This week we have worked so hard. We have SEVENTEEN investigators... thats a 1 and a 7. Not all are progressing as fast as the others, but they are all coming along. We teach a lot, all day everyday. We are going to need some serious member help in the coming weeks. We plan to involve the relief society this sunday. We are going to set up splits once a week [that means we'll pick a time like 1-3 on Wed and have 2 sisters meet us at the church and we'll split up and go out with them]. We'll get twice as much accpmplished and our investigators will meet members... i love killing 2 birds with 1 stone! We have been trying to do this for a while now, but things have finally evened out and we are ready to set that up! It's long overdue. We need to have daily contact with all of our investigators. That is near impossible with 17 investigators... that's why we need the members. [i know i know, it didn't just happen overnight that we have 17 people in our teaching pool, but it wasn't until we did transfer planning the other day that we realized really how many there are] We are focusing the most on our most progressing, but all the investigators need our TLC ... they are all important to us.
[lunes]
pDAY. It was a good preparation day too. We played soccer in the morning. Then we went to Sister Birch's home. I LOVE sister Birch. She is in the Kenosha ward and she loves missionaries. She is so good to us. Her son Kyle is serving in Jacksonville, Florida right now. She will do anything for us, I really appreciate her willingness help us in any way she can. She made us cinnamon rolls and everyone played risk. Minus me [and elder smith who took a nap] ... I am just NOT THAT INTO IT... i played a lot in Green Bay at the Ribbens home, but that was different. So I wrote a lot of letters that were long overdue. I am ALMOST caught up. FINALLY! We were at her house forever, [she always has Jack Johnson playing in the background. my favorite.] then we emailed and went to target. We had a taco dinner, [my request, but dad... nobody makes them like you- yours are still the BEST!] taught her mom Deborah and then went home. It was a really good day.
[martes]
We had district meeting. Elder Petrie is such a great district leader, I always learn so much from him. He committed us to practice our Interactive Committment Based Teaching style and to role play that in companionship study & to make sure we were having effective companionship and personal studies. Those were good refreshers for us. After district meeting we went to eat at El Caporal. . . it's a good place, good mexican food. We taught Vicki at 3:30. Vicki is one of our spanish investigators. She sees a lot of dreams and tries to interpret them... we don't.It makes it really hard because so much of her decision making weighs on her dreams... I think she just eats too many spicy things right before she goes to bed. . . I know that dreams are a way the spirit can teach us. . . But God is a God of Clarity, Light and Knowledge. He does not work through confusion and doubt- that comes from Satan. We teach her about the spirit: how to recognize it... how to follow it and the teachings of the prophets in the scriptures concerning how to receive revelation from God.
We then stopped by the Nevarros home... they're also spanish investigators. They have been taught for about a year. The elders, Elder Trauntvein and Elder Smith... are AmAzing. They have so much faith. I just learned the other day that they wake up at 5:30 or 6 [at the latest] every day to study. No wonder they're so faithful. To get up early is a BIG deal, 6:30 is early enough for me. ANYWAYS, they just started teaching the Nevarros again, and by the end of the lesson the Nevarros were willing to stop meeting with missionaries from the Jehova Witness church. They recognized the spirit they felt and wanted to change. That was a week ago. Their lesson with them on Tuesday was also AMAZING. THey set baptismal dates with two of them... Bro Nevarro and one daughter Veronica. The mom was not home and Ericka wasn't ready to commit [elder smith said she told him she wants to read more of the BOM. He grew up with sisters and said, "I think actually she's just an insecure teenage girl, but instead of saying 'I'm an insecure teenage girl', she said, 'I need to read more of the BOM'" It was hysterical, i still laugh at that comment. THe thing is... he was probably DEAD ON!
Our lesson was short and spirit filled. We sang joseph smiths first prayer as well. It was wonderful, we set a return appointment and left.
[miercoles]
we taught english in kenosha with the elders...
many of our appts cancelled...
we had the BOMB.COM lesson with amy. [yes i just said that brittany, i am around 19 year old boys all day, give me a break] She knows she needs to be baptized. She is getting closer and closer... and now she's even PRAYING... woo hoo. She told us she has her "happy place" where she likes to pray. We taught her she could pray anywhere and especially before bed at night in her room. She said she'd try it.
