Robin and Randal

Dear Everyone,

LoL- I'm pretty sure that was the funniest story I have heard in quite some time. :) Wesley and Steven... they really are brothers. My companion also got a good laugh out of it. Between Wesley and Steven, I don't think family reunions will ever get boring. And that sounds like a great camping trip, nature, big foot and all. ;) I'm glad Mom didn't get lost on her hike, but I'm not terribly surprised that Steven thought she was killing him. I would also have to agree with Wesley's description of Big Foot- Big, dark and fuzzy. :) I would have LOVED to have seen him tearing down the road and into the trailer.

I would be more than happy to pray for you. That really stinks. Interesting note- it actually tells us in the handbook that we need to pray for family and friends. :) I guess missionaries sometimes have a tendency to get too wrapped up in what they are doing, and forget that family and friends also need their prayers. I didn't notice that until the other day. :) I guess they know you need extra prayers too. Although, I do hope you enjoy that new fridge, and the ice. Especially the ice. Is it silver (the fridge)? LoL- if so, I guess another blessing would be that the kitchen finally matches.

It is crazy how much I've been blessed in my life. I really have an incredible life, with very few trials, and yet, when one of those things I consider trails comes up, I seem to find myself going, "Wait! What?!?!?! I don't want that!!" I guess that is life. We have trials, we complain, we become humble, and then we learn. No matter what the trial is.

Congrats on the missionaries!  Missionaries really DO love being fed! Something about a dinner that takes less than 5 min to prepare and is not eaten in the car... We've had a family dinner where the family really wanted their daughters to see missionaries. It was kind of a weird experience. I guess I've never thought of myself as a role-model missionary, especially because I'm so new and inexperienced... but I guess if I can bring someone closer to Christ, and encourage someone to do good works, I'll have done my job. I really hope you enjoy the dinner with the missionaries. And I hope Wesley and Steven have a great time with them!  I'm sure you will make their day.

This week we had an investigator couple at church for the second time, which was incredible. Their names are Robin and Randal- and they are absolutely amazing. For Sister Jackson and I, this is our first investigator to really take us seriously, and do everything that we've asked them to do. It has been absolutely incredible watching the transformation take place within their home and within their lives. On Friday, we went through the baptismal questions with them and when we said "Do you believe that President Monson is a prophet of God?" they looked at us and said, "Who?!!??!" Whoops.... We've covered modern prophets several times, and we've given them Conference talks, but apparently we forgot to give them the names of the people who were prophets. :) So, on Saturday we watched segments of the video "Special Witnesses of Christ" (That is a video where President Hinckley and all of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve testify of various truths of the gospel), and talked about how President Hinckley was the Prophet, but now President Monson is the Prophet. Oh! It was SO cool! The Spirit in the room was absolutely amazing. It was almost tangible as we testified that these men were called of God and that the fullness of the gospel, with the proper authority has been restored on the earth. Robin was crying by the end, I was crying, and both Sister Jackson and I were able to bear incredibly beautiful and clear testimonies. For quite some time now, I have been praying that I would be able to share the gospel with clarity and power. That night was one instance where I was blessed to have that prayer answered, and it was beautiful.

I've really come to love these two people, which is an incredibly scary feeling because it means that I REALLY REALLY want them to succeed, and I have to be the best missionary I can be so that they have the best chance of succeeding. They know so little, and I can see SO many of the potential roadblocks that could block their progress, but at the same time, everything has to be done with the correct timing, so that they are super pumped about the gospel and they know what they are doing when they make the covenants we are asking them to keep, but at the same time they'll never know EVERYTHING they need to know and we need to help them make those covenants before the adversary convinces them otherwise. Seriously!!! If parenting is ANYTHING like this, I think I am going to die. 

Fortunately, I've also felt Heavenly Father's love for them, and I know that he also wants them to succeed even more than I do. I guess if he decided that Sister Jackson and I were up to the task of helping these people, he will qualify us as we strive to fulfill our calling. But Oh! Sometimes I just wish he would just send the awesome missionaries that know everything and do everything 100% correctly and that exist only in my head. 

