Family and Friends who read these letters:
("get out your
hats and raincoats kids, we're having rain for twice a day, for two
years") Can anyone name this movie quote?
So this week was an adventure. We had a tornado watch start
at 4pm on Tuesday and that brought tons of water resulting in a water main breaking
somewhere in Glen Carbon. Running from the house we were at to our car resulted
in two very very wet sister missionaries. Due to the water main break some
residents had been out of water for a good day and 1/2. We thankfully had water
the whole time; however our pressure was low, so we had to fill up buckets to
flush the toilet. But the worst part was our water was contaminated because the
flood water had seeped into the water main. We had a Boil Order for all of last
week and today it was finally lifted. I haven't dared try drinking any water
yet. Thankfully we have a Britta, but I'm sure the water is going to taste a
lot like Chlorine. I don't know about you, but that is not my flavor of choice.
Monday night we had an appointment with Alexis, sadly she
was busy getting caught up with homework because she had been sick all last
week. However we were supposed to be there, because that gave us an opportunity
to speak wither her mother Tina and share a brief Plan of Salvation with her. I
think i told you how she had a son who was killed in East St. Louis about a
year ago. She had some really sincere questions about what happens after this
life. We were supposed to meet up with her on Friday, but when we arrived she
was out paying bills and running errands. Again this turned out to be the will
of God because we were able to meet up with Alexis. She at first seemed
frazzled and not too inclined on letting us in. We were able to sit down and
noticed quickly she had a lot on her mind. We went into her kitchen to read the
scriptures away from the noise created by her son and three younger siblings.
That didn't work too well so as sister Duncan and Alexis read and discussed
scripture while I distracted the kids. I was in the joining room so we were
still within sight and sound of each other. After the lesson Alexis's whole
countenance had changed. She was even laughing. That is the power of the Book
of Mormon in action. The Book of Mormon is true, when we make it a priority to
read passages in our lessons and particularly to have our investigators read
from it, the spirit is in more abundance.
We had an amazing Sacrament service yesterday. The theme
that everyone stuck with was on missionary work. I'm praying that this is the
beginning of something great! On Saturday we took a 16yr old young woman to an
appointment with us. Her mother shared her testimony about the experience and
how excited her daughter is to serve a mission. That was the start of our
meeting and it just continued from there. As a missionary you get so excited
when other individuals are able to participate in missionary work. The spirit
you feel when you are able to declare truth, nothing can match that feeling.
Later that night sister Duncan and i were out tracting on our way to visit a
PM/LA family when we were stopped by an older women. She pulled up beside us
asking if we were missionaries from the Glen Carbon Ward. We answered in the
affirmative. She then asked us if we were sister Salmon and sister Duncan,
again "YES". She told us that she was a member and was currently
serving in the Centerville branch but had brought her Sister (NM) to the
Edwardsville ward that morning. Her sister lives in our ward boundaries so the
elders gave this women our names and number so she could call us. She was so
excited to see us, she called her sister right then and there to tell her she
found us walking the streets of Granite city. She welcomed us into her friend’s
home and we had a good talk about her sister. Apparently her sister had met
with missionaries before and had almost been baptized. But she let smoking get
in her way. That night i was was thankful to have been tracting on Adams street
in Granite city. That was where we needed to be. The Lord works in mysterious
ways, and will lead us where we should go. And sometimes we don't even know we
are being led.
Quick note: I was reading in 1 Nephi 3 when Nephi and his
brothers are sent back to retrieve the plates from Laban. As I read, i sat
pondering why it would take them three times to accomplish the task at hand.
Nephi had exercised his faith in verse 7 by telling his brothers that they
should have faith, that the Lord would provide a way. But it wasn't until Nephi
and Sam had been beaten, that they were able to accomplish the thing which the
Lord had commanded them. They didn't ask the Lord from the beginning what they
should do. The first time the cast-lots, the second time they went to their
worldly possessions, and then the third time Nephi says he went forth not
knowing beforehand what he would do. When we put our trust in God and include
him in our decision making, like Nephi we too can accomplish whatever the Lord
asks. But it can only be done with the Lord.
I love you all
Sister Salmon
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