This week was the best, and most stressful week ever!! On Tuesday we got to go to the TEMPLE!!!!! It was so amazing, I have never felt so close to Heaven as I did that day. It was really cool because everyone in the session was full-time missionaries, and just to see all those people that had sacrificed their life to the Lord, and to know that all over the world their were just as many, it's just amazing the increase in missionaries, it shows just how great this work is.
The hardest part of the day was stepping outside of the Celestial Room, and coming back into the world. The feeling you get walking out of that room is just un-describable.....you can feel the difference, and it's strong! We were able to walk around the temple after that and take pictures and the peace is just so cool!
The rest of the week has been just sort of bleh compared to that, it's hard to face rejection, and for people to turn you down when you know just how blessed they would be if they would come unto Christ!! I've learned that I'm not sad that people reject me, but they're rejecting Christ, and I just feel sad for them, and sad that they don't have that peace and joy that I am able to have because of Christ and his atonement.
There was one day this week that was AMAZING!!! We handed out 8 BOOK OF MORMONS.....yeah, that's right 8!!! That's like more than we had handed out the entire transfer! And everyone seemed really interessted in it too, and there were like 3 families that we shared it with!! I'm just hoping and praying that they will stay interested, I've been beating myself us though because Mama Nanto taught me that when you place a Book of Mormon, you invite to be baptized.....and I didn't do that with any of them!!!!! I don't know what's up with me this transfer, maybe it's because everyone here is WAY anti, but I have been so scared to ask people to be baptized, in Bremerton I did it everyday!! I just don't understand, anyway, I guess I can't change the past, I can only change the future and improve everyday!
One guy we met this week that is really cool is Willy. We met him while we were tracting, but he was just on the street walking. We asked if we could come teach him, and he said, "Yeah, I live right down the street, come by another day!" So we went back another day! He lives above and works at a consignment store so he was outside watching the merchandise out there, and so we went and talked to him. He told us all about his former life, and how he had been part of a Hilltop (the ghetto of Tacoma) gang, and had been in and out of prison, but had changed his ways when he almost killed a little girl, and he had a 4 month old daughter, and he didn't want that life anymore. I was a little worried about it being another Ty situation, but I don't feel dangerous with him like I would sometimes feel about Ty so I 'm not worried, he has already changed, he's not in the process so thats good. We went on to tell him about the Book of Mormon and how he could come closer to God through reading it and he really liked that. He immediately opened it up and started reading, it was really cool. We set up an appointment with him and he wasn't home, but hopefully we can drop by this week sometime, he really wants to come check it out.
The best miracle that has happened this transfer is our ward growth. When we came into the ward there were about 80-90 people coming to sacrament meeting a week, and it never went above that, and our first week it was about that many. Our second Sunday though there were over 100 people at church, which hasn't happened in this ward for like 20-25 years. And this week we had even more!!! It made us really happy because we have been focusing alot on the less active in the ward, and they're responding, it makes us feel good, because numbers don't reflect that kind of work, I don't like numbers!!!!! Anyway, this week has been great!! I'm finally starting to feel more like myself!!
Ok so you aren't gonna believe me, but I think I've gotten tanner here, than ever before....I know it sounds funny, sun in Washington? But it's actually gorgeous here!! It's been in the 70-80's the last week, and it's supposed to be that way this week as well. The coolest thing is that everything here blooms, and I mean everything!!!!! The trees, the bushes it's absolutely beautiful, and everyone says it just gets better!!! I'm excited! President Weaver always says that Washington in the Spring is the Garden of Eden......I'll have to take lots of pictures!!
Well, I hope all is well, I'm so excited for Mother's Day!! To be able to talk to you and see your lovely, beautiful faces!!! It will be so fun, look cute ;)
I love you all and pray for you daily!!!
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