Dear Family,
Oh how Indiana brings joy to my little heart. The people here are just....oh they are gems!!!! We have had some great tracting experiences and even when we have been contacting people on the canal we have been getting into some great discussions and I feel as if we are fulfilling our purpose if they aren't going to really act on what we have taught them. I have to say that I have never sweated like this before, oh my gosh it has been a killer week, I go through 50000 gallons of water a day and I think I'm just sweating it all out, okay that was a gross visual but you ge the idea. I'm just like we look disgusting who is going to want to talk to us right now:))) It's got a perk though because people invite us into their houses to give a cold drink, so hey it works!!
We had a member come with us to a lesson this past week and it was incredible. She is a member of the Indy 3rd ward and she is a returned missionary and oh she is just a ball of sunshine. She is absolutely hillarious and we had the best time together and she just has a solid testimony that she shared with the people that we were teaching and I loved it. She was definitely an answer to my prayers because it was great to hear her share her experience of her mission and the love that she continues to have for it. She shared an experience with the people that we were teaching and said that she had met a Native American and they were talking about the Book of Mormon and he said that it was familiar to him and that he had grown up hearing those stories. It was amazing to hear that and to know that the people in the Book of Mormon were real and the Native Americans truly are their descendants. I'm so excited because I'm going on exchanges tonight with Sister Elmer and it's going to fun!!! She is coming to my area and I love exchanges because miracles happen and so much is learned. I'm going to miss Sister Lambson though but we will be reunited at the sisters training, or as the elders call it our slumber party! Oh those elders!!!
The branch members have been continuing to be so incredible to us and also those investigators that we have been working with. We had three investigators at church yesterday and they were fellowshipped and it was just amazing to see that outreach. Alvin Smith has been doing really well this week and I know that his heart is in it now. We had set a baptismal date with him for July 30 and we were moving forward with that but we had a lesson with him on Saturday and that was the best lesson we have had. We have decided to move that date into August and he feels that is what he needs to do and we feel the same. We have prepared him for that and we are doing all that we need to and I know that he will be ready to be baptized in August. There was something different in his countenance on Saturday and when he came to church yesterday. The spirit is testifying to him and it's a joy to see. Kellie came to church yesterday and I was so happy to see her. We were worried that she was slipping through our fingers but she is still holding on and we have a lesson with her this week. Also we had Gwen Weaver come to church and she is an interesting girl that is for sure. I was very proud of her for asking questions during the lessons at church and she still has A LOT more questions and she kind of throws them all at us at once but she is going to be fun to teach.
Love,
Sister Lamb
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Hello my beautiful family and friends,
It's been a pretty exciting week with Sister Lambson and I, we are staying quite busy and I know that is because our planning is getting better. We have focusing a lot on the companionship and personal goals that we have set and we have been able to be a strength to one another. Sister Lambson has been a great support to me and I appreciate that each and every day. We have been really working hard to receive referrals, we have been asking everyone that we come in contact with. We haven't received very many, but we know that we are putting forth our best effort and we can be accountable to the Lord for that. Sister Lambson and I were personal contacting on the canal the other day and talked to this girl and invited her to come to church, and on Sunday she came with nine muslim girls. It was so great to see them all walk in, we had a short lesson with them afterwards and are going to meet with them this week before they go back to Turkey. Sister Lambson and I couldn't stop smiling, they were so adorable and had great questions about the Godhead and I felt that we were able to answer them with the Spirit.
