...............ok wait something really cool just happened. My companion and I are in the Elk City library E-mailing and a lady who was leaving stopped to talk to us. She asked me what was on my name tag and I said it has Jesus Christ's name on it. She had a huge smile on her face. Then she asked us why we were not in school and I told her we are full time missionaries for our church "the mormons". She was super happy to hear that and asked a little about politics. But then she said that she was super proud of us and that she has two daughters and a few grand daughters. Then she started crying and said that she has no sons. She said that when she saw us walk in to the library she thought how proud some mother must be. Still crying she gave me a big hug. I had no clue what to do or say besides "is there anything we can do for you?" but she denied the offer and left. Crazy. That all happened just a few moments ago. The people in Elk City are awesome!
Elder Fransen and I are planning on having a baptism service for two people on Sunday night. They have been investigating off and on for two years! She has prieviously had big struggles with a smoking addiction. But by the way my comp and I feel, it is time to get her in the water. She has to be cigarette free for seven days to qualify for baptism. We met with her and her member boyfriend and her foster son last night and went over the 15 step, seven day stop smoking workshop. We committed her to do it. She seemed very confident in overcoming this massive monster of a habit. If she goes the entire week without smoking, she can receive the gift of the holy ghost after baptism and it will help her overcome trials like smoking. The gift of the Holy Ghost is somthing that helps us endure to the end.
We will be visiting them almost every night this week to keep spiritually re-charging them. I know that she has the ability to do it but this is going to be the hardest thing she will probly ever overcome. As missionaries we are willing to do anything to help her. We are excited for this week.
Last month I had the awesome opportunity to go to the temple!! That is very rare as a missionary. The first time I went was when the mission had temple conference. The entire mission split into two days. The southern zones went on a friday (Dec 6) to watch a video called 17 miracles and sit through trainings by Prez Taylor and go through the temple. Then the northern zones went on Saturday (Dec 7). and that's when I went. It was cool going through the temple. But the second time I went to the temple was with somone who was baptised a year ago and knows Elder Fransen. He wanted Elder Fransen to be his escort through the temple his first time.
We were told by other missionaries that we needed to be at the temple by 10:00 am. but when we showed up at that time, we found out by the front desk guy that the session wasnt till 1:00 that afternoon! However, we had the awesome opportunity to spend time doing iniatories. I had never done those for the dead before. It was super fun. It felt like we were just hanging out with a bunch of cool old guys. As we waited for others during the ceremony, the old men would always point out things that had been said and done and kinda let me in on little clues and revalations and stuff. It was way deep and super cool. We almost had the opportunity to do a sealing as well but had to go into a special meeting with the temple prez. That day was awsome and we finished it up by eating out at a buffet.
When we got home for the night we quickly opened up our scriptures to chapters that had been suggested to us and studied about temples. Going to the temple is the best feeling ever. The rest of the day we felt spiritually energized!
The mission is awesome and fun and we always get CHASED by big scary dogs, and we always get barked at by little ANNOYING dogs.
haha!
Elder Shumway
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