Sister Johnson went on splits with sister Stephanie Aquino and taught Trinidad. It was our first lesson with her and it went very well. Then we all played volleyball... WE HAD 3 INVESTIGATORS THERE. . . marka, amy and jessica.it was amazing.
[jueves]
we did our normal study routine in the morning... 1 hour for each personal, companionship and language study. We took a break and went to Temika King's for a really good lunch. She made my favorite thing she makes... frozen fruit with chocolate melted all over it. AmAzing. Then we went home and did our weekly and transfer planning. We taught Janae at 4p at her house and then JEssIcA at the Brigg's.
Jessica is a cool girl. We met her one day after leaving Marka's house after an appt. We were walking really fast to the car, we were late to our next appointment. I saw her and another girl walking a little puppy in their yard out of the corner of my eye. I felt like we needed to talk to her, but we were LATE so I tried to just keep going. BUT I HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE AND I LOATHE THAT FEELING so now that I was already at our car with my companions close behind I stopped and turned around ... i think they thought i was crazy [later i found out they felt it too]. I thought "think fast, think fast" I needed an "in" for this conversation so these girls who saw us leave and now come back didn't think we were creeps! SO I said, "CUTE PUPPY!" haha I told them I just couldn't get in the car withought talking to them. Jessica was very interested. She said she had been looking for "churchy people". It was amazing. HOw thankful I am for the Holy Ghost. What a blessing it is in my life.
SO we taught Jessica the Restoration at the Brigg's home. She loved it, didn't accept a baptismal date, but came up with the idea of reading a chapter a day from the Book of Mormon on her own.
After that lesson we visited the Cobrales Family. I love them.
[viernes]
we taught english....
WE TAUGHT VERONICA and ERICA NEVARRO with the Flores girls and it was such a powerful lesson. The elders left them Jacob 7 to read. We reveiwed that and then taught about the For Strenght of Youth Pamphlet. THe promises the First Presidency leave for those who follow those standards are amazing. Erica committed to be baptized November 28th. This is a BIG deal. Having the Flores girls made all the difference.
we taught vicki. she's the same. we need to do something different, we just don't know what yet.
WE had DInnER with the Sandovall's. He is from Guatemala, he is the principal of a spanish immersion school. pretty cool idea those immersion schools. Him and his mom made us some good Guatemalan food. I love his family... he has cute little girls.
[sabado]
we played soccer. we had the best turn out ever. so many people there! the nevarro girls came!!!
WE then spent some time with sister birch. Sister johnson is going to russia on wednesday so she took us to the Milwaukee Art Museum to see the Andy Warhol exhibit [sister johnson's choice]. We then had lunch at the Milwaukee Public Market... yum yum. I love milawukee. We came home in time to go back up to the Adult session of Stake Conference. Sister Sievert, our investigator came. It was such an uplifting conference.
[domingo]
we fasted today ... the elders had another great lesson with the nevarros saturday night and committed them to fast that their mom/wife would accept the gospel and allow the family to be baptized together. THey agreed. I'm telling you- these elders are AmAzing. They said at the beginning of the lesson they thought the Nevarro's were going to drop them... by the end they were FASTING... that's faith my friends. I love fasting with the purpose. I felt the spirit so strongly all day today. The gospel is AmAzing.
WE had stake conference in milwaukee. Jessica came and loved it. I loved it. THis is a great stake. WE had dinner with the Petriceck's after. Our time was short so we left a homework assignment instead of teaching our lesson. Brother Petriceck has been investigating for a long time. His wife is a member. We hope to bring a SpArK that he hasn't felt before.
We ended our night with a Chapel lesson tour with Amy. It was Amazing. We taught her lesson 3: The Gospel of Jesus Christ using the Baptismal Font and the Chapel. She loved it. The spirit was so strong. Sister Johnson gave an amazing invitation from the savior, Matt 11, to be baptized. Amy knows she needs to commit. She is scared to give us her WOW issues : coffee, cigarrettes and alcohol. I know it will not be a problem once she makes up her mind. I love LOVE love being a missionary!
I love you all... thanks for all you do for me! YOu are THe BEst!
Have a Good week!
Rocky I am DYING to know where you get your call to! YOu Better OPEN that SUCKER the same day you get it!
Love,
sister Pamella Jo Black
PS
dad: you dead mon? [said in cool runnings accent] email me
grandma! i loved your letter! I will write you back!
Reg... loved the email... there is a letter coming your way too!
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