Hermana Mary DeWitt: Plates of Brownies and Teaching Families!

Well, last week we had our P-day on Monday, but this week all the missionaries in Longmont and Loveland had Zone Conference on Monday, so our P-day got switched again to Tuesday - so sorry about the confusion!

It was a good week! Here are some highlights:

We had our last interviews with President Palmer (all of the mission presidents are leaving in July!) and we're sooo sad to see him and Sister Palmer go - they are such good mission leaders, and truly make all of their missionaries feel like the most important person in the room. I'm gonna miss them, but I'm also excited to meet President and Sister Sandstrom!

Most of the members in our Branch have been struggling with different things (health issues, family issues, faith issues, financial issues, etc. etc. etc.) so this week, Hermana Young and I decided to make brownies and drop off a plate of brownies for each member family - one of the members we visited is inactive and is currently struggling with the recent and sudden loss of her husband. When we visited her and gave her the plate of brownies, she said "thank you for thinking of me" and got choked up! I had never seen her cry before, so I was a little surprised, but glad that we were able to be instruments in the Lord's hands in helping this member feel loved. She hugged each of us twice, and said that she might start coming back to church! We're very excited for her.

On Sunday, one of our friends, Margarita, came to church for the first time! When we asked her if she was coming, she responded and said, "Yes, I'm ready! Can someone come and pick me up?" We were very stressed as we tried to find someone to give her a ride, but our Branch President's wife, Hermana Riddle, truly saved the day and helped Margarita get to church! She really liked it, and even participated in Sunday School!

We also found a whole FAMILY to teach!! The Martinez family is sooo adorable, and we love them! We introduced the Book of Mormon to them, and asked them how they felt about it - Norma (the mom) responded, "Well, I already know that it's the word of God! I can already feel the power of God as we've been reading it!" It was so cool to see how strong their faith is! They also pray all together as a family every day, and their youngest daughter, Victoria, is always eager to pray with them! We're so excited to keep helping them progress in the Gospel and read the Book of Mormon every day together as a family.

Personal Study excerpt of the week:

Alma 36:21 - "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."

-Word Web: define "exquisite"

1. intense or sharp

2. lavishly elegant or --refined--

3. delicately beautiful

-when the Lord has begun to --refine-- us, we can begin to feel exquisite joy!

-the refinement process is not an enjoyable experience, but it's a necessary process in order for us to become perfected in Christ

-Christ has felt all pain and sorrow, which increases His capacity to feel joy - when we experience pain and sorrow, our capacity to feel joy also increases.

Love you all and have a great week!

- Hermana DeWitt