Sweet Is The Work: #ONDATE

This week was so good!

On Tuesday we did something creative and had a lemonade stand on campus! We made a big jug of lemonade, set up a table, put out some Book of Mormon's and pass along cards and got to work! A bunch of missionaries would just go out contacting around "the compass" where we set it up and when people stopped to talk we would tell them to go get some free lemonade! Then a few missionaries would stand by the lemonade stand and talk to them as they got some and would give them a Book of Mormon. It was stinkin' hot outside but it was fun to do something a little different. :)

On Wednesday we had a zone workshop, which was good. Then that night we had a lesson with Ian! We taught him how all of his weird political and cynical issues with the church could be resolved by doing one thing: reading and praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true. It was such a great lesson!! We just shared personal experiences and talked about how if he knows the BoM is true, then the church is true and that's all he needs to worry about. We knew that we needed to try and set him on date for baptism when we went into the lesson, but we weren't sure what he would say. BUT! We did it anyway. So, at the end we just simply told him that if he really wants to feel God's love and forgiveness, which are his main concerns, he needs to get baptized. Then we asked him if he would prepare to be baptized on September 27th. And guess what... he said no. Then we explained to him how it's not set in stone if we put him on date and that it's important to have a vision for himself, that's why we want him to do it. Then we asked him again. And this time he sat there for a minute and then just said..."sure!" Ahhh we were freaking out! Honestly when we first started teaching him, we thought there was no way he'd ever get baptized just because he had so many problems with the church but here we were! So we set him on date and made another apoointment!

On Thursday we met with a guy named Torrey that we met on campus and taught him the restoration. It was.... kind of a weird lesson. He was awkward and didn't say much and all he asked us at the end was what the deal with blacks and the priesthood was... so yeah. Not the best first lesson of my mission hahaha.

On Friday we had what's called Return and Report, where all of the trainers and trainees (like me) all meet together with the mission president and the AP's after the first 6 weeks of our training, which is halfway through it. Normally at return and report they would just go over how to be better trainers and trainees and have some little trainings on how to effectively plan and stuff like that but this time President decided to switch things up! So, before I got here president was talking to Sister Clonts about how he wanted to have missionaries come into our area, Chippenham, and go on a little field trip to campus to learn how to street contact and talk to everyone! She was like "yesss!" Because our area is so different from other areas and you actually have to street contact here! So president decided to do this little field trip for return and report!! When we found out we were so excited for 2 reasons.

1. We are pros and doing this already, this is our turf!! and

2. We would recieve all of the potential investigators that all these missionaries contact because they're in our area. So they're doing our work for us pretty much. HOLLA!

So... the night before return and report and the morning of, me and sister clonts were praying that we'd have a miracle and have a lesson on the street and get a new investigator, which doesn't happen very often here, because we already know how to street contact.

BUT, little did we know, we would be splitting up and going out with different missionaries. SO, when we found that out we prayed that we'd BOTH have lessons on the street and went out contacting! We both got assigned to go out with Hermanas, and they were both trainees. Hermanans work with spanish people so they literally only work off of referrals. The Hermana i went out with had never street contacted anyone and had never even knocked a door.... so she was nervous! But i tried to show her how and it was so fun :) But guess what, WE HAD A LESSON ON THE STREET!! There was this guy sitting on a bench and we went and talked to him and taught him the restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon and we're meeting him this week! Ahhh i was freaking out. And when we were done i found out that Sister Clonts had had a lesson on the street too!!

Guys, Heavenly Father answers our prayers!! But only when we go out and work. So that was a cool little miracle. :)

Plus, from all the missionaries going out we got like a total of 78 potentials and set like 4 people on date for baptism in two hours.

We taught another lesson on Saturday to Ian and then he came to church again on Sunday! So we were happy about that.

Then yesterday, Ian calls us and says "So... when is like the soonest baptism??"

So we said "Well we have them on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, so there is one on the 13th! why?"

And he was like "Well i was just wondering if i could somehow sign up for that one?"

WHAT! WE WERE FREAKING OUT. The person we thought would never get baptized is asking if he can move up his date?? It was nuts.

So we moved it forward!!

Then, sadly, he found out one of his close friends couldn't make it that day, so he moved it back to the 27th.

BUT, he still wants to get baptized! Hopefully he follows through and that will be my first real baptism of my mission!! So exciting. So Ian is officially on date for Sept 27th!

Weird experience for the week, yesterday we prayed on the street with a hobo. Hahaha he was very drunk, but he stopped us and asked if we would pray for him right then.

I said, "Do you want me to pray for anything specifically?" All he said was "Pray that my enemies will stay away from me, and for my son, Charles-eh." Yes he said his son's name was Charles-eh. So i did and i was trying very hard not to laugh. There are literally so many crazy people here it's not even funny.

Oh and transfer calls are this Saturday!! Sister Clonts thinks she is getting transfered since she's been here the longest, but hopefully she doesn't! Most likely i'll stay, but you never know! So next week I'll let you know what's goin down!

Also, this is a little example that my companion sent to her family about how we street contact and it's preetttty accurate. Enjoy.

"Me: Hello! Can I give you a card?

Person: Sureeeeee

Me: Awesome! Have you ever heard of Mormons before?

Person: yes

Me: Sweeeettt.. how so???

Person: I mean just around...like I know it is a religion or whatever..

Me: Yeah! Mormon is just a nickname...the full name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Are you religious yourself?

Person: (Here is open to change; I'll give a few examples of common ones)

1. No I am not religious but I am Muslim! (that doesn't make sense to me but they hardly understand English so maybe that's why haha)

2. Yes I am a Christian! (Sweet we are Christians too! Which they don't believe...whatever)

3. I am more spiritual than religious.

Me: That's awesome! (obviously i change my answer based on their response but this is generally what i say.) Well our purpose as missionaries is to help people increase their relationship with God. Do you have a belief in God?

Person: Yes

Me: Are you looking to strengthen that relationship at all??

Person: Sure....?

Me: Would you ever be interested in meeting with us as missionaries and talking more about that?

Person: well not right now I have class...

Me: No that's okay! Sorry what was your name?

Person: Bob

Me: Nice to meet you Bob! I'm Sister Clonts and this is my companion Sister Fowers. Do you think we could get your number and we could shoot you a text sometime and we could meet up and talk more?

Person: Sure... it's 123456789

Me: Awesome! It was so nice to meet you Bob! We will text you in a couple of days! Have a great day!"