We were able to set a baptismal date for Alvin Smith for July 30. I know that it is soon and Sister Lambson and I have felt inspired that he can be ready by that date. I'm still a bit nervous that he may not make it, and I know that we can prepare him for baptism and he will be ready, even if it's not on July 30. We had a lesson with him on Sunday and I feel better about him keeping those committments that we give him. We emphasized that if he is keeping his committments now, he will be able to keep the covenants he will make with the Lord. I still feel like he is holding something back, but we were pretty bold with him on Sunday and I feel as if he is being honest with us. We are very excited to prepare him for this and he truly is a great person, he is a very chill and low key kind of guy so it's hard to tell if he is super excited about it, but I think it's his personality and through his actions we can tell. At our district meeting on Friday, Elder McAllister asked me to help him train on asking inspired questions and that really helped me to prepare for that during the week, because I know that will help us especially with Alvin. I was a bit nervous when Elder McAllister asked me to do part of the training at our district meeting, yeah I don't know what he was thinking, but it went well:) It was our zone leader, Elder Ketch, it was his birthday on Friday and during our break earlier last week, Sister Lambson and I made up a birthday song for him to the tune of 'Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked.' Oh my goodness it was hilarious when we sang to him on Friday. We were very proud of ourselves:)
I can't believe Hayli Dickey is home now and that Shanae Wilkinson gets back so soon!!!!! I hit my 7 month mark last week...ugh!!! As much as the heat and humidity is killing me, I love it here. Sister Lambson and I are having so much fun and we are so excited for next week, because Sister Collins has put together a sisters training, so all the sisters in the mission are going to mission home monday night and sleeping over and then the next day we are going to have oodles of fun and have trainings from President and Sister Collins! We all got a little giggly in district meeting when they announced that, I think the elders are jealous:) One thing that I have learned out here is how big of a clutz I am, on Friday at district meeting, Sister Lambson and I got up to talk about our stewardships and she started walking and then my shoe got caught in her bag and then I thought I had balance and then it was just downhill from there (literally) and I skidded across the floor on my knees and almost hit my head on the table but I caught myself, but the damage was already done:) Then Sister Lambson was helping me up and I hit her in the head, yeah we were just missing the third stooge! No one stopped laughing for like 15 minutes, including me! :))))) It was pretty funny!
It has been a good week for me personally and spiritually. I was able to finish the Book of Mormon for the second time since I have been out, and I took that promise from Moroni and it wasn't an immediate answer but the Lord has given me those feelings throughout this week of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for that because I have been able to share that with one of our investigators, Lynn, who is struggling to recognize answers to her prayers. I have been wondering a lot lately what I would be like if I was being taught the gospel for the first time, and I feel as if I'm able to relate a lot to Lynn and worrying if I haven't received an answer. (That didn't really make sense) but being able to share my testimony with her has helped strengthen mine. The Lord knew that I really needed that and that is how I know that He does live and loves me. As I started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning again, a scripture hit me hard, 1 Nephi 3: 21, I feel as if I can be like that a lot of times, I see what the Lord needs me to do and I don't know how in the world I'm supposed to do it. Then another scripture came to me in 2 Kings 6:14-17 and I just need to open my eyes and see that the Lord has made it possible. When I read that, it made my little heart pitter patter.
Love,
Sister Lamb
It's been a pretty exciting week with Sister Lambson and I, we are staying quite busy and I know that is because our planning is getting better. We have focusing a lot on the companionship and personal goals that we have set and we have been able to be a strength to one another. Sister Lambson has been a great support to me and I appreciate that each and every day. We have been really working hard to receive referrals, we have been asking everyone that we come in contact with. We haven't received very many, but we know that we are putting forth our best effort and we can be accountable to the Lord for that. Sister Lambson and I were personal contacting on the canal the other day and talked to this girl and invited her to come to church, and on Sunday she came with nine muslim girls. It was so great to see them all walk in, we had a short lesson with them afterwards and are going to meet with them this week before they go back to Turkey. Sister Lambson and I couldn't stop smiling, they were so adorable and had great questions about the Godhead and I felt that we were able to answer them with the Spirit.
We were able to set a baptismal date for Alvin Smith for July 30. I know that it is soon and Sister Lambson and I have felt inspired that he can be ready by that date. I'm still a bit nervous that he may not make it, and I know that we can prepare him for baptism and he will be ready, even if it's not on July 30. We had a lesson with him on Sunday and I feel better about him keeping those committments that we give him. We emphasized that if he is keeping his committments now, he will be able to keep the covenants he will make with the Lord. I still feel like he is holding something back, but we were pretty bold with him on Sunday and I feel as if he is being honest with us. We are very excited to prepare him for this and he truly is a great person, he is a very chill and low key kind of guy so it's hard to tell if he is super excited about it, but I think it's his personality and through his actions we can tell. At our district meeting on Friday, Elder McAllister asked me to help him train on asking inspired questions and that really helped me to prepare for that during the week, because I know that will help us especially with Alvin. I was a bit nervous when Elder McAllister asked me to do part of the training at our district meeting, yeah I don't know what he was thinking, but it went well:) It was our zone leader, Elder Ketch, it was his birthday on Friday and during our break earlier last week, Sister Lambson and I made up a birthday song for him to the tune of 'Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked.' Oh my goodness it was hilarious when we sang to him on Friday. We were very proud of ourselves:)
I can't believe Hayli Dickey is home now and that Shanae Wilkinson gets back so soon!!!!! I hit my 7 month mark last week...ugh!!! As much as the heat and humidity is killing me, I love it here. Sister Lambson and I are having so much fun and we are so excited for next week, because Sister Collins has put together a sisters training, so all the sisters in the mission are going to mission home monday night and sleeping over and then the next day we are going to have oodles of fun and have trainings from President and Sister Collins! We all got a little giggly in district meeting when they announced that, I think the elders are jealous:) One thing that I have learned out here is how big of a clutz I am, on Friday at district meeting, Sister Lambson and I got up to talk about our stewardships and she started walking and then my shoe got caught in her bag and then I thought I had balance and then it was just downhill from there (literally) and I skidded across the floor on my knees and almost hit my head on the table but I caught myself, but the damage was already done:) Then Sister Lambson was helping me up and I hit her in the head, yeah we were just missing the third stooge! No one stopped laughing for like 15 minutes, including me! :))))) It was pretty funny!
