Dear Family,
I hope you are doing well! I sure do love you all a lot! I hope you know that because I really do!
Another good, hard week in the bag. I guess if it wasn't good and hard, it wouldn't really be a week. So yeah.
Last Monday, we got to go bowling with most of the Allen missionaries! It was so fun! It was the last day that our little group of missionaries was going to be together because several of the missionaries got transferred. I am terrible at bowling. Like I got 50 one round and 45 the other. But I had fun. So that's what's important, right? After bowling, Sister Aumua and I got to go with our investigator H* and her son T* out to dinner. It's this fried chicken place called Cane's. It's yummy. And they have fry sauce so it's basically the best. (The simple pleasures in life are the best.) Then we went to this little fountain show, kind of like City Creek.
We've done a LOT of bike riding this week. Like, we always do a lot. But especially this week. We were all over the place! But it's fun to bike in 103 degree weather. It's actually my favorite. Just kidding. I actually really like bike riding and I think I will continue to do it after my mission. Except I will wear pants or shorts. Because you know. No dignity. Ha. We were talking to someone about how we stay modest. I said like either little bike shorts or we just don't care when it's too hot. She said we should like advertise on our bike shorts. You know how professional bikers have sponsors and they advertise for them? Well we would just advertise for Mormon.org. Ya know.
Our weekly service project (the Presbyterian garden) was cancelled for the week because Nieta, the director was in Oregon. So we were scrambling trying to find service. But we ended up being able to help clean some of our ward member's houses. It was really great to spend time with them and get to know them better. Service is love.
We went to visit a less active, L*. The time before we challenged her to start reading the Book of Mormon and praying with her kids. So when we got there, we were talking about her job and stuff. It turns out, she got a new job so she will be able to start coming to church again! Yay. Also, we asked her how her reading was going. They had been doing it!!! We were seriously so happy! So we read a chapter with L* and her daughter and it was joyous! I was so pleased. That's just happy and rewarding.
Friday night we were out tracting after our dinner appointment. There was a man walking his dog, so we started talking to him. I was kind of tired and pretty much over talking to people. But we got to know him a little bit and spoke a little about prophets. His name is S*. We asked him if wanted to learn more and he hesitantly accepted! So he invited us/we invited ourselves over to meet with him and his wife the next day. We called/texted him the next morning to touch bases. No answer. So when it came time to see him, we were busy, tired, and hungry, but we still decided to bike over to see him. Him and his wife V* were very gracious hosts. So we got to know them and such. Then as we were starting the lesson, S* said, "I want to know everything. I'm not necessarily saying I'm going to convert, but I want to know what you have to offer." So that was cool. So we started the first lesson with God is our Loving Heavenly Father and talked about the nature of God. We talked about families and then we talked about prophets. They kind of got caught up on prophets and the need for a prophet in general, but we were able to testify of our living prophet, President Monson. It was just a really special lesson. They invited us to return this coming Saturday and invited us to have lunch with them as well. So that's cool. Also a plus side, since they invited us for lunch, they can't really cancel on us, because that would be rude! ;)
We saw J* this week on a drop-by. He's having a hard time, I think, finding friends and feeling like he belongs. He's still reading the Book of Mormon, but his schedule is busy now that school is started. We're not sure how often we will be able to see him. It's hard, because we don't want to lose him, but we don't want to pressure him because that is what made him back off in the first place. The delicate balance that we aren't sure where to go with.
We had 3 less active families at church yesterday! Wooooo!! I was so pumped. That was just really rewarding. Finally our efforts are paying off, even if it's just a little.
As we were going through our area book on Thursday, we ran across the teaching record of a man named T*. He took all the lessons, kept all the commitments, did EVERYTHING, except get baptized like 4 years ago. So we gave him a call and asked if he would be interested in meeting with us again. And he was! So we went over to his house last night. Whew. He's awesome! A little bit crazy, but aren't we all in our own way. This guy totally is in touch with nature, has a foot long beard, could live of the land if he had to, etc. I'm not exactly sure where our meetings are going to lead, but he's a very spiritual man. So interesting.
In other news, you can't proselyte in banks. We received a referral ish thing from a old man in our ward who likes to hand out copies of The Book of Mormon to everyone. So he sent us to a bank to give The Book of Mormon to a lady. Turns out, you can't do that and turns out she wasn't really interested anyway. Ha.
Church was wonderful yesterday. A brother in the ward spoke about how we can avoid having spiritual plateaus. When we start feeling comfortable or stagnant, we should pray and ask God what we should change next. Or who should we become. It was a very interesting way of thinking about it, but I really liked it.
President Monson's most recent talk, Love - The Essence of the Gospel is amazing. "Blame keeps wounds open. Only love heals." I encourage y'all to read and study it.
John 16:33
Doctrine and Covenants 68:6
At FHE on Monday with the Bailey and Taggart families, Brother Bailey said, "Missionary work isn't always fun, but it's always happy." I couldn't have agreed more. This is the hardest thing I've ever done, and some days I'm convinced that I'm insane to voluntarily sign up for this, but it is wonderful. God is molding me into someone better than I was before. It hurts right now, but I just have to remember that He knows who I can become, and I have to trust in Him. It reminds me of this Mormon message.http://www.mormonchannel.org/
Well I love you so much! Be good!
Love,
Sister Gilbert
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