Sister Inman Letter - April 4, 2016

What a weekend! Oh and Transfers are this week

Hi family!

This week was pretty good!

Man, was conference awesome or what? I absolutely loved every talk that was given.

Anyway,so this was my week!

I already told you about last Monday, and we went there again today. We left a lot later, and chilled for a while, then they wanted to go on a hike, like we had originally planned, but I was not breathing very well and was already tired. So I typed out my email while I was waiting for them to get back.... We don't even know where they went aha.

But yeah, Monday night we had a lesson with Sylvia and her husband Craig. He gave us a crash course on cars, because I said I knew nothing about what goes on under the hood of the car. (He is a mechanic of sorts, he works on cars) and he showed me the very basics, like where to check the oil levels for everything, where the battery, transmission, radiator, and engine are, where the different fluids are and how to know if they are low or need a change, how the parts work together, etc. He also taught us how to jump a car using jumper cables. Pretty useful information, as I didn't even know the basics.

Tuesday I was kind of frustrated and not able to focus very well. But we went to Peggy's lesson, and just read from the Book of Mormon, because she hadn't read it yet. And she said "Well that wasn't that hard to read!" She had grown up and gotten married and had never learned how to read until her husband taught her. Pretty cool! Now that she knows how, she can't stop reading books. She said she likes the Book of Mormon so far! 

Then we went to Shawnee's house, a less active, and read the Book of Mormon with her too. She has a very very hard time reading, and sounds out every syllable of every word, and can't follow along very well. BUT, I just had a feeling that confirmed to me that if she continues to read from the Book of Mormon out loud, her reading will drastically improve. So far, she has shown improvements already! She recognizes some words that are repeated a lot, and it is so exciting when she can read a few words correctly at a time. :)

Wednesday was a good day for the most part! We got up a little after 6:30 (huge improvement!) exercised (even better!) and we left for a zone meeting with President Passey. It was super good! It was a follow up meeting about the March Challenge, as well as other inspired things. We talked about how the challenge went, what we have learned from it, skills we have developed, how it has impacted your companionship, etc. then we role-played it with our new-found confidence and skills, and it was a LOT better than it was in February! We counted up approximately how many times we taught the Restoration, and just as the Gila Valley Zone. I think we came to a total of about 337 times in the month of March? (And then however many else we did the last couple days of the month) leaving us to an average of 28 times per companionship. Multiply that by every zone in the mission.... Think about how many people were able to hear the message of the Restoration in Southeastern Arizona and Southeastern New Mexico! God loves His children! :)March? (And then however many else we did the last couple days of the month) leaving us to an average of 28 times per companionship. Multiply that by every zone in the mission.... Think about how many people were able to hear the message of the Restoration in Southeastern Arizona and Southeastern New Mexico! Minus the last two days of the month, we came to a grand total of 2,998 First Lessons. And plus the last two days, we are over 3,000 times. God loves His children! :)

But we were shown a video by Elder Bednar about spiritually preparing to be taught by an Apostle of the Lord. He said "Are you willing to participate in an experiment? WE determine what an apostle will say, IF you prepare. We can draw out of their mouth the words which they will speak." If we spiritually prepare to receive divine inspiration through apostles and the prophet, we will receive personal counsel, every time. Does our outward expression, appearance, and actions represent your inner commitment and willingness to receive and pull out of an apostle personal, individual revelation?  President used the example that Elder Bednar gave in his talk to apply in our mission. He gave us a challenge for the month of April, to be exactly obedient in the morning schedule, and show the Lord by acting upon our faith that we will see miracles. He got a little emotional, but he told us that he was not surprised when he heard of how successful we as missionaries had been. He knew we could do hard things. We didn't know we could, and we didn't know that we would gain the strength to do this challenge until we started, and tried and tried, and eventually gained the skills necessary to teach it 31x better than we did the last 30 times. We as a mission have become more powerful teachers, and more confident missionaries. Our collective faith has increased dramatically. He told us that as we exercised our faith to do this and to earnestly prepare, then we will see miracles in our work, and we will be prepared to receive personal counsel from an Apostle... WHO IS COMING TO OUR MISSION THIS MONTH!!!!!!! :DDDD If we want to receive personal counsel from an apostle in person, we must spiritually prepare our minds by being exactly obedient in this small thing. President hasn't told us the name of the Apostle yet, for suspense purposes, I assume. But the Arizona Tucson Mission has not had an apostle come since the Passey's have been here. SO COOL!

