This was a really good week,
Monday was Pday, we had fun playing Disk Golf and a local course in Milwaukee. I'm not very good but it was fun.
Tuesday we had Zone Training Meeting at the old City Branch Chapel. The building was built during the great depression and has a really unique design. The meeting was very good. Most of it was trying to get the whole mission on board with the new vision President William has. We're starting a mission wide read of Preach My Gospel which has been going really well. Later that day, we got an unexpected call from a name we didn't recognize. A lady named Sondra, who is apparently a member, called us saying that she has two friends that she has been talking to and they want to meet up and join our church. We set up an appointment with them for this Thursday. We're super excited to meet with them.
That night we did service for a lady that just had a baby in the ward. They fed us and we were able to set up a good relationship with them and they even had a less active recent convert over that we were able to meet and set up a time to go see.
Elder Goldsberry and I have talked about and we feel like it's best to try and visit everyone on the ward list. We're trying to get to know all the members super well and gain their trust so that we can get true missionary work done. So that has been our main focus for the past couple weeks.
We spent Wednesday and Thursday (around our teaching appointments) visiting all the members. We've been able to get in contact and see a lot of people the ward hasn't been able to visit lately.
Thursday was an especially good day. In the morning we got a text from a member saying that he was totally done and was leaving the church. We called him up and talked it out a for a little while but then asked if we could come by and see him. We saw him later that morning and sat down with him, listened to him, resolved his concerns and now were having dinner with him tonight. He's a little mentally ill so he has lots of mood swings but he doesn't want to leave the church anymore! It was a neat experience of how listening and following the spirit can truly resolve concerns.
Later that day, while visiting members, we came to the Baker's home. An active member's home, we knocked on the door, they were very surprised to see us, they let us in and we sat and talked with them for about an hour. Brother Baker had been having a super super hard time at work, it was a miracle that we were able to see him, he works 120 hours a week and we would normally not of caught him. Well, we shared a little message and it was exactly what they needed.. There was tears and lots of gratitude on their part. They opened up to us about what was going on and asked if we had any dinners the rest of the week. We had one that night but we were able to come over for dinner the next day. It was a really sweet experience. They thanked us soooo much for following the spirit and visiting them in their time of need.
Saturday we did service at the Widman's home. We normally help them out every Friday since they are disabled. We help them around their house and yard with whatever they need that week. Sister Widman took me aside during our visit and totally opened up to me. She shared lots of things that were very sacred. She said she could sense a special bond between us, that supposedly we could have known each other in the pre- existence. I was touched to be able to have this apparent bond with her.
Friday morning we got a call from the bishopric asking Elder Goldsberry and I to speak in sacrament that Sunday. So on Sunday we both gave talks about Agency. Our talks both went super well and everyone seemed to enjoy them.
Sunday night we had dinner over at another member's home and they talked about another friend she had been sharing the gospel with, and so we should look forward to having a lesson with her in their home soon. Lots of great things are going on. Members are opening up to us as we open up to them about who we were and how much the gospel has changed us. It's really neat to see. Lots of good things are to come! It's exciting.
We're moving into the Sister's old apartment this week so next week I'll have the new address for yall.
Anyways. It was a great week. I love and miss you all!
Elder Stevens.
