Miracles Have Not Ceased 11/17/14

Hello! 

Have I got alot to tell you! Man, this week has been awesome.

Ok I'm just going to get right in to the nitty gritty. :)

So Monday night we had no set plans so we had some plans to contact a potential investigator and then tract her street. Oh, btw the sun sets here at 4:30 PM ;) So we are tracting at 6:30 and it feels like its already 10:30. So we knock on this potentials door and she lets us right in! We taught her the Restoration and she agreed to have us come back! So Wednesday rolls around and when we got to her house she had made cookies for us and beanies! This woman has a 2 year old boy and she is a single mom and somehow she found the time to do that for us. I was speechless...and then she asked if we could maybe read the B of M together..are you kidding me? So we shared our favorite verses and then gave her a good intro of the book. And she said she would read it and pray about it! :) So we will see her again on Wednesday!

Tuesday night we visited a 16 year old girl whose mom just recently got baptized! She agreed to be taught and so we decided we would start off with the Plan of Salvation due to her needs at this time. Shes got some hard trials in her life and so we testified to her of the Saviors sacrifice and love for her. We also taught her about prayer on Thursday and she said she would pray! Before we taught her she said that she didn't like talking to God, she said He was up there and she was down here and that's how she wanted it to stay. But by the end of the lesson she knew she needed to pray. It was amazing to see the spirit working on her. We talked to her mom and she said that she can already see a change in her. She still has a long ways to go but oh, how I love her so much already! 

Thursday we did splits and I went visiting teaching with an awesome lady in the ward, Sister Wagner and we visit taught Sister Jackson and her family. We were talking about some things that were happening in their life that were really hard for them as parents and Brother Jackson said something that has really stuck with me this week. He said, "Do all that you can and not be attached to the outcome. Have faith in Heavenly Father and know that it will all work out the way it should!" How I needed to hear that. As a missionary it gets so easy sometimes to just want what you know should happen and when it doesn't happen its sooo hard! So I have been trying to focus on doing my best and then having faith in the results and knowing it will work out how it should!

Friday we went to go see a woman who we don't see at church much because of health issues and so we went and read the Book of Mormon with her. We read 1st Nephi 1 & 2 and something in chapter 2 really stood out to me this time. So Lehi has seen this vision and is commanded to preach to the people in Jerusalem of there wickedness and tell them to repent. When he does this he is almost killed. And then he is commanded to leave all of his belongings, his gold, his inheritance, and take his family and depart into the wilderness. So they travel for THREE days in the wilderness and then set up camp and you know what Lehi does he immediately offers up a sacrifice in showing Heavenly Father gratitude! So here he has almost lost his life and then left pretty much left his whole life and he is praising and thanking God! I was just really touched by Lehi's faith and how he knew that what he had been asked to do was of God and it in the end was going to be the best for him. And he was grateful even though it probably wasn't easy for him! So after we saw her we decided to stop by another member we hadn't see in a while and we caught her home and shared a message and then as we are getting ready to leave her friend comes. I asked her if she maybe know of anyone that could use a message from us and she points to her friend and says Maggie could! So we asked Maggie if we could stop by this week and she said yes! Ahh! :)

Saturday we had planned to visit a former investigator who was taught about a year ago but the missionaries stopped teaching her because they just couldn't get ahold of her. So we stopped by her house and she agreed to let us come in. We taught her the Restoration and the spirit was so strong!! As I recited the first vision to her I got choked up, thats a first for me, and we invited her to be baptized and after a VERY long pause, which me and Sister Olsen managed to not say anything in, she said she would like to be baptized! So we are super excited to see her again this week :)

Sunday, Bishop Crouse surprised me and asked me to introduce myself and bear my testimony. Oh how I love to bear my testimony! I have already grown to love the Waterville ward even though its only been 2 weeks. I will have been out 5 months tomorrow! Time is just flying. This week as I prayed with the most sincerity I have ever prayed with I saw miracles right before my eyes. I know that if we have faith that we will be able to accomplish those things are Heavenly Father has in store for us. 

Keep on keepin' on! Love you all so much <3

Sister Innes

P.S. My new address is:

57 Cool St.

Apt 2

Waterville, ME 04901

We're the coolest ;)

And enjoy my eskimo pictures and willy the one eyed cat!!

Waterville Wardies /Nov 10, 2014

Hello! :)

So the news on the street is that I have been transferred to good ol' Waterville Maine where the livin' is hard and the investigators are few ;) But really. And I wouldn't have it any other way! My new companion's name is Sister Olsen and she is from Sandy, Utah. She is freshly trained. I don't know what Heavenly Father was thinking when he put us together. We're still brand spankin' new except without the spank! It is always a party with Sister Olsen. I already love her so much!

So Waterville, like I said, we have no investigators...yet. So this week has been full of some good old-fashioned tracting! I think my favorite person we talked to was this cute little old man. We stopped to talk to him and after we gave him a Book of Mormon he told us that we made his whole day and then he preceded to hug both of us even though I tried to just give him a hand shake..the man was 90 years old though so I think we're good. Later that night we talked to a man who told us that organized religion is destroying the world. He went off on how it was separating the world and causing wars and before he walked off told us we'd better think about what we were doing to the world...and then I was just awakened at how deceitful Satan is. Little did that man know and most people know that the message we have to share would bring the world together and make it a better world if they would just listen. But regardless, I know that Heavenly Father still loves that man and so do I and I will continue to pray for him.