Thursday had a rough start, but got better! We did service at the Food Bank, and that's always a party! (We of course get a lot done, we just get to enjoy it while we work hard!)

We got a new investigator today! Her name is Minerva, she lives in Central (YAY! WORK IN CENTRAL!), and she had a ton of friends that were LDS, but they never really talked to her about it. But we taught the first part of the Restoration when her boyfriend came in and started asking us questions. He has been the one that has really encouraged her to read the Bible with him, etc. So that's good. We have a return appointment, and will teach the rest of lesson one: The Great Apostasy, Restoration and First Vision, the Priesthood, and the Book of Mormon. This should be fun. :) They mainly just seemed curious rather than actually interested, but isn't that where it usually starts? After that lesson, we had dinner with a Filipino lady. Her friend actually made the dinner, and it was really good, but we had it at her house. We had Pansit and Rice, and Adobo Chicken. You can ask Eric or Bret what those are, I don't know how to explain it, other than pansit is a thinner kind of noodle with peppers and other stuff, I just know I've had it before. The closest thing I can compare it to is chow mein noodles you get from Panda Express. Except a lot better and you mix it with rice. The adobo chicken was in this sauce that tasted really good, except you basically get all of the innerds of the chicken. I just grabbed the meat, but I'm pretty sure I chewed on a couple bones... It was all really good though :) I also learned that the Cebuano and Bisayan language are the same, but just called different things, because of the origin of the people who speak it. Cool.

Friday I don't really remember, I was super exhausted haha.

Saturday and Sunday were incredible! So much spiritual guidance and amazing talks that spoke to me so individually. I prepared questions. I prepared myself to receive counsel from the Apostles, Prophet, and other inspired leaders, and got so much more out of it. We went to the Stake Center for 3/4 of the sessions. It was cool to see some of my friends from college singing in the choir though!!! They're famous now!

The music was particularly inspiring, for me. They selected my very favorites and sang them in the first session, and then even more of them in next sessions. The Spirit was so strong. But my favorite talks were probably President Uchtdorf's, Bonnie Oscarson's, and Jeffrey R. Holland's. They all spoke plain truths in such a way that was very bold, and so true. They were a little different than the normal talks that these speakers give, in my opinion. (at least Pres. Uchtdorf's and Sister Oscarson's). I learned so much from all of the sessions, and I definitely needed that refill of the Spirit that I felt there. Did you know that on this day, in 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the rest of the keys of the Restoration? Wow... what an amazing event. This past Easter was also unique in all of History, because it matches up on about 4 other calendars around the world as the actual day upon which Christ was Risen from the dead. Really neat. :)

Well, I hope that you all have a fantastic week! We got transfer calls, and Sister Charles and I are staying together, so that means that I will be her last companion and she will go home after this transfer. I feel that President did this, because he knows that we can smooth things out and give this last transfer together all of the umph we have left. I think he can see the wonders we will be able to accomplish, and I agree with him. We have started to figure out just how we work together. We got this. :)

I love you all!

Sister Inman

felt good. :)

Elder Kienitz just finished his mission!

What we did with the jelly beans before we ate them

Abraham Lincoln mountain (if you look closely, it looks like he is laying on his back!)

Sister Inman Letter - March 28, 2016

"Wonder a wonder, Miracle, a miracle!"

Hello my beloved family!

This week has been a lot better than last week. I was really struggling and was unsure of how to cope and move forward. I had some internal struggles as well. But, I have no doubt that the Lord is watching over me, and has helped me to overcome some of those struggles, and to turn some of my weaknesses into strengths. 

