Week 6

     This week FLEW by for me! I can't believe it is already Pday again and i'm at the local library writing my wonderful family! This week I would like to title "Go to the lady on the end!!! She loves Jesus!!" (brought to you by 10 year old english boy who yelled at us while we were knocking doors...who then proceeded to ask me if i had a boyfriend...hahaha! i love children and i love this work!!)

     This week I definitely saw the highs and lows of this work, but an eternal blessing in following the spirit. Yesterday we watched the Thomas S Monson movie with Brian and Danielle so they could have a better understanding of modern day prophets and our current one. i hadn't seen the movie before so i was excited to see it. He told of his experiences with following the spirit EXACTLY no matter how rediculous our "oh so very human" brains might think it is. This is the lesson i learned this week. That now and and for forever i Taylor Jean Brown will follow the promptings of the spirit EXACTLY and RIGHT WHEN I AM PROMPTED no matter how rediculous my logic thinks it is. This lesson comes with story.

Helen...oh Helen. How we love her!

     She is one of our progressing investigators who has quite the stack of medical issues (lupus, MS) and a 3 year old girl who runs around just about as much as Mattie (I'm sure Jillie can relate). but through all this she has the most positive attitude. So with all this we have a heard time progressing her because getting her to church is a struggle cause she has these medical issues that keep her at home. And she can't fully be commited to baptism unless she's been to church twice. So with these obsticles we can't really for sure set a date with her. (well and because she doesn't really know if it's true yet either) BUT the spirit and the will of God always trump what we wee sisters think is right. So friday and saturday me and Sis. F have this overwhelming feeling of "commit her to baptism for October 28th"....in 2 weeks. We try to fight off this feeling with our logic but the spirit tells us again to just do it, we don't need to understand why, just do it. So to have her ready for baptism we would have to teach her Lesson 3, Word of Wisdom, Law of Tithing, Law of Chastity, Keep the Sabbath Day Holy, and the rest of the Commandments...in one week to have her prepared for her baptismal invterview....so with all of that on our plates we trusted the spirit and did what we were told. We then came to learn all the opposition she is getting from her family especially from her Mum. (Her mother in VERY Catholic and is very not happy that her daughter is talking with the Mormons...not good) So we left her very confused as to why we needed to invite her to baptism because she is CLEARLY NOT READY and to this very moment we still have no idea why we were prompted. We hope that someday soon we will know why we were prompted to urnestly to invite her, but all i know is that God is in control. And he knows Helen perfectly, all i can do is be an instrument in his hands. And i know he'll guide us continually on how to best help her!

     I am also learning how the "utah bubble" is not a bubble...it is an ATOMIC CAGE OF PROTECTION!!! haha meaning that i am so grateful that i grew up in a sheltered place where my testimony could be protected from the craziness of this world we live in. Story number 2:

Malcom....haha! OH Malcom

     As you well know i Taylor Jean Brown have not spent any kind of time around people who choose to drink...i have now been privilaged enough to witness the effects of alcohol abuse and how this man was ABSOLUTELY TRASHED!!! Ha i have never seen someone so high up in the sky...no the UNIVERSE as this man Malcom. but with that said i have never had quite the spiritual experience i had because of him before either.

     Malcom was on the "Potential Investigators" list that S. Freeman and her former companion (S.Evens) kept. (people they contacted but never really got around to teaching) so I called him up and he was so very excited to meet with us. So we went over and he was...wasted, but not completely trashed. We tried to teach his the first lesson but he has so many other questions and he wasn't really able to focus. So we set up a return appointmet (which was yesterday) well this time he was TRASHED we tried to watch the Restoration/ Joseph Smith video with him. I think he felt something, but the thing about alcohol is that is really messes up your mind. But while talking with him i felt over come with the love that God has for him. I could feel what God feels for him and how important it was to be patient with him and to focus our efforts to try to get him off of alcohol, that he has been prepared and that he would except our message if he had some kind of clarity. I know Malcom has been prepared, he goes on and on and on about how he has searched his whole life for the truth but just can't seem to find it. I was over come with the spirit and flat out told him "Malcom, God will not show you what your looking for if you are not in a state of mind where you can't recieve it. YOU HAVE TO STOP DRINKING!!" In his drunkin state he promised me that he'd stop-and we have an appoinment set up to see him tomorrow. I PRAY that next time we see him his mind will be clear cause i truly feel he is one of the people i promised in heaven that i would bring the gospel to. i have only had that strong impression twice while i've been here. once with malcom and once with a lady who i don't even know her name...but i will :)

We've been listening to the new Nashville Tribute: for missionary work (you have to get it it's SOOO GOOOD!! Joey would love it!) One of thel lyrics to the songs go like this:

Verse:

I was born in Oklahoma where the hills roll on and on

I was born of humble converts...and i'm here to pay it forward

Chorus:

We are here to serve our King, children of the most high

And this is good news that we bring!!!

As we labor, gladly bringing souls to Christ!!!

Last line of song:

We are children of the Father...an army of his sons and daughters....

I love this work!!! I love this gospel. I am truly blessed to be numbered and to be a member of this Latter-Day Army of Helemen. i know it's the only perfect truth we have on this Earth and i love being able to see the change in peoples lives as they except this gospel!

I love you all soo so so so much! To the moon and back!!!!! Good luck this week with all the busy-ness that comes!! Till next Monday!

Love, Sister Brown