Sister Kelsey Rook: Nebraska Omaha Mission

July 3, 2017

"i'm sorry.. we don't do baby Jesus"..... well do you do grownup Jesus?...."no." slams door in our face hahaha

Hi Y'all!

So a little bit about my new comp!! My comp's name is Sister Banks! She is from Cottonwood, Arizona! She is hispanic but she doesn't speak any Spanish... so we are learning together! haha it's so funny! She is such an incredible missionary! It blows my mind! I feel like she is training me just like how Sister Monroe did, so that has been so much fun! I have been learning so much from her these last couple of days, and I know I am going to continue to learn from her throughout the next two transfers! This week has been so great! A full week hasn't even happened since transfers and there have been so many miracles!

1. Going to the trainer meeting and the temple afterwards was incredible! I was really able to focus on Sister Banks and what she needs at this time and how I would be able to help her. It was so cool to just be able to feel the love that our Heavenly Father has for her even though at that time I hadn't even met her yet!

2. We had a sweet pass off lesson with the Holmes Lake Elders. The investigator was originally a referral from the Fontenelle Elders up in Omaha, but she used to live in People's City Mission, but now she lives with her son, so the elders are teaching her now, and she was able to make it to church on Sunday! So that is awesome!

3. We also got to meet with one of our referrals this past week. Her name is Jean Gooseman. Her husband just passed away a couple of months ago, and she is feeling pretty lonely and discouraged. We felt prompted to stop by again- Ive tried her in the past but she was always too busy and she was never interested, but we felt that we needed to try her! As we knocked on her door and she answered, one of the first things that she said was, "How did you know I was feeling lonely today?' We were able to testify of the Plan of Salvation to her, and to just be there for her, and she appreciated it so much! We were also in her area on Sunday and it was the coolest thing! We were trying a couple of potentials, and with each potential I just had the thought, "Why are we here? We need to be at Jean's house!" And so we went to Jean's house and she told us she had been thinking of us today, and she was pretty lonely and depressed again. We talked a lot about Priesthood Blessings and how it could really help her in her life at this time. She really wanted to get one and so as we were texting the elders to see if they could come give her one, she felt uncomfortable that we couldn't give one to her, and she completely dismissed the idea. It was so sad to see how she had so much faith and then when she thought about the unknown she let her doubts become stronger than the faith that she had. We are planning on going over later this week to just truly help her come closer to God, and to help her find the comfort that she needs!

4. We met with Hector a couple of times this week, and it was so awesome! On Saturday we reviewed what he read in the Book of Mormon and helped him understand it and apply it in his life, then we taught him the Plan of Salvation and his mind was completely blown! He said he had never heard anything like it before and he was so intrigued! We invited him to come to church and he was pretty hesitant because he didn't know where it was or what went on there and so the thought came to us that we could do a church tour right before church on Sunday! He loved that idea! So we were able to do the church tour, and we were able to help him understand everything a little bit better. As we were going around the building we were explaining all the different paintings and what they meant. We ended in the chapel, and there were a couple of members talking in the front so we went up and introduced him to them. He had instant fellowship, and actually asked if he could just speak to one of the members by himself. It was pretty neat and now the same member will be going on a team up with us this week to go see him!

Funny moment.

We were out finding a couple of days ago and this lady was sitting in her car, so we knocked on her window and we asked if she knew anyone that was in need of service. She immediately says, "no nope, I don't want anything to do with baby Jesus!" There was a pause for about 2 seconds then Sister Banks goes, "well if you don't want anything to do with baby Jesus... do you want anything to do with grown up Jesus?!" She then said no and slammed her car door shut. It was probs the funniest thing ever!

In our gospel principles class, we taught about faith this week. And in Ether 12:6 it states, "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." It's hard to always recognize the reason for the trial after it happens, and to always keep the faith when they do happen. And in verse 19 it goes on to say, "And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad." So we know that when we keep the faith in Jesus Christ and we always have such strong faith that we will be able to see miracles. So now I am trying to think of how I can really increase my faith every single day!

Well, I think that is about it! Sorry this is pretty long... I'll try to be better with that! I hope y'all have a great week! Thank you for all the support you give me! Love you from Lincoln, NE and back!!

Love,

Sister Rook