Hey family!
We have definitely had some miracles this week!
The most exciting one is a person- Gabriel! It has been such
a HUGE blessing to be teaching Gabriel! Gabriel was a former in our area book
that we contacted last week and began teaching. He is changing SO quickly and
each of our lessons have been so filled with the spirit! He has had a really
troubled past and now he can't get enough of the gospel! He came to church and
absolutely LOVED it! He said he has never felt so much at home, and the ward
can't get enough of him either! When he said the prayer at our last lesson he
said "I have never felt this happy before." He came to volleyball on
Thursday and our ward mission leader Lans said that on the way back when he was
taking him home Gabriel really opened up and told him that he had been thinking
about baptism, (we only met him a week ago!) and he had talked to his mom about
what she would think if he became a Mormon, and she said she would be fine with
it. We went into our lesson on Thursday fully intending to put Gabriel on date,
only to find out that he isn't leaving for Texas in February after all- he
actually has to leave in about a week and a half. Bummer. Some missionaries in
Texas will be getting a golden soon! Hopefully the Lord will reciprocate and
send us one too... :)
Juan and Alexandra both came to church again! They are
building a lot of bonds with the ward members and I think they are here for
good! They are both so wonderful, definitely part of the reason Sister Glancy
and I are here. I have really developed a love for less active individuals recently.
Our new investigator this week is Kazim! Kazim is this big
black guy from Grenada (close to Jamaica.) He is a little bit sassy. He is a
professional swimmer, but doesn't want to come to volleyball because he says
that volleyball is for girls...haha
We were unable to have another lesson with James this week
because he had a family emergency and had to fly to Florida (Elder Slade
probably contacted him while he was there...:) We called James last night and
had a good conversation with him. He apologized for being so busy working two
jobs and wanted to make sure we knew that he really isn't trying to avoid us,
his schedule has just been crazy. He's been reading "that book" and
we have a lesson with him on Tuesday so we're hoping he will be progressing
even more soon!
We were extremely blessed to find lots of potential
investigators this week, so we're hoping and praying that the Lord will
continue to bless us and we will have more investigators than ever before next
week! We're working so hard! Nothing feels better than reaching the end of a
day filled with nothing but tracting and realizing that you gave it your all.
Then doing the same thing the next day, and the same thing the next day. This
area is making me work harder and become more deeply converted than ever
before.
I love this work!!!!!!!! For my study one day this week I
read 2 Nephi 4 and compared it to Alma 26. I can't express how grateful I am to
have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. It fills me with joy absolutely
100% of the time. I have been praying so hard to have my heart completely
turned to the Lord, and recently I feel like nothing bothers me at all. Even
the days this week that it was pouring rain and we had hours of tracting ahead
of us, I couldn't wait to get out there. I just don't get it. How can I
suddenly look forward to something so miserable with so much excitement? I know
it is because of Jesus Christ, who has overcome the world and gives us every
reason to be happy! (John 16:33)
Love, Sister Slade
P.S. Seahawks and Broncos both won!! They're playing each
other in the superbowl, I just know it! Don't worry, Sister Glancy and I have
become pros and getting door-to-door updates :)
P.P.S. Jesus is a less active individual in our ward who we
tried to find last week but had the wrong address and phone number for. We were
tracting a complex this week and Sister Glancy saw someone out of the corner of
her eye and stopped to talk to them. (Proud mama moment!) Out of the thousands
and thousands of people in our area, this individual turned out to be Jesus,
getting ready to move to Snohomish 2 days later. He gave us his phone number
and new address so that the ward there can contact him. A few days later in
ward council one of the ward missionaries, Esther, asked, "Does anybody
happen to know someone named Jesus _____? I had a really weird dream last night
where someone called me and asked 'Do you know where I can find Jesus _____' I
woke up instantly, but I have no idea who Jesus is." In case any of you
were wondering if Heavenly Father cares about us on an individual basis...
P.P.S. Do you remember Yassine, the Muslim who we started
teaching? Well Esther, like the solid member fellowshipper that she is,
introduced him to her best friend in the Silver Lake YSA ward, they hit it off
instantly, and they've been dating the last few weeks. The Lord works in
mysterious ways I suppose... :)
Pedicures on New Years
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