It has been a good week for me personally and spiritually. I was able to finish the Book of Mormon for the second time since I have been out, and I took that promise from Moroni and it wasn't an immediate answer but the Lord has given me those feelings throughout this week of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for that because I have been able to share that with one of our investigators, Lynn, who is struggling to recognize answers to her prayers. I have been wondering a lot lately what I would be like if I was being taught the gospel for the first time, and I feel as if I'm able to relate a lot to Lynn and worrying if I haven't received an answer. (That didn't really make sense) but being able to share my testimony with her has helped strengthen mine. The Lord knew that I really needed that and that is how I know that He does live and loves me. As I started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning again, a scripture hit me hard, 1 Nephi 3: 21, I feel as if I can be like that a lot of times, I see what the Lord needs me to do and I don't know how in the world I'm supposed to do it. Then another scripture came to me in 2 Kings 6:14-17 and I just need to open my eyes and see that the Lord has made it possible. When I read that, it made my little heart pitter patter.
Love,
Sister Lamb
Monday, July 11, 2011
Dearest Family,
Why I Believe was wonderful as usual and I was so happy that those that were there got to hear Luke Rhoads. He was so nervous and we helped him write down what he wanted to say the night before and then when he started speaking yesterday he was completely guided by the spirit because we didn't talk about a lot of that stuff so it was so amazing to hear that. I know that really helped him and he was so excited to speak all week. I just love him very much. I was so happy because I got to see Sister Little, I just love her and we are still hoping we get to serve together soon. Kellie was supposed to speak but of course Satan is working very hard on her right now. She told us on Saturday that she wasn't coming to church or Why I Believe, because her decision is causing a lot of contention in her family. She was doing really well and I love teaching her because her desire to learn more is so inspiring. We showed her the Restoration DVD and she was very moved by it and intrigued and was so willing to pray to know if Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. I feel like she is still progressing, I mean she is still keeping her commitments of reading and her prayers are improving, we can tell that her relationship with her Heavenly Father is improving and when she prays in our lessons she always mentions that she knows this is where she needs to be, oh it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about her. I'm not going to let Satan get her. We are going to set a baptismal date with her when we meet with her next and I am just praying for the Spirit to guide us in that and what date she can be ready for.
We had an investigator come to Why I Believe last night, Alvin, and he is starting to come out of his shell. He is so quite and it's hard to get a lot out of him when we ask him questions. We ask very open ended questions but he seems to still find a way to answer yes or no. We had a lesson with him on Friday and it went so well and he opened up to us just a little bit more. That morning we had our district meeting and Elder McAllister did an amazing job at training on the How to Begin Teaching points and making sure that we are using the last point of commiting them to be baptized. As we met with Alvin later that day, all those things that we had learned earlier came to me and I felt the spirit just helping me to not hold back and testify of our purpose. We committed him to be baptized on July 30 and he wants to think about it but he told us that it is something he wants to do. We also had a great lesson with the Eagle Creek elders with a girl that they tracted into in their area, Sarah. She is so awesome and as we were meeting with her, names of members of the branch came that would be great fellowshippers. The lesson went really well and she is understanding what it means that she is a child of God, I love seeing people when they understand that. It makes me so happy. She seems excited to come to the YSA branch and especially this coming Sunday, I hope she can come, because it is a regional YSA activity this weekend and on Sunday they are having a testimony meeting and then the institute directors are teaching, it's going to be great.
I'm a little stressed with an investigator that we are working with, Lynn. She is just the cutest little thing and her desire to really understand is refreshing to see. She is still struggling to recognize answers to her prayers. She is doing the things that we ask her to do, coming to church is a issue, but her other committments she is regularly keeping. I think she is expecting some big and amazing thing to happen to tell her that it is true, but when we meet with her the things she is telling us is proof that she is receiving answers but she doesn't understand. We talked to her about faith and had a great lesson on that and we were able to lead that into baptism and the importance of that. She is definitely not sure about baptism but is willing to ponder it and the other things we teach her. She is a gem and she is progressing and has a testimony, we just have to get her to see that.