A couple of experiences this week:

I was on exchanges on Tuesday with Sister Brown, (she was also trained by Sister Brown, and Pima was her first area! How fun!) and we were driving and saw a lady doing yard work in the hot sun by herself. I said we should go help her, so we immediately stopped and turned around, then offered help. We shared a pass-along card for the Easter Video, and she said she would definitely watch it. Her name was Ruby and she declined our offer, and didn't want our dresses to get all dirty and stuff. But we talked to her for a while! Turns out it was her birthday that day! So we wished her a happy birthday. :)

The next super-awesome experience that happened was at a lady in our ward's house. Her half-brother was not a member, and she referred him to us. We went over there for a meeting, but then afterwards, he came over and we had a discussion with him. (Not a missionary lesson, but a discussion about what we each believe, etc.) His name is Von. He is currently living in a trailer next door because he sold all of his possessions, etc. because he read in the scriptures and felt that that is what he had to do to change his life around and to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Picture Tevia from Fiddler on the Roof, and that's what his beard looked like, except black. So we got to talking, and he shared his beliefs with us, and Sister Charles and I were totally taken aback... Pretty much everything that he was telling us was exactly what we believe. He knows the Bible front and back. he went to Jerusalem and Galilee, and other surrounding areas, because he felt that it would allow him to get a better fell for what it was actually like. He believes in the Law of Moses, (and follows it pretty well). He understands the importance of covenants, and the usage of rich symbolism in much of the scriptures, etc. he is studying Hebrew as well (I think Jake would really love to talk to this guy. He is super into the History and background information of the scriptures and that deep, rich understanding of them- both the old and the new testament.)

It was a powerful discussion, and it was so neat to talk to someone who had such similar beliefs, striving to follow Jesus Christ in the best way that He knows how. He was admiring the fact that we were out serving missions for the Lord, and said that that is what He ultimately aspires to do, to preach the Gospel and to help others to take that leap of faith to follow Christ. We got a return appointment with him. :) New investigator!!!!

The same day, we had a referral for a part-member family. Their son, Race, is 10 and we are teaching him. Another new investigator!!! So exciting. We have been receiving a lot of referrals lately, and it has been wonderful. :)

On Saturday, we did a 5MTM at some Elders' baptism. (5 minute teaching moment, when the person baptized is changing, during that awkward time slot. We taught the Restoration in probably 5-7 minutes, and the Spirit was super strong! Apparently Elder Dilworth taught the girl with Elder Burns, so he got to Skype in to the baptism.

Easter Sunday itself was interesting, it didn't really feel like Easter. The talks at church were not really Easter-themed, so that was kind of disappointing. But, I got my Easter package (Thanks Mom!) And we still got our uplifting messages for the day. :) We didn't really do anything fun haha. But Saturday night we had the Broadcast which was AWESOME!!!

This morning, a few sets of Elders and Sisters went up to the mountain and had a BBQ and played some games! It was pretty fun! There is a reservoir/dam/lake and it looked super refreshing! But I resisted the temptation to jump in. :) We "hiked" down to the waterfall though. And the Elders did the cooking so I'm all for that! It was fun.

Anyway,

This Gospel is so true! The Savior is a real, Divine, Distinct Being, who is very aware of our personal needs and desires. What a great Example He is to each of us, and how great the strength we can receive from Him if we just follow His supreme example. I am reminded of this with every baptism I witness, and every Less Active I see return to the Church. "Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

I am so grateful for you all as my family, you all mean so much to me, and I continually pray for you each individually. I hope that you enjoy this next week and that you will take the time to prepare for this upcoming General Conference! Spiritually prepare! Have a question, read past talks, go to Heavenly Father in Prayer.

I love you! 

Have a great week!

Sister Inman

ARIZONA!

on top

the climb up

And Sister Charles is deathly afraid of heights, so I helped her hike alllllll the way down :)

I decorated a cake! I thought of Mom and her skills. I can't compete, though.

Doctor Who

What I wore for Easter! :)

I thought the "It's dangerous to go SOLO" was funny

old organ that you need to pedal

Sister Inman Letter - March 21, 2016

Easter week, then General Conference! Get ready for the Spirit!

Hello Family! 

