Week #19

How in the world is everyone!

This week has been a bit chilly. This morning we went to get in our car and we could see our breath. Gave me a little piece of home! Oh I hope all is going well. Sister Bowen and I have had such a great week. There is so much to say but just not enough time. We finally moved into our new apartment. It is clean and bug free. We actually get to eat off our dishes now. Such a blessing!!!

For some reason a lot of our lessons and appointments fell through this week but God always has a plan for each of his children. We were suppose to have dinner with Rose at the Bleakley's home on Thursday evening. Rose had to cancel last minute and we aren't allowed to each at members homes unless we bring an investigator.  Sister Bleakly called us and wasn't too happy. We felt so bad! We were prompted to visit a few less actives and new members in the ward because it was freezing and pouring rain. We knocked on Sister Flecks door. She moved into our ward about a month ago. She welcomed us in and we shared the Because of Him video. We each bore our testimony on the atonement and how being a member of the church had blessed our life. The spirit was so strong. We ended with a prayer and Sister Fleck asked us why we chose to visit her that night. We told her our plans had fallen through and the Lord need us to visit her. She had tears in her eyes and said "thank you, thank you for following the spirit and visiting me tonight, I really needed it!" Man this was such a testimony builder that when we are worthy of the spirit the Lord will make sure we are in the right place at the right time. The Lord knows us each perfectly and will always provide us with happiness and joy. I know life can get really busy and the things of the world can get really distracting at times. But never ignore a prompting from the Spirit. All good things come from God!! If you are prompted to visit or call someone DO IT! I can promise you that you will always see a miracle come from it!!

Sister Bowen and I did a lot of finding this week. We were tracting Friday evening and had been knocking for a while with not too much luck. It was really windy and pretty cold, but we had set goals early that week and we really want to achieve them. The streets here get pretty dark so when the sun goes down is when we visit members and less actives. Both of us really wanted to be done for the night but we finished knocking the street and the very last door an elderly man named bill answers. At first he thought we were Jehovah's witnesses. We went on to explain that we were missionaries and that we were Mormon. For some reason when you say Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints they always respond with "you don't even believe in Jesus Christ!" Sister Bowen and I always chuckle because his name is right on our name tags. Anyways Bill told us that he always loved Mormons and was always fascinated by how happy they were. His wife left him about 10 months ago after they found out that Bill had cancer. She didn't want to deal with it so she took the easy way out. Bill is pretty lonely. He kept cracking jokes asking if he became a Mormon if he could marry Marie Osmond! He then later asked if we still practiced plural marriage. We quickly corrected that one😂 we talked to him about baptism and we extended an invitation and he accepted. Bill is getting baptized on February 18th! We are so excited to teach him. A lesson I've definitely learned is that diligence brings blessings!

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and Rose got up and bore her testimony. It was incredible. She already knows so much about the gospel. She bore her testimony on the power of the spirit and how she has felt it in her life after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. I was trying to keep it together but she definitely made me cry. She bought a children's book on all the ites in the Book of Mormon.

Nephites, jaradites, lamanites etc. oh how I love her!!

I want you all to know that this church is true. I am forever grateful that I get to be a full time missionary. This work is spectacular. The best part is, is that each one of us as Latter Day Saints have the opportunity to share the gospel with those around us. I think I've realized how selfish it is to keep all these blessings to myself. I challenge you all to invite someone to church this week. Love them, build a friendship and relationship with them and I promise you that you will help them come to know truth! I love you all and hope that you all have thee greatest week ever. Until next week!

Love,

Sister Kenzie Graham

P.S. Sister Bowen is my favorite!! We roasted peeps in the oven!! It was great