(But you know that makes me think of a point that we talked about in my English class last semester. We were talking about love, someone mentioned that we love people despite their flaws and my teacher said, "Do you think we love people despite their flaws, or we love them because of their flaws?" Its kind of a comforting thought... maybe I am able to be a better missionary BECAUSE of my flaws... I don't "Know" everything, so the Lord is able to give me inspiration that a more experienced missionary wouldn't get because it might be slightly unorthodox, and therefore "wrong." If that makes any sense... and maybe my flaws are able to connect to their weaknesses and we are able to understand each other better.) 

:) Most of this week has been taken up with Robin and Randal. We meet with a few other investigators, but they are the ones that are actually progressing, and they are really progressing beautifully. :) Sister Jackson and I also had the opportunity to figure out how to phrase answers delicately this week...In Jesus the Christ I read that "the great and abominable church" would make life a pain for those who are trying to teach the gospel (paraphrasing here... ;) ) to the world. Well. Yep. :) Even to those good, well meaning souls, SO many things have taken on a different meaning than what Christ meant for it to mean. It is hard to redefine so much of people's vocabulary. They think they know God, but then we explain that he has a body of flesh and blood, and that throws a whole new twist on things. Everyone is Christian, but very few people actually know what the word "Atonement" means, or what "Redemption" is. Missionaries are viewed as people who want to give charity- which is okay... sort of. We don't mind serving, and we would love to help out, but like Paul of old (Acts 3), we aren't out here to give people physical bread or money. In fact we CAN'T give money. Which sometimes causes a problem. :) Fortunately, the gospel is true. Nearly everyone down here is willing to listen and at least hear us out. And those that are interested in things far greater than physical bread, and those who truly want to live God's commandments (ALL of them), are willing to change their lives. When that point hits, THAT is when in really gets inspiring.

Yep! Being a missionary is great work. Sometimes I wish I could just proclaim it from the mountain tops, but the Lord works with each person individually to bring about their salvation. :) I suppose I should just be content with proclaiming the gospel to whichever investigator I am working with in the Vestavia Hills area. (Hill, mountain... I guess for the time being I can be content with my hill.)

Anyways, thank you Dad, for your thoughts on loving people.  I'm sure my companion will appreciate that as I try to show her I love her. She really is an incredible companion, and it has been really neat working with her. And so are the investigators. They really are amazing people. 

Most people, when they are preparing for a mission, or when they come home from the mission seem to be absolutely obsessed with the place they served or will serve in. I am not really particularly obsessed with Alabama. I mean, I like it and all, it seems like a great place, but I'm not really obsessed with it. Which is kind of interesting. It made it rather hard when I had my call, and before I got here because people would be all stoked about Where I was going, and I really didn't particularly care one way or the other. But, now that I'm here, I'm really discovering that while I'm not particularly crazy about Birmingham, but I REALLY love the individuals I get to work with. Almost from the moment I meet them, I just love them and think they are the awesomest people ever. Ever. :) I guess I've decided that the Lord did not send me to Birmingham, Alabama. Rather he sent me to Robin and Randal, Sister Carol, Vickie, Terri, Casey, Sheena, the Teachworths, Misty, ect. either because I need to learn from them, they need to hear what I have to say, or both. And it really is quite beautiful.

On the Ward:

Say Hi to Devin for me. :) And knowing the DeHarts, Sister DeHart will make the AWESOMEST mother-in-law. Ever. 

:) Say Congrats to Nick. Oh! Manda wrote me and told me a bit about it. :) :D I am super happy for their family. Amanda seems to really like her, which is great. Tell her that she is one of the luckiest girls in the world because she gets to join that family. LoL- give my condolences to Miranda, but be sure to remind her that Katie is only a few years older than Wesley... ;)

Well, I love you all! I hope you have a great week!! And get lots of stuff done! :) I will pray for you. Love you tons!

e.p.

~Sister Pratt