3/20/17
Transfers just happened and me and Sister Vescovi are both staying in the Schaumburg YSA! We're both happy and are excited to get a fresh start with this area. This will be my 4th transfer here, and I've never been in any other area! The longest Sister's usually can stay in a area is 4-6 transfers, so we'll have to see what happens! Either way where I go in the future I'm thrilled for and ready to serve the Lord. During our weekly planning we realized our teaching pool is completely dry (Anyone who we're teaching about the gospel), so we're determined we're taking this area by the horns and flipping it over!
Terrence, who I excitedly mentioned our recent contact with him in my last email we had to "drop", meaning we will be stopping our efforts in reaching out to him and setting goals for his learning. This DOES NOT mean he is now off our radar. He is just not ready right now with his work and school, we still won't be praying for him and we plan to drop by a couple weeks in the future to check up on him. I'll miss him and his little sister, Alexis, who is also amazing and frankly seems more ready for the gospel than Terrence.
As for Hardik, he's been having a rough go emotionally. For two Sundays he was promised and dead set to come to church for the full three hours but both times didn't come! We were frustrated but both times he literally stayed asleep through his alarm clock because of his crazy work schedule. It's mellowed out now, and Sister Vescovi and Hermana Gowen's during exchanges even went over the "Word of Wisdom" and explained how it not only pertained for us not to drink alcohol and coffee but to get sleep! But Saturday he had the recent blessing and miracle of his Dad coming two months earlier than he expected to the USA on a business trip, who he hasn't seen in two years! He's completely elated and called us crying with joy. We're so happy for him, and he made it to Sacrament this last Sunday and only didn't bring his Dad because of his crazy jet-lag.
Kylie and John! (Names changed) Those are names you probably haven't heard of before but they're definitely the top people we've been praying and teaching ever since a few weeks out on my mission, and honestly it's a crime to have not written about them yet! Kylie is a member and moved out here a little bit ago with her managing career for Cafe Zupas, along with her fiance John who is investigating the church. They are hilarious and I love them so much. John lives with Kylie and it's been a hindrance in them progressing. But eariler this month we had a break through lesson with them! We taught on the Holy Ghost and the importance of it. John wasn't very clear what that was at first so we clarified who the Holy Ghost is. We then gave them pens, but one of them was an electric shock pen. Kylie got shocked than we explained how the pen represents how the we feel the Holy Ghost and how it can warn us. We read from 1 Nephi 3, and then talked about why Nephi could feel the Holy Ghost and had a testimony while Laman and Lemuel didn't even when they followed the same commandments. We asked for their thoughts on this and Kylie said how they weren't doing those things for the right reasons. We agreed and than shared how because Nephi was faithful in keeping the commandments, he was blessed and had testimony, and we can only feel the Holy Ghost when we follow Gods commandments. We then had them put rubber gloves, representing sin. Sister Vescovi than asked them "If the Spirit was in the room right now, would you be able to feel it?" Sin keeps us from the Holy Ghost. When they now press the pen, they couldn't feel the zap. They can't feel The Holy Ghost of they're blocking themselves with sin. They both than knew that it was time to live better. We made it clear that in order for John to learn and progress towards baptism, they need to live in a better way. We shared how we are not the teacher, that it's the Holy Spirit, and he is your connection to Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father. It was wonderful to brake the ice and really to press forward with their progress. It was all with love too, and we laughed and joked throughout it. Kylie even turned to John and said "You gotta move out home boy." We haven't formally taught the law of chastity and therefore invited them to live it by John moving out, but are working towards it which is another waiting game that I loathe! They are getting married soon in July but we really want them to understand the importance of living it and to have the faith too.
At the beginning of the month Sister Vescovi poorly planned our preparation day and therefore didn't go grocery shopping for the second time in a row! So it was a rough week scraping by and trying to be exactly obedient by not shopping at all other than fast-foods/ restaurants during our lunch/dinner block times. Many would why we just simply go grocery shopping for one of a dinner hours but we both wanted to be exactly obedient since we're both already poor with our proselyting scheduling. At one point we asked Sister Davidson, the branch president's wife to bring a toilet paper roll at institute! She tried to give it discreetly to us during institute which was wrapped with three grocery bags! When she handed it to Sister Vescovi she got confused and than yelled "OH! Thank you for the TP!" I laughed so hard and we honestly both didn't care who knew how we needed toilet paper- it was just funny. That roll only lasted us so long though- another member, Sister Saddler, gave us another roll and handed me a WHOLE box of tissues seeing my pitiful cold sniffles. She is the sweetest!
