Monday, April 5, 2010

Regan, April 5, 2010

Well this week was by far one of the most uplifting and spiritual weeks that I have had on my entire mission and I am sure that His spirit won't make it be the last that I have. I am truly grateful because of the humbling messages and events that I have been able to witness this week.

Monday we had a a really great preparation day. We were able to do all of our shopping and cleaning that we needed to do. We were able to spend some time with Brother Martyn and his daughter which was really fun. Chloe is such a funny little girl and she is very smart for only being 4 yrs old. We then had dinner with the Hearns and had a really great time sharing topics of the gospel. After we went to Providence Hospital and gave a blessing to Sister Causey's Brother in the Lucedale Branch. He isn't a member but he was able to have his family there and the spirit was voice for what he needed.

Tuesday we started of the day by visiting with Sister Milburn who was in a retirement home. She really can't speak much but her spirit was so strong. We were able to give her a blessing and also read out of the Book of Mormon with her. She is such a great example to me because I have now seen for myself what true dedication to the Gospel is even when physically circumstances can become challenging. I felt the Love that Heavenly Father has for her and it was truly a savoring experience. After we tracted for a little bit before lunch which went really great. After lunch we visited with Sister Thompson who is a recent convert. We found out that her mom is now cancer free and is now going to be able to get back into the routine of things once again. We then tracted and talked with 7 different people before we were able to find some really great potentials. We are very eager to follow up with Brain and Allison about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We had a good lesson with Rachel and offered service. She didn't read Alma 40 this past week so we testified of the truth of the Book of Mormon and re-committed her. We had a great dinner with the Fairchilds and spent some time with their kids and asked them how they were enjoying primary. We had a great family home evening with Sister Byrd and invited her to General Conference.

Wednesday we started the morning off by seeing the Campbell's and they ended up feeding us an early lunch which was really awesome. We then traveled up to the Chickasaw area and tried to visit with a few referrals on the way. We ended up talking with a few other people and followed up with some of the less active members to see how they were doing. We had a great lesson on church history with Kimberly and this week we will start to leave her with a few chapters out of the Book of Mormon to read. We came back down and visited with Sister Wyser and she is doing a lot better. She has had quite a few setbacks but is still pushing forward and keeping her head held high. We received a call from some members who lived really close and gave Brother Klug and his granddaughter both blessings. It is truly amazing to see that there is always and will always be multiple reasons why we go to a certain place each day. We then had combined activity with the Young Men and Young Women which went really well and they are still working on inviting their friends out.

Thursday was a really great day of planning for us. We were able to update all of the records and also right up on the board all of our investigators who are progressing or not progressing and all those we need to follow up with and are hoping to teach. It allowed us to see who we needed to continue to keep our focus on but also those we needed to stop by and let them know we would have to be dropping them. We then visited with Melinda and asked about how all of the family was doing. Her husband Dave is the only member in the family and he has just signed with the army reserve and is now very busy and preparing for his trainings. We then went off with the Monroeville elders and had some really great opportunities tracting. I went with Elder Merkley and the others tracted on the other side of the street. We were all able to talk with some really great people and set up appointments with a couple and will be following up with the other this week. Elder Merkley and I then went and visited Jeffrey Booth and talked with her for a minute before we went and shared a message with the Parkes family. Elder Bawden and Shumway had a great lesson with Keno and Valentine and everything is still lined up for them to be getting baptized on April 10th.

Friday was truly an amazing day at Zone Conference. His spirit was able to testify to all of our hearts and knit them together as one in Unity. I felt truly blessed to be a mouthpiece for the Lord at the times that I was asked. I was strengthened through His Spirit and in increased my faith and desire to continue to act. I am truly grateful for those things of which were testified to my soul that I will be able to share with others of which I have learned for myself and will be their guides so they can learn for themselves. We immediately left and visited with Brother Serrano who had been having some really bad health problems and gave him a blessing. We were prepared to give that blessing and His voice was manifest unto Brother Serrano of the things of which he needed to hear and receive. We then had dinner with the Mathie's which went really well and then went and had activity night at the church and we had a lot of great participation.

Saturday and Sunday were both truly amazing days and I don't know how I couldn't not just combine them as with they were all such a great pattern of revelation revealed through His chosen servants. I feel from the bottom of my heart that conference was truly meant for the things of which I had been thinking and questioning within my soul. I received much comfort, peace, and guidance which is truly going to bless me as I seek to apply and use this knowledge and action in my life. We were able after Sunday session to give Sister Pacetti a blessing and then traveled and taught Keno and Valentine with Brother Nordwald. It was great to have him with us to testify and prepare himself for his mission which is hoping to be leaving on very soon. He working on all of his interviews as we speak and I am very excited for him. We truly had a great lesson and the spirit was able to speak through us and open Keno's heart to the truth. He shared with us such a powerful experience of agency that it testified to me. He had the desire come to use some chewing tobacco and his shared this with his wife and she said that he didn't need it anymore. He then immediately picked up the Book of Mormon and began to read from its marvelous pages and before he knew it that desire had been taken from him. It was a true testimony builder for him and also for us.

I am indebted and grateful for what the Lord has allowed me thus far in my life to witness and I look forward to receive more knowledge for myself and continually striving to be a guide for those who desire to know for themselves of this wonderful truth.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

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