March 25, 2013

Great week! I have a new companion- her name is Sister Nyland and she is from Plesant Grove Utah. We are having a lot of fun together and we laugh a lot, mostly in the mornings when we are singing, trying to speak Spanish, and when we are tracting (you meet some fun people and see some funny signs). But good news! Sister Stahle got moved to the other ward that meets in our same building and she got a new companion as well. It is fun to have all of us in the same area, and we are excited to work together and be in the same district. All of the Elders that were here last transfer stayed the same.

Since Thursday we have been doing a lot of walking and trying to contact former investigators. We have a lot of people in the area book, and we prayed, and chose some that we felt impressed to stop by and meet. We have had success! Saturday we spent from 12-5:30 out in the trailer parks and projects, and met some Hispanic investigators, and American as well- we were giving blessings upon their homes, and talking to them outside, passing out mormon.org cards- it was fun! Our last lesson that day was with a teenager named Carol. She is from Mexico and her family listened to the missionaries last year. We taught her about her potential and the importance of reading the book of Mormon- the spirit was there soooo strong- it was really neat. Everything that day worked about, we met people as they were coming home from work etc. and others while they were just leaving= i love the Lord's timing! It was all because we followed a prompting to go to a nursing home near by (we didn't know why) we taught a AT&T man, but he wasn't super interested, so we were confused why we had to walk all the way over there- but the whole rest of the day worked out perfect - we had 5 lessons- which is actually really good, and an investigator called who we had been wanting to get ahold of for a couple days. it was great!

Sunday was great as well, we met with the ward council, and went to the Spanish gospel principles class so Sister Nyland can get pro with her Spanish. Afterwards we went to the Archibald's for lunch- they are going to be mission presidents in Peru come July- and we enjoyed getting to know them, shared a thought about missionary work (using Ko's awesome quote) and it went great, he is a Institute teacher and so he taught us some cool things about how we as sister missionaries have the special privilege of working under the key's and priesthood of our mission president- it was neat. Then their daughter Talli came out with us and we tried to visit a couple people. One lady wouldn't answer the door and hung up on us when we called, one Hispanic family wasn't home, but we taught Frank who is a older gentleman- who apparently has a brother who is Mormon- we learned lots of things about him, and that he really does respect our church and he thinks it makes sense. we have a return appointment with him this week. we really enjoyed that. Then we went to contact a former investigator- and she happened to be just getting home when we pulled up! Miracle! apparently she was excited to see girls- and she didn't know girls could be missionaries as well, because when the guys came to teach her they could never come in. She was really excited to meet with us so we made an appointment for this Friday.

Things are going well, and we have some great potential appointments this week, we are excited and will be getting help from the members so that will be great! We will also be going to the temple on Wednesday and will be going to a meeting in Birmingham on Friday- and Easter Sunday! President Holzapfel always has conference call devotionals over the phone during the Christian holidays, and he teaches us amazing things from the Bible- I will try to take good notes!

Love you all, make it a great week and enjoy the weather!

Sister Coleman

Crazy Week!

My mind is all over the place, so once again i am doing bullet points:

• So Tuesday we went to the trainers/new missionary meeting. It went really well, and we learned a lot, and good analogies from President Holzapfel. He shared a great scriptures Exodus 3:6-8. the Lord sees, hears, and knows everything that we are going through. and he will deliver us! We shared that with a lot of people this week. Later that day we went to do mormon.org, and talked to like 7 different women afterwards while we were waiting for an appointment to get home. One of them knew a member and had lost contact with her. She had been wanting her number so we got hers and told her we would contact the member for her! She was so excited. Miracles! Later that day we got a referral from salt lake of a woman who had just moved from Indiana and had received all the lessons, just needs to be baptized! We contacted her and have an appointment with her this week. At craft night later that night- none of our investigators came, but 6 members did, and we got 3 referrals out of it! It is amazing how things don't work out the way you plan, but the Lord blesses you in other ways. As I have heard a member explain before. Don't complain or worry when you were asking for a steak and the Lord gives you a fish. We made earrings, and all of those women needed a break and said how it made their day. Sometimes we don't realize whose faith the Lord needs us to strengthen that day.
• We taught Bobbie again this week, the lesson went well and we were able to go on a team-up with the stake president, who was the former ward mission leader of this ward. It went really well- we learned a lot from the way he taught and looked at the scriptures. It was really neat. and the other member we brought- Kristina bore a really strong testimony- it made everyone in the room go silent- you could hear a pin drop. She will be an amazing missionary.
• Thursday we had a ton of plans cancel, but through some phone calls we filled up our night. We taught one of the less-actives, she hadn't come to church in 50 years, and you wouldn't know it with how excited she is about the gospel. She said " i just want to walk down the street and knock on all my neighbors doors to tell them about this church." Her mom wasn't open to reading the Book of Mormon, but she asked this member on Saturday if she could send her a copy! Crazy how much the Lord helps and inspires us.
• We went out to Jasper this week as well, a small country town to contact a Hispanic man, He wasn't home, but we were able to help out the other Elders and meet some less-actives and their families, and contact others along the way. Our confidence is increasing in opening our mouths
• Saturday we did a mini mission type thing with Kristina- we studied with her and then felt inspired to go to a members apartment complex. As we were walking to his place, right outside there were two Hispanic men who were painting. We started talking and I found out that one of them was really good friends with a member! He had tried to come to church about a year ago but never made it. He said he knows that change is a good thing, and that we don't have a lot of time because the Lord is coming, i was like, Exactly!! So taught him two principles of the restoration, and gave him the pamphlet and we set up an appointment for this Saturday. He really is interested, and his member friend was so excited on Sunday that we found him, he wants to come teach him with us. The Lord is in control of this work! We went out later that day to Bobbie's house in Gordo and ate a delicious southern meal with the whole family and saw their chickens- took pictures and played with the kids for a bit. It was fun to get to know their family a little better.
• This transfer is over, but Sister Stahle and I really learned about loving people this transfer. We feel like we did a lot of prep work for the future Sisters that will be here, as we have gotten to know the members, and members who are returning to church. Miracles have happened, and I know that next transfer will be a big finding transfer- people are waiting to hear!!

