This Week 8-8-11

Hi Everyone, 

Had yet another busy week here in the Syracuse East area. It is always good to be busy, without being busy we wouldn't have any progress. Even though we may get exhausted a lot, the work is progressing and that is what is important. So here is how the work is progressing this past week.

Highlights:

Monday August 1: P-day, taught a few lessons at the end of the day which went pretty well. [It is nice to have some people who are willing to at least listen and learn even if they are not sure whether or not the are interested (...yet :P)]. 

Tuesday August 2:  Long day but got a lot done. Did some yard work in the morning for an elderly investigator who can't do it anymore. He is getting baptized next month! We had a lot to do that day and the night before he told us not to worry about teaching him a lesson since he didn't feel well. So we figured that we would just stop by, get the work done and be on our way. However, he changed his mind and we got to fit in a lesson along with service so it was very productive morning. We had another appointment after that with his neighbor who is finally starting to show some genuine progress. Meaning, that he seems to finally be connecting with the message of the missionaries and being more open to conversing with us. For awhile he would just go through the motions with the commitments we gave him to do, but once we started talking about the Family Proclamation to the World, it clicked, and so far is progressing a lot better than he was. Had a couple other appointments that day that went pretty well. 

Wednesday August 3: D.M. this morning, tracted for while, and had 2 really good lessons. Companion exchanges today, we switched around with the sisters covering the Fayetteville area. It poured all day long while we tracted. My backpack got soaked as well as a lot of the things in it including my camera which now won't take pictures, oh well. We had good lessons though and I got to set my first baptismal date with an amazing investigator names E. He is so prepared to hear the gospel, as golden as they come! Learned a lot from companion exchanges, it was kind of refreshing to see how other sisters here work. Basically the same, but with some differences in how to teach and such. It was interesting being the companion that had to know what the plan was and know where everything was, I think I will just stick with being a sponge as a junior companion and trainee for now, haha. 

Thursday August 4: Exchanged back in the morning. One of the senior couples here that runs the addiction recovery program took us out to get frozen custard for watering their plants while they were out of town for a few days previously. Sooo good, I haven't had frozen custard since I left Arizona. After that, it felt like every plan fell through for the entire afternoon. Every person we tried to see either wasn't there or didn't want to talk to us. It wasn't until later in the evening when we had an appointment with a member present. It went okay, except for the fact that we had to reset a baptismal date because the investigator became prideful and stiff-necked. Oh well, apparently he just isn't ready quite yet. He is 81 and was raised Catholic, so its pretty amazing that he even wants to be baptized in the first place, even if it takes a little longer than originally planned. 

Friday August 5:  Something called return and report was today where we got to go back to Utica and see the president and report on how our first month went. Wow I can't believe I have already been out here in New York for a month! It feels like I just arrived still. We had an all day training that ended around four-ish. I love receiving training from my mission president. He really is an amazing mission president. He is very concerned about each of the missionaries and wants to ensure that each of us is a successful missionary. After return and report, we taught a lesson about forgiveness to a fairly recent convert and the spirit was so strong. She is an elderly lady who has had a hard time forgiving a certain person for whatever the reason and we were able to help her understand forgiveness and to give that hurt and burden to God. We OYM'd a bit when we were going to tract, I like OYM'ing (contacting) a lot more than tracting. The people are already out and about, your not invading their personal space and they usually already see you coming, haha. We OYM'd into a 21 year old guy who has a 2 year old daughter, cutest little girl ever with a head full of blonde ringlets. We ended up teaching him Lesson 2 about the plan of salvation right on the spot. We talked to him for awhile, by this time it was around 8:30 in the evening. Overall, it was a pretty good day. 

Saturday August 6:  Did some service again this morning. I got to learn how to pick green beans. There is a part member family here that has the most beautiful garden I have ever seen surrounded by gorgeous green landscape with a view overlooking the city of Syracuse. I am learning so many different skills out here on the mission. Aside from the spiritual growth, I have learned how to trim bushes, sift dirt and prepare a garden, pick green beans, and cook just to name a few. We OYM'd and met our goal of meeting 10 new people. Oh, and around 4 we were supposed to have an appointment with E. and found out he was in the hospital through his neighbor. We drove around for what seemed like forever to find the exact hospital because there are several different ones close to each other and then to find the right place to park. It was a little stressful and we almost didn't go see him but since we did find the hospital and a place to park we decided to go see him. He lit up when he saw us visiting him in the hospital. He is diabetic and his neighbor had found him passed out on the floor right out front of his apartment. His blood sugar was way low and his pressure was very high so they had him taken to the hospital. He is doing much better now and got home yesterday (Sunday). We taught him the plan of salvation and he said it makes a lot of sense. We got to know a little more of his story and it is truly amazing he is still alive. He also told us that the day after he met us for the first time, when he was reading the Book of Mormon he was inspired to stop smoking. He has had the truth of the Book of Mormon confirmed to him, said that he heard a voice telling him it was true. When he told us he had already quit smoking we were surprised because we hadn't mentioned anything about the word of wisdom or quitting smoking to him yet. He is getting baptized on September 3rd. After we saw E., we had another quick visit with some investigators who we hadn't been able to see all week. We reviewed the visual aid we have of lesson 2 with the kids since we taught that to them last time. The kids love it and love learning about the gospel and Jesus. The two boys have a baptism date as well as the mom. We are truly blessed  here in Syracuse, NY. The spirit does most of the work, we are kind of just there then the spirit takes care of the rest.

Sunday August 7:  Fast Sunday; rained a lot, bore my testimony in sacrament meeting which was really cool. We got fed by the part member family we helped pick beans for, it was soo good! The rest of the day was kinda meh, felt like we were tracting forever. Didn't really feel that productive since about every door was slammed in our face but eh its alright I suppose.

Well that's my week, God be with you all. Till next week!

Love,

Sister Gifford