August 24, 2015

Hello Family!

Another awesome week in Milton. We are seeing so much progression in the area and it's so exciting!! This last week we were able to get 6 member present lessons and we have 2 investigators with a baptismal date! We've been staying really busy with appointments and our area is seeing serious miracles. Man, I really don't want to leave!! But the next transfer is in 2 weeks and I've been in Milton for about 4 months already... We'll see. 

MEMBER REFERRALS ARE GOLDEN: So Rebecca is our awesome returning member and she is on fire right now!! She texted us the other day and said, "Lady in Salvation Army needs the Gospel. Get there ASAP." BAHAHAHA we were in Kitchener so couldn't go!! But we gave Rebecca some mormon.org cards with our number on it so she can pass them out! She invited her friend April to meet with us and the first lesson we had with her was powerful! Rebecca bore her testimony on the difference in her life when she does and doesn't live the Gospel. April felt the Spirit and asked if she could get baptised. Um. YES!!!! She has a date for the end of September and we are PUMPED!! She's about 25 and has a 5 year old girl but is single. April has had so many things in her life that have really prepared her to learn and accept the Gospel now. We're so excited to teach her again this week!! 

REACTIVATION IS JUST AS HAPPY AS BAPTISM: So Rebecca and Eddie are doing really well. We are at their house two to three times a week (FHE, service, and lesson) Rebecca has come 6 weeks in a row and Eddie came yesterday for the second time! We were shocked to see them walk in because the day before when we invited them and they said they were going to Toronto to this event that they've been looking forward to for months! But they all walked in together during the opening song, "Count Your Many Blessing." Oh man! My eyes got watery and I couldn't stop smiling! The little girls ran up to us after the meeting to give us hugs. Wow - I just love their family so much!! 

ALWAYS OYM: So we have this acronym in our mission - OYM - it means to open your mouth! HA. Well we see blessings when we literally talk to everyone. We were walking home from our appointment the other day and I was so hungry but still wanted to be obedient so we talked to everyone we passed. Well we met Lazar.  He's from the middle east but is actually a Christian. He was so happy to see, "young pretty ladies" talking about Jesus Christ on the streets. He told us he had two teenage daughters and he wanted us to meet with them! Perfect! We love referrals! So this week we will meet with Lazar, his wife, and his 2 daughters! Hopefully we'll have 4 new investigators :) We shared a brief message of the Restoration and Lazar seemed super interested so that's way exciting.

PRIESTHOOD BLESSINGS ARE POWERFUL: We're working with another less active member, Zamira. She's having a hard time right now with her boyfriend and trying to figure out her future. She was crying at our last appointment and Sister Morgan asked if she wanted a priesthood blessing. INSPIRATION! She said yes, so we started to call the members in that area to see who was available. Well Zamira is Spanish so we called a Spanish family and he was home and grateful for the opportunity to give a blessing. We went over about 10 mins later and Brother Guvera had gotten in his Sunday clothes. It was so cute to see the whole family gather in the living room and watch their dad give a priesthood blessing to a less active member. He gave her a blessing in Spanish and the spirit was so strong. We have no idea what he said but Zamira was crying and said that it was so powerful and it helped so much! I'm so grateful for the priesthood. It's so cool to think about that the authority that worthy priesthood holders have is the same authority that Jesus Christ had when he was on earth! 

UNHEALTHY FOR DAYZ: So we had a super bad day. Well like a super unhealthy day. After the meeting we had in Kitchener we all went out to eat together at A&W. Yes, I had a hamburger fries and a root beer float. Well 2 hours late we had a dinner appointment. She had pizza and garlic bread and gave us lots of ice cream. And then two hours after that another member surprised us with Pizza. Ha That night I felt so nasty!!! Good thing we have a gym! 

SPECIALITY TRAINING MEETING: You guys, I know I always talk about the Claytons - but I'm seriously so obsessed with them. On Thursday we had a meeting with them and WOW it was amazing. A lot is changing in the mission and it's all so exciting. Sister Clayton started the meeting and said, "Never think that anything that's presented in this meeting won't work in your area. If it's inspired by the Lord, He will help you make it work." I needed to hear that because I sometimes here other missionaries talk about different experiences they have in their wards and think that would never happen in this ward. But I have grown such a testimony that it can! And there are always people prepared in every single area. We just need to be consecrated missionaries so we can find them. President Clayton has been inspired to make a lot of changes to focus more on all aspects of the Work of Salvation. Our key indicators and standard of excellence have changed. Before all of our numbers we reported just included information with the progress of our investigators. But we are full purpose missionaries. So now we'll report numbers for investigators, returning members, and recent converts. President Clayton talked about how the Book of Mormon is full of missionary work. But he gave lots of examples (like Alma 31) where it was missionaries focusing and bringing back less active members of the church. They weren't only working with investigators. I had never really thought about the but think it's super cool! Our mission baptismal goal this year is 1,000. That means that every companionship baptises every transfer. Because of all the changes he expected a drop before an increase in numbers but it's going to happen and it's so exciting! YAY! I love my mission!! 

FUNNY STORY: So Steve handed something to Sister Morgan but she accidentally dropped it. well they both went down to pick it up and they banged heads SO HARD! BAHAHAHA And I just stood there and laughed. It was funny. 

EILEEN AND CO: They didn't come to church yesterday... We were kind of sad but we feel like it's going to happen soon! We had an awesome lesson with them on Friday night. We brought Brother Flores with us and he was perfect! Before the lesson Brother Flores and Eileen were just talking about the Philippines and they're from the same place and get this THEY WENT TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL! HAHA So they were freaking out. Well we prayed and started teaching the Plan of Salvation. The ending was the best part. Brother Flores bore his testimony about his family being together forever in the Celestial Kingdom with God. We asked Eileen how that would make her feel - knowing she could live with her family and God. And she kind of got emotional!! She told us that she thought we were just spirits that didn't have family relations in the next life. Sister Morgan talked about being sealed in the temple with the Priesthood authority and ready Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Powerful right!? They all loved that scripture! Then I bore my testimony about how I will see and live with my dad and the rest of my family forever because they were sealed in the temple. Man, it was just an amazing lesson. I love their family so much and can't wait for them to be baptised and eventually sealed in the temple!!!! We e-mailed her brother who is an area authority in the Philippines and he and his family are so excited about the progression of the family. They'll be praying and fasting for her and so will we. Miracles will continue to happen. 

STEVE: Our progressing investigator!! He's crazy but is doing awesome. He's progressed so much from our first lesson. He's been sober for 2 weeks now! YAY! He came to church again and loved it. He's been reading and praying every single day! He calls us all the time to ask questions. The ward has been really great and welcoming him in. He's working toward September 6th to get baptised!! He is still smoking but has cut back a lot. SO yeah, he's doing good! 

HOLY COW - I just wrote so much. Sorry this is a novel. But I love you all like CRAZY! Hope you have an amazing week! 

Sister Dayton 

MY TWO BABIES!!