Tuesday, October 15, 2013

October 14, 2013 - Fall in the valley is Gorgeous!!

Monday we had a lesson with Bailey over skype as he lives in Windsor (30 mins away) so to save on Km's we skype teach him then teach him in person once a week and that went great! I love his family so much! Then we had Hopes baptism interview we were just praying and fasting that things would work out okay for her health for the interview to happen and it did!!
Then Tuesday we had the District leader and his companion on a visit in our area for the day (something that happens once a transfer) And that went really we well it was during an awkward time of the day (10am-3:45).  We mainly street contacted and did finding, then taught a lesson to Allen our recent convert.We found this SOLID potential- this man who was a disfellowshipped JW (Jehovah witness- because it parents got a divorce) we approached him SC(street contacting) and he is SO prepared.  He said that yesterday him and his wife were saying how something is missing, and how life is so easy to forget to centre our lives on God and BOOM we meet him, he is in Florida till Nov 1st but will be teaching him and his family then.  He can't wait, he actually asked us to go see his mother while he is gone... and we did she wasn't interested but its okay she will be one day when they are members! just give us 5 weeks ;)!! Tuesday we actually fasted with (investigator) because of their finance problems she was rather stressed and had no idea if they need to move back to Halifax or stay here in Kentville.  We explained how fasting would help so we fasted with her and had dinner planned for us to come over and break our fast together.  Erica is hilarious the whole day she was txting us counting down the hours till she could eat, she is quite comical.  So before we headed off to Erica's at the end of our visit with the Elders who serve in Sackville, the District leader was like "to be honest I feel like I learnt more than you sisters did today, just the way you talk to people is so real and the way you can build relationships with people it was really eye opening and after serving with you two it is very clear why your area is the top in our district.”  It was very nice compliment and I still felt like we learned at ton from them! Just serving with Elders for the day is nice because they do things differently than sisters and its nice to learn and apply in our area.  I feel so blessed to be serving and working with Elders especially the ones in the our ward, here they are just great inspiring missionaries. So tuesday night was like a "celestial" night it was just like an exalting night to be a missioanry, we go to Erica's have chilli break our fast, then teach her we watched Pres Uchtdorf’s conference Sat. morning talk then we sent that talk for Matt to watch and he watched it and loved it!! I was like "Erica...COME WE NEED YOU!!!" then we headed over to Kates to teach her and man oh man Kate is the definition of a celestial investigator!!! She is so prepared and every lesson its just a tear dripper!! I honestly feel like I was suppose to go inactive for a bit and experience that in preparation for the souls and people I would meet here right now on my mission. I am just so grateful to be here I wouldn't change these moments for a million bucks because I couldn't imagine not meeting and helping these amazing people I am teaching and helping them find salvation!! And I am learning soooo much from these experiences and have sooo much appreciation for all that I have been given! I AM JUST SO THANKFUL!!! (<--- that me wanted to yell this in excitement :) ) Seriously though like do us Pizzey's know how blessed the Lord has been to us?!? Sometimes I am just like wow!!! So Kate is progressing great and just loves this gospel, we are starting the "Stop smoking program" with her this week and if things go well with that we probably will move her baptism date up. She is just so great; we taught her the W.O.W this week and right in the middle she like wait stop, runs over and grabs a notebook and says carry on I want to write this down and writes down the 5 things we can not have in our bodies. She is really amazing and definition of one prepared investigator . Then we had a wonderful lesson with Hope that evening, Hope just loves me (I say this is the humblest way ) but Hope is a wonderful older lady and she says we’re the daughters she has never had, then we taught Bailey as well; I always bug bailey with this last name BRIGHTman. 
Then Wednesday at the old folks place we volunteer we made pumpkin people.... YES PUMPKIN PEOPLE! haha its hilarious this is something that I am bringing back to AB! Mom dad, brothers and sister’s this valley the town of Kentville at this time of year literally covers its self in pumpkin people it is the funniest thing ever!!! So I will be sending pictures.   Sis T and I are going after emails to take pictures with these pumpkin people, and we figured it would be a good finding idea take pictures for people in front of the pumpkin people... then they take pictures for us and oh yea we are from Ab... then they ask why? and then we are like BOOM because were missionaries! and then boom we will begin teaching them about the only true church! Then we went to Windsor taught some lessons, bumped into a former gator on the street and will be teaching her tomorrow, then we had a great lesson with Patrick (Jamiacan) and John (Barbadian ) I just love teaching them!! Patrick is having a hard time with the loss of his boys but they will be going back home in few weeks and both want to continue attending church and meeting with missioanries. Jordan Batemans first person he trained is actually teaching Patricks family right now. But John and Patrick finally had a day off from the slavery hours at the farm and were able to come to church yesterday! they enjoyed it!! I just love teaching them both we have great spiritual lessons but also some good laughs they are funny people. The elders were able to go and give Patrick a priesthood blessing last night.
Then Thursday we had some great lessons and were able to talk to 82 people, invite 82 people to learn about the gospel.  This week we were able to invite 273 people to come to the truth!! And out of those 273 were able to find two solid new investigators :)  1 being Brandon who we picked up yesterday, I am only on thurday right now I can't get ahead of myself ;)
