Sister Kelsey Rook: Nebraska Omaha Mission

October 10, 2017

#templetuesday

Hi Fam!!

This week has gone by so quickly! I feel like the weeks keep on coming quicker and quicker! Here are some of the highlights and miracles that happened his week!!

Exchanges: On Tuesday we went on exchanges and it was so awesome! I was with Sister Collins and it was absolutely incredible! She is such a diligent missionary, and I was able to learn so much from her in the short amount of time that we had together! It was so interesting- all throughout that day we got so much rejection. I think there might have been one or two people who listened to us, but other than that every single person rejected us! It strengthened my testimony knowing that this is Christ's restored church upon the earth, and because of that there is going to be rejection! There is opposition in all things! It made me so aware and so grateful for the people we were able to teach that day and making sure that I was as prepared as I could be, so they could feel the spirit as best as they could. Bellevue/Papillion is definitely a ton different than Lincoln!

Virginia Tracy (recent convert): Virginia is so awesome! She was able to come to church on Sunday and she loved it! We have been talking to her about family history and going to the temple because she has never been and she is super excited!! Yesterday we were able to help her unpack because she hadn't finished that yet, and it was so awesome to see how little acts of service can help you gain the members' trust! It is so incredible to see the changes that she has made from when Sister Monroe and I first found her to now! It truly makes my heart so happy!

Cliff and Felicia (investigators): We met with Cliff and Felicia this week. We talked all about the Book of Mormon and how it is the keystone of our religion and the only way that we can gain a testimony of the gospel is by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon, with real intent. We also watched Tad. R. Callister's talk about the Book of Mormon from this past General Conference. It was super powerful, and they both committed to read and pay about the Book of Mormon! We are going to set them for baptism this week when we meet with them. We tried doing it last time but they said they needed to talk to a certain individual before they set a date, and they did that on Sunday! It was so happy!

K.C. White (investigator): Last week we found a potential named K.C. He is Baptist and he invited us to come back! We were able to teach the Restoration yesterday and it was amazing! The spirit was so strong and as we had him read verses from the Bible and the Book of Mormon he was able to answer his own questions that he had! It was so happy! We invited him to be baptized and to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by someone holding the Priesthood Authority. And he said yes! He didn't say yes to a date... so we will ask him again but it was just so awesome to see how much clearer the invitation is when you ask it that way!

Sister Hamner is doing incredible! Everything is going pretty good. This week we are working on her attitude during finding. She gets so much anxiety when we are doing it because she never knows what is going to happen, so we are doing a ton of role plays to get her motivated and a little more comfortable with talking to everyone!! It should be awesome!! I love being her companion because she just teaches me so much very single day! It is so awesome!!

In my studies I am in 3 Nephi 3, and part of verse 2 stuck out to me- it says, "I write this epistle unto you, and do give unto you exceedingly great praise because of your firmness, and also the firmness of your people, in maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty; yea, ye do stand well, as if ye were supported by the hand of a god, in the defence of your liberty, and your property, and your country". I love his because it shows that even though the Nephites and the Lamanites are going to war with one another, the Nephites are still being that example in the way they live and act. They are truly striving to live the Doctrine of Christ in all that they do! It reminds me that I always need to be living the Doctrine of Christ and being that example for everyone I come in contact with.

Well, that is about it for this week! I hope you have the best week possible!! Thank you for all the support y'all give me! Love you lots!

Love,

Sister Rook