So a few things have happened this week, a few miracles, and lots of spiritually rewarding experiences! I'll share a few with ya!

TUESDAY: March 15th, 2016 (My birfday!)

Very Spiritually rewarding day, I'll just share one experience:

This morning we had a lesson with Ida. (She is the less active that we found a couple weeks ago through a random prompting to try that house- did I tell you that story? Here's a briefing: We still hadn't taught the Restoration to anybody and it was 8:35pm or so, and we were going to try a referral, but the lights were all off, except it looked like someone was watching a movie. Maybe. But we needed to turn around, so we were in the driveway of the people next door. I had to back her, of course, so I got out, and then a man came out of the front door and stared at us, like "what are you doing in my driveway, and why are you backing her?" I just said hello, and went on my merry way. But then we decided against trying the referral because it was dark and late, and then we prayed to know who we should visit instead. I kept thinking and getting the idea that we should try the people that lived at that house where we used their driveway. So we did, and it turns out that there was a less active that hadn't come to church for a long long time, and has had missionaries come knocking, but never really inspired her to come back because she felt like a project, etc. Anyway, her name is Ida.)

Well last time, we challenged her to read her patriarchal blessing (I know, not a typical invitation), but when we came back, she had done a complete 180. She prayed, and read through it 4 times, then once again that morning. There was something in particular that she had a concern about her whole life, that she had gotten an incorrect answer about, so she said, "well, if it doesn't matter what I do, and I won't be blessed with these things for trying my hardest anyway, then I guess that there is no point in trying in the first place." So she gave up going to church, and the temple, everything. But then she said she read through her blessing, and it changed her life, and her whole perspective. She prayed about it it earnestly, and pondered, and continued to read it. But she shared her experience with us, and she just testified of how inspired this whole things was. She said, "I think you Sisters was inspired to come to my house at the time that you did. You didn't even know who I was. You didn't know what I was going through. And yet God told you to come to MY house. I wouldn't have let you in if you had sopped by earlier in the day. I let you in, because it is dangerous for you girls to be out this late, especially around this neighborhood when it is dark." Then she basically told us that she knows we were sent from God to help her do what she knew she needed to do. we shared with her the Easter Video: #Hallelujah (you can find it at FollowHim.mormon.org ) it is a powerful message about how we can find new life through Jesus Christ, no matter what phase or stage we are at. You should go watch it! But the Spirit was so strong in that room, It almost brought my companion and I to tears. I had a lump in my throat though. We asked her what she thought her first/next step was in finding new life and increased faith in Jesus Christ, and she said, "I feel like I really need to get back to church." and that if we hadn't have invited her to read her Blessing again, and teach her the lessons, and show that we care about her, then she probably wouldn't have had the desire to come back.Now, she remembers WHY she needed to.

Really neat experience. :)

Also, we had cheesecake and I also had a marie calendar's chocolate silk individual pie to celebrate my birthday :) She made my day special.

WEDNESDAY: Really rough day. Super rough. But I decided that I would also go back and read my patriarchal blessing to gain some guidance and help and comfort, and everything else. I found some. In fact, I found lots.

THURSDAY: Relatively good day, weekly planning day.

My upper back had been super painful the past few days (stress, maybe? nah) And I taught her how to pop people's backs haha :) She was excited about that one. And then she found almost all of my knots and tried to work them out. Let's just say that my back was not happy AT ALL with me the next day. But then the day after felt a lot better, and i am grateful for her for doing that for me :)

SATURDAY: Hooray for miracles!

We were going to see Jace and Annemarie this morning, but it wasn't a set appointment, and we needed to do weekly planning. But I said we should go anyway, because we said we would try to.

Well, we drove by, and it didn't look like they were home. We saw the neighbors, and Sister Charles said that they were very much anti-Mormons. Well, Jace and Annemarie were not home, we knocked on their door anyway, but we saw an younger man walk by, and then an older man start to scoot his way over. I said to him, "Hello! How are you doing?" He said that he wasn't doing too good. He said that he had recently had a stroke, (as in September of last year), and that his car wouldn't start, and nobody was home to help him, and that his grandson had been trying to find people to help jump his van, but nobody would/was home/had any cables. So he was stuck. 

