Sister Olivia Sparks: Week 22

Hello humans!

I'm excited to report this week! It has been a GREAT week!

Monday: We had a couple of investigators come to FHE! We played human battleship, and it was super fun! One of our investigators asked US for a church tour...cool, eh?

Tuesday: So today was probably one of my favorite days ever. We taught one of our investigators the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end). We invited her to be baptized onAugust 30, and she accepted! We are so grateful for her sweet spirit and the desire she has to have a relationship with God!

We had our first interviews with our new mission president, President Johnson! He and Sister Johnson are so tender! I love them! They both feel overwhelmed with the responsibility they've been given (I would too!), so in the interviews, President asked us to give him counsel hahah. While in the interview the Spirit touched me. Something that stuck out to me was, "You are so blessed to have Sister Wade as your companion. You will learn many things from her if you so choose." Oooooooh that word "choose!" It's great, isn't it? Heavenly Father gives us our agency as a gift although a lot of time it seems like a burden--at least to me it does! I just want you all to know I know I have been placed in State College for a reason. I may not know the reason, but it was wisdom in the Lord to send me here. I'm grateful to be here with Sister Wade, and she really has taught me SO much!!!

Sister Wade and I and one of our investigators went over to a member's home for dinner AND we taught him just the first half of the Plan of Salvation. It was SUCH a cool experience because he has no religious background, and since Sunday, he has read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and 1 Nephi!!!! Are you kidding me!? He really has such a humble desire to know God, and he's putting for the effort to know Him! AHHH so cool!

Oh I almost forgot! A super cool miracle happened today! So last week we met a guy on the street who really wanted to meet with us, so we got his number and set up a time to meet. We called his number multiple times with no answer. We texted him....no answer. Today, we were at a gas station waiting for one of our branch members to pick us up (the members that fed us dinner), and Sister Wade had to go in to blow her nose. Of course I followed her into the gas station, but I really felt like I needed to go outside. I rushed Sister Wade outside (she tripped and knocked a chair over in the process), and to our surprise, walking right past the gas station was THE GUY!!!!! We waved him down, and eventually found out he got a new phone! We were able to get his new number and set up a new time to meet with him :) MIRACLE!!! Heavenly Father knows His children--that's for sure!

Wednesday: We had some great lessons today! One of our investigators is taking off for a few weeks, so we're sad, but he has accepted baptism too! We're so excited for all of the people we are teaching! They really are taking huge steps of faith, and I really admire that! Sister Wade has been sick since last week, and she developed a fever today, so we rested a lot later today. OH by the way...I finished the Book of Mormon again today! I've read it for classes at BYU Idaho, but this was the first time I really really read it. I tried to apply the principles in it to my life, and let me tell ya somethin! That book is true! I really do feel like Heavenly Father speaks to me through the Book of Mormon. That book has fundamentally changed my life. If you haven't already read it, READ IT! Even if you have read it, READ IT AGAIN! Go into it with a specific question, and I KNOW you will receive a specific answer.

Thursday: Today, Sister Wade was really sick, so we were inside all day. I was able to practice my motherly skills though and get her saltine crackers and 7 Up! :) Thank you, Mother, for teaching me that saltines and soda makes any sickness go away.

Friday: Sickie was still sick, so we were inside all day until around 7 when we filled the rest of the evening with appointments :) We had two great lessons, but both of those folks are going out of town :( one of them permanently! Nevertheless, it was a grand day!!

Saturday: Sister Wade is feeling much better, so we had some good appointments today! We taught someone from Thailand who doesn't have any religious background. It was really amazing to see the change in him from the beginning of the lesson to the end. We asked him if coming to know God by reading, praying, and coming to church was something he desired, and he responded with, "Yeah, it actually really is." So cool! He closed the meeting by saying his very first prayer. I love hearing people pray for the first time because they are just so sincere. Sometimes I forget when I'm praying I'm really just having a conversation with Heavenly Father, so that was a great reminder!

Sunday: Today was literally amazing! 5 of our investigators came to church, and they were each touched by the Spirit. They all expressed their appreciation for the speakers/teachers, and they shared with us what they enjoyed the most. Someone liked learning about the Atonement, another person liked learning about charity and love, another person liked learning about honesty, and everyone else liked something specific too, but I can't quite remember! It was just a really really cool church meeting. Sister Wade and I taught the Relief Society lesson. The lesson was based off of Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk, "Spiritual Whirlwinds," from this last General Conference. All I can say about that is GO READ THE TALK. It's amazing :) You can look it up on lds.org!

One thing I really took from today was the importance of the Spirit. Our Branch Mission Leader and his wife are moving to Texas, so they spoke in Sacrament meeting. Their talks were phenomenal. One thing that stuck with me was, "There are greater ways of knowing then intellectually." Learning things intellectually is obviously good and important, but when you learn something from the Spirit, your HEART, MIND, and SPIRIT understand. It's hard to explain, but I know as I have learned from the Spirit, that knowledge becomes a part of me.

This week, each morning, pray and ask Heavenly Father for an opportunity to love one of your brothers or sisters (which is literally everyone around you!). I promise if you ask Him and you seek it out, the opportunity will present itself, and you will find great joy from loving others. At night, thank Heavenly Father for that opportunity, and then ask for another one!

Heavenly Father is real. He knows and loves you perfectly. Jesus Christ lives and directs His church today. Those things are things I know to be true. Have a good week!

Love,

Sister Sparks

waiting at the library