you all that: I HAVE THE GREATEST FAMILY EVER!!!!! Ha ha! I'm just
counting my blessings and of course you are all at the very top! :)
So, Transfer call are in AND. . . . We are both STAYING!!! Big
surprise, huh? Our district leader really had me going for a few
minutes and pretty much had me convinced that I was leaving! But right
as I was ready to burst into tears, he started to feel bad and decided
that he would repent! Ha ha! Man! I was so mad! LOL! I think he felt
really, really bad though! I am sending a tape this week cause I
didn't have any time to write letters, so Di you can watch for it and
then send it home so everyone else can hear all the fun little stories
too! :)
Sounds like you have all had a busy weekend! Matthew's baptism, Ben
going through the temple, Dad's toe surgery and everything else!
Sounds like a party and a half!!! Di- I seriously about peed my pants
when you told me about your girls night out plucking your eye brows!!
ha ha! I don't know why, but that really hit my funny bone! ha ha! I
guess it's cause I can totally hear you two and see the party
happening! ha ha! You guys are the greatest!!
So, our week this week was a little bit crazy! We swapped our
preparation day last week to Thursday so that we could go to the
temple. So that kind of threw our week off, plus we did exchanges so
it was even more wacky! But, still so good! For exchanges I stayed
here and Sister Farnsworth came with me. Sister Decker went to Canton
with S Holmes. It was amazing to me to have the chance to teach with
another sister that has been out for a few months and see her teaching
style. S Farnsworth is like the worlds sweetest, most soft spoken
person. She is a powerful teacher!! Our day was full of lesson which I
was thankful for (And so was she!) Because she doesn't do very well
walking around a lot. By the end of the night her leg was killing her!
I felt just a little bad, but again very grateful that we had so many
appointments and hadn't been out contacting ALL day like S Decker and
I have been! :) Exchanges are always fun, but it is always nice to be
back in your own area with your own companion!
By the end of the week, our numbers were looking a little low like
they have been the last few weeks and I was feeling a little down. It
was frustrating to work so hard, and not see the success that I
wanted. As you know it was fast Sunday this weekend so S Decker and I
were talking about what we should fast for. We talked about different
people we are working with and some needs that they have, but as we
kept talking we felt like the biggest problem was: US! We felt like we
were lacking faith, confidence and the courage to work hard and expect
miracles. We decided that we would fast for US, and in turn that would
bless the people we are working with and everything that we do! It was
my turn to pray and as we knelt there together I poured out my heart!
I knew that this was what was holding us back, and I knew that I
couldn't break free from it on my own. It was one of those really
amazing experiences where you really FELT and KNOW that God is there
and heard that prayer and that he would answer it! Right then and
there I decided that I would do everything I could to make this
happen! Any prompting I would act on it, any thoughts I would share, I
would study, work and DO everything that I needed to because then I
would be worthy to claim the blessings and miracles that I was
POSITIVE God would send my way. Well, hold on folks, cause then the
miracles started pouring in!!!
1- We had received a referral earlier in the week for a Bryanna. She
referred herself through Mormon.org, when the elders went to meet with
her they found out she was moving in the next few days to U of M, so
they immediately sent her our way. We called her and actually met with
her that night! She is SO great! She told us, "I will do ANYTHING that
God tells me I need to do! Even if it's just, 'God says so!'" She is
totally golden!!! :) We invited her to come to church on Sunday and
she wasn't sure if she would be able to make it. But (Here is where
all of the miracle start to happen!) Sunday rolled around and she said
she was going to make it!!! We found her a ride and she showed up
Sunday morning in a car load of freshman girls! They all hit it off so
well!!! Bre totally ditched us during RS and went with these other
girls. She told us that she was so comfortable so felt like she was
right at home! And she was like, "I am DEFINITELY coming back here!
This was so great!" It was SO nice not to have to worry about finding
her friends. . . the whole ward just opened right up and took her in!
It was fantastic!!
2- Sunday morning we were studying and the phone started ringing. I
figured it was someone needing a ride, but didn't recognize the
number. Are you ready for this!?!?!? This guy called us and said,
"Hey! My name is Lila. I am a student at EMU. I met 2 ladies on campus
a FEW MONTHS AGO that gave me a card and invited me to come to church.
Do I have the right number??" It's a good thing that I was sitting on
the floor or I would have probably fallen off of my chair! Probably 1
in a million people ever call us when we give them cards! And this was
MONTHS ago! We haven't been to EMU in like 2 months! After recovering
a little I was ecstatic!! I told him we would find him a ride for
church TODAY if he could make it! He was so excited, he immediately
accepted! We called a member and sure enough, a few hours later there
he was! He really enjoyed church and once again the ward did so well
at fellow shipping him! He LOVED priesthood and had a really good
experience. We set up an appointment and are going to see him tomorrow
to teach him more! He was so so funny too! He was filling out a little
get to know you sheet and it had questions on it like, "Have you been
a member for less than a year?" He answered yes and I just smiled and
thought, "That's right!! ha ha! You will be soon!!" Then there was
another one that said something like, "Are you planning on serving a
mission in the next 2 years?" He looked at me, kind of smiled and
said, "I dunno, maybe! That might be kind of cool!" Again I just
smiled a little bigger and thought, "You have NO idea how cool that
would be!!" :) Ha ha! I'm really excited to see him tomorrow!
3- Last week when we met with Hunaid we had a rough lesson. We were
telling him about the new member lessons and how ward missionaries
usually teach those lessons. He was very upset and insisted that he
didn't want ANY BODY else to come to our meetings. It was such a silly
thing, but eventually we convinced him to let just one guy come. Well
Sunday when the Ward Missionary was there teaching, was the greatest
thing ever!! He is a recent convert himself and was able to really
relate to Hunaid and answer questions that we couldn't have answered!
At the end he was thankful that he let Han come, for which we were all
very grateful!! But man oh man! We were a little concerned about that
one! :)
These are just a few of the miracles we have seen in the last few
days! :) It's been so amazing to see the change it's made in Me as I
have made it a conscious effort to be more faithful, more confident
and more courageous!! I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father does hear
and will answer my prayers! This week has been such a testimony
builder! Now school is back in session and there were SO many people
out today!!! I loved it so much!!! Last night as we were out
contacting with this new focus of being faithful, confident and
courageous there were so many little miracles! I was talking to people
and saying things that Sister Bishop would never say! It definitely
wasn't me talking, but it was amazing to see and feel Heavenly Father
using me to do his work! This is the coolest thing ever!!! Ha ha! I
love being a missionary! :)
Well, family! I love you all SO very much! Hope that you all have a
fantastic week and know that I pray for you all of the time! :)
Lots and lots of love!
Sister Bishop
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