November 5, 2012

Friends and Family!!!

I woke up this morning excited that it was P-day, and then realized I didn't have a ton to write home about... but I have come up with a few stories to share! 

Tuesday we had a zone conference, the three northern zones all came together and we had a very powerful training from President Collins. He is so amazing and I love hearing from him when we can. I was a little sad because everyone from my MTC district that I love so much are all in southern zones, so I didn't get to see everyone, but I did see my companion Sister Pitcher, so that made my week! 

Wednesday was halloween! The day was normal, just another day of work as a missionary, but the night was obviously different. We were not allowed to be driving when it was dark, so we had the Bishops wife come pick us up and we spent the evening at their house, and then she drove us home. We had pizza with them and then helped them hand out candy. I dressed up like Sister Stanford, and she dressed up like me (and by that I mean we traded name tags for a few hours! lol) It was a pretty fun night, but the Bishop kept forcing us to eat candy, so needless to say we were a little sick that night, as most kids are on halloween!

We had kind of an off week with members being able to come to our appointments. We had a goal of 4 member presents this week, and we didn't have any! We could have gotten I think about 7, but every appointment fell through! It was quite ridiculous! But on Friday night we prayed really hard that we would know which street to tract, because we had our Saturday appointments fall through, and we had a chunk of time to find. So we felt really good about this one street. Then we started our fast Saturday afternoon, and we were fasting for finding, because the area has been kinda dry since Bryan's baptism on the 13th. Our FIRST house on that street we picked was kind of a miracle! We ran into a young married women who was super cute. She is studying at Purdue to be an elementary teacher, and she just kind of looked like an el ed major! Anyway, she said she had to get going soon, but she kept having things to say to us. Here is the reason... she knew a mormon growing up who she thought was an amazing guy, who also served a mission so she could relate to us on that field, and she said she knew our Bishops daughter! One of the first things she said to us was that she thinks people can be religious without going to church, and then by the end she said she might have to come to church with us one day! People knowing members of the church is huge! I'm so thankful that guy was such a good example to her, and that people aren't afraid to let their friends know they are mormon. Like the conference talk, I'm Mormon, I know it, I live it, I LOVE IT! We all need to be more open about it so when the missionaries are praying to know where to tract, they will meet people who are already open to the church. She didn't come to church with us, but she is a potential and we have high hopes with her!

Miracles! We meet some other people that day, and Saturday night we meet a couple who are both interested in having us back, so we met our goal of having 2 new investigators for the whole week on Saturday night! It was almost a week of no goal meeting, but we did finally meet that couple! 

Those are the stories I thought I would share with ya'll this week! Its getting quite cold here, no snow yet, but its officially ice scraping season! I got really warm boots and some other warm clothing and I think I am prepared (although the people keep telling me I'm going to need more clothes! Yikes!)

We had 2 of our investigators come to church yesterday, and one was the one who's house I threw up in, so luckily that little incident didn't stop her progression! She left after sacrament meeting because she was fasting and feeling a little light headed and needed to go home and eat. WHAT?! We didn't even invite her to fast, she just knew that it was the first sunday so she fasted! This girl is solid! We are just waiting for the day that we come over and she says, "So when can I be baptized!" She is there, she just has a really hard time with the fact that women in our church don't have the priesthood, and it looks like the women are looked down upon in our religion! I think that is so crazy that people think that way, but I understand that its hard for her, so we are working through that.

Want to know a little secret... I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!! Everyday I wake up just happy and excited that I am in Indiana and that I am sharing the Gospel. I don't think there is a better feeling in the world than being on someone doorsteps and sharing with them the first vision. I love being in homes and bearing my testimony on modern prophets. I love giving someone the Book of Mormon and promising them that if they read and pray about it, they will receive and answer about the truthfulness of it! MAN, life is good! President Collins said it was a great time to be a missionary, and with all the baby boomers coming out soon (thats what I decided I'm going to call the youngins that are coming out) the mission needs leaders! My DL said I probably will be training at the end of my second transfer, and I told him not to even joke about that! How scary would that be! But seriously... missionary work is great, and I love the gospel SO MUCH!!! 

Keep writing to me, I love hearing from everyone! 

Sister Cordner!