Refreshing!

May 15, 2012 (I forgot to post this last week)

Dear Babes,

       It was soooooooooo good to talk with you on Monday! I just can't even tell you how grateful I am for all three of you! This week has been incredible! On Sister Simons’ first day here we had a lesson scheduled about 30 minutes after her arrival. We dropped off her stuff and then got right to work. When we showed up for the appointment, no one was home. There was a woman across the street catching some rays and we went up to talk with her. She is 8 months pregnant. She has a lot going on with her right now and things are hard. We talked about how the things we have to teach will bring a "relief of burdens." She has never felt that in her life before. She just jumps from one trial to the next, not ever knowing when she will "catch a break." She is now one of our investigators and the following day we had a lesson with her in which

she offered a prayer. Kneeling in her living room with her it felt like 5 minutes before she finally said..."I'm not sure if I can do it." My heart breaks to think of all she has had to deal with in her life without His constant guidance and support. She eventually offered a simple prayer and the spirit was so strong. You could TELL that she wanted so badly for Him to hear her.

       Later on that same day we were left with only 30 minutes before our dinner appointment. We pulled over the car and pulled out the map. Sister Simons thought I was CRAZY when I asked her to say a prayer. She said..."Are you serious? You want me to pray to know where to go even when I don't know a single one of these streets?!?!?" So we prayed and after a short while a street was picked. We gathered our materials and went to knock on the first door. A man opened the door. Now... when I say, "open" the door... what I really mean is that he opened it a crack and talked to us through a steel black screen door. We talked with him about his life and religious history. (All the while never seeing his face) Until several minutes later a woman’s voice said, "let those poor girls in." He opened the door and we sat with them in their living room. His father had just passed away and before he did, this man had wondered if he would "make it." He was a man that was a little rough around the edges and he worries what truly happened to his father. They live right next door to two families in our ward and their son used to be friends with a Mormon boy in High School. It’s incredible all the experiences that go together in someone’s conversion. I am so excited to have Sister Simons here with me and to be able to be completely reliant on my Father in Heaven for the success in this area.

Sis. Mitch & Simons
(compliments of Sis. Taylor)

       Poor Sister Simons never gets to eat. I always schedule lunch in as a backup plan if we even have time and I think she is about to kill me. She always calls it "Hangry." She gets "Hungry & Angry." But I just know that if we work hard and sacrifice, the Lord will know that we are truly ready for those prepared people. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, what counts is where you are going. I am excited for the lessons I will learn this transfer in patience and humility and for simple reliance on our Heavenly Father in EVERYTHING.

Thank you for your support and for all you do. You are incredible people and I am soooooooo lucky to call you mine! I got a phone call on Mother’s day from Sister Adamson, Totau AND Garfield... all telling me to say hello to "Mamma Mitch" or "Mamma Palangi." So you have definitely won their hearts from afar. Happy Mother’s Day! I LOVE YOUUUUUUUU!

Love,

Sister Mitchell