His grandson walked up, too, and we were talking about it. The older man kept talking about how he didn't know why God kept making these things happen to him, and how he went to a church around here, and donated money and everything, but the more he donated, the worse luck he had, so now he is out of money and luck. We asked him if he believed in God, and he said he didn't know, and asked if He was in the same category as Trump, (as in Donald Trump). We just laughed and said no, he's a lot better than Donald Trump. This old man just seemed very confused about what he was even here for. He lived alone, and just sort of survived. His name is Rudy.

The grandson, whose name is Lawrence, said that he knew most of the neighborhood, but nobody would or could help. We said that we might know some people that have jumper cables, because we talk to a lot a lot of people. We know a ton of people that could maybe help them out. They were so grateful, and said man, if you could help us out, that would be amazing, we can't find anyone to help us. So we called a couple people, and found out that the Beals who lived at the end of the street might have some cables. So we told them we were going to see if we could borrow some from them. So we did, and they let us borrow them. Then we needed a car, so we went next door, and a little girl opened the door, and we asked them if their mom was home. She said she was busy, but then another woman came out... A familiar face! A lady named Tracey, who is a member, but kind of rough around the edges (she has to be, I mean she works at the prison and graduated her training in second place, second only to a man. Yeah, overall, men and women, she got second highest rank.) But she came to the door and said she could totally help. Turns out she knows something about cars, and told the man what was wrong with his van, and helped him to kick-start it. Tracey had only been visiting her sister... She was only there for a short while. That was a miracle in and of itself.

When the van started working, both Rudy and Lawrence were so grateful. Tracey was going to give us a ride back, then we said, we should try to contact them.

So I told Tracey, and she said okay, I'll wait. :) but then after a while, she got back out of her car, and basically did it for us. She said very boldly that God loves him, that He is watching out for him, and that He has the power to change and love anyone. She testified about how this experience was a manifestation of Gods hand in his life. She said, "Can the sisters come by and share a message about Jesus Christ? Can I come too? I'll tell you what. I will come over and make fried chicken, and the sisters can share a message. Will you be there? I gotta know how much chicken to make." Lawrence said "Man, my mind is so blown right now. I've never really been a firm believer, but I still look for those signs that He is really there. This is so crazy!" then he began to testify (without knowing it) to His Grandpa that it was God's doing.

Miracles happen when you do good things. We weren't supposed to see Jace and Annemarie. We were just supposed to be at the right place at the right time.

Later, we had an appt. with Peggy, at which Sister Passey was our member present, and it started off as "I'm not gonna join your church, I haven't really come to believe it" to "Well, I will definitely read and pray about the Book of Mormon, I know this Book has to be true." It is, Peggy. It is. :)

SUNDAY: IDA CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!! :D And it was an amazing meeting!

I will just share some of my notes from the meetings:

"One by one" is a  pattern established by the Savior.

The Atonement is very much an individual thing. Each Sunday, we take the time for each person in the congregation to partake of the sacrament. When the people saw the resurrected Lord, they each came up, one by one, and thrust their hands into His side, and felt the prints in His hands and feet. Christ took their children, one by one, and blessed them. He talked to His apostles one by one, and blessed them. He took their sick and afflicted and prayed for them and blessed them one by one. In Gethsemane, we each had our personal moments with the Savior. He took each of us, one by one, and Atoned for each of us. We will have this moment once again, after this life, where we will stand before him, and report back how we have applied that sacred and personal atonement in our lives.

Peter, lovest thou me? Feed my sheep!

Likewise, Sister Inman, lovest thou me? Show me. What are you doing to show that you love me more than the things of the world?

• True conversion requires humility, even in the 3 days of darkness following the crucifixion, after physical evidence of His reality is gone.
• Do not just put in the time, but take the time to study and ponder, and prayer will come naturally.
• Pray to be filled with the love of Christ, which pulls our thoughts and desires away from yourself, and is centered on the service of others.
• As we become truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it will no longer just be an influence in your life, but rather the way of life that you live!
• We must become converted to each principle of the church and of the gospel, and allow each step to push you forward to strengthen you to be more converted in other aspects.

