Hey family! Are you ready to read the most amazing, crazy, awesome email of your life? Okay, good.
Last Sunday, our ward fasted for missionary opportunities and I was expecting the ward members to have tons of miracles and opportunities so that we would get a lot of referrals...Well..All of the miracles really happened to us!
Here are some of the few that happened...I can't wait for yall to read my journal...If I told you every one, I'd be sitting at the computer for the entire day! Anyways.....
Monday night...We went to Susan's house (disabled woman) with Brother Kunz (Ward Mission Leader) and Elder Matthews (a senior, service missionary who focuses on employment). She received an amazing blessing and afterwards she felt "at peace and calm", and it all felt surreal to her. She was feeling the spirit! We talked a little bit about baptism and priesthood authority...She kinda had a hard time grasping "authority" so I was felt prompted to bluntly say, "This Church is the only church that has the proper, priesthood authority." Then it clicked in her mind! We were going to extend an invitation to be baptized but she got a little caught up with Elder Matthews, talking about jobs and that whole process. Sister Schellhous and I know that she's going to be baptized..After the lesson, we were on such a spiritual high. I. love. Sister Schellhous. I am so blessed to have her as my companion.
Tuesday: We stopped by an old, black woman's house who hasn't answered the door for a couple of weeks now..We feared the worst..but she opened the door! Her name is Verma and she's had a really hard life. She's kind of hard to understand because she has a super thick Louisiana accent and she doesn't have that many teeth :) We taught her some of the principles of the gospel and invited her to church..She said she'll come, she just needs a ride..Then, we invited her to be baptized and she said, yes! when?? Surprised by her question we said September 14th...We have a baptismal date whatttttt!?!? We need to meet with her for a couple of times a weeks to help prepare her..
In the evening...we contacted a former investigator (who never picks up his phone) and he told us we could come over to chat!!...We taught him the Restoration and man...the spirit was so strong! His name is Alex...and he works every other sunday so he'll be at church next week!
We taught the Restoration to another man named, Sam and he's so prepared for the gospel...He's already in the Book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon! He said that he'll be baptized if he comes to know that the BOM is true..He said that he's not ready to pray to know if it's true, he wants to read more...I'm fine with that!!
I feel so humbled when we teach the Restoration because I get to tell investigators about Joseph Smith and the First Vision. I have it memorized and when I say it, I look the people directly in the eye and I can tell that the Spirit is working inside of them. They understand it and they want the gospel.
We taught the Resto. another time with a woman named Erin...Her bosses are LDS so she wanted to learn more about what they believe...She agreed to read the BOM and pray about it!
We have so many investigators right now, we don't know what to do!
We have so many investigators right now, we don't know what to do!
Ok..this is the grand finale...the biggest miracle that has happened so far on my mission.....Drum roll please.... :D
Last night after our dinner appointment with a part member family, we had an hour before we were going to visit less actives and families so we thought we'd go tracting..Our area, the Parkway Area, is divided into 4 smaller areas that we visit. The night before, we planned on tracting in area 2..so we drove over there and parked on the side of the road in a neighborhood. We prayed for guidance about where exactly, we needed to be. I pulled out my tracting map and blankly stared at it. I kept thinking, "How am I supposed to tell if I'm being guided by the Spirit? I feel like it's just my thoughts and my thinking!" I looked around and just started to stare at a street named, Camden Cross. Ok...did I just zone out and my eyes happened to be focused on that street? When I looked at the other street names, they didn't feel good to me..It was only that street that stood out. Sister Schellhous asked, "Did you pick your 3 streets?" I responded, "Not really, there's this one neighborhood and one street that sound good." Before she asked me this, I was thinking about how crazy it would be if we picked the same exact street because there are hundreds to chose from.
Sister Schellhous continued on and said, "Ok, my first street is...Camden Cross.." WHAT. I threw my map up in the air and said, "Are you kidding me? Drive there RIGHT NOW." She said, "I take it that that was the street you picked?" YES.
