Sister Allie King: August 15, 2016

Okay, this week wasn’t the MOST eventful, BUT, since this is the Lord's work there are always miracles!!

We had this woman come up to us and ask us to teach her about church. So when we were doing that, a less active member we were working with came up to join us, and then a homeless woman we had talked to a week before did as well, so it was like a little party! Seeds were planted and SOMEDAY she may accept the gospel :D

We visited a lot of Less Active members this week, and one of them recently got baptized in the 2nd ward and she moved in with her sister. We were talking to her when her sister, who we've been trying to visit for weeks, comes up and started asking questions, and it turns out their dad was a member! We then get a call from a less active member who just got out of jail but wanted to go to church because he wants to change his life again! So we gave him the numbers of the local church leaders and he ACTUALLY CAME! EVERYONE should come to church, and he was so happy and loved it so much. If only everyone realized that GOING TO CHURCH BRINGS BLESSINGS!! Where's my soapbox?

We were able to see S. again, he is an investigator from a month ago who's trying so hard to quit smoking and get to church, but life got crazy. We taught him the restoration again and the spirit was so strong and it was such a cool testimony to me to know that this gospel isn’t complicated, as we focus on Christ and the truths that bring us closer to him, we'll have the strength that we need to push through. He said that he's SEEN a difference in his battle to overcome his addiction since he stopped studying the scriptures and going to church. I'm so grateful that God has given us these resources to strengthen our faith and help us be happy. I know that as we do what God asks, He'll bless us with exactly what we need.

We taught the grandpa of a family who were all former investigators, he's great! It was one of the few times we made someone an investigator actually sitting IN their home instead of talking to them standing up on the doorstep. It was a really cool lesson, and Sister Clegg and I have been setting goals to improve our teaching skills and everything we had been working on came out in the lesson. Our ability to teach clearly and simply has improved; I stopped rambling as much; we both spoke normally instead of having quiet, and we just felt so good afterwards. It's awesome to see how God helps us become better missionaries and better people; I know it wouldn’t be possible without him

The talks in church were amazing. One was on Elder Hollands talk "Lord I Believe," talking about the scripture in Mark 9:23-24, when a man takes his son to Christ to be healed.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

It made me think of the scripture in Alma 32:27, talking about if we just have a DESIRE to believe, let that desire work in us until it becomes a knowledge. God KNOWS that we won’t have perfect faith, that we'll have doubts and trials, but He promised us that if we just focus on that desire to come closer to him, He'll make up the difference. He'll give us the strength we need until we can get through our problems easier. He'll give us the knowledge we need right when we need it. He gave the dad a miracle, even though he just had that desire to believe. I've seen in my life and on my mission that, even when my faith isn’t all the way there, God IS. And He'll lift us up until we can stand on our own. I know that this church is true, that Christ came to this earth to make it possible for our eternal happiness, and I KNOW that the most joy that can come to us in this life comes through him. I love the chance I have to represent him and help others come closer to Christ, and I can’t believe I've been out over 13 MONTHS! Life is wild and crazy, I love it and all of you!

Estrella The Cat, Sister King, and Sister Clegg
Bakersfield, CA August 2016

So we had to go back to South Bakes to get some coolant for the car and
I got to go to my OLD APARTMENT to drop off some keys I accidentally stole,
so this is us THERE! I let myself in and left notes all over the place
for the Sisters, apparently it freaked them out. Mission accomplished.