Transfer 5 Week 5

Happy November!!! Can you believe it’s already November? Holy night
before I know it Christmas will be here!! What’s even more insane is
that I hit 7 months yesterday. I’ve been away from home for 7 whole
months. How insane is that? It feels like I left last week and here I
am!! So insane. I’ve decided Heavenly Father allows time to pass
quickly 1) so it keeps our spirits up when times get tough and 2) so
we recognize how little time we have to devote our full attention to
His service. Every day His wisdom and mercy amazes me.

Today for P-Day all the Sisters up North (Sister Chapman and Rummler
from Fallon, Sisters Kim and Cloward from Reno, and us) got together
to record a CD in a LEGIT studio!!! We are so totally excited—we
should have the final product by Wednesday. Members up here are 100%
amazing and kind and generous. Their faith is amazing. I am humbled to
be serving up here.

This past week was a good one. We went to the Harrisons to teach a
lesson, but one of the little girls (not a member) was asked to give a
talk in Primary. So Sister Kartchner was helping her while I was
talking with the mom (Nichole) and Jessica (the 16-year-old). Jessica
has been coming to church and stuff and believes Joseph Smith to be a
prophet, but she sees no need to be baptized. Well, I was able to
review some scriptures with her about the baptism of Christ and how he
says to Nicodemus (clearly I spelled his name wrong…I think) that the
only way to enter into the Kingdom of God was to be baptized by water
and fire (the Holy Ghost). It was a really spiritual time for all of
us, and she has accepted that she needs to be baptized—she just
doesn’t want to be baptized Mormon. I didn’t understand, but Heavenly
Father blessed me with patience and I reviewed how Christ was
baptized, by the proper priesthood authority, and that’s how she
needed to be baptized. And the only church with that authority is our
church. I felt compelled to be blunt and told her that the ONLY way
she would ever enter into the Celestial Kingdom was through following
Christ’s example and being baptized by someone holding the proper
authority. She was committed to read and to pray, which she has been
doing. However, the Lord it tutoring me in patience and accepting
things to happen in His time, and Jessica texted us today saying that
she’s not feeling the whole religion and baptism thing, and she’s
really trying to read and pray, but she’s just not feeling it. But I
know that she’ll accept the gospel at one time or another. I know.
Whether I’m the one who is teaching her at the time, whether it’s next
week or next year, I just have to accept that no matter how many
prayers I offer in her behalf she will always have her agency.

Another couple we’re teaching (Jeremiah and Chantel) have finally
started really considering baptism (him, at least). They have been
talking recently about how he’d probably be baptized first and then
he’d be able to baptize her. Their assignment this week was to pray
and talk about a date. Our goal is before January. But again, we’re on
the Lord’s time. It is, after all, His errand.

The work is doing really well. After an amazing training on tracting,
we’re just waiting for Sister Kartchner to feel up to doing it. I’m
really excited to put what we learned into practice. They say 1 in
every 1,000 doors we knock we will find someone to teach. So we’re
going to knock those 1,000 doors and put that to the test.

I’m learning a lot about turning my will to the Father. Sometimes I
get overwhelmed with how imperfect I am and how many things I need to
fix about myself, and why I don’t just give up because I’m so far from
perfect. But I’ve recognized that as Satan trying to get in my head.
We should never give up. Never surrender. I feel like that is from a
movie or something…but it applies to us. I am so thankful to be
serving. There are so many amazing scriptures I’ve read this past week
I want to share, but I only brought my Book of Mormon in here with me
and not my quad. But 1 Nephi 3:7 is always a good one to recognize.

I love you all so much. Have an AWESOME week!!!

love love love,
Sister Mack