Sister Schellhous continued on and said, "Ok, my first street is...Camden Cross.." WHAT. I threw my map up in the air and said, "Are you kidding me? Drive there RIGHT NOW." She said, "I take it that that was the street you picked?" YES.
Holy. Cow. We were freaking out. Our companionship is so strong and we live so closely to the Spirit. I'm starting to learn that as you are obedient and have the spirit, our thoughts become His thoughts. We don't need a lightning bolt moment to know what to do. If we are keeping the commandments and living worthy to have the spirit, the Lord will trust you to make your own decisions and He'll guide you to where you need to be.
So, we drove to Camden Cross, parked the car, prayed, got out enthusiastically. We were faced with the decision of which side of the street we needed to start on..I felt like the right side was the one and so did Sis. Schellhous. I said out loud, "Ok, Heavenly Father, why do you want us here? Who needs the gospel?" First house we knocked on...no answer..Next house..we ring the door bell and we hear a cheerful, "Just a second!"..Sis. Schellhous and I looked at each other with smiles on our faces knowing that the woman behind the door was the one.
A woman in her mid 30s opened the door with a beaming smile and was definitely not expecting to see us at her door step haha...We did our door approach and she said that she has already accepted Christ as her Savior and that she's been saved...So then we talked a bit about the BOM and sure enough...she let us in! WHAT. No one EVER lets us in when we're tracting..Then, she whipped some cookies out of the oven and said, have some! Take a seat!
Ok....We were talking for a while and then the conversation led into the Restoration...We gave the whole lesson with this woman and the Spirit was so strong! Her name is Crissy, and she agreed that she'd read the BOM and pray about it...She LOVES Jesus..a lot..which is great! When we asked her to read she then said, "Ok I will...But will yall fast and read it and ask God if we need this additional scripture and if its true?"
Umm..sure! We already know it's true but why not ask again! We agreed to do so and we're planning on seeing her again next week. We talked with her for over an hour and by the time we were done, we only had time to visit one family.
Umm..sure! We already know it's true but why not ask again! We agreed to do so and we're planning on seeing her again next week. We talked with her for over an hour and by the time we were done, we only had time to visit one family.
ARE YALL FREAKING OUT? This is the kind of experience that every missionary dreams about and you only hear about other people having this happen to them!
I just wanted to cry with joy..And when we left her house, we were greeted with one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.
I know that the Lord has a hand in all things and He is using me as His instrument to find His lost sheep.
In closing I just want to share a few scriptures that describe how I've felt the past few days..Alma 36:24-25 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto arepentance; that I might bring them to btaste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be cborn of God, and be dfilled with the Holy Ghost.
I AM SO HAPPY. This is the happiest I've ever been. EVER. We work so hard every day and in return, the Lord blesses us with prepared people to teach.
And then in Moroni 7:29 my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have aangels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
Miracles NEVER cease and I know that there are angels helping us every day.
Oh funny moment of the email...Last pday..we showed up and the elders were about to pick teams for basketball..I didn't want to sit around and watched so I joined them! It was hilarious because none of them wanted to pressure me or try and take it away so my team would just give me the ball and let me take it in for a lay up every time :D It was a hilarious site...I had an elder record us playing dodgeball...so when I send my memory card, yall can watch it :) The way we play, it's every man for themself. And when you get someone out, that person is out until you get out! One time, I was one of the last people standing and I finally got out....Half of the missionaries were back in!
Unfortunately...my entire ward now knows that I was on the BYU mens hockey team...THANKS BISHOP SANFORD. Well, it was really Sister Schellhous' fault...she told the Ward Mission Leader and then it spread around like wildfire..So now everyone thinks I'm going to check them into a wall at church...I'm a nice person, I swear! And I have all of my teeth :D
Well fam...it was great to hear from yall!
Love,
Sister Seymour
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