July 17, 2006

Alright.... so the weekly report....

We were tracting a trailer park the other day and ran into this one
lady who I believe is Native American, Joann- she's cool and we taught and
committed her- we have yet to meet with her again tho.... and there is
a fair amount of anti around....

Then there's a girl named Bridget Bates....  She's really cool as well
and we committed her for August 5th.  Hopefully she'll pull through as
well.  We're hoping so anyways.  We went through a lot with her to try
and build her up and prepare her for anti stuff....

Then there's Anita, she just happened to be there for one of our
lessons with Bernice.  Bernice we don't know what to do with.  She knows it's
true but needs to come to church at least once more and stop smoking. 
She didn't come to church yesterday, which was a little disappointing. 
Her grandchildren, Jasmine and Charles, that she has custody over are
coming along tho....  Charles loved Primary when he came and was really
excited.  He wants to be baptized and he asked about the Sacrament
after looking at a picture.  The kids have also been receiving anti from
the family- it's really hard on them, and they wouldn't listen to us for
a while.  Jasmine is REALLY shy!  She doesn't talk to anyone at school,
she has like one friend- a cousin and then besides Bernice, Charles and
her aunt that lives with her, she pretty much doesn't talk to anyone. 
I've always tried to ask her questions and she just smiles and doesn't
answer....  Well, the efforts paid off.  The other day we got her to
talk!  It was amazing!  She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.  And
she liked church, but she wouldn't go to Primary.  She won't leave
Bernice....  The first time she told Bernice she didn't want to go cause
she didn't want to have to go to Primary.... so we might all go to
Primary one of these days.....  But she's opening up which is really good.

Let's see.... what else....  oh, before I came in the Sisters had been
teaching a Mr. Howes.....  He calls himself a reformer.  He wanted to
stand up in Sacrament meeting and tell everyone they had been deceived,
the bishop told him only members were allowed to.  So he said he would
write a letter and give it to the bishop to hand out.  So he wrote a
letter....  we got a copy yesterday.....  Sister Goertzen said she'd
already resolved all of those concerns a million times....  alright,
several and he simply doesn't listen.  He says that we believe in One God-
like the trinity or something, and that we believe in an eternal hell for
the majority of the people, and we believe in an immortal soul..... 
He's basically misreading A LOT of things.... interesting guy....

Then, hmmmmmmm....  oh!  Tery Newman sent a letter to Alexandria, which
S. Benham and S. McCrea forwarded to the mission office which forwarded
it to me.....  S. Benham and S. McCrea were then able to write a note
on it!  It is AWESOME!!!!!

They said Kim and Johnny Fennix are getting married on July 22nd and
getting baptized on July 29th!!!!!!    Kim was a media referral for a
Book of Mormon.  We went over and taught her....  she kinda held back and
we know she's been through a lot.  She wasn't really sure whether to
trust us.... and Johnny kinda just acknowledged we were there.  The
second time we went by Kim had already received anti.  She stood up for us
saying we don't force her to do anything and so we're not a cult.  She
said that we encourage her to pray about everything we tell her.  Johnny
actually stopped and listened to most of it, but didn't really
participate.  He wouldn't read, or pray, and said he didn't like reading.... 
Well the next time we went by we went and taught a quick lesson....  We
only had a certain amount of time in their neighborhood and so had to
be out by a certain time.  He had gone to pick up the kids from
swimming, or two of them.  We were done by the time he came back, and he was
like, "You're leaving already?"  So we told him when we were coming back. 
The next time he told us he didn't like churches- they were
hypocritical, and he didn't like reading.   We committed him to read and the next
time he actually read, and committed to pray.  This was the last time I
saw them....  Kim gave us a hug for the first time and completely
opened up to us.  She brought up things on her own.  She said she was tired
of living in sin but that Johnny wasn't ready to get married.....  So
we committed Johnny to pray about marriage- Sister Benham was supposed
to follow up the day after I left.  I told them I was leaving, this was
the Tuesday before I left.  Kim was disappointed and was like, 'They're
taking you away, now that I finally got used to you'.  Johnny ran out
of the room and when he came back he took a quick picture.  He asked
when I was coming back, I told him within 2 years....  He said, ok, I'm
holding you to that- if not this picture is going to be on America's Most
Wanted and we'll track you down that way...... It was awesome!  But
anyways, so they're getting married and they're getting baptized!!!!!! 
I'm SO EXCITED!  That made my day!

I think that's about all that has happened!!!!

Well, until next week!

Love ya!

Sister Jamie Lang!!!