So Busy!

Don't mess with these Sisters, they are ready to convert
 - after they smile!

3-16-15

Yoo Hoo! Family!

Well, I don't even know where to begin.
     I'm trying to wrap my mind around everything that happened this week. haha. Last Monday we played tennis with Jules, our new golden investigator and that was super fun! Also Elder Cornish taught me how to make a bowl on a potter wheel.... I'm not any good at it but it was fun! Also we met up with A.  and his wife L.   A. isn't a member and L.  is. We have been teaching A, and  he is just starting to get over his fear of baptism, and so we told him to pray about a baptismal date. They bought us dinner....can you guess what they bought us??? Sushi..... yup....I was a little hesitant...because it was made out of raw fish, sea weed, eel, and had fish eggs on the top....and I'll be perfectly honest....it was downright nasty! haha I had to force a few bites down and it was just GROSS! Don't eat sushi everyone....It would have been easier if I could take smaller bites, but they were shockingly large and you had to shove it all in at once...super gross. Never again. haha! Tuesday we seriously spent out and about finding a bunch of people which was fun. It's always good to brush up on your door approaches. Oh and we made some cookies for Sister Edstrom because it was her birthday. It was the simplest home-made Oreo recipe and it tasted soooooo good! I will have to make some when I get home! Super easy!
     Wednesday after all of our technology meetings we went on exchanges, and I took over the area for the first time on exchanges...and we were bookin it everywhere! Super busy! I was with Sis Thomas from Portland and she is such a sweet heart! She is a farm girl and reminded me a lot of Sis Gulbranson! We were running everything that day! We had some amazing lessons. We taught D this week who is really struggling. I don't know why, but we did Exchanges two days in a row, so both days I had to teach the Law of Chastity without Sis Robertson...but both times it went really well. We taught it to D, and tied in the priesthood and what an honor it would be to have priesthood. His eyes were just lighting up the whole time as we talked about the importance of purity. We watched "Staying Within the Lines" with him, which I highly recommend you watch with Carl or something. Watch it with Riley too. It is sooooo good! And it talks about the importance of staying away from pornography and being worth for missions. SO GOOD! 

     Oh I forgot! On Tuesday Amanda got married!!!!! YES! YAY! One step closer to baptism. Her wedding was super simple and great! It was supposed to start at 4:45....but nobody even showed up until 5:10. So we ended up going to Amanda's house and packing up a bunch of the food and center pieces and taking them over for her to the chapel. It was a simple ceremony in the Relief society room with no decorations except for pretty drapes and white lights. She wore a black dress with a purple and silver tiara with her pink hair. Classy Amanda :) love her to death! Pray for her please!! 

Pottery lesson

     Wednesday night, I had to use a GPS to get everywhere because we were so busy and I still don't know all the streets and stuff and we got lost and were late to our chapel tour! It was intense and super stressful, and I felt like most the time Sis Thomas thought I was nuts! haha! But later that night we met with J and had an amazing lesson with J. We taught her the restoration...Oh man, I wish you could just see the light in her eyes. She seriously glows, there is no other way to describe it. She is seriously so prepared. She is getting baptized sometime next month, and hopefully I will be there for it, but regardless I'm just so glad she is taking this step. She is absolutely amazing, and so positive all the time! She loves the beauty of the mountains and when we taught her about the plan of salvation she understood it soooo well! She practically taught it to us!

     The next day I was with Sis Tripp on exchanges, and that was another crazy day! Sis Tripp was training me though, I'm pretty sure. She is leaving April 9th and helped me so much with organization. We had a crazy busy spiritual day...one of the guys we taught named B is seeing a crazy spiritual therapist who has tried to cast spirits out of him and his room....we had to warn him not to meet with her anymore, but his grandma and mother condone it and keep saying she is an active member of the church...I don't know about you, but only those who have the priesthood can do those things and they don't use their skills for money and therapy....so that was a little disturbing and he was telling us, the spirit was just not there. Crazy.

     Friday and Saturday were super busy again with so many things. The Parramores were baptized...but guess what....they showed up 50 min late to their own baptism!!!! They had to run to Walmart to buy white underwear and they forgot their dresses and cake at home so they had to go back! Everyone was waiting there forever and Sis Robertson eventually volunteered me to lead some music while we did a sing along to fill up the time. That girl...hahah love her to death, can't wait to hang out with her all the time at college :)  It was super stressful and our zone leaders were there to be witnesses and I felt bad because we were taking up their proselyting time. But once it got started it was really good! Super spiritual and all that jazz! Those girls are so cute and they glowed in their little white dresses. 
     Yesterday was certifiably insane.
     So....we kind of found out that D was caught breaking the word of wisdom in his room....which was really sad. We tried to go see him but he wouldn't see us. It seriously broke my heart. Ripped in two. And then we found out that W, who was on date for baptism, can't get baptized because he is on probation for a crime he says he didn't do. He is 15 for Pete's sake! How can you be on parole! And then we came across a less active we had been trying to meet with and she was just sobbing her eyes out and going through a divorce, so we taught her about the atonement and used Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk None Were With Him. Sometimes you have nights as a missionary where the world seems like a dark place and you feel like you aren't making a difference....but the spirit whispered to me that I need to be the difference. I think, "God, why would you let this happen without sending them help?" and I receive the answer "I sent them you..." Humbling beyond words.
     So this week we are being made into a trio, because I leave in less than three weeks, so we are going to have girl party! Woot woot!! Also remember my final testimony is this Wednesday at 7 pm at 1600 N 900 E Provo, just north east of the BYU creamery. 
     Well I love you and miss you all! I pray for you! Thanks for the cute videos of the children’s and keeping me up to date! 
Love,
Sister Lenise Diane Volmer