*THWOMP!*

This has been the wierdest week of my mission. Just, wierd stuff happened. Even the miracles were weird!! XD The miracles are the best part, and I don't have a lot of time, so those are the things I'll write about. Hopefully I'll have sufficient time to record in my journal all the weird stuff that's been happening. XD

 Weird title for a weird week. Real quick, back in the MTC, they did a demonstration with a hardboiled egg and a bottle. They told us we had to get the egg in the bottle, and that we had to do it quickly. Off course, when we tried to shove it in the bottle, it just made a mess of things and there was yellow and white egg guts everywhere. Then the instructor lit a match in the bottle and set the egg on top, and because of physics, the egg was sucked right in with a very satisfying *thwomp!* sound. Our instructor jokingly told us to listen for that sound when we teach. Haha. Anyway, it demonstrated that conversion had to come from within whoever we're teaching, and we can't force or shove anything without making a total mess. It demonstrated the importance of the Spirit and a sincere desire to know truth. 

 So fast forward, Sister Morris and I have tried EVERYTHING to try and get our investigators to come to church. They love what we teach, they love the Book of Mormon, they read and pray every day, but they're not coming to church for some reason. We've gotten them rides and called them the night before and the morning of and they seemed excited about it and they never come, and it's been kind of discouraging for us. It's not about filling pews, mind you, a lot of them have been saying that they don't feel like they're getting their answer, and coming to church to feel the Spirit there is one way that they can be taught from on High and get their answer. We've constantly been feeling like we've done something wrong, but that fire is just not there.

 We were talking to a recently baptized member, and their friend walks by just as we were inviting them to church. So just kinda off hand, we say, "Hey, we'd love to see you there to, you can come if you'd like." And they were like, "Sure, whatever." And we never thought about it again

 Until he shows up at church that Sunday and tells us the next day that he feels like his life has been changed and he wants us to help him be baptized. *THWOMP!* Donny is so prepared!! It's seriously so cool, it's like he's been looking for this his whole life. He's so excited about church and Christ and his Father in Heaven and it's just the coolest thing. 

 But that was church last week. This week....um, go back about two months ago, everything had fallen through, and we didn't know who we could go see. ANd we were like, "Well, we have a list of people who used to meet with missionaries but stopped, maybe we can see them." So we knock on this door, and we hear, "Who is it?!"
"It's the missionaries!! :D"

 "Oh....uh....not interested. >:/"

"Oh..okay...well, have a nice day. :c"

So yesterday, this random woman walks in the church, and goes up to the elders (they're a little more iconic than sisters) and said, "You're the missionaries? Yes, I'd like a Bible and a Book of Mormon? I was almost baptized a year ago, and I backslid, but this time I'm going all the way. Let's see, today's the 8th...can I get baptized on the 27th?" They get her address, she's in our area, and we're like, "Huh, if she's met with missionaries before, maybe we already have a teaching record for her," so we pull it up and say, "Wait a second....." 

 Some people aren't ready right now and just need a month or two. *TWHOMP!* She struggled with some changes before, but now she's determined to change her life and give it all to God, and we're so excited for her!! 

 I love working with people so much!! It's been the best blessing to see their lives change for the better and to really see how much of a miracle the Atonement of Christ is. I've known this truth before, but it didn't really hit as hard as it does as a missionary: we really are children of God. our Father wants us to be happy and will help us make those changes that will bring us happiness. Everything He does really is for us. Especially for "the one." No one is left behind or forgotten, but God really does make a lot of stuff happen to help "the one" in need. It's so cool. 

 I love you guys so much!! Thanks for the letters and the prayers, you're all the best!! <3 

 -Sister Stratford

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