Love you all! make it a great week,

Hermana Coleman

Time is Flying!

This was a good week!

We were able to teach a good lesson with a member this week, and the investigator had some great questions. Turns out her dad had listend to the mormon missionaries before as well.

Two weeks ago we gave flowers (us and the elders) to a less-active. we went and saw her this week and she still had them!! She talked about them for 10 minutes and how much she loves them and it shows her God loves her. Invited her to conference, she has been a member for a while but has never been!

We taught another woman who God led us to at the Wal-Mart. She has a lot of friends who are Mormon and she is looking for a church right now! We were so excited and committed her to read the Book of Mormon with us on Thursday.

Lots of crazy things happened Thursday though- we were planning for investigators, and the two people i mentioned above dropped us, and so did another investigator. We were pretty sad, but I felt at peace because we opened our mouths to them, and even talked about baptism- which is what we are supposed to do in every lesson. It is better that they tell us then to keep wasting time. But as PMG says- as missionaries a lot of our job is to plant seeds for missionaries who will follow. The member whose friend dropped us was just happy that it went as far as it did. So that was a blessing.

We had an amazing lesson with Bobbie (part member family)- spirit really strong and she said she would be baptized when she has an answer. We will help her get one! With the help of the spirit. the member who comes with us to teach is our age and wants to go an a mission and she is loving the experiences she is having. We are going out with her all day Saturday so she can see the mission life (studies and all) and so we can go out the Bobbie's house and do service/have a BBQ and help fellowship. It will be great.

We are also doing a craft night tomorrow night. We have invited a couple members and they are bringing friends, and some investigators are coming, we are using it as a finding tool and we are really excited. We are making jewelry- a member has a lot of supplies and volunteered to help. We also invited some sisters so that they can all make more friends within the ward. it should be great, even if only a few come!

Highlight- Saturday we went out to Demopolis- about 70 minutes away from us. and met with a member out there, she had some referrals she wanted to take us to because there are not missionaries out there right now. So we went to a little city called Linden, and met some amazing people! First of all she is the mail carrier so she knows EVERYONE and their address (28 years working and still going strong...haha)We were driving in her truck and she said " We need to go see this family" and she took us straight there, we met two families there and the one person she didn't intend for us to meet is truly searching! we gave them Book of Mormon and committed them to read. Also met another sweet lady and her daughter who had a handicap- we taught her about Book of Mormon and the Atonement of Christ and how she can live with her daughter one day with a perfect body! Spirit came so strong, and her daughter even though she couldn't talk got really smiley and really animated- the Elders will be going out every other week so we can keep up with these people in person and over the phone. Great experience.

Learning a lot about early morning meetings (7:00am) and working with ward councils. Such cool experiences of learning how to help other leaders in the church.

I hope everyone had a good week, make it a great one!

Sister Coleman

"I'm as excited as a mexican jumping bean!"

So Sister Stahle and I are really trying to develop our southern accents....well she is so in the process she has convinced me it is a good idea. We have been noting a lot more southern phrases such as "I am fixin' to go to the store" or "Wait while I cut of the television" or "I'm as excited as a Mexican jumping bean." Which is my all time favorite. We are trying to write more down so stay tuned.

We had a fun zone activity on Monday where we played kickball......I was hoping the MTC would be the last of those embarrassing situations but it wasn't. Instead I enjoyed just laughing at the Elders and funny situations so it was a good time. We have been teaching in members homes a lot which has been good, and it is good for sister Stahle and I to practice teaching together. It is helping us. One family in particular wants us to teach all the lessons to them- we did lesson 1 on Monday and today we will teach lesson 2- the plan of salvation. We have a cool visual involving cardboard cut out circles rectangles. it is pretty great.

We have been visiting some people that the ward wanted us to see, and so we didn't get to teach a lot of them, but set up appointments for this coming week.

We have two investigators that are reading in the Book of Mormon, and have great questions. We are excited for them, and are now trying to help them pray and come to church. One almost came on Sunday but had a last minute obligation- there is still time!

We went to go teach a family out in Tuscaloosa, and we had about 45 minutes before we needed to be at their home so we did some tracting and met some people. It was fun to go tell the members about them and it got them excited. The member took cookies a couple of days later to one of the people we met- but put it at the wrong door.....at least they too felt some love!

We went out with a member and she helped us find some less-actives- turns out they had moved...and she showed us where some other members lived...good week!

We have a lot to look forward to this week. We have some good appointments set up- and one with a part member family that lives in Gordo- great name! haha. The work is starting to move forward slowly, it is comforting to know that whatever sisters are here next will have more to work from, and we are grateful for all the members are doing to help.

CES fireside was great, and we got some young single adult girls to come with us- and they tried to invite friends. we were so proud of them for inviting. sometimes that is the hardest part!

Learning a lot about submitting our will to the will of the Father. Is getting mentioned and talked a lot about- I know that is something to work on, and am really learning more how to apply that into missionary work and this mission that I am serving. This transfer is only 5 weeks, so only 2 more weeks!! There is a lot of work to do in that time and I look forward to pushing myself to do more.

Love you all! Make it a great week.

Hermana Coleman