Ministering, Miracles and MLC

Last week we had a full week of interviews.  Every day we were with a different zone.  We do a lot of things in groups, but interviews are times of one on one ministering.  I know every missionary looks forward to the time they have alone with the President.  I always go along and I think they look forward to their time with me because I always bring homemade treats of some sort.  While one of the companions is in with Scott for their interview, I sit and have a visit with their companion and then we switch.  It really is the one time during the transfer cycle that we really can minister one on one to each of these missionaries.  For a few transfers I wondered if they thought it was weird that they had to sit and talk to me while they waited to talk with Scott, but I think they kind of like having a 'mom' to sit and talk to for a while.  Usually after interviews as we are driving home I will say, did you know... fill in the blank.... about Elder so and so, or Sister so and so?  It's obviously never anything confidential, just stories about their lives. Scott always looks at me and says, 'how do you get this stuff out of them?'  I just ask questions and let them go, and I think, with a plate of cookies sitting on the table between us, they feel like they are in their kitchen with their mom.  It's a great opportunity for us, although it is pretty exhausting.  We have anywhere between 12-23 missionaries per zone, so for some of those bigger zones it takes about 5-6 hours. I always feel bad for the last zone we do, because sometimes I will ask a question and then look at them and say "did I already ask you that?' because I know I have asked it at some point, I just can't remember if I asked that particular missionary.  

We also found some time to go out teaching and finding with our missionaries in the past few weeks.  I went out finding one afternoon with Sister Lund and Sister Baker.  It was so good for me.  We stand up and give them the go get em, and you can do this talks, and it is harder than it seems.  We went out for a couple of hours trying to 'find' and we went to at least 8 or 9 houses of people in the area book.  Only one of them was home, and they were nice, but didn't want our message.  We would try to contact neighbors, and people on the streets and it was amazing to me how the sisters would just yell hello to anyone, (even if they were across the street) and walk right up to them.  With most of the people we talked to I was getting the definite vibes that they were completely skeptical of us, and before we even started talking, a wall went up.  This didn't seem to phase or deter these sweet sisters, they just kept smiling and yelling hello to anyone and everyone. We were able to have a good conversation with a man who was sitting on the stairs of an apartment complex and we talked with him about Jesus and prayer.  It was a good conversation even though he wasn't interested in having us come back.  After our time together the sisters were apologizing that we didn't have more success, and I told them A. that I was so happy to see what they do every day, and to recognize their diligence, even when it is anything but easy, and B. that our miracle of the day was that we had a good conversation with Steven on the stairs, and we left him better than we found him.  Then I quoted President Monson, who was quoted by his daughter at his funeral. "Sisters, I believe we have done some good today.".

Scott went out one night teaching with some Spanish Elders, but out other teaching experience this week was incredible. We went with Sister Koller and Sister Sherman to a mother and her 2 teenage daughters and her 19 year old niece (or cousin, I didn't quite put the relationship together).  Wow, what a lesson and what a spirit that was there.  They were so open, and had such a desire to know and learn.  When we walked in they all had their Book of Mormons out, they had been reading and studying and were so engaged and asked really good questions, you could see things clicking in their minds.  The sisters taught with sincerity and simply.  At the end of the lesson we all knelt and the 19 year old said a prayer.  I can now see why missionaries say hearing someone's first sincere prayer is one of their favorite things.  It was so touching and I was so grateful to be a part of it.  I have received an update since our lesson, and the girls are going to the ward YW camp fund raiser because they want to go to girls camp this summer, and the 19 year old is asking about how she can serve a mission.  I can't wait to follow this family's progress in the gospel.  

That day the Sacramento Zone was doing an Olympic Seeking Saturday and so Sister Sherman did a post game interview, with my lipstick as a stand in microphone, to assess the lesson.  They are all so cute and are trying so hard.  Makes me love them even more, if that is possible.

I heard about an amazing miracle from one of our Chinese speaking Elders during interviews that I need to record to remember.  Let me just say, we don't have any missionaries who have been called here to as Chinese Speakers, but we do have four native Chinese speaking missionaries, 2 from Hong Kong, one from Mainland China, and one from Upstate New York.  I have been amazed at how the Chinese people are finding us and really accepting the gospel.  We have had a lot of Chinese baptisms.  I was talking to Elder He, our Elder from Mainland China and he told me this miracle.  He is assigned to a ward where the Chinese group meets. We don't have enough for the Chinese to have their own branch, but we do have a group and they meet with an English speaking ward and have translators.  We have quite a large turn out.  A few Sundays ago, about 10 minutes before sacrament meeting started, Elder He was in the chapel and one of the Chinese members brought a couple in to meet him.  This couple was also from mainland China, the husband is a lawyer who is here for a year and will return to China in June, the wife is here with him until May.  The Chinese member found them standing outside the church, kind of looking like they wanted to go in, but didn't know if they should.  The member asked if he could help them and they told him that they wanted to find a religion and learn about God and they felt like they should come to this chapel, but not knowing if they could come in or not.  The member welcomed them in and turned them over to the missionaries.  That is miracle enough, but I couldn't get over the fact that they showed up at the exact church, at the exact time that the Chinese group met, and Elder He, a Chinese speaking missionary was there.  It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord leads the prepared to the gospel.  They have been to church every week since, and they are on date for baptism.  I love this work. 

We had Mission Leadership Council yesterday.  I always love that meeting.  It is a meeting filled with the spirit and the Elders and Sisters always come with an open heart, ready to learn and to share.  And we always have a nice lunch, that our Senior office missionaries prepare for them, so that is another big plus.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for Elder and Sister Gunn and Sister Gunnell for their help yesterday.  We are blessed to have them here.  

It is so fun for us to have Elder and Sister Gunnell here with us.  I can't even count how many times we have worked in a kitchen together, some things never change.  However, we have never had missionary name tags, or missionaries photo bombing before. Love it!  The picture of President and Elder Gunnell was taken Monday night when we had a Senior missionary Family Home Evening at our home and they were in twin suits.  Nice to see them together again as well. 

I will never get tired of this weather.  Eating lunch outside in February is absolutely lovely!

We also celebrated our darling Sister Wilding's birthday!!!

 Even though this is a completely unflattering angle for me, it won't stop me from posting this picture of these amazing women.  Our sister training leaders are women of wisdom, strength, goodness and love.  How grateful we are to serve with them, and all of the other equally amazing Elders and Sisters in our mission.  We are abundantly blessed.