This week has been AMAZING. I have so much that I am so
excited to tell you about. It really has just been incredible. :) So we got on
the plane heading for Chicago, which was one of the craziest things I have ever
ever done. I have been saying "I am going to Chicago" for five months
now but to actually be on the plane heading there was absolutely surreal.
Getting off the plane and seeing the AP's and President and Sister Woodburry
was so exciting. I loved it. They were so sweet to us and were so excited to
see all of us coming. It was the coolest feeling to step out of the airport and
to finally be on MY mission grounds. I MADE IT. :) And I am so excited to be
here.
After we got all of our bags all situated and everything
loaded into a van, we all hopped on a train with a bran new Book of Mormon in
hand and went to go find people. I met this sweet black woman who was so kind
to me. We talked for about 10 minutes and just got to be sweet friends she
opened up to be a lot and we just laughed and had an amazing talk. After we had
talked for awhile she asked me about my name tag and why I was here. So I told
her I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She
said What is that?? I was totally taken off guard. I am definitely not in Utah
any more. :) So I told her about the church and about the Book of Mormon. Even
though we were on a loud train with people all around, I had her undivided
attention and I testified to her that I knew that the Book of Mormon was true
and that it would bring her closer to God. I could feel the spirit there and I
saw her countenance change when I testified to her. It was amazing. I gave her
a copy before she got of the train, she gave me a hug and said thank you as she
left. It was such a special moment for me. I loved it. :)
After we got off the train we went and walked around
Chicago. It is BEAUTIFUL. Oh my goodness. I absolutely love the City. It was
super busy and exciting. I loved getting to be in the city is was too cool.
:)
That night at the mission home we had the famous Chicago
Deep Dish Pizza. It was super yummy and was fun to finally be eating the real
Chicago Pizza in Chicago. It was so cool. :)
They next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at the
mission home, got our iPads set up, and then went to meet our new trainer. Oh
it was so exciting. My companions name is Sister Hansen. She is awesome she
knows so many things and I am trying so hard to learn from her. She has been
out for 9 months so she has a lot of experience. I have learned a lot from her.
:) She wants to be a writer one day, so she has an incredible imagination. Its
really fun to talk to her about all of her stories and things that she wants to
do when she gets home.
So. I am serving in a little town called LaPorte Indiana. I
love it here. The first night I was here we went over and met one of our
Investigators, M****. M**** is amazing and I feel so blessed to get to work
with her. She is about 42 and she has two kids, K**** and A****. M**** has custody of K****'s 2 year old daughter E**** who is absolutely adorable.
They are being evicted on Friday, So we worked really hard this week to help
find them an apartment where they can live after this week. So pray that
everything with that will work out alright. When I first met M**** she had
just had a really hard day and she was feeling really overwhelmed. We just sat
there and listened to her talk and tell us how she was feeling. As she talked I
felt so much love for her. I love her so much and care so much about her, but I
know that I cant even begin to comprehend how much our Heavenly Father loves
her and cares about her. But the love that I felt for her when I first met her
was such a tender mercy and was so powerful for me. As we have taught her she
has progressed so much, it has been so amazing to see. We asked her to say the
closing prayer during one of the lessons we taught her the other day and she
basically said that she knew what we were saying was true and that she was
grateful to have the missionaries in her life because she knew that this is
what Heavenly Father wants her to do. It was really special. :) M**** has
been smoking for 30 years so we are trying to help her quit that habit, it has
definitely been hard and will continue to be hard to break a habit that is so
addictive but I know that through the power of the Atonement we can do
anything. We went over there the other day and read with her parts of 1st Nephi
chapter 17. I testified to her that just as Heavenly Father helped Nephi build
a boat he could help her quit smoking. It was so amazing and she is really
committed to quit and to be baptized. :) Her baptism date is set for March 22nd
and I am so excited for her. :) She came to church yesterday which was awesome
and she had an amazing experience you could just see the light in her eyes as
she continues to learn and grow closer to her Father in Heaven, its been
amazing. :) She told us after church that she was actually really nervous to
come to church because she wasn't going to know anyone and she was worried
about feeling out of place. So she got our her Book of Mormon and started
reading so she could find comfort and the strength to be able to come to
church. She told us that after she read a few chapters her worries and concerns
about going to church were completely gone and she didnt feel worried anymore.
It was so amazing to sit there and hear her tell us this story. 1-It was just a
total testimony to me that the Book of Mormon is true and that we can find
answers to our questions and concerns if we read it. 2-That is an example of
true conversion. It wasn't just us giving M*** a commitment and then her
following through with it. It was her really needing an answer, and her knowing
where to go to find it. She received that revelation all on her own. It was so
amazing. :) She is so special and I love getting to work with M****. :)
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| Sister V (Ward Member) |
I have loved being out here and getting to serve these
people. I have learned so much in the last week and I am so grateful for this
amazing experience. I have learned more than ever how to completely rely on
Heavenly Father. He loves all of us and is aware of us. I would not have been
able to make it through this week with out His support and His love for me. I
love getting to be a missionary and for this opportunity that I get to serve
him more fully. :)
Thank you for all the support and love from back home I
appreciate it and cherish it more than you know. :)
I LOVE YOU
Love Sister Watts. :)
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| Selfie in the apartment |
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