Grandview is our busiest ward. We got a referral from the mission office and it was all the way in Bruneau so we asked VaLere if she would drive us. We drove past the house probably 5 times but we finally found it. The home was a disaster... there were smashed cars everywhere and it looked like no one lived there. We knocked on the door, waited, sister Kentner wanted to leave but I had a feeling to knock again so I knocked again and this pretty lady answered the door. We asked if her name was Snovia. She said, "Yeah, who are you?" I said, "We're sister Missionaries for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and" she cut me off and was like, "OOOH!!!!! Come in! Come in!!!! I've been waiting for you!!!" (Pretty awesome right :)) Snovia explained how her older sister is LDS but she is Baptist. She just moved to Bruneau from Arizona because she got a divorce and her friends own this home. Her friends were renting out the home and the people who were living there destroyed it so the way Snovia is paying rent is by fixing it up. Well she told us she wants to get baptized!!! Isn't that amazing!!!??? She wants to get baptized and just doesn't know what to do! That's when I was like, "We know what to do! Can we come backtomorrow morning!?" She said, "Yes! I'll be here all day!" The next morning we shared the Restoration with her. She shared her testimony at the end how she has been looking for this her whole life and she knew it was true years ago but didn't want to do anything to upset her husband. So yeah, AMAZING! I can't believe how blessed I am to be out here doing the Lord's work. Heavenly Father is truly preparing people to hear the gospel and I am so lucky that I get to be the one to share it with them :) A little side note... she came to church too! Oh! And I did absolutely nothing to deserve this! When we left I kept thinking, "Wow... the Lord is trusting me with His work... whoa.... I didn't even do anything and she wants to get baptized... whoa" haha :) (well I never do anything its all the about the Lord) :)
We set a date with Madi May. She wants to get baptized but her Dad is anti and even though her mom is a member and is supportive I've never seen a mom be so core cutting... Telling her daughter she is stupid and wishing she would get lost. I don't get it.... Madi wants to make her mom proud but her Mom seems to always be cutting her down... Madi is only 12 years old. She can be a brat but I kinda think that's just because her Mom is so mean to her. I wish I knew how to help them but it's not my place to say anything... Thank you for loving me mom!!!! Even when I'm a brat!!! Thank you! I love you! haha :)
We have a new investigator, Christopher Kendricks. He is in Air Force Security, use to be a lifeguard & college swimmer, he just moved here from Florida, he is a "southern Baptist" (I guess there is a big difference between being Baptist and "Southern" Baptist) :) and he has a "I'm not talking to God right now" attitude... but towards the end of our meeting with him he said he would pray about what we talked about and I gave him a book of Mormon. He promised to read and pray about it. Later Sister Medelez text us "Kendricks is so excited to see you again!!" I'm excited to meet with Kendricks again. It was way cool to see how just after talking to him for a bit he went from "I'm not talking to God" to "Okay, I'll pray." It was pretty neat. :)
With all of the awesome successes we had this week I got really sad the other day... I was so sad that I got physically sick... I heard from someone I thought I wouldn't ever have to talk to again and I thought I had forgiven them but I still need to forgive them. Hearing from that person... instant awful memories and instant pain... I had to go to the bathroom just so I could cry. I haven't cried like that since I've been out! I said a prayer and put some makeup on so no one could tell I was crying haha well then Sister Parsons was sewing and she lost a piece to her sewing machine. She had back surgery a while back so she can't bend down. She asked me if I could help her find a the missing piece. We looked everywhere and couldn't find it. I asked her if we could say a prayer. I felt silly asking her if we could say a prayer, I don't know exactly why I felt silly but I did. I asked, "Can we say a prayer? Because then I know I've done all I can to help you find the piece." She smiled and said, "Of course." After the prayer we still couldn't find it. Sister Parsons was really starting to freak. She is a seamstress and if she doesn't have a sewing machine she can't work... and she had to finish a wedding dress by the next day... we still couldn't find it so Sister Parsons went online to see if there was anywhere she could buy this little piece. Its a European sewing machine, no one near by had the piece, and even if she were to order it online, it was super expensive and it would be at least another week before it would get here.... Sister Parsons is just too sweet, so I went to the bathroom, knelt down again, and prayed that she would find the piece. After my prayer I had this feeling to look in the garbage can. There was no way it could be in that garbage can because it was on the other side of her sewing room, well guess what! The missing piece was right there in that garbage can. I didn't have to dig or anything. I ran out to Sister Parsons and said, "I FOUND IT!!!" She stood up and said, "You did!! Oh I love you!!!!" She hugged me and cried and said, "He loves me. Isn't beautiful what his tender mercies can do?" :) I cried a little too. You are probably wondering why I am telling you about an awful day and then a prayer. The reason why I told you about my awful day is because I felt better after I prayed and helped someone else. That's what got me out of my funk. The Lord gave me strength because I helped someone else. I'm so grateful Sister Parsons lost that little piece and asked me to help her find it because dang, that was one awful day and it really helped me realize that I need to stop thinking about myself! :)
Okay last thing, yesterday we had a missionary fireside for 2nd ward. I was super nervous because I don't know anyone and its my 1st impression!! Well, it was amazing! THANK GOODNESS :) I talked about how the simple things meant the most to me when coming back to church. It was just cool, even thought I cried... crying is embarrassing but hey, when I cry I know I'm being sincere ) Anyway, it really made me think about how everyone of you have helped me! You have helped me by just being my friends and I think the best way to share the gospel isn't to walk up to someone and say "I want to share my testimony with you" because that can be intimidating and weird sometimes haha but I think the best way is by being someone's friend. Share the gospel with LOVE!! "All you need is love! Love! Love is all you need" I miss the beatles hehe :)
This was a long email haha but I love you all talk to you next week! Thank you for everything you do!! :)
Love,
Sister Coats
Me in Grandview
Sister Kentner and I about to go do some Service!
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