Week #50

Hey Hey Everybody,

What a week, what a week! It has been so light hearted and full of
laughter and miracles. I can't believe it is almost the end of the
transfer. Time is just flying by! Thank you for all of the Birthday
wishes! 

Paul is one of our investigators that we met on campus a couple of
weeks ago. He is from Pennsylvania and getting his PHD at USF! What
was funny is that Pqul and his friend were long boarding and Sister
Barlow and I waved to them and he stopped and came and talked with us.
We invited him to Institute and he came. A member in the ward sat
right next to him and after class Paul told us he wanted to meet
again. It is always refreshing when someone asks you if they can learn
more! We planned a time to meet the next day before Institute and we
invited him to be baptized and he accepted. He is getting baptized on
September 10th, which is stake Conference so we are going to have to
change it!  He came to Stephon's baptism on Sunday and said he felt
the spirit. Our lesson after church he had a lot of questions about
the Book of Mormon and the priesthood. James, a recent covert, helped
him to understand in order for us to truly know we have to search the
scriptures and ask God for an answer! It was amazing to see things
click for him. He told us he was excited to read the Book of Mormon
and will be at FHE tonight. Cross your fingers he likes it because the
ward is learning how to salsa dance and we won't be there!

Sister Gessel and I were able to go on an exchange this week. I just
love her! I'm not going to lie though, it was so different being back
in a family area for a day. We had a lesson with a referral that they
received from Mormon.org. We knocked on Natasha's door and we saw a
little boy look out the window. He yelled to his mom "there is two
white chicks at the door!" She yelled back and said something to him,
we couldn't understand what. The door then opens and she asked us what
we wanted. Honestly I thought we were going to get yelled at. We
explained we were missionaries for the church and that she requested
a bible. She got a smile and let us in. We sat down at her kitchen
table and were able to have a lesson on the restoration. The spirit
was felt in her home. We planned after Natasha's to visit a less
active in Sister Gessels area. We knocked on the door and she wasn't
home but her non-member Husband was. We were able to talk with him for
a moment. He definitely wasn't interested but he did show us the
cutest puppy! After the two appointments we went out onto campus for a
moment and because it is almost the start of a new semester there are
a million people on campus which calls for fresh meat! We talked with
a group of people from India who have been here in Florida for no
longer than a day. We invited them all to church and guess what?? They
ALL CAME!  They even brought a friend.

We had a total of 7 investigators at church this Sunday and Bishop
Stephenson came up to them each individually and shook their hands. He
is a phenomenal person and really cares about each member of the ward.
He is seriously going to make this ward a family! He was so excited
for Stephon's Baptism. Stephon was taught by the Elders but we have
been able to get to know him really well through FHE & Institute!

We had quite a few funny things that happened this week We were headed
out onto campus one day last week and we got about 2 minutes away from
the church when all of the sudden, in the middle of talking to
someone, I stepped in some duck poo and it got all in my foot. I'm
sure the girl we were talking with could see the disgusted look on my
face when I felt it slime in between my toes. We had to turn around and
head back to the church to wash my foot and shoe off haha. We just
died laughing!

On Saturday it was a bit toasty outside and we were
drained/delusional from the sun. A guy drove by and we waved at him.
The man turned his car around and asked  "Hey do I know you? You waved
at me?" Before I could say anything Sister Barlow says, "YEAH! We are
Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!" I
was thinking do we even know this guy? He's then said, "oh nevermind
you looked like a girl I met a couple weeks ago.." I'm telling ya the
heat makes you loopy!

Last night we were walking on campus and we both heard some drums in
the distance so we headed in that direction. All of the sudden a
bat was circling around us! It started flying right around me and at
first I couldn't tell what it was. When we finally realized what it
was we both started to freak out. I'm sure anyone driving by was just
like, what the?! We were a little bit scared so we turned around and
went a different way. On our way back to the church we looked up
and saw 3 bats flying above us!! Sister Barlow and I were sure we were
going to be bit and get rabies or something. All is well and the bats
kept to them selves!

This week has been spiritually up lifting! I love this quote from
President Thomas S. Monson he reminds us that there are those who need
more than material goods:
​​​​“Let us ask ourselves the questions: ‘Have I done any good in the
world today? Have I helped anyone in need?’  What a formula for
happiness! What a prescription for contentment, for inner peace—to
have inspired gratitude in another human being.
​​​​“Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but
they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind
words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done.
There are souls to be saved” I love it! Life is so much better when it
is focused on those around us! Challenge this week... help someone in
need! Love you all and have a fantastic week!

Love,
Sister Kenzie Graham