A positive thing came from being slackers was we went to a near-by Qudoba and met a less-active YSA who works there! He saw my missionary name tag and said how badly he wanted to serve a mission but due to his father medical expanses he couldn't go. I recognized him being one of our mystery YSA people who will come to Sacrament but bolt before we get the chance to catch them. We invited him to stay the whole time, but alas we haven't seen him yet. Time to go back to Qudobas! 😅
Also during that week a tender mercy came into play. Me and Sister Vescovi where looking for less-active YSAs and it was nearing dinner time. We were just planning to buy out again, which we were stressed out about, but I got the prompting we should visit a specific YSA on our list before we ate. We went over and were warmly welcomed by the YSA's parents in and found out that she had just moved to Utah! They were surprised to see us and said how they actually had an appointment with the Hermana's in the area. We were leaving but they asked if we were hungry and we meekly confessed we were. They swiftly prepared a meal and shared their beautiful conversion stories into the church. The Hermanas arrived and we all got a good laugh from them being confused since we lived 40 minutes away from where we were, and didn't understand why we were there. They joined us for dinner and we left very grateful. Don't worry- we are now stocked up, full, and now wiser from all of this!
This week, we had our last district meeting before transfers which left me feeling very nostalgic. Me and Sister Vescovi were the only Sisters in it besides the senior sisters, but it's not uncommon to not have a lot of sisters. I love all the Elder's though, and I'll miss all of them. We found out later that our whole district has now been changed and the only remaining missionaries are me and Sister Vescovi and Elder Fia. Elder Fia is a outgoing goofy Elder from Toga, and this will be his last transfer before he goes home! I'm glad to have him here though. Elder Royce, his companion and our District leader is also amazing, being a great follower and leader, but is getting transferred out. We all went out to a district lunch, it being my first time and it was a lot of fun. Sometime this both during a prepartion day me and Sister Vescovi go to join some Hermanas (including the ones who we crashed into there appointment time earlier that week 😊) went to Red Robins which was an absolute blast. Sister Vescovi by just being herself and making everyone die from laughter made one poor Hermana throw-up in the parking lot as we were leaving from laughing too hard! Don't ask me how that's possible, it just happened.
Saturday night Kylie called us and said how she had hurt her back from working out the other day and was in extreme pain and wanted a Priesthood Blessing. We tried to call some branch members but ended up asking the Elders to come over to give it, Elder Royce and Elder Fia. Elder Fia is a outgoing happy Elder fun Toga, and this will be his last transfer before he goes home! and Elder Royce is our district leader who is also amazing with being a great follower and leader, but is getting transferred out. John was home too and was able to witness the beautiful blessing given. After Kylie and John offered us all Chinese takeout and the Elders left with John to pick it up.We talked to Kylie and said how we prayed about the possibility of them going to the home ward soon and starting to meet with the Elders instead. She agreed to talk to John about it. It's hard giving them away but they will really progress more in the family ward.
I hope all of this has pleased all of you crazy, loving people. I'm going to stop writing every other week with one huge letter and just write more brief weekly ones for my sanity and yours. I do want to leave this thought with you- As I sang "Because I Have Been Given Much", page 219, this Sunday I was touched by the second verse that says:
"Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,
I cannot see another's lack and I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread, My roof's safe shelter overhead,
That he too may be comforted."
I felt the Spirit so strongly bringing me peace and joy. Because of all of you and my wonderful family whom I all love so dearly I have been so deeply blessed. Thank you all so much for your charity and love, and please always continue to share it with others. I'm so grateful for this gospel and have a testimony of it and the joy it brings with it's truthes that shine and brings peace to me and I know can bring peace to everyone and anyone. I have a testimony of The Book of Mormon and how it truly is from our ancestors who now "Speaking Out of The Dust" as it say's in Moroni 10:17. It is this way because they knew too the full truth of the gospel and the reality of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Ghost. The prophets wrote desperately to help all of us, to help you to not just get through this life, but thrive. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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