Al right so moving on to Friday Oct 11th Hope Delight DeHamel's and Bailey BRIGHTman’s baptism!! Friday we were able to teach Kate, Erica and then weekly plan and fill the font.... hahha hilarious thing this time we had hot water this time!! So Sis T and I just filled the whole font up on  hot water but we assumed (never assume anything!!) that by the time the font would be filled that the water would be cold....well we were wrong!! haah and we did not check that, so when Hope went in to be baptised we had to wait 10 minutes to fill it with cold water hahaha it was very funny.  Apparently it was like BOILING hot.  Funny thing Hope was nervous for the baptism so we had to call Bro Drennan a huge muscular 30 yr old RCMP dad in our ward and ask him to baptise her it was a rather funny convo over the phone we had with him.  Explaining we needed him to baptise her due to his muscles.... haha awkward!! But the Baptism was magnificent! Sooo many ward members showed up and non members as well!! Kate was able to come and she loved it! People actually stayed till 10 pm socializing but we left at 9:15 to get home on time. But it turned out to be a sucess and got the ward excited! 
Then Saturday we had some lessons with people; some of who we did not pick up.  We taught a student at the Divinity School who was getting his masters to be a pastor so we showed him bible videos and he was in shock at how amazing they were, we did not pick him up because it would just be bible bashing.  We are not here to convince and persuade we are here to invite! Then we had the YSA dinner, and then Kate stayed for the activity, then we left to teach Hope. We tried the haircutting booth one last time before the weather gets bad (fall weather is so much nicer here) but wasn't too successful.  We packed her up and street contacted!! But the reason why we had the haircutting booth was because we met Brandon!! While we were telling me to come get the hair cut I came across Brandon and Brandon is 18 from Bahamas.  He actually when to a LDS church once at home with his father before his mother passed away 5 yrs ago, so we set up a time to come teach Brandon Sunday afternoon!
Then Sunday Hope and Bailey were confirmed! And we had 4 gators at church! We taught Brandon and boy oh boy he is prepared!! We started our lesson saying "How to begin teachings" from PMG and then afterwards I asked what were your expectations Brandon? he said... "Well I just want to be closer to the Lord and I know I need to make changes so I am hoping that from meeting with you today I can leave here knowing how I can do that" ..... I just stopped and starred with a grin and was like "Well Brandon we can do that for you!! haha . And God is aware of that desire of your heart and that is why we have met you!" We had a wonderful lesson and taught only the first half of the first lesson the Restoration, and we committed him to be baptised for Nov 1st and he said yes but that he is nervous to make some changes.  We asked for clarification on what that means and he said that he wants to centre is life on God but as horrible as it sounds he still has the desires to do normal College life things like drinking etc. I was able to testify of that area.. He is wonderful, he said what interested him about the Mormon faith is the fact how they are the only Christian faith that has another book of scripture and he felt its needed due to confusion with the Bible ....we are just like YES Brandon YES!!! I could write about him for hours to you all I am just so thrilled!! After the lesson I was trying to deceive myself like it says in James 2:22 by thinking "oh it would be best for us to teach him not the elders!"  But really after humbling myself and realizing yes it would be more effective for the elders to teach him; just like it is for us to teach Kate. But I kid you not Brandon will be on a mission one day!! But we will be passing him over to the elders this week! 
Then we had dinner at the Whyknots and the Macleods were there. They are two couples in the ward - the Macleods joined two years ago because of the Whyknots and they both are solid members so we had Kate with us for dinner.  It was a wonderful "fireside" pretty well; after dinner we had a great gospel lesson, we talked about everything with Kate temples, BOM and why we believe in the KJV Bible, to pre existence alot of hefty deep doctrine but the Spirit was just pounding the room and Kate was crying and Bro Whyknot was it was great! The Gospel was so true and- listen up all members doing things like that make such a difference!!! Like the things that were taught and the Spirit that was felt could never ever be possible for just Sis T and I.  It was only because we were in a members home and had members teaching with us! it was great.... so FAMILY: call the missionaries as who there top investigator is or who they are teaching.  As them who they feel would get along well with you and have them over for dinner :) I promise you that your testimony will be strengthened and you will be blessed!
Ahh well this is the amazing week we have been blessed with.  The Elder’s and Sis T and I sat down and remade a more realistic goal for the 9 baptisms we will have by now and the new year.  We have had 2 of the 9 and are willing to literally die and work our living guts out for this goal!! We as a group have been fasting much for this goal and know that if we do all we can it will happen! Our mission will be fasting as a whole for the goal of 50 ppl to be baptized as a whole by the end of a year!
We have much to look forward to this week. and oh yea Erica and Matt will be moving back to Halifax Nov 1st :( . But after her fast she feels strongly that is what they need to do. So will be teaching them till then then elders there will be teaching them!
Any ways this week has been a week of learning and I love this work! I was studying the atonement this week and read Isaiah 53 this morning its an amazing chapter to read with really explains the atonement well. Of course its a chapter that has to be studied it took me 45 minutes to read with really breaking it down and understanding what its meaning but read it is is wonderful! 
Have a great week and open your mouths and invite others and help the missionaries out!! 
I am so THANKFUL for you all and our wonderful family, have a great day together. I am so grateful to have a mother and father that focus so much on family activities it is such a blessing!! And I am so grateful for this gospel that makes us who we are!!
LOVE,
Sister Pizzey xoxox.

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