all of you!!! I really love Preparation day
just cause I get to e-mail all of you, it's like the highlight of my
week- besides doing missionary work of course! ;) Ha ha! Life is
good!!! It's week 6 of the transfer so that means that transfer calls
will come in on Saturday night! S Thompson is absolutely positive that
she is leaving! :) I am pretty sure that something will happen. . .
we have been here together for like 4 and 1/2 months and there are a
lot of sisters that have also been in their areas for 4-6 months. So
the more we talk about it, the more positive I am that this is going
to be a big transfer meeting for all of the sisters! It's exciting a
little bit stressful and super nerve wracking! I think it's so funny
that Mom in your e-mail today talked about the different challenges
that we have with each of our companions. I was thinking back over the
last 4 months, what I've learned from S Thompson, the struggles we
have had, but mostly the good things that have happened and all of the
miracles that we have seen! It's been a good couple of months! <3 But
I do think that Heavenly Father has some new plans in store for both
of us. . . and whatever that may include we are excited to see what
happens! The best part is, that I really don't have to worry about it!
I know that this is God's work and that he won't give me more than I
can handle! ;) It makes me excited to see the climb ahead and know
that he will be my guide-ALWAYS! <3

This week has been one full of miracles! I love this!!! We are
teaching this sweet little Chinese girl named Yiwen. She is absolutely
adorable!!!! We had a super powerful lesson with her this week about
the life of Christ. We knew she didn't have any religious background
and therefore no knowledge of Christ. So as we pondered on how to
teach her we turned to the resources that are available to us. Our
first thought was to read with her from the BOM, that was good, but
not quite what she needed. Then after struggling for a little while I
remembered all of the DVDs that we have in our closet. I went to see
what was there and found the answer to our prayers: the Finding Faith
in Christ DVD!!! We talked about it and really knew that was exactly
what she needed! We had the Relief Society President (Stephanie) at
the lesson with us and afterwards we read from 3 Nephi when Christ
invites the people to "Come unto Me!" It was so amazing!! The spirit
was so strong- when we asked Yiwen how she was feeling she told us it
felt like she was right there with the people seeing the miracles
happen! :) We were able to really testify of the reality of our Savior
and promise her blessings of peace, joy and direction in life as she
came to experience more of God's love for her! It was so amazing!!! We
wanted to give her a baptism date, but it didn't feel right that time.
We are planning to do it tomorrow though, so pray that she will feel
the spirit and accept!!! It was also really sweet cause yesterday in
church we had a lesson in RS about missionary work and Stephanie
shared a little bit about the experience that she had with us and
encouraged the other sisters to come out with us! :) Our ward is so
wonderful! I really, really love them! <3

We have been struggling a little to teach our Less Actives/ Recent
Converts (LARC'S) but this week we decided we were going to make it
happen. We picked a few people to focus on and set appointments to
meet with them. It was really great- I think that sometimes we forget
that we are here not only to teach investigators but also to
strengthen the members! We have a RC named Ha. She was baptized in
October and has been doing very well! But then she went home to
Vietnam to visit her family for a few months and when she came back
she was really struggling. We met with her this week though and had a
really, really amazing lesson! She totally opened up to us and asked
us if our faith ever wavered?? We talked a lot about faith, how
sometimes God gives us trials and we just don't know how we will ever
make it through, but as we continue to exercise faith by reading the
scriptures, praying for help and guidance and going to church to renew
our covenants- that eventually the clouds lift and we see the path a
little more clearly! She shared how she was struggling because she
wanted her family to accept the gospel so bad, but they aren't. It was
really hard for her, but I felt like (Thanks to the guidance from the
spirit) we were able to share exactly what she needed to hear! What a
beautiful reminder to me of my work as a missionary! And what a great
reminder of how important having the spirit is! :)

Okay- so I have the greatest story ever!!! Ha ha! This is awesome!! We
were out contacting the other day and this guy walked up behind us. He
was walking a little faster than us so pretty soon he was ahead of us.
S Thompson and I both felt like we needed to talk to him, but didn't
know how to do it without chasing him down!! (We try NOT to chase
people down cause then they just think that we are crazy!! LOL) So I
said a little prayer and asked for help to be able to talk to this
guy! Then the miracle happened: HE SNEEZED!!!!! :) Now, this was no
ordinary sneeze! This one would have put Dad to shame! ;) Ha ha! But
when he sneezed we quickly caught up to him and I said, "Bless You!"
He looked and us, and said, "Wow!! Ha ha! Thanks! I think that was
probably the BIGGEST sneeze of my whole life!" Ha ha! So we walked
with him for a few minutes and he started asking US questions. He said
how he had a friend on a mission and how he had heard about the BOM
and always wanted to read it and learn more about it- but had never
had the opportunity! I just started laughing- what a coincidence,
right!?!?! We told him that is EXACTLY what we do! He couldn't believe
it!!! He was so excited!! We set up an appointment for Saturday and
when Saturday rolled around he was there! We had a great lesson with
him and he accepted and As you, will you! He promised to read and pray
and even come to church next Sunday! He was so excited to go call his
friend and tell him everything that he had learned about! It was so
amazing!! God guides us every single day- so, so great!! :)

We also met with Hunaid and Kendall of course! ;) It was such a great
lesson! We decided that we needed to read with him because he hasn't
been reading. But we also needed to teach some of the commandments. We
decided to go with Abinadi- it's a great story AND has the
commandments. When we first started Hunaid told us, "This is so
boring! I want something new! I already know all of these things- WHY
are you making me read this!?!?!" We just kept reading and promised
that he would learn something if he would give it a chance! Well, as
we continued to read and discuss he got more and more quiet. . . the
complaints stopped and when it was his turn to read he didn't try to
get out of it. We were about half way through when we had to stop
because we had to get home for the night, but he had been reading
ahead and finished the chapter!!! When we asked what his thoughts were
he told us, "This is such a GOOD chapter!!! Why haven't we read this
one before? Why didn't you tell me there were good stories in
here!?!?!?" Ha ha! We HAD told him all of those things, but he had to
experience it before he would actually believe us! ;) So, finally I
think we can get him to read on his own and really be able to
experience and love the BOM. He still isn't ready to commit to
baptism, but he's coming! :) Keep him in your prayers! He will be
there faster than he will ever realize!

I have SO many stories to tell you!! But I'm all out of time! I will
try to get a snail mail off today! :) I can't believe Emily Olson is
coming home so soon!! That's super exciting!!! :) And Stephanie Barton
is home too!! WOW!!! :) Those are two of the very best sister
missionaries ever!!! You'll have to give them both a big hug for me
and tell them how amazing I think they are! <3

Di- I must have written down your address wrong! I put apt 3 instead
of 43! Sorry!!! Hopefully those letters will find you! :)

Thanks for the letters and pictures!! The peaches and the rest of the
package all made it safely!! THANKS!!! I made a peach smoothie for Bro
Elms and the Tingey's and they all really enjoyed it!! My other
favorite thing was the Pageant book!!! I could have sat there all day
staring at it and picking out everyone I knew!! I'm pretty sure I
found everybody except Rach, Dad, Jake and Hannah! :) I showed it to
EVERYBODY!!! Ha ha, nobody enjoyed it as much as I did though!!! :)
Thanks again- you guys really are the BEST EVER!!!

BIG FAT HEART!!!

Love you tons!!
Love, Sister Bishop!