We had 3 investigators at church!!!!!!!!  Melanie came with Sherrei as well as DJ.  And Butch came with his shined cowboy boots and all with Brother Self.  We were on cloud 9.  So wonderful to see them all there.  "How do you feel Butch?" "I feel pretty good, it's peaceful in here"  Yes!  DJ is moving to Joplin, Missouri to move in with his dad there.  We're so sad to see him go!  We have to send him with his teaching record to the missionaries there so they can get him in the font. haha He is so ready to be baptized, but he just has to completely live the word of wisdom.  He said he smoked his last pack and he's done! So the soonest he could be baptized is next Saturday.  

Mom the cookies turned out great!  Sister Hartung was so excited and asked, "can we have one right now?" Yes! haha so yummy :0)  That's good to hear that the missionaries there are having some success.  Good thing you knew the little boy! perfect opportunity :) Glad the package finally got there.  Hope everything wasn't too melted or squished.  It was super late, but full of lots of love :D An Area Seventy was at your General Conference, that's so cool!!! I'm always so in awe by how they know and understand so much.  Your topic is showing love and acceptance for everyone? Hmmmm....  I don't know that I could tell you anything you don't already know or haven't already thought of.  Pray for charity (unconditional love).  If you love them like the Savior loves us, you won't be able to help but share the gospel with them.  Be willing to share what you know, but also to listen to what they believe as well and willing to attend their church if you invite them to attend ours.  If they don't want it or can't go, no big deal, just say, "ok sounds good" and move on. Since the gospel is a part of you, the more you bring it up, the more normal it will be to come into the conversation.  Be natural, be yourself because that's who they love is you!  Inviting friends to come listen to you is a PERFECT opportunity :)  Just prep them of what to expect beforehand so they're not caught off guard because we're more different than we think we are. Like the sacrament, sustainings, members speaking, etc.  it's good stuff :) haha That testimony you've gained is a result of faith!!! You have such great faith it's leading you to do something about it, so awesome!!!!  Faith is something that so many people don't understand.  Belief won't last, faith that is exercised and strengthened everyday absolutely will :) Did the bus driver you gave the Book of Mormon to ever say anything about it?

Dad, it sounds like a rough start to the week, but yeah, Mom IS the greatest. You can't help but be happy around people you love :)  I understand the feeling of seeing them suffering and KNOWING the gospel would help them and not being able to.  It breaks your heart!!!  Oh what they could have if only they knew what it was. Glad you were in heaven hearing about missionary work! It's tough sometimes but ABSOLUTELY AND TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!  sometimes I think people get stuck because it's so easy.  Just read this book and pray to know if it's true ok?  Sometimes I wish I could let them borrow my testimony and conversion for a day to see what it feels like, but that just doesn't work. It'll mean so much more if they gain it on their own anyway.  

This week we talked to quite a few people :)  A young man named Jonah who we talked to a couple weeks ago, we went back to his house to follow-up and got to meet his mother Jennifer.  She was so sweet and if she wasn't so busy I'm sure she could be baptized in 2 weeks.  She is right there.  She took a Book of Mormon and we got the opportunity to answer several of her questions.  Good thing Jonah had told her about us before we showed up :) So much potential!!!  Business really gets in the way of the Spirit sometimes.  We must take time to be still.  

I honestly love feeling the spirit testify through me, but we have to be clean for Him to do so.  We got to go on exchanges so I went with Sisters Macovichuk (sister training leader) and Mitchell (new missionary) for a day and learn from them.  There is so much more to learn!  We also got to teach a lady named Jaimie this week.  She's been through a lot of physical trials in her life, but is totally open to listening as is her daughter Savanna.  When we find people like them that are so wonderful, you know that even if they don't accept it now, they WILL in the future.  

Saturday we went with Sister Dunn ( a sweet sweet less-active lady who lives with her husband up in Denison) to a baptism for 2 people, one of whom was an older man who was blind and lame.  What incredible faith!  it was a special experience to see two missionaries carry him to the font and the third stand behind and say the prayer.  What a wonderful thing :)  We were so excited for it to be fast Sundaybecause there are so many reasons we have to fast!  and the people we're teaching who are preparing to be baptized are just a few of them.  We have such wonderful members in the ward.  3 families offered to feed us Sunday evening.  We weren't sure that we could eat that much, so we just went to Sister Jacals :)  

I can honestly say with all my heart that I LOVE this work because it is the work of the Lord.  Being a parent, a good visiting teacher, home teacher, friend, daughter, aunt, etc. it's all part of His work.  What a great opportunity we have in this life to lift the hand that hangs down! Mosiah 4:21 "An now, if God who has created, you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth great unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another."  that is Physical and Spiritual substance :)  

Universal question, where are you people at in the scriptures? what are you learning? Where in Preach My Gospel are you?  What have you been able to apply?

I love love love all of you!!!

so this is sister Hartung enjoying one of your cookies with some peanut butter and hershey's chocolate and milk...Mmm! haha and yes, we decided to be twins one day.  Nailed it! :)