Sister Torie Inman: Sister Inman Letter

Behold the Tender Mercies of the Lord!

Hello there!

Crazy week, lots of out-of-the-ordinary, unusual, miraculous, once-in-a-lifetime, fun, weird, and trunky things happen this week! Lots to write about.

A few of them:

We saw someone that had pet reindeer (several of them, they were just chillin in his backyard, but he actually owns them)

We crashed a wedding

I tried fried catfish and hush puppies

We were in a lesson with a member of the 70

We got lost in the desert, only to find that the road we were taking led us to a dead end

I went on a razor ride

I met Dad's piano teacher/grandma's best friend at a baptism in Thatcher

I played on an old organ that you have to pedal to get the sound out (much like an accordion)

I played on an old metal merry-go-round

We taught a seminary class!

Ya know, the usual.

TUESDAY:

We were in the sticks of Pima (heck, the whole town is the sticks), trying to drive to the sticks of Central for dinner, and I followed a map that led through the scenic route... (it was actually really pretty), and it took a lonnnnngggg time to get there, then by the time we got to the road that our appt. was on, we come to a "ROAD CLOSED" sign. Are you kidding me? No warning, just a sign at the end of the road. Nowhere to turn around. So we left our car, climbed over the blockade, and knocked on the nearest door to help us find where the house was. Turns out it was a random member, and she drove us to our appt. Tender mercy!

WEDNESDAY:

Awesome Zone meeting! Lots of role plays, my favorite! They really help. It was about "How to Begin Teaching", or the first few moments with an investigator. We even did one with a volunteer investigator (kind of like at the MTC) and we had two companionships teach them! the first taught the first half, then the second with the second half. The spirit was super strong in ours.

We later had a lesson with this part-member family, an 11 yr old girl, Paola and her 18yr old brother Saul, whose mom recently passed away unexpectedly. We taught the Plan of Salvation. Man, Saul has been so prepared by the Lord. The Spirit is definitely working on him. He asked so many questions, and you can tell he was eager to learn and to know more!

THURSDAY:

rough day.

FRIDAY:

Started a little rough, but ended well! We taught release-time seminary today, and taught about the Restoration. There were some good comments in there, and at the end, we asked them to role play a point from the lesson, and they all participated and were excited about it! Yay! That was a little nerve-wracking, but cool. :)

We also gave a 5-minute-teaching moment for the Thatcher Sisters' baptism! There we taught the shortened version of the Restoration. Afterwards, a lady came up to me and asked me how I spelled my last name, and if my grandparents were Tom and Georgette Inman. I said "Yes! How do you know them?!" She asked me whose daughter I was, and I said "Tom and Dena's!" She told me that she was Dad's piano teacher, (and a couple of the other brothers'), and she was really good friends with Grandma. How fun! I don't know why, but I cried and gave her a hug haha. Almost like family. I don't know, there is another tender mercy. Her daughter Debbie was there, too. So awesome! :)

SATURDAY:

Great day! Weird day, too...

This morning, we went to the Martinez', (Ray), and Elder Hansen came! So we weren't exactly sure how that was supposed to go, but he led and took over the visit, (which was fine), simply by asking inspired questions. The spirit was there. No mistaking it. He directed the lesson, it was more of just a series of inspired questions, which were simple, short, and direct. He started from the very beginning. That is something that both Sister Charles and I noticed, and want to improve on. He didn't say much, but his comments directed the family to be the ones talking and teaching each other, rather than him just talking the whole time. A couple of times, he asked us what we felt/thought, and then we both had a couple of instances where we felt prompted to share something, which I thought was neat. The Spirit was definitely present, and Elder Hansen said something along the lines of "I can tell by just looking at their faces and eyes that you have two amazing sister missionaries here." That was just what I needed to hear. I had been feeling like I've been wasting the limited time that I have here, and I have not felt like I've been doing the best that I can do, and I've been praying a lot for help. And so I think that that was God's simple way of reassuring me that I am okay, and that the Lord appreciates every effort that I make. But I am curious to hear what Elder Hansen said about it! He apparently told the Passey's that we did wonderfully, and other great things! We didn't really teach anything, we didn't say much, really. It was an incredible experience though. I am grateful that I was able to be a part of that. :)

We also crashed a wedding... our ward mission leader was making catfish and hush puppies for dinner and invited/forced us to go and try them.

SUNDAY:

Awesome stake conference!!!

2nd lesson with Saul, and we taught the Restoration! Once again, his questions were perfectly spaced so that they correlated with the course of the lesson. (It almost seems like Preach My Gospel was inspired or something? haha). Awesome lesson again, and we invited him to prepare himself to be baptized on April 23, 2016. he accepted, and said the closing prayer, and prayed that he would "hopefully" be able to be ready to be baptized. :)

Dinner with a lady who lived in Surprise for 6 years! Graduated from Midwestern University as a pharmacist!

TODAY:

Today I am celebrating my birthday, and the last day of being a teenager, because we won't really be able to tomorrow. So I opened my birthday package, (Mom knows me so well!) Thank you :) The blouse is really pretty! I might just wear it tomorrow. :) I got a haircut, (Sister Charles paid for it, as my birthday present) and chopped a lot off, but it feels good, and looks fresh!

This morning I went on a razor ride!!! The EQ President and his wife in our ward took us on a ride this morning, and it was super fun! And our dinner appointment made cheesecake, which is what I was really wanting for my birthday, so that was another tender mercy, as Sister Charles is allergic to dairy. But anyway. :)

I am so grateful to be a missionary! There are a lot of things that are difficult about a mission, but there are too many tender mercies, miracles, changes, and blessings that come into my life and the life of my family to even consider doing anything else! The gospel is true. God loves His children. He calls prophets to show the way. We have that priesthood authority restored to the earth, which allows us to have those saving ordinances for not only us, but for our dead. We can come to know ALL truth by reading the scriptures and words of modern-day prophets, pondering them, and praying to know the truth. The Book of Mormon is the best Book I've ever read, and my life has been changed for the better, and I have changed as a person because of the truths that are found within. I am grateful to be a part of an eternal family.

Well, as I approach this next decade of life, I've had a little time to ponder, and I feel like I have become something good. I look forward to becoming something better, and ultimately becoming the best that the Lord wants me to be, and through His help, I know I can. I hope you all have a wonderful week, I pray for you daily, and I love you each individually. :)

Love you!

Sister Inman