Holy Service Batman!!

Hey familia! 

I stinkin' miss all of you (or "all y'all" as they say down here) and I hope you're doing well!
Holy tomato, we have been serving like crazy this week, and our numbers weren't even way down despite how much time we spend doing yard work and cleaning. The Lord's work is truly awesome. We cleaned this lady's house, washed this other lady's dishes that have been accumulating for months, and we installed a drainage system to prevent this member's garage from flooding every time it rains. We also did yard work for this random couple and when we wouldn't take money, the old man started swearing at us. haha! So great!

 

Okay, so here are two super cool experiences-

This last week when we were on exchanges with the Gonzalez sisters, Sister Gibson and I went to see a less active member who lives in a long term care facility, and our visit lasted almost 90 minutes and it would've lasted longer if we'd let it. This sister is so lonely, and it's hard to balance the need to love and serve by spending time with her and the need to see as many people as we can. But the tender mercy comes in here - we left the care facility and I was feeling bummed because we weren't going to be able to see everyone we wanted to visit (we didn't have set appointments, but we had a list of people that needed some hope) and so we went to another less active's house, who is never home, and I really didn't think that we would get to see her. But when we got there, she was there and said, "Hey, I just got home from class, come in and talk." And if our visit with the first less active was shorter, we wouldn't have been able to see this second sister, and she actually let us in and talked to us. It was really cool, seeing how Heavenly Father uses our weaknesses to further His great work.

Also, I'm coming to understand that the Book of Mormon is truly a holy book. I have a deep testimony of that and it is only getting stronger and deeper, and we try to keep ourselves and those we work with in the Book of Mormon as much as we can. This last week we set up an "experiment" (this is our new tactic for getting people to make and keep commitments, or getting ourselves to try something new) with an eternal investigator, and we asked her to read one chapter in the Book of Mormon every day for one week. And guess what - she did it! I think she missed a day or two, but she made it up the day after, and this is the first time she's tried and kept a commitment in a long time. We asked her how she felt and how her days went, and she said that her time in the Book of Mormon brought her peace and serenity, that she felt good when she did it, and she made the connection that maybe that was the Holy Ghost. Hooray! Seeing her make those connections on her own is a miracle. Hopefully, as we continue to love, serve, and teach, and as she continues to keep the commandments, she can receive the strength and the confidence that she needs to make the decision to be baptized.

K, love you all! Watch for letters in the mail! Thanks for all your letters and support! I can feel Heavenly Father strengthening me because of your prayers and I am so grateful for that!

Love,

Sister Chausow