When we covenant with God at baptism, we also covenant to help others to keep their covenants as well. 

Come unto Christ, and Invite others to do the same.

As we lift our own burdens, look outward, look for someone else who needs help bearing their burdens, and we can all lift each other up wherever we stand.

When we reflect upon and feel gratitude for the Atonement, your desire to share it will increase immensely. Consider Lehi. As soon as he partook of the fruit, he immediately looked around to see who he could share it with, that they might also taste of the sweetness of it. He had the spirit of "I've got to SHARE this with someone!!! Who can I share it with?!?!?!" We must have our own conversion experience! Once we have that experience with the Savior's Atonement in our own lives, our desire to share that with everyone we come in contact with will increase greatly.

Also, look up the talks: "The Mediator" by Boyd K. Packer in 1977, and also "Redemption" by LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. in the October 2011 General Conference. In fact, study the life of the Savior this week. Prepare for Easter, consider and reflect upon the great miracle and blessing of the Atonement and Resurrection of the Savior. "Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

Something to ponder, and something that opened my eyes:

Feast upon the words of Christ continuously!

Do we look at the scriptures as a raw potato and raw meat? Unlike a feast that takes little effort to partake of and enjoy, the scriptures require careful preparation, lots of thought and effort, you really want it, and you diligently strive to gain something out of it. It is then that that raw potato and raw meat turns into a savory, juicy steak with fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes, that we can partake of, and appreciate, and enjoy to its fullest, and be filled with goodness.

Don't ruin your appetite! Let the scriptures be your first meal of the day, rather than Facebook/other distractions, etc. Don't allow other things take the place of the nourishment you need!

The more we learn, the more filtered our spirits can be. If our filter is the scriptures, we will have our lives centered on Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost will be more prevalent and recognizable. 

As we approach this Eater Sunday, I invite you to ponder upon the Savior's influence in your life. Consider the miracle that it is. Remember that you mean so much to the Savior, that during His great moment and what probably felt like an eternity of pain, He remembered you. He thought of you, and everything you would go through, and selflessly offered himself for you.

May we each find New Life in Jesus Christ! Have a great week! :)

Love,

Sister Inman

Happy Saint Patrick's day! Me and Sister McCombie

Sister Inman Letter - March 14, 2015

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

Arizona Sunset

Lost in the Desert

New Hair Cut!

Old Organ

Razor Ride

Razor Ride

Storm Brewing

The Griffins

Birthday Package

Wedding Reception

Sister Inman Letter - March 7, 2016

Is it MARCH already?

TIME GOES BY SO FAST. I've already been out another month almost!

Anyway, so the Restoration teaching challenge is going pretty well! It's HARD! Definitely a challenge. We have been able to teach the Restoration almost every day this week, and on the days we didn't teach the whole thing, we at least were able to teach a couple of points from it. I think that if we plan more in advance for how we will teach the restoration and when, then we will see more success and finding opportunities! :)

Tuesday, March 1st

We prayed to find somebody to teach the Restoration to, and we felt like we should try a part-member family, because the Grandma would probably be home. We hadn't been able to get in contact with them since I've been here at least, because they have all been sick. Well, we met the Grandma, and it was great! Her name is Peggy, and she is 80 years old. She is kind of sassy and has an attitude, but we taught her the whole Restoration, and I taught the First Vision again... and it was incredible. I prayed that the words would come to me and that I would remember the exact words spoken by Joseph Smith, relating his experience. And I was able to get it exactly right, sparing only a word or two. And as I recited his own words, the Spirit bore witness to me through the feelings in my heart that Joseph Smith did, in fact, see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, that he really was a prophet, and that the message of the Restoration is true. After I finished, all else was quiet momentarily, which was awesome because before that, there was background noise. There were babies/toddlers playing and watching a movie, etc. But for the moment, God provided silence, and the opportunity for the Spirit to bear witness of truth. And man, it did. Peggy was quiet, but listening intently the whole time. We continued to teach and ask questions, read scriptures, etc., and the Spirit was strong. She ended up with the determination to read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it, whereas before, she didn't want to feel pressured. But at the end of the lesson she said, "Well I guess I had better read it! It's a lot better than this other crap I'm reading!" Haha :) Oh grandma. I invited her to say the closing prayer, and she gave me this stank face, like "excuse me?" attitude, but she chuckled, and said "I'll try!" So she did.

