August 21, 2006 - #2

Ok, so we've also been working with BB Mason.... Sister Mason, but she
likes to be called Sister BB....  Well, she's been inactive for awhile
now and hasn't been to church since her son hit a white girl... I think
she was humiliated....  But we've been working with two of her sons who
she wants baptized....  And her son Connie just got out of Juvenile
Hall....  or something like it....  She has this little girl, Abby- she's
SO CUTE! 

WE asked her what we could do to help her get to church- she said Abby
didn't have any shoes... so we went to the Family Dollar and found a
really cute pair for $4.  Abby was WAY excited!!!!  And BB came to
church!!!  I think she misses it and knows it. 

Also, another thing that had been keeping her from church was her
gambling problem.  It would keep her up all Saturday night and she'd be too
tired on Sunday....  So I studied and got to teach her about
gambling.... not fun cause I had to make sure I was doing it with the Spirit
cause otherwise she would feel like we were judging or condemning her.... 
But it went really well.... I explained the Pre-Earth life... how we
fought for agency... the fact that we knew we would need to fall
sometimes in order to have the strength to walk....  and then related it to
gambling and how it tries to shortcut the whole learning and working
process.....  I think it helped.  She could tell I was nervous about telling
her about it and knew that I had prayed a lot before telling her
anything and I think she felt like we actually cared about her and her
family....  She's started opening up and so hopefully things will continue to
get better there.....

I really like her son Connie... he's really smart and just needs to
stay busy....  I hope he comes back to church and gets involved in the
YM's program- it'd be good for him!  Well, I think that's it for my
week.....

Oh, besides the fact that I got a really trunky letter from Scotti last
week and I'm having fun criticizing him for being trunky....  The guys
are almost all home.... 

Well, love y'all!!!!!!!

Love,
Sister Jamie Lang