Burrrr...

Hey Everyone!!!

 

okay so today was FREEZING! -30 when we left to go to our district meeting at 7am. And once the sun was completely up, it was -20. It burns to breathe. I forgot the phone inside...there's a shocker. and when I opened the door to go inside, it felt like I touched my curling iron. It burned so bad because it was so cold!!

 

This week was wonderful! I have a BAPTISM DATE!!!!! Joanne. She is the one who we helped move. She has been prepared. The gospel is what she is looking for. She wants her family to be together forever. (shes the one that the teenager kids were taken away because the dad was abusive and the she was addicted to alcohol). She hasn't drank any alcohol since the kids were taken its been over 100 days. I'm so proud of her. She is working so hard to get her family back together. Her daughter Leah, who is 14 was baptized 4 months ago. We taught her the first two lessons with spiritual tears in our eyes and we asked her to be baptized Feb 23rd. We have to wait till then because she doesn't want to miss football. haha Were gonna have to work on that one. haha But it was wonderful! I'm so happy for her! she just needs to give up smoking and coffee.

 

Another investigator Rachel wants to be BAPTIZED the end of feb. She wasn't getting back to us for 2 weeks and me and Sister Partridge were really sad, and then she showed up at Brooke's baptism (8 years old) and told us she wants to be baptized the end of Feb! we are very excited for her. She just needs to give up coffee and tank tops haha. She is 23. Really cute girl.

 

We had 2 progressing investigators last week. This week we have 9!!!!!! isn't that wonderful! We are working so hard. I think I am getting the hang of using the phone. I call everyone all the time setting up appointments. The ward is really appreciating our great work. We had a missionary fireside on Sunday. I sang, "The Man With Many Names". I of course was nervous. I didn't do my best, but it wasn't horrible.The fireside was wonderful. This really amazing recent convert stood up and bore his testimony on missionary work. He was an investigator for 15 years. His wife and kids were members, but it wasn't until a special missionary taught him that he got baptized and talked about how blessed he is and how that was the best choice he's ever made. Gary (the investigator who's family is all members who has also been an investigator for 15 years) was there and I'm sure it touched him.

Sister Partridge and I sang, "I Stand All Amazed" in gospel doctrine for our teacher. It went really well. Alot of tears in the room. The spirit was there.

 

 

The Dennys. The family that I was sad that I didn't see a bright future for. I had a great idea to teach the kids separately because I wanted to meet their specific needs and help them know that they are individually special. (plus the house is so a mess, smoke filled, cluttered) It's hard to teach them when the parents are sitting there with no desire. So I talked to bishop and he also thought it was a great idea. So I talked to a member who is friends with that family, that the parents would trust the kids being taught at her house. She was fine with it. Sister Partridge called the mom and asked, and she seemed a little put off. So Sister Partridge said or we could have it at your house. She seemed so mad that we wanted to teach them somewhere else. She also asked what we were going to teach. Sister Partridge told her that for the son, God's love for us, and for the daughter the First Vision. She said she would get back to us. She calls us back flipping out that she is so offended. I had the phone this time. I told her that I was sorry and had no intentions to hurt her. I said we just thought it would be nice to teach the kids separately instead of together. I told her that we weren't trying to be secretive and thats why we told her exactly what we were teaching. She told us that the kids were never allowed to come back to church, and hung up.

 

Sister Partridge immediately started sobbing. It took a good while to get her able to go to our next appointment, which was luckily Bishops. She kept blaming herself. I was blessed to have the mindset that we didn't say anything offensive and that she has her agency. She was just looking for a reason to not let them come to church. It's sad because church is what those kids need. Bishop said that this isn't the first time and that she will be back. I keep praying for them.

 

Okay I have a huge favor for EVERYONE:

 

Toni Simmons who is a mother has cancer for the second time. She is going through chimo and is waiting for a bone marrow transplant. That is the only way she has a chance to live. She is determined and will fight to survive. She says that best thing for her is letters of encouragement. You can find her facebook "Toni's story  "10,000 reasons for my heart to shine" " I also have her address

 

Huntsman Cancer Hospital

Toni Simmons Room # 4502

1950 Circle of Hope

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

 

Please send her a card of encouragement. Everyone! Every Letter will help her. Her kids are staying in school here in Meeker, while she is being treated. Keep her in your prayers.

 

I came up with the idea that every single home needs an extra Book Of Mormon to have to hand out. Bishop ordered them and we are making a magnet for every home that says

-Pray and follow the Spirit.

-Give service.

-Develop friendships.

-Open mouths to share the restored gospel.

-Invite others to do things to increase their faith in Christ.

We have a goal for the families in our ward to have a friend eat dinner in their home with the Missionaries. They have 6 months.

Sister Partridge and I have talks next week on Missionary work. This ward is so wonderful to us.

We taught 22 lessons this week. The standard of excellence in our mission is 20! Sister Partridge says she hasn't hit 20 in a long time. :)

 

Oh we had a lunch with Tom and Bev. Tom is an investigator. They gave us each a steak the size of a dinner plate! It was huge!!!  We both ate it. I felt so sick, but I didn't want to not eat it! They both ate theirs too. It was delicious though.

 

My favorite scripture this week:

 

Ether 12:27. Weak things become strong.  I flipped to that when I was teaching a less-active family. The mom opened up to us that her husband and her were sealed together with the family. They expressed how wonderful it was and how they want to go back, but the husband is struggling with chewing tobacco. We are going to really reach out to that family.

 

Well I better get going! I love you all so much!

 

-Sister Gampe

 

Okay so there were a group of 5 huge deer all laying next to eachother! we saw 2 others in the same yard! wierd huh!

The picture of me Sister Partridge and AJ (little boy) was RIGHT after We set a baptism date with Joanne. I'm so excited!

The photos with the icicles. I had to walk in 2 feet of snow to get to those. they were so beautiful. The next picture was RIGHT after I crawled in that deep snow to get to them. It was sooo cold! While we quickly took pictures, snow was gushing in our faces.

 The next picture is a dog that likes to hang out on the roof. :)