Lisa's letter March 4,2013

Dearest Family!!

Hello Friends!!! :) I just have to say, you guys are the greatest!!! I
love you all SO stinking much!!!

This week has been so great!! :) It's been one of those weeks that you
are just happy, the work has it's challenges of course, but you just
give it your all and see the miracles that Heavenly Father has poured
out on you!! I am SO grateful for the 12 week program and the
structure that it gives to help train a new missionary. I've seen this
week especially as we've studied and practiced teaching the
Restoration what a HUGE blessing that it has been. Sister Sirstins is
great. She is not afraid to just jump right in and start teaching,
which is SO nice! Instead of coaching her along and helping her to do
her part in the lessons, I've had more of a struggle keeping the
lesson focused, simple and short! :) We've had some really great
spiritual experiences with our investigators. Like this week with
Martin and Sharon we talked about the Role of the Holy Ghost in
conversion and how to recognize it. It was amazing because Sharon
doesn't have much of a religious back ground, but was able to
recognize some of the ways that she has felt the spirit in her life!
Sister Sirstins is really, really good at relating to people and
sincerely bearing her testimony and I think that's one of the things
that hit Sharon the strongest. It's interesting how different
companions will do different things and sometimes they remind you of
each other. Yeah- Sister Sirstins reminds me SO much of Sister
Burnham. Ha ha, it's so funny sometimes!!! I just kind of shake my
head and think, "You two would have been perfect companions!!!" It's
great though, I love her a lot and she is great!! I honestly feel that
President sends me these missionaries to train me! I have a lot more
to learn from S Sirstins than she has to learn from me, that's for
sure!!! :)

We have really tried to focus this week on faithful finding and
immediately starting to teach at the door. It has been such a great
experience, it is SO hard!! Last night we had planned to do some
finding to finish off the night. We picked a street and as we drove
there we were a little intimidated because the houses were all HUGE
mansions. But we felt really strongly that there was someone on that
street that needed us that night! We prayed and the spirit whispered
to me, "Sister Bishop, even people in big houses need the gospel!!" I
quickly repented and prayed for the spirit to help us. Earlier that
day I had also been fasting that I would be able to be a better
teacher, a more bold witness of Christ and a better trainer for Sister
Sirstins. As we got out of the car, I just felt completely at peace,
knowing that we were in the right place and that the spirit was there
to help us!!! The first 2 doors they wouldn't even answer, they just
came to the door and waved us on. But the 3rd door was a complete
miracle!!! :) A teen age girl opened the door and we asked to talk to
her parents. Her dad came to the door and we introduced ourselves. As
I started talking, the spirit just kept prompting me exactly what to
say. He kept whispering, "DON"T STOP TALKING!!!" So I didn't!!! After
a few minutes, the man at the door just looked at us, smiled a little
and said, "Well are you going to stand on my porch all night in the
cold and tell me this? Or would you like to come in for a few
minutes??" We walked in, sat down and he said, "Okay girls, I am a
really to the point kind of guy! So tell me, what is it exactly that
you guys are trying to do? Do you want to convert me?? I'll tell you
right now that I am probably the least likely person to do so. I have
a church and although I don't go as much as I should, I still believe
in God. So tell me, what do you want??" :) I was SO stoked!!! (This
experience actually reminded me of an instruction we had at a sister's
training meeting with Elder Lamb and Elder Davis where they talked
about being bold and playing Bad Cop-Bad Cop. It was DEFINITELY Bad
Cop-Bad Cop mode!!!) I explained our purpose and used the HTBT bullet
point that talks about baptism. Then we taught a SUPER short, BOLD,
powerful Restoration. At the end we committed him to reading the Book
of Mormon, praying to know that it is true, and invited him to be
baptized!!! :) He was a little bit blown away and wasn't quite sure
what to say. :) He promised to read and said that he would actually
like to come to church soon. He appreciated the boldness and the
straightforwardness of the lesson. We got his number and told him we
would check back up with him in a week. (I realize now that I
shouldn't have let him off that easy, I could have pushed a little
more for a return appointment, but he knew exactly why we were there
and was really impressed.) It was totally awesome!!! It was such a
testimony to me that Heavenly Father really does hear our prayers, he
will answer them and he will help us to turn our weaknesses into
strengths. I had NO idea what it was the Byron needed at that door
last night, I honestly don't even remember what I said to him! But I
do remember the feeling of the spirit speaking through me and it was
INCREDIBLE!!! :)

We found the sweetest, little family this week. Their names are Rob
and Mia. Mia is a Filipino lady and they have been married for like 3
years. We tracted into them and felt really good about their home.
They didn't let us in right then, but asked us to come back later. We
went and saw them last night and Mia was SO excited to see us! She
welcomed us right in and we quickly found out that her brother and
uncle are also LDS!! Her brother served a mission even!! She has
witnessed the blessing and happiness that her brother has experienced
and was eager to let us teach her also. We taught the Restoration. (It
was a bit scattered and I had to keep bringing it back on topic
because both Mia and S Sirstins LOVE to talk! ha ha!) But, it was
really neat! At the end of the night we had given Mia a Book of Mormon
and she promised to read it every day with her 2 kids. S Sirstins was
able to extend her first baptism invitation!!! It was funny, she was
so nervous even though we had practiced it several times. I had to
help her get it started, but then she extended the invitation and Mia
accepted!!!! :) We are going back this week, but we haven't set up a
time because Mia wanted to make sure that Rob would be there! We are
so excited- this has got to be one of the families that we have been
praying for!!! :)

This week S Evans and I attended the Zone Leader Council meeting with
President and Sister Holmes. It was so awesome!!! We discussed the
needs of the mission and planned out our training meeting for the next
few months. It was the first time sisters were there and we were able
to give some really good feedback on ways to help the sisters.
Especially with all of the new sisters coming in and EVERYBODY
training next transfer, it was busy, but super exciting!!! :) We
organized exchanges and we are doing 2 this transfer!! (That's A BIG
DEAL!!!) We usually get 1, if we are lucky!!! So, lots of really good
things happening!!! :)

This week is going to be great, with Exchanges and Zone Conference we
have a lot to look forward to!! Plus all of the miracles that we
witness on a daily basis. I'm so grateful this week to be a
missionary!! It truly is one of the BEST jobs ever!!! I love it so
much!!

Well family!! I love you all SO much!!! :) Keep up all of the good
work, choose the right and all of the important things!!! And REMEMBER
WHO LOVES YOU!!! :) Have a WONDERFUL week!
Love you all the BESTEST!

Love,
Sister Bishop