She also said that she likes me a lot. (She referred to me as "this one". "I like this one a lot", pointing to me.) She said to me, "you teach well, and the words just come out smoothly. You know what you're saying, you know what you want to say, and exactly where to turn in your Book and what you're looking for... You're well equipped. You know your stuff." Man, that was just what I needed to hear. Coming from an 80 year old woman who probably knows a lot more about life than I do, just told me that I'm doing just fine. I needed that reassurance these past couple weeks. God knows me and what I need. Tender mercy, for sure!

Wednesday, March 2nd

District meeting was super good! I actually prepared in my personal study, and got a whole bunch more out of it! It was about the Converting Power of the Book of Mormon, teaching it effectively, and helping others to gain that conversion and testimony of it. Afterwards, our district went to lunch at Kainoa's (A hawaiian restaurant, one of the few good places to eat around these parts).

Later that night, in the "11th hour" (not literally, but it felt like it) we still had to teach the restoration, and miraculously, we were able to teach the guy that locks up the building at night. We taught him when he was standing outside our car, with us sitting inside. It was definitely different than any other lesson that I've ever had, or want to have, but the Lord still answers prayers. That guy showed up right at the very moment we were praying that he would.

Friday, March 4th

Another day!

I did studies and read in the book of Mormon (as in the book after 4 Nephi). I am also currently studying 2 Nephi 9, because I found answers to a lot of questions about the Atonement in there. I'm super excited to continue to dive into it and gain further insight into the greatest event in all of human history. :) I spent almost an entire study session on 2 verses. Read it :)

We went to the gas station at night, because we needed to get gas (imagine that) and I joked that we could teach someone at the gas station the Restoration. Well, as with most jokes I've been saying lately, we did just that. We were super nervous to go contact people there, but we tried once, and it didn't really work. The guy said he had to drive home. But then the Elders showed up too to gas up there, and they pressured us into contacting a random person there. We were going to go and talk to this couple, when we hear, "Sisters!" It was Courtney, a returning member, who was also at the gas station (it's a happenin' place to be!) and she totally saved us, and we taught her the restoration. I know, we're super lame. It was a tender mercy though, really.

Sunday, March 6th

Good day!!! We had an enjoyable fast Sunday, and I bore my testimony in 2nd ward. It felt good, I haven't done that in a while, and the Spirit kept kicking me in the gut to get up there. Sister Charles was feeling the same way, so we got up at the same time haha. After church, I wanted to get pictures in front of the Gila Valley Temple, because it was right next to the church building. That was nice, I love the temple, we are so blessed to have it so close to us, even in our area. Too bad we still can't go whenever we want to. :(

Tonight we contacted a new family, and then later, a part-member family. We taught the Restoration, and it was super good! The dad, Sean, was the nonmember, and when we were done, he said "I don't doubt any of this happened. Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, I don't doubt it's true. I mean, prophets throughout time, they were all regular human beings with imperfections. People say, why would God appear to a 14 year old boy? I say, Why shouldn't He?" BAM. He had a couple questions about the word of wisdom though. But we set a return appointment with them, and we have a new investigator!!! :D

TODAY, March 7th

A couple miracles: We all go to Walmart for groceries. And there were three sets of missionaries there. All three sets of us, from different people there, had their groceries payed for, whether in part or in full. A lady came up to me, and handed me a $20 bill. I asked her what that was for, and she didn't really answer, so I said I couldn't take that from her, and she just smiled and said, "I have one out, too. :)" then walked away from me and I told her thank you. Man. Today is a good day.

Anywho, so I hope you all have a fantastic week, I love each and every one of you and keep you in my thoughts and prayers! :)

Love,

Sister Inman

I love to see the temple! :)