Obedience

Hi Everbodee!

Sounds like you had a lot of fun in Philly! I got a letter from Kira the other day telling me about how she's going to have me another niece or nephew when I get home. Exciting! But I knew it was going to be coming - I made a New Years prediction about it. So I'm going to have 3 new nieces or nephews I haven't seen by the time I get home!

I've been really worried about an investigator we've been working with because her boyfriend of two and a half years that she's been living with and is the father of her 5 month old little boy, finally proposed and they are getting married this month, but I don't know if it's really for the best and she's not even very sure, but she feels she doesn't have a whole lot of choice anymore. She was thinking pretty seriously about moving out before he proposed so she could be baptized. And I think he was pressured into it by his family (who are all active members of the church), but really, he's not very good to her or the baby and doesn't really want to marry her. So we've been really worried about the whole situation because we've come to love and care about her so much. But we've had them meet with the Bishop and he's going to begin meeting with them, together and separately, regularly before they get married. That makes me feel a little better about the whole thing.

But anyway, not all of our investigators have chastity problems (even though sometimes it feels that way). Things are going really well with the lady from Congo. She is so amazing. We have taught her all the basic lessons and have been going over things again and answering questions. We showed her the Restoration video in French and it was interesting because she told us that she felt something when she watched it but them it goes away when she starts to doubt and think this is too fantastic to believe. But then she told us she told us she does think it's true she just wants to be sure, she wants to feel that conviction. She keeps asking us how we know so strongly that what we are teaching is true. So I get to bear my testimony a lot to her, but it usually comes back to - because I've lived it and tested it and have felt the peace and joy promised in the scriptures. That true happiness that can only be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And she just has to test it and ask for herself.

So we met our new mission president yesterday. He seems really nice but has made it pretty clear he expects us to be strictly obedient and to really BE missionaries, not just do missionary things. His wife seems really nice too. I think they will be really good for this mission and I can't wait until zone conference next Tuesday when we can get to know him and the changes he intends to make in the mission a little better. He has worked in CES so I expect to gain a lot of insights into the scriptures from him as well.

Neither of us got transferred this last transfer so we didn't get to go up to Charleston to see Pres. Cowley for the last time. But now I'm especially sad I didn't get to go because Sis. Andersen was there. She flew in to visit, and I didn't get to see her... But oh well, I guess. We have a new District and Zone Leader and I was happy to find out that my District leader knows all the songs to Newsies and will sing along with me :) I love it when they humor me. I get tired of some of the Elders thinking they can't be friends with me because I'm a sister missionary (and a lot older than them) - because we need friends too! And we don't get to be around any other sister missionaries very often. They're funny. So Rick - be nice to the sister missionaries in your mission, don't be a sister-hater (even if they are blister-sisters).

Well, I got to get going. Love you all!

~Melissa