Lacey has set a baptismal date for June 7th!!!!!!! We had our lesson with her on Thursday and
we taught the Word of Wisdom, and we talked about those things that she would
need to give up. Without hesitation she said that she would do it. We extended
the invitation for her to be baptized on June 7th or June
14th and she wants to do it as soon as possible. So June 7th is the day!!!!!!! Her husband
has not been supportive of her joining the church at all. And a few days before
our meeting with her. They got in a really big fight and she threw down the
ultimatum. She told him that he doesn't have to like the church, investigate it
or join it, but that he will come to church with her and the kids and he will
spend the day with them as a family. She also informed him that she was going to
give up alcohol so that he needed to as well. lol She didn't leave him any
choice. She is quite the girl. So needless to say he will not be drinking
anymore, which will solve a lot of the problems in their home, and they will be
coming to church as a family. That was a tender mercy and an answer to our
prayers. It makes me so happy to imagine them all coming to church as a family.
They will be our first family coming to the branch, with both parents and kids.
She has come a long way and such a light has come into her. She said that she
used to be really liberal when it came to religion and when she first started to
look into the church it all seemed a little hokey. But she told us with tears in
her eyes on Thursday, that when
they say that we can all be forgiven of our sins that its real. The atonement is
real. We really are spirit children of God and its not just a nice story, its
real. As missionaries we can try and try to explain our feelings and beliefs and
try to help them be as real for them as they are for us. But, it won't mean
anything to them until they allow themselves to be taught by the spirit. This
work really is not ours but the Lord's. She said that she is so excited and so
ready to start a new life. Sweet Lacy:) We had FHE that night after our meeting.
And the whole group was talking about her baptism. And Tim looked and her and
said that we were all really proud of her. And that Satan might pick on her a
little more before her baptism. He looker her straight in the eye and said he
didn't have to worry about you before, because he had you. But now you are a
follower of the Lord and he is very aware of that. He promised her that we were
all here for her and to come to him if she ever had any doubts. He said consider
me your Dad. I love our little group!!!!!!!!!! There was such a peace in that
room. And everything is going to be just fine:) There are many great things
about to happen here. Chelsie told Lacy that she was the first one to be
baptized on the island and it was fun to watch her reaction. Chelsie said, "yea
your a pretty big deal." Lacy has agreed to let all of the members invite
friends to the Baptism, which will be a big step for people here to get to see
and lds baptism. So we will have the whole service on the beach and then she
will receive the Holy Ghost the next day in church. The elders are coming this
weekend to do her baptismal interview!
Lacy and Chelsie are working with their friend Celeste to share the gospel
with her. Chelsie called us on Tuesday and told us that Celeste asked if she could come to
church with them. And she is planning to come next week. Sweet Chelsie has such
a strong testimony. She told us that on Sunday she was fasting for her husband and felt really
strongly that as long as she was a good member missionary and helped bring her
friends to the gospel that it would all work out. Her husband, Ozni has been
giving her a lot of rap lately about her activity in the church. It makes it
hard on her but she is strong. I feel like the more he can see a little light in
the church the more he pushes away. So we just keep praying for them.
Yesterday we dropped by Tim and Lorraine's and she told us about her son on
a mission. And how him and his new companion promised the Lord that they would
be exactly obedient. And every day that week they had miracles and were able to
find new people to teach. So Sister Malolo Vaai and I decided last night that we
would do our best to be exactly obedient in everything. And just this morning we were walking to the
Library and this girl passes us on her bike. We had met her in the library last
week but hadn't gotten her information. She has been here on the island for a
few months and we had talked about religion and what we believe and had invited
her to church. But unfortunately neither one of us had known the address to the
church. So we had been praying that we would see her again. And we saw her this morning right by our house. She
was looking for her now job that she just got yesterday. We exchanged numbers and she wants to meet with
us. It was a tender mercy.
This weekend was Stake Conference. They had asked all of the missionaries
to be there, so we were off island from Saturday afternoon until Sunday night.
It was a little weird to be there without any of the members of our group. We
were excited to be back with them. This
morning our mission had a video conference with President Packard. He
wanted to prep us for our mission conference with Elder Holland on Friday. He reminded us what a blessing
it is that he is going to spend 3 hours with just us missionaries. He told us to
come with questions and a prayer that they will be answered.
I love the island, and our little group. It is starting to get busier with
tourists. Yesterday we were
walking around a lot of the wealthier homes, and they are huge. Its nuts. Rosie
lives at one of those houses because she is the housekeeper. She lives quite a
ways away from us but we had some time yesterday and decided to go see her. So we left our house an
3 o clock and started to walk. We took a wrong turn and didn't realize it until
we hit a dead end. So we turned around and kept going. We got to her home at our
5:30 and visited for a while. When we got to her home we were so tired. My
companion tripped up the front step to her house, lol. So we visited and let me
tell ya she was worth the walk. She is such a sweet lady and is so lonely. Then
we walked home and arrived at about 8:45. We were really tired when we got home
but walking home I was the happiest that I have been in a while. We are a little
sore today but it was a good
walk. It reminds me to be grateful that I am not a pioneer:)
I had a realization this week that I felt like I should share. This last
transfer President Packard asked us to the study the atonement in the BOM, so it
was on my mind. And I was thinking about my experience with Sister Klecker. Ever
since I was her companion I have had this sad feeling that I was not able to
help her. She was really sick the last week we were together, and she had some
low moments. I have never seen anyone that low before. She was in so much pain
physically and emotionally. It was really early one morning and she hadn't been
able to fall asleep yet. She was crying and was pouring her soul out to me,
about everything she felt. And I was crying. And she looked at me and she said
that my life had been so easy and I had no idea what she was going through. And
my life has been really easy for the most part. And at that moment I wanted
nothing more than to know what she was going through and to be able to console
her. But nothing I said or did helped. And at a low moment I remember asking the
Lord, why my life had been so easy and why I wasn't able to help her or to
console her. I was angry and sad and confused and blamed myself. And wanted
nothing more that for her to not be in so much pain emotionally. I remember
feeling so unhelpful and powerless as her companion. Because I wasn't able to
fix her problems or make them any better. It was the next night that President
decided she needed to be emergency transferred so she could get away from all of
the things that she was allergic to, and within a few days she was gone. I have
done a lot of reflecting on that since then. And on Friday night I feel like I came to understand the atonement
in a whole different way. We all experience different trials in this life and
there is no way that we can ever know exactly what someone is feeling. We will
never know their pain or their sorry or their fears. The only one who will ever
know that is our Savior Jesus Christ. It is foolish of us to think that we can
fix all of the problems in this world. That is for the Savior. He knows exactly
what Sister Klecker was going through, and I had no idea. And that is ok. That
is why we have our Savior and that is why we need him so much. We can have
empathy and love for others but our Savior Jesus Christ is the only one who can
heal. At that point in her life Sister Klecker didn't need me she needed the
Savior. I feel like part of my nature is I want to fix people problems. But the
best thing that we can do for someone is to turn them to the Savior. I am coming
to understand my Savior in a more personal way as I use the atonement in my own
life. It is through Him that we triumph over our struggles and are
changed.
Thank you so much for all that you do for me. Life sure is wonderful! And
the church is true. I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful summer. I love
you
Love Sister Abbey Lou Rushton
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