SO GOOD TO TALK TO YOU!!!

Hey fam! 

It was so good to talk you on Christmas! It was truly perfect, so thank you. Except that I missed the Rudds and Jill...so. You best be there in March. 

And BLANKET THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE PERFECT GIFTS. I'm horribly spoiled and so overwhelmingly grateful. 

I love you all so much! The church is True. God knows us and loves us. Read the e-mail below.

Love,

Sister Wells

P.s. Pics next week.

Hello President,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope you enjoyed Christmas with your family. Ours was wonderful!!

Of course I'll join in the fast next week, and of course I plan on being in an eternal friendship with the Weidmans!  I'll keep you on a semi-regular e-mail list.  

I don't have the "Consecrated Missionary" talk in front of me to compare, but I do recall a specific section about flirting, etc.  It was the theme of our zone conference earlier this year, so the assistants should have a copy. Let me know what you think.

I'm feeling humbled by your request that we maintain a higher standard of modesty than of late. I have felt myself slipping a bit in my mindset regarding the matter, and I am excited to re-commit to being a more obvious representative of the Lord.  

Companionship report:  Sister S and I are bonding.  I feel her becoming more comfortable with herself in general and especially in teaching situations.   During the busy time in the Visitors' Center, we have had a lot of opportunities to teach on our own--which she was nervous to do at first, but has done really well with.  Now we're working on teaching in unity.  We had a great experience in companionship study last night where we practiced teaching the Restoration as simply as possible.  I feel her confidence growing with each practice.  

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday about Charity. I included some of the thoughts I shared with you in last week's e-mail.  Thanks again for letting me share, and for being excited about the novels I send every year!

Church was a little bit disappointing.  We had expected 3-4 investigators and were once again saddened by the 0 that actually attended.  Though I suppose it is important to take into account the holiday season and the fact that very few members were there either.  

MIRACLE:  

After district meeting on Friday, we rushed to an appointment that we had made the day before while tracting (probably my 5th time tracting in my entire mission...I know. Pride. I'm repenting.)...only to be told that ***** was not actually that interested so we didn't need to come back ever again.  Disappointing.

Our back-up plan was to go home and make calls/organize some of our area/make a Progress Record, etc.  So, we get to our apartment at about 2:15pm or so (our Visitors' Center shift starts at 3pm), but on the whole drive home, I have that heart-racing feeling that we needed to be street contacting...and that we needed to go over to the Veteran/Ohio-area where street contacting was actually effective.  But of course, this would contradict our plans--which we had prayed about the night before. So I ignored it for a while until we actually walk into our apartment.  While we're pulling out the things we need to organize, I'm still feeling indecisive and anxious. So I grab one of the little note cards from my stack (Before my mission, I had all of my friends write words of advice/scriptures/quotes/jokes/etc. on a few hundred note cards for me to read on each day of my mission. It may sound trunky, but it has turned out to be one of the better ideas I have ever had in my life. Loads of tender mercies and miracles. Like this one)...and it says "Follow the spirit. Keep it up."  So simple. Had I read it at any other moment of my mission, I likely would have been a little disappointed.  But instead, I throw it down and tell Sister S that I feel like we need to go out and contact.  She, of course, is totally game and feeling the same way!  So, we go to Veteran's Park.  We easily pull into a typically hard-to-find parking spot and I receive yet another confirmation that we're in the right place.  We pray, and then we immediately start talking with every person we see.  Sister S even starts some of the conversations, and she does a PHENOMENAL job.  But unfortunately, none of the first 6 people we talk to are even remotely interested. Some are even mildly rude.  But of course we pray for them anyway...and as 2:40 hits, we decide we need to start heading back to the car. So, I say a prayer and let Heavenly Father know that we know we're supposed to be here...so we can happily leave and hope that we did something He needed us to...but that if He wanted to let us know what it was exactly, that'd be great...And as I finish this little prayer in my head, we see ****** pushing her little son in the swing nearby.  We go up and start talking to her. She said they just moved there and that she'd love to come try out the church on Sunday.  And then we go over and start talking to her husband sitting nearby and he tells us that he has always wondered about God and families and stuff.  So, Sister S briefly teaches him the Restoration (in one of the most effective summaries I have ever heard) and we set up a return appointment.  

...and that's how we found the family we have been praying for.

They didn't call us back to confirm the appointment, so...who knows what'll happen now. BUT we know we were in the right place at the right time and that they needed/need the message we shared/will continue to share. 

I love the work more than ever.  Praying to be more consecrated than ever, and just...figuring it out, you know? 

Thanks for everything. I look forward to interviews soon. We love you and pray for you both!

Love,

Sister Wells