InsPIEration

I look back at our area book to see all that happened this week and it amazes me what all happens in just one week. I constantly think that these events happened forever ago and not just this past week. I can’t include everything that happens but here are a few:

P-day: We got asked two days before to help a family move on Monday. Normally we don’t do service on our p-days but it was really late notice to get many people from the ward to help and not sure if anyone who could help saw the FB post our ward mission leader sent on the ward page. It was just us and Sister Galloway, the member who notified us about the opportunity to help move her neighbors who aren’t members. We were able to talk to them a bit about the church and found out they have attended before. We were helping to clarify misunderstandings about the Doctrine of our church. Later we went shopping and played a bit with the elders before going to dinner. That night we did an FHE with some members who then helped us to photograph pictures for #LightTheWorld. 

Birthday: My birthday was Tuesday and I turned 24. We had district meeting which went a little long and then worked on Facebook. I have learned to not ask questions on or around your birthday because it takes the fun out of being surprised. My comps had planned a surprise party for me with the sisters in Palmer and told me we got permission from the Zone Leaders to go take pictures in Chugiak. They played it off that they needed to get wifi for directions and stopped at Colony chapel where the Colony and Lazy Mountain sisters were there to help celebrate. We had a lesson scheduled with some former investigators that evening. They are super nice but aren’t interested in changing churches right now. 

Door: Wednesday morning Sister Johnson realized that she had left her iPad in the car all night long. We were putting our coats on for this freezing weather (it hit the negatives this week). We couldn’t get the door to open and eventually Sister Johnson climbed out the window to then open it from the other side. It seemed like our door was just frozen shut. We carried on throughout our day and later that night we were returning home from the ward Pie Night social from the bishop’s house to find it hard to get in through the door. I would just like to mention that I did not touch the key nor the door this entire time. My comps were trying their best to try to unlock the door but it seemed stuck. One of my companions tried it again and saw the key was starting to turn but soon realized it was just the key turning and not the lock. She pulled it out with the broken piece attached by its last thread and then the key broke in her hands. We called the landlord and she was just happy that it didn’t break inside the lock. We waited in our heated car for the landlord to come with another key and we called our new investigator to get to know her over the phone. She lives in Anchorage but goes to church with a close friend of hers in the Beach Lake Ward here in Eagle River. She has had some traumatizing experiences in the past and right now is only comfortable to be taught by female missionaries. So we are beginning to teach her but are trying to do our best to help her transition to be in the ward she is suppose to attend. 

Thanksgiving: We party hopped as we always do but this year I paced myself with food and ended up only having two dinners with one set of desserts. I didn’t take seconds at either which was good but it didn’t have the same feel to it as most Thanksgivings do where you gorge yourself. Our ward mission leader suggested that we sing for people we visit because singing the hymns helps to bring the Spirit the quickest. We tried it as we went to people’s houses for Thanksgiving. Brother Holt, our WML, said he was inviting a nonmember family over and wanted us to stop by but not wanting it to seem like he had invited us. So we stopped by at a random time and we talked to everyone for a little bit and then we sang For the Beauty of the Earth. Afterwards we shared Alma 26:37 “Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.” A couple days later on Saturday we got a text from the Arctic Valley elders that they met the family we sang to on Thanksgiving (they were shown as formers in their area book) and they are now their newest investigators!!!!! Tender mercies and it is so cool to see that an action of ours helped them to start wanting to visit with the missionaries. Miracles. 

Needing Pie: On Facebook Friday morning we saw that one of our members had reached out to Sheyla in fellowshipping her on our group chat we had created which was awesome and that Annett was responding to some Thanksgiving messages on a group chat as well. It was a tender mercy to open up facebook messenger and see that.  The rest of the day was long and tiring and we were just in the need for some pie. We figured there might be some members who are in need of getting rid of pie! We first thought of Sister Betz who makes the best desserts ever and gave her a text. Later that night she was excited that we had asked. She said her mother-in-law was in town visiting that wasn’t a member and thought we should come by and share a message. For some pie... I think we can make that happen. :) She made this amazing pumpkin cheesecake that was to die for. I love this time of year because pumpkin is in season. We shared with them the new #LightTheWorld video for the Church’s Christmas Campaign with the advent calendar and they loved it. Sister Betz was very grateful we came by and for us it felt inspired that we asked her for some pie and having that want for pie turn into a missionary moment.

Sent from ALASKA!

Sister Shelley Willden