Oh the weather is just continuing to get better and better...NOT! Gaaaah, today the humidity is ridiculous and yeah good thing it's our preparation day and we will be inside for most of the day. We are going to play Corn Hole today with the elders, which apparently is huge out here in Indiana. Should be good times, because we are just a bunch of goofs!!! Sister Lambson and I just doing fantastic and we are busyyyyyyy this week, well that's not really new, but yeah it's a full week already, I know that is happening because of our planning is getting way better and we are seeing the fruits of effective planning. President told me that the planning techniques that I'm gaining will benefit me for life, I'm starting to understand that more. The members are great though because they are taking us to a lot of our appointments this week and that's been great to build that trust with the branch.
Love,
Sister Lamb
Why I Believe was wonderful as usual and I was so happy that those that were there got to hear Luke Rhoads. He was so nervous and we helped him write down what he wanted to say the night before and then when he started speaking yesterday he was completely guided by the spirit because we didn't talk about a lot of that stuff so it was so amazing to hear that. I know that really helped him and he was so excited to speak all week. I just love him very much. I was so happy because I got to see Sister Little, I just love her and we are still hoping we get to serve together soon. Kellie was supposed to speak but of course Satan is working very hard on her right now. She told us on Saturday that she wasn't coming to church or Why I Believe, because her decision is causing a lot of contention in her family. She was doing really well and I love teaching her because her desire to learn more is so inspiring. We showed her the Restoration DVD and she was very moved by it and intrigued and was so willing to pray to know if Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. I feel like she is still progressing, I mean she is still keeping her commitments of reading and her prayers are improving, we can tell that her relationship with her Heavenly Father is improving and when she prays in our lessons she always mentions that she knows this is where she needs to be, oh it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about her. I'm not going to let Satan get her. We are going to set a baptismal date with her when we meet with her next and I am just praying for the Spirit to guide us in that and what date she can be ready for.
We had an investigator come to Why I Believe last night, Alvin, and he is starting to come out of his shell. He is so quite and it's hard to get a lot out of him when we ask him questions. We ask very open ended questions but he seems to still find a way to answer yes or no. We had a lesson with him on Friday and it went so well and he opened up to us just a little bit more. That morning we had our district meeting and Elder McAllister did an amazing job at training on the How to Begin Teaching points and making sure that we are using the last point of commiting them to be baptized. As we met with Alvin later that day, all those things that we had learned earlier came to me and I felt the spirit just helping me to not hold back and testify of our purpose. We committed him to be baptized on July 30 and he wants to think about it but he told us that it is something he wants to do. We also had a great lesson with the Eagle Creek elders with a girl that they tracted into in their area, Sarah. She is so awesome and as we were meeting with her, names of members of the branch came that would be great fellowshippers. The lesson went really well and she is understanding what it means that she is a child of God, I love seeing people when they understand that. It makes me so happy. She seems excited to come to the YSA branch and especially this coming Sunday, I hope she can come, because it is a regional YSA activity this weekend and on Sunday they are having a testimony meeting and then the institute directors are teaching, it's going to be great.
I'm a little stressed with an investigator that we are working with, Lynn. She is just the cutest little thing and her desire to really understand is refreshing to see. She is still struggling to recognize answers to her prayers. She is doing the things that we ask her to do, coming to church is a issue, but her other committments she is regularly keeping. I think she is expecting some big and amazing thing to happen to tell her that it is true, but when we meet with her the things she is telling us is proof that she is receiving answers but she doesn't understand. We talked to her about faith and had a great lesson on that and we were able to lead that into baptism and the importance of that. She is definitely not sure about baptism but is willing to ponder it and the other things we teach her. She is a gem and she is progressing and has a testimony, we just have to get her to see that.
Oh the weather is just continuing to get better and better...NOT! Gaaaah, today the humidity is ridiculous and yeah good thing it's our preparation day and we will be inside for most of the day. We are going to play Corn Hole today with the elders, which apparently is huge out here in Indiana. Should be good times, because we are just a bunch of goofs!!! Sister Lambson and I just doing fantastic and we are busyyyyyyy this week, well that's not really new, but yeah it's a full week already, I know that is happening because of our planning is getting way better and we are seeing the fruits of effective planning. President told me that the planning techniques that I'm gaining will benefit me for life, I'm starting to understand that more. The members are great though because they are taking us to a lot of our appointments this week and that's been great to build that trust with the branch.
