Sister Neel: 11/22/21

 

"ya'll teach so good you should be prophets"

Hey guys!!

This week was awesome! 

Highlights:

*two maintenance guys were able to come fix our heating unit and both times we were able to share more about what we do as missionaries and our beliefs that set us apart. Both times with Mack and Steven, we covered temple work, sacrament, baptismal covenants, Joseph Smith's experience and word of wisdom. All because they had questions and wanted to learn more. We invited them both to church and they said they would be down to come check it out. 4 hours of lessons in the bag!!

*We had a lesson with John and were able to give him a book of Mormon after teaching the Restoration. He said he felt the spirit so strongly off of us he was convinced we were prophets XD. 

*We found 7 new people in one day haha! That's a lot for Wake Forest so we are pretty excited! Sister Hansen is killing it at street contacting and becoming more bold at approaching people and teaching lessons on the spot

We had new member lessons with a boy named Nathan. He just turned 14 a few weeks ago and was recently baptized which means we have the special opportunity to prepare him for the temple!! We taught the restoration and had each family member teach and testify on a point. The spirit in that room was tangible. Being able to hear personal experiences and testimony coming from little children enabled such a special feeling to enter their home. Nathan was the last one to testify on prayer and he shared his experience of knowing when the time was right to be baptized. "I just knew God needed me here. I just knew that someday, sitting in on missionary lessons was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. God needed me on his team. Now I'm here. I'm growing. And I love who I'm becoming." We were all brought to tears and I felt such an immense amount of love having the privilege to sit in on these lessons!! 

At our bible study this week, we split off into groups to discuss a passage in Mark 14. Eternal life was brought up and Zach questioned if that could even be a possibility to live with our loved ones past this life. I had the opportunity to share my beliefs and testify about the Premortal existence as well as God's plan for us once we pass on. I for sure thought I was going to be challenged on my thoughts as I sat around 4 different Baptists. But instead, Zach and Jonathan began asking questions to know more of where I obtained this knowledge and suddenly their countenance changed. It's hard to describe but their eyes lit up and I had their full attention. I straight up gave a Plan of Salvation lesson on the spot for 15 minutes and everyone was so impressed! Zach asked if he could meet with us afterwards to hear more about how he could be with his family forever. I felt so much love and added confidence as I was given this ability to testify on what I KNOW to be true. This conversation helped strengthen my relationship with a few of my bible study friends and now we have people wanting extra lessons!! 

 Miracle with Natalie Harms: Y'all remember my dearest friend right? We helped her move quite a bit about a month ago. She reached out letting us know her dad was in the hospital from a lung collapsing and she requested we pray for him as well as put his name on the prayer roll. She updated us a few days later that her father had unfortunately passed away but here she was feeling an incredible amount of love. She said it was hard to describe so I took the phone and asked, "Natalie, does it feel like the Savior is wrapping His arms around you?" She paused and after a moment replied, "Yes. I can feel Him here." Natalie had such a spiritual experience as her and her siblings stood around their fathers bed singing, 'I am a Child of God.' It had been years since that song had come out of Natalie's mouth but it provided the means to better understand where her dad was and what changes she needed to make in her life to be able to live with him again. She said this experience, although heart wrenching and challenging, has provided her a way to have a new formed love for the gospel and re taking the lessons was something she wanted to make priority. There's nothing that can quite beat hearing news like that. 

Lastly, I went on exchanges this week and was put in a trio with Sister Nelson and Sister Dyce in the heart of downtown Raleigh! City life is my kind of place. Here's some miracles from the exchange:

 *We walk out of the apartment to head to service and we see a guy trying to work on his car. We ask if he needed help and turns out we were an answer to prayer. We helped jump his car and taught the resto on the spot!

*We helped rake over 2 acres of leaves to a less active lady and she let us teach a lesson after 10 years of turning missionaries away

*we taught over 15 lessons and tracked down anyone we came in contact with downtown. It was beautiful though! All the skyscrapers had Christmas decorations on the top or all the trees were decked out in Christmas lights. Hanging balls of light were strung over the roads, hot chocolate venues at every street corner, there were choir groups standing on the sides of the road singing Christmas songs and every storefront was decorated in the lastest Christmas decorations, blasting Chrristmas music for all to hear. It was so beautiful! 

*We did a church tour with the ZL's and the Spaps (Spanish elders) later joined us and we all were able to do role plays and play games with the mission office staff. We later helped them clean since Friday was cleaning day

*We taught the Plan of Salvation to a homeless man playing a violin and found 5 new people as we taught lessons on the spot to anyone we could get to listen to us

*we did some finding at a resting home (skyscraper resting home) and taught a few lessons to some sweet elderly couples. On the way back down there were 4 elderly men watching the Lakers game and after sharing our love for basketball, they asked for a lesson and we handed out over 10 copies of the Book of Mormon to them and their friends who kept coming in

*We ate at Panera with a member in their ward and discussed ways we could further the missionary work in Raleigh. She gave the sisters 6 referrals!! So BOMB!!

This past week I've had the opportunity to spend each day focused on something I am grateful for. I've seen a remarkable difference in my life as I reflect on the blessings I have and what I hold dear to my heart. Today I am grateful for all of YOU!! The emails, prayers, visits and packages I receive are endless with support and overwhelming love as I serve a mission. You all have changed my life and been the examples I needed to continue persevering through my trials and find joy in the journey. I can confidently say I am still out on a mission because of what you each have done for me. I can't even begin to thank you enough. My heart is so full. I love every single one of you so very much and hope you have the best Thanksgiving ever!!

♡♡♡

Sister Neel