My friends and my brethren, my kindred and my people, (name that reference)
This week's highlights are Members Bring Miracles (and it's the only way to do The Work of Salvation). I'm finally catching the vision of members and missionaries working together. This last Friday we had an appointment with a family and we had the strongest impression that we had to have a member there. Member after member fell through. Our efforts only seemed to land us with a long list of "can't comes". But we knew a member needed to be there and at last, late Thursday night our ward mission leader's wife who had just gotten back in town said she could come! Friday, we got to the doorstep and the family was there--and so was the mom's sister who showed up for a suprise visit from Summerville. The kids, dad, and mom's sister all left out the door for groceries and it was just us and the mom. But that was Heavenly Father's design. We ended up with a lesson that would have gone nowhere fast had it not been for the member. This member was able to uplift her, encourage her, testify boldly, and be our mediator with this mother. We were able to focus on the testifying, teaching, and our purpose as missionaries, while the member could not only testify but be her friend. I am determined more than ever to have a member at every lesson and if it falls through it's okay, miracles still happen when members come.
We have an amazing family where the mom is the only member on her side, all of her family is southern baptist and very uninterested in seeing the missionaries. Her daughter Holly celebrated her 16th birthday over the weekend and was only having family over for it. This was a unique opportunity--and she didn't have to--but Holly invited us to her birthday party so we could meet her family. She used her 16th birthday party as a way for her family to meet the missionaries! What a leap of faith, of jumping out of the boat. She didn't know what the results would be (we still don't know all the effects) but she did it anyway. Now the mom is setting up a time to take us to her one of her sister's this week. Members are amazing.
Other highlight was June and Michael inviting us in for coffee...errr...hot chocolate :) She invited us in and we were able to have a wonderful conversation about Jesus Christ because...she had a friend who was Mormon who had shared her testimony of Jesus Christ! Also, Michael is a mailman who use to deliver to the missionaries in the area and to the Church building when they had car inspections/missionary conferences.
Enjoy the snow for me...maybe send pictures of snowmen and snowball fights. Have fun and have a Blessed Christmas Y'all!
Sister McNeece
P.S. My challenge for each of you is to find someone who hasn't been to church in a while and bring them cookies!
P.P.S. Yes, I got your letter, Josh. Thank you so much! It is no offense towards anyone who does not get an early reply; I only reply to 1-2 individual letters each week...I'm working on catching up. Please forgive me. Your letters mean a lot.
P.P.P.S. Dad, what is Terry's work or home address I don't have a full address and I have a postcard for her. Thanks everyone!!!
This week's highlights are Members Bring Miracles (and it's the only way to do The Work of Salvation). I'm finally catching the vision of members and missionaries working together. This last Friday we had an appointment with a family and we had the strongest impression that we had to have a member there. Member after member fell through. Our efforts only seemed to land us with a long list of "can't comes". But we knew a member needed to be there and at last, late Thursday night our ward mission leader's wife who had just gotten back in town said she could come! Friday, we got to the doorstep and the family was there--and so was the mom's sister who showed up for a suprise visit from Summerville. The kids, dad, and mom's sister all left out the door for groceries and it was just us and the mom. But that was Heavenly Father's design. We ended up with a lesson that would have gone nowhere fast had it not been for the member. This member was able to uplift her, encourage her, testify boldly, and be our mediator with this mother. We were able to focus on the testifying, teaching, and our purpose as missionaries, while the member could not only testify but be her friend. I am determined more than ever to have a member at every lesson and if it falls through it's okay, miracles still happen when members come.
We have an amazing family where the mom is the only member on her side, all of her family is southern baptist and very uninterested in seeing the missionaries. Her daughter Holly celebrated her 16th birthday over the weekend and was only having family over for it. This was a unique opportunity--and she didn't have to--but Holly invited us to her birthday party so we could meet her family. She used her 16th birthday party as a way for her family to meet the missionaries! What a leap of faith, of jumping out of the boat. She didn't know what the results would be (we still don't know all the effects) but she did it anyway. Now the mom is setting up a time to take us to her one of her sister's this week. Members are amazing.
Other highlight was June and Michael inviting us in for coffee...errr...hot chocolate :) She invited us in and we were able to have a wonderful conversation about Jesus Christ because...she had a friend who was Mormon who had shared her testimony of Jesus Christ! Also, Michael is a mailman who use to deliver to the missionaries in the area and to the Church building when they had car inspections/missionary conferences.
Enjoy the snow for me...maybe send pictures of snowmen and snowball fights. Have fun and have a Blessed Christmas Y'all!
Sister McNeece
P.S. My challenge for each of you is to find someone who hasn't been to church in a while and bring them cookies!
P.P.S. Yes, I got your letter, Josh. Thank you so much! It is no offense towards anyone who does not get an early reply; I only reply to 1-2 individual letters each week...I'm working on catching up. Please forgive me. Your letters mean a lot.
P.P.P.S. Dad, what is Terry's work or home address I don't have a full address and I have a postcard for her. Thanks everyone!!!