Woah! Talk About a Gut Punch!

We had a very eventful week! Last sunday night our assistants told us that our area was staying the same and nothing was changing in our companionship. The actual meeting was on Wednesday afternoon and right after it ended we got a call from a previous missionary who had served in this area for 6 months saying that our area actually split, he was taking Grove 2nd ward back, and he also needed a ride back to the area. Woah! Talk about a gut punch! We had 16 investigators in that ward with two who were preparing for baptism this coming month! Our focus had been all on that ward because the members had been giving us a lot of referrals. Now we are covering a 2 mile radius with just 3 investigators who aren't really progressing. Honestly isn't that great though?! It's a challenge! I'm sure President Toone was laughing when he made the assignment the day of transfers! My goal (which isn't too unrealistic now we've been focused the last 4 days on Grove 1st. The work is hastening!) is to teach the most lessons in the zone and baptize the most people over the course of the next 6 weeks. I'm positive I'll be transferred out of the area by next transfer considering I've been serving here for nearly 7 months.

Two very specific prayers were answered this week. On Saturday we prayed that we would meet someone that we could teach as we prepared to bike over to our bishops house to coordinate. Right when we finished coordinating, a man that I had helped teach in the past showed up with his cousin and friend to do some handy man work for our bishop. We jumped in and started helping and then started up a conversation with the cousin. (The man and his friend are both members but the cousin isn't.) I asked him about his life and his religious background and invited him to take the lessons at his cousins house. He's going through a really tough time with his family and I promised him that the gospel is exactly what he needs. He was anxious and eager to hear what we had to say so we taught him some principles on the spot and set up a time to meet with him. He is going to try and bring his mom too.

Yesterday afternoon Elder Jolley said a prayer that we would find a new investigator. About a half hour later, we got a text from the mission office telling us to visit a lady who had apparently asked for missionaries to come visit her. We went and visited her and found out she hadn't requested missionaries but she was interested in hearing what we had to say. We had a short visit outside on her porch in which she testified that our visit had lifted her spirits greatly. We set up a time to come back and thus our prayer was answered. I was reading the Book of Mormon in my personal study this morning in the book of Alma chapter 14 verse 28 where Alma and Amulek pray to God to deliver them from prison: "And they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power according to their faith which was in Christ." The principle is this: If it is God's will, then he will grant exactly what we ask for. Also, we will not receive that which is above our level of faith. Our faith has to match our request.

Missionary challenge of the week: Create a family mission plan! It doesn't have to be anything crazy like baptizing all your neighbors but make it something that will make you stretch. It could be inviting a non member family into your home for FHE once a month or maybe it could be holding a food storage class or inviting someone to hear you speak at church. It's up to you! If you take the challenge I would like you to email me what your family mission plan is!

I know this church is true and has Christ's authority. I am a witness to the power of the Priesthood.

Love Elder Janis