This week we have been seeing Vernonia bloom! (in more ways than one!)
Spring has almost sprung... we did have snow this morning.. but that is not stopping me from believing in spring!! It has just been a spirit filled week full of tender mercies and miracles! It started with a priesthood blessing. I don't know why I didn't take advantage of such a wonderful gift before coming out on my mission! Now they are at least an every other month event and they are so powerful! I truly felt my Heavenly Father’s love for me as our branch mission leader laid his hands on my head and blessed me with hope and healing. I could feel an immediate lifting of stress and an outpouring of confidence and enthusiasm, now of course it takes effort to maintain that feeling but there is no doubt in my mind of the lasting effects of trusting the Lord and going to him for help. We saw so much evidence of this throughout the entire week after that event. Starting with a less-active member messaging us about an anti-Mormon video...
I know it doesn't sound like a good thing but the full story is his sister sent him it and he doesn't believe a word! He wants to be able to respond in a kind, yet articulate way so he came to us for help. Well we turned to our branch mission leader for help and together we went over the video and dissected his arguments and found it to be complete hogwash!
We were going to go see the less-active member with our BML (branch mission leader), when the less-active member said he would be late we decided to go drop in on Jared. It was awesome, they are total bros! There was so much gun talk and "dudes" that sister Cornell and Mine's heads were just flipping back and forth between the two and we just started to crack up! We asked our BML to share a favorite scripture and he shared Alma 32:27 which was exactly what Christ needed. He said this is where he is at right now. Our BML was able to bear powerful testimony and it was altogether an amazing evening!!
(Editor’s note: Here is the scripture she mentioned: Alma 32:27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.)
Later in the week we sprung a crazy request at Jared and he took it. We asked him if we could do a lesson at his home with our new investigator Mark! Jared initially thought he was just hosting a place but when we asked him a question Jared jumped right into the teaching and testifying. Jared and us combined taught the whole Restoration. It was really cool to see Jared bear his testimony to Mark that he knew it was true and he knows that blessings come from keeping the commandments of God.
It was really good after the lesson as well to help Jared realize that that is what he was doing. He is slowly realizing that he does have a testimony!
Then we stayed and had a lesson with just Jared and got him back into the question asking mode. Well due to the question he asked we actually taught (in a very round about way) all three lessons!! Haha and we acedentlly introduced him to Kolob... Whoops.
Through the week we also sang him different primary songs to pump him up! We sang “Scripture Power”, and “I Lived in Heaven.” It was fun, we are trying to get them stuck in his head!
On Saturday we had the three back to back lessons, two of which were with new investigators! That is really something up here in our little Vernonia! One of the lessons was with Ross. He is a sweet older man who recently moved in and has been looking for a church to go to. He said he has heard different things about the Mormon religion but he wants to come to his own conclusions. When we taught him about Joseph Smith searching for the truth he said "Hey that's like me!" Throughout the whole lesson the spirit was screaming at me (ok the spirit doesn’t scream, but you know...) to invite him to be baptized. I usually don't think to invite people on the first lesson but I kept getting the prompting. Right when I was about to say it Sister Cornell voiced the same question. That was just a little confirmation to me that it truly was the spirit. He said yes! No date yet, no time to think of a date haha! but soon!
One last thought because I am running out of time! GENERAL CONFERENCE IS AMAZING!! My plea to you is the same as our new beloved prophet... study the words that have been said, and the thoughts and impressions that have come to your mind!
I am so grateful for the knowledge that my Savior lives, that he loves me, and that he guides and directs his church! I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost who witnesses to me over and over again of my Heavenly Father’s love! Sister Cornell and I have been sooooo pumped up for conference and after each session we would sigh and say only ____ more hours! We were hanging on every word! and I can't wait to read them again! There are challenging times ahead but I am convinced that the Lord is aware and is not leaving us unarmed in these times! Study the words of the prophet, for they are the words of the Lord for us in these last days! Arm yourself against the world! And the beautiful message of this conference was that we need to be unified and united and arm ourselves together!
I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!
-Sister Peterson
Sorry no pics this week :/
Editor’s Note: Anna didn’t send any pictures, but a nice family in Vernonia texted us some pictures.
Anna’s birthday!!! 20 Twix and Peachy-O’s
General Conference Weekend!
P-Day after Easter 🐣
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