Transfer 7 Week 6 Update 4-30-12

Hello Everyone! 

This week was pretty busy and some amazing things happened this week. On Tuesday, Sister Ho. and I had decided to tract another area within our area. We decided to tract a street called Dunham and when we put it into the GPS it took us to a wrong street, but Sister Ho. found the street we originally had wanted to tract on the GPS and it wasn't too far from where we were. At first, I was like well do we just want to tract the street we are on or go to the one we planned on... (she says that she didn't want to tract in that particular moment in time, but I think it was the spirit guiding us).. Sister Ho. said to just go to the street we originally planned on. So we did, we went about a block or so over and we were at Dunham. The first door we knocked on, was a young woman probably in her mid 20's and as we were talking to her about Christ and how his gospel has been restored she invited us in! We taught and testified to her of the message of the restoration and got a return appointment (We went back on Friday and she wasn't there but we will keep trying her). 

Thursday, we saw a less active that we just started seeing again.. he used to not want anything to do with the church and now he lets us come by. We read some inspiring conference talks from the October General Conference about trials, looking up and waiting upon the Lord and we asked him how he felt about what we read him and he said "I believe, I believe the words" it was such a sweet and pure testimony. 

Friday, started out not so great.. almost all our appointments fell through (including the return apt with C., the investigator we picked up on Tuesday). However, it turned around that evening. We had a dinner appointment with a fairly recently converted family. They were baptized 4 years ago and have been on and off coming to church and activity, they also live an hour away from the church. Sister Ho. and I had planned on teaching them the restoration originally but when we got there and got to know them better the spirit lead me to share my gospel of Jesus Christ visual and talk about that instead. It turned out to be just what they needed at the time. The spirit was so strong, everyone could feel it and it was an amazing experience for everyone. 

Saturday, we had a lesson with a guy that has been recently reactivated, and he had gone to the temple that day for the first time in 17 years! He went through for his grandparents and he said it was an amazing experience. His name is S., and he came back into the church because of battles with cancer several months ago. He is doing amazing now though, he has become a wonderful missionary. He keeps asking for Book of Mormons to hand out and plan of salvation pamphlets and we might be teaching his nephew along with him on Friday of this week. He brought his nephew to church yesterday and he wants to come to the lessons with S., so hopefully he comes. This week has been amazing and spiritually filling. There are a couple scriptures that I would like to share that stuck out to me in my personal study this morning. I was studying about patience this morning to give you a context of the sequence of references.

Romans 5:3-5 

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Alma 17: 10-11
10 ...the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.
11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the [Benningtonites], thy bretheren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.

Alma 26: 27 Now when our hearts were depressed.... behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the [Benningtonites], and bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto you success.

 I know that although the last several weeks have been rough but I know that what these scriptures say are true. I know that it is through trials and tribulations that patience and faith are developed and strengthened. I know that after trials and afflictions come blessings, and like President Gordon B. Hinckley once said;

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is.
It all works out. Don't worry.
I say that to myself every morning.
It will all work out.
Put your trust in God,
and move forward with faith
and confidence in the future.
The Lord will not forsake us.
He will not forsake us.
If we will put our trust in Him,
If we will pray to Him,
If we will live worthy of His blessings,
He will hear our prayers."

I know that what he says is true, that if we will put our trust in Heavenly Father, that He will never ever forsake us and we will be blessed if we but put our trust in Him and endure our trials patiently and humbly.

-Sister Stephanie Ann Gifford