August 29, 2016

Hello Everyone!!!!

This week was pretty great. We had a ton of super good lessons with some of our less active members. On Tuesday it was incredible! So we have been working with this one returning  member. The week before we taught him all about prayer and had a pretty bold lesson with him on the importance of it. He has never prayed vocally before, saying how he relates it to public speaking and it freaks him out soooo much. We committed him to say a vocal prayer in preparation for our next visit where he would hopefully say one of the prayers, either the opening or the closing. The next lesson we had with him we asked him who he would like to say the prayer and he thought about it, then volunteered himself to say the opening prayer!! It was simply amazing!!  It is so incredible to watch people have a change of heart. Also on Tuesday, we were able to visit a less active member that we just recently found. He lives with his girlfriend who is not a member so we were able to have a great visit with them and teach a super powerful Restoration lesson! They weren't able to make it to church this week, but we are planning on them coming for next week! Jonathan and Aidan (recent converts) are doing better. Right when I got into this area Jonathan's mom was put into hospice and she ended up passing away last week. It was pretty sad, a lot of the members have been worrying about them but things are starting to get back to normal, and they are getting better, so that is great! We were able to start teaching them the new member lessons this week- so that has been pretty good. One little miracle I want to share with you before I go. On Saturday we felt prompted to visit this less active ysa member. We have thought a lot about trying her these past couple of weeks but we have never caught her. On Saturday she was home!! She was only home for Friday and Saturday then she was going back down to Lincoln to finish school. We were able to get her information to give to the missionaries down there and get her the information so she can contact the missionaries and start going to church! It was so great! 

During my studies this week I was reading in Alma 49, where the Lamanites are fighting against the Nephites, the Lamanites are traveling to the city of Noah because it is supposed to be super small and weak... little did they know that it had been strengthened, so in verses 13-15 it says," 

13 For they knew not that Moroni had fortified, or had built forts of security, for every city in all the land round about; therefore, they marched forward to the land of Noah with a firm determination; yea, their chief captains came forward and took an oath that they would destroy the people of that city.

 14 But behold, to their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, yea, even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah.  15 And now, behold, this was wisdom in Moroni; for he had supposed that they would be frightened at the city Ammonihah; and as the city of Noah had hitherto been the weakest part of the land, therefore they would march thither to battle; and thus it was according to his desires." We can liken this to ourselves by knowing that Satan tries to get us down by focusing on our weaknesses, and the only way that he is not able to get to our weaknesses is if we strengthen them. How have you seen Satan try to get to you by using your weaknesses against you? Will you all think and pray about one of your  weaknesses, then act to strengthen it? I can promise you guys that as you focus on strengthening one of your weaknesses that weak things will become strong unto all of you guys! I love you all so much!   Well I think thats pretty much it! Have a great rest of the week!!

Love,

Sister Rook