So, this week I have learned a couple things.

1. Heavenly Father is in charge. I know that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I haven't quite figured out why but I know I will soon find out. A couple days before I found out I was getting transferred I could just feel it coming. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father what was going to happen not really expecting much of an answer. But He told me that things were going to change but that everything was going to be okay... And he has continued to reassure me of that throughout this week. I know He has a plan for me here...and that it will all be okay.

2. Heavenly Father answers prayers. This weekend we had Stake Conference. I prayed before the meetings that I might know how to help the Waterville ward..specifically in helping them with missionary work. And I prayed that the speakers who spoke would also help them be more motivated to help us out as missionaries. And then in the Saturday night session and the general session of stake conference it was specifically talked by Sister Stoker, President Stoker and the Stake Presidency about how the members needed to help us missionaries who were out here ready to work. 

I have been praying, and praying... and praying that we might be able to find those who are being prepared to receive the gospel and also how we might do it. Yesterday I was reading in 1st Nephi 17 about how Nephi is commanded to build a ship. At this time they have just come to the land Bountiful which was full of much fruit and honey and life is GOOOD. Then Nephi is commanded to go up the mountain to pray. While there he is told he should build a ship which will, "carry thy people across these waters." And so Nephi asks the Lord how he is going to make tools to build this ship and the Lord tells him he will use fire. And Nephi tells us that he has never really used fire in the course of his journey so far. But in verse 15 he did "strive to keep the commandments of the Lord. I thought about how I could apply this to myself and realized that just like Nephi and his family my life was really good before my mission just like the land bountiful but then I was called to go on a mission just as Nephi was commanded to build a ship to carry his people to the promised land or in my case the gospel. And just like Nephi needed to use fire to make his tools to build a ship, which was something he hadn't really had to do before, maybe there was some "fire" I needed to use that I maybe didn't really like to use or hadn't had to use much on my mission so far...and I asked Heavenly Father what it was and he told me "Tracting Sister Innes!" How could I have been so dumb? I kind of hate door-knocking, it isn't one of my favorite things to do and I am not afraid to admit it. But the spirit bore testimony to me that that is what I need to do. So that is my plan and I'm sticking to it. And I know by that act of faith and diligence then will Heavenly Father place those who are being prepared in our path. 

I love this gospel. The simple fact that my Savior lives and loves me is something that has made all the difference in my life these past 5 months (what?). I love y'all and am so grateful for the love and support that is continually sent my way! Every member a missionary. Share the gospel :)

Love you!

Love,Sister Innes

The Classic "library" pick of me and Sister Olsen :)

Things are Changing/Nov 3, 2014

Hello people I love!

First off it snowed yesterday. And....

I am being transferred and going Senior Companion!! Are you kidding me?! And Sister Blume will be staying here and training in Sanford. I can't really think right now, I'm in this weird in between stage. I have grown to love the people here so much. I got up and bore my testimony yesterday and probably sobbed at the pulpit for a good 2 minutes before I could even say anything.  I could feel it this week though....I feel like I have reached a point where I have gotten so comfortable here in Sanford and in order to keep growing and learning I needed to be uncomfortable again...Bring it on Heavenly Father! I am a bit nervous and sad, but I am mostly excited. 

I didn't have time to share this but the week before last I finished the B of M like President Stoker had challenged us to do and I prayed before I read the last couple chapters in Moroni and I asked Heavenly Father that if the Book of Mormon was not true that he would let me know. As I read I came upon a couple verses in Moroni 7: 12-13

12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to dogood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth andenticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

And the spirit bore witness to me as I pondered on my reading of the Book of Mormon that the book is inspired of God because it has made me want to be better. It has strengthened my knowledge of Christ. I have come to know Him better as I have read. I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is true. As I read it this time I was just so struck by the love our Savior has for us. And how simple the gospel is. Heavenly Father loves us so He sent His son. Jesus Christ is the only way to Salvation. We must have faith in Him and his atonement and act upon our faith everyday by repenting and trying to be better. I know that because of him we can be healed and we can find peace!

Brother Ness felt the spirit this week!! On Wednesday we taught him the Plan of Salvation and he told us it was exactly what he needed. Before we started the lesson I sang, "I Know My Father Lives" and I looked over at Brother Ness as tears ran down his face. He felt the love of Heavenly Father for one of the first times in his life. The elders had a baptism in the ward this week and Brother Ness got to come to that also. Afterwards, he told us he was ready to be baptized! Me and Sister Blume were asked to do reverence time and we had one of the cute girls in the ward sing "Baptism." As I sat there and listened to her sing I was reminded of my baptism and how I felt the Holy Ghost for one of the first times in my life. And it was so amazing to watch Brother Ness feel the spirit again as she sang. After Brother Ness left the church that night, I yelled down the hall, "I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!" And I do. I have never done anything so satisfying in my life. 

I hope y'all have an awesome week. I know I will :)

Love you!!

Love,

Sister Innes