Love,
Sister Lamb
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Hello!!!
So first things first, I thought that both my zone leaders were getting transferred but yeah it was just one of them. Thank heavens!! My new district leader is Elder McAllister and my zone leaders are Elder Ketch ( who was my zone leader last transfer) and Elder Nash. They are so fun and we had a great time yesterday for P-day, Elder Ketch and I got a little too intense for playing ping pong.
We have a super busy week this week and I'm so excited for it. We have some lessons with some new investigators that I'm stoked about. Kellie, who is just a sweetheart, she has been coming to church and really progressing well, we committed her to baptism and she told us that she knows this is where she needs to be. It's been fun teaching her and she is going to be speaking at Why I Believe this sunday as well as one of our recent converts, Luke. We have some other lessons with some students that go to IUPUI and so the work is progressing and I love it. I was so happy because I have been wanting to teach Lehi's Dream to one of our less actives and we finally were able to meet with her, and I taught and she had some dang good insight to it. I don't know why but I just knew she needed to hear and apply this story to her life and I was thankful that we had the opportunity too.
Sister Lambson and I are still just having a blast in a half. We have been working on doing a lot of service for the members in the branch and we had a fun opportunity during our dinner break to go and decorate one of our recent converts door to his house. He was taking his big exam to get into dental school and he has been stressed about it, well since I first met him, and so we wanted to wish him luck with notes of encouragement, so that was fun to do. He said he did alright on his test so we will find out soon which school he will get accepted too. I just adore these members and they are great to take to lessons. We had break the fast this past sunday and we were able to talk to a lot of the members and have them come with us to some lessons this week. I had a great fast on sunday and I am starting a fasting journal to record impressions and things like that througout the day. I got the idea from an Ensign talk so I'm not that innovative:)
I have to say I saw fireflies the other night when we came home and Sister Lambson and I were sooooooo excited! So we ran around in the backyard and caught some. Yep we were those girls. They are so cool though!!! We are surviving the heat and the humidity, it's been brutal walking around in it all day and everyone keeps telling us it's only going to get worse, I'm like really why would you say that:) We are having a lot of fun together and it's just so good to be able to ourselves and be silly but we are able to invite the spirit in our companionship as well as our lessons and I love it and I love her!!!!!!
Love,
Sister Lamb
So first things first, I thought that both my zone leaders were getting transferred but yeah it was just one of them. Thank heavens!! My new district leader is Elder McAllister and my zone leaders are Elder Ketch ( who was my zone leader last transfer) and Elder Nash. They are so fun and we had a great time yesterday for P-day, Elder Ketch and I got a little too intense for playing ping pong.
We have a super busy week this week and I'm so excited for it. We have some lessons with some new investigators that I'm stoked about. Kellie, who is just a sweetheart, she has been coming to church and really progressing well, we committed her to baptism and she told us that she knows this is where she needs to be. It's been fun teaching her and she is going to be speaking at Why I Believe this sunday as well as one of our recent converts, Luke. We have some other lessons with some students that go to IUPUI and so the work is progressing and I love it. I was so happy because I have been wanting to teach Lehi's Dream to one of our less actives and we finally were able to meet with her, and I taught and she had some dang good insight to it. I don't know why but I just knew she needed to hear and apply this story to her life and I was thankful that we had the opportunity too.
Sister Lambson and I are still just having a blast in a half. We have been working on doing a lot of service for the members in the branch and we had a fun opportunity during our dinner break to go and decorate one of our recent converts door to his house. He was taking his big exam to get into dental school and he has been stressed about it, well since I first met him, and so we wanted to wish him luck with notes of encouragement, so that was fun to do. He said he did alright on his test so we will find out soon which school he will get accepted too. I just adore these members and they are great to take to lessons. We had break the fast this past sunday and we were able to talk to a lot of the members and have them come with us to some lessons this week. I had a great fast on sunday and I am starting a fasting journal to record impressions and things like that througout the day. I got the idea from an Ensign talk so I'm not that innovative:)
I have to say I saw fireflies the other night when we came home and Sister Lambson and I were sooooooo excited! So we ran around in the backyard and caught some. Yep we were those girls. They are so cool though!!! We are surviving the heat and the humidity, it's been brutal walking around in it all day and everyone keeps telling us it's only going to get worse, I'm like really why would you say that:) We are having a lot of fun together and it's just so good to be able to ourselves and be silly but we are able to invite the spirit in our companionship as well as our lessons and I love it and I love her!!!!!!
Love,
Sister Lamb
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