BREAKING NEWS!! 1/26/15

Hola family and friends!

Well word just came in that we are supposed to get 3 feet of snow tomorrow with 60 mph winds and expected power outages! So pray that I don't freeze to death here in Waterville, ME!! haha

Also, Sister Olsen is leaving me...and I'm just a bit sad. I have really come to love her and count her as one of my close friends! She has taught me so much about service and selflessness. She is always looking for ways to help others and never thinking of herself...I have really come to love her awkward comments that always make awkward situations suddenly not awkward anymore haha. She tells really bad jokes, can't count, or give directions, but I love her anyways. Waterville will miss her so much! I know that Heavenly Father will use her how He intends and I know that my next companion will be just what I need and most importantly what this area needs!

Well just a few of the miracles that happened this week:

Monday, we met with the inactive man and his wife I mentioned last week and it went so well. We taught the Restoration and the spirit was so strong and his wife was asking all sorts of questions....after we got through with the lesson we got talking and he told us that he had been praying and reading the scriptures and planning on coming back and then we knocked on his door. Well after we met with him he met with the bishop and came to church yesterday!! 

We also started teaching a new man who has lots of potential. We found him on Tuesday and then went back on Wednesday and he agreed for us to come back :) He was really impressed with how much knowledge we had and what we were doing.

Well, I'm sorry this is a lame one today. Me and Sister Olsen have come down with Ebola and are planning on going back to bed after this.

The church is true and the book is blue!!!

In case I end up dying of Ebola or hypothermia, I love you all!!!

Love,

Sister Innes

Feels like summuh!!!!! 1/19/2015

Hello people of Normalville!

The temperature is currently in the 40's today, it feels like summer!! ( I know, I never thought I would say that) And I am wearing pants. It is a glorious day to say the least :) 

Well this week flewww! The weeks seem to be getting shorter..and I don't like it!! 

Last Saturday we had an awesome miracle..so we were trying to contact this Less-active in the ward and we couldn't remember his apartment number..we thought it might be maybe #2 or #8 so we decided to just knock on #1- #8! Well we had no luck until door 7..this man opened the door and said, "Come in" and me and Sister Olsen look at eachother like, "what?" I hesitantly said, "Is there a woman home?" and he replied "Oh yeah, I forgot about that rule." And in my mind I'm just like, "who is this guy?" So Sister Olsen asked if he has been taught by the missionaries before, and he said "Oh no, I'm a member I've been inactive for a couple years. So we proceeded to ask if he was the man we were looking for and he wasn't. He just moved to that apt 2 weeks ago and the ward had no idea...well he allowed us to come back on Monday and share a message with him and his wife who isn't a member and they are just, so awesome! He wants to come back to church and she said she would like to learn more! His wife was like, "I like these girls!" So we will be going back tonight :) She was surprised that we were actually normal people haha. I think we are going to become good friends! MIRACLES ARE REAL.

Well Tuesday was Zone Conference! It was all centered around chapter 4 in Preach My Gospel which is all about the the spirit :) Our mission vision this year has alot to do with working with the ward to get "1000 Rescues in 2015". President Stoker felt prompted to emphasize obedience as well which was a good reminder for me! Obedience is not only crucial as missionaries but as Children of God. When we are obedient then Heavenly Father can bless us temporally...but most importantly spiritually. Obedience is a form of faith..As we trust and obey then we are blessed! I know it and I feel it so strongly.

 I have felt a little overwhelmed with being senior companion and making sure that we are being exactly obedient..it can be stressful sometimes. But As Zone Conference was ending I was just overwhelmed with all of the things I needed to work on and I was just praying for Heavenly Father to help me feel comforted and not so overwhelmed...And then after it ended Sister Keown, who I was in the MTC with me, came up to me and just asked me how I was doing as Senior Companion. She told me she was having a hard time and I told her that it had been hard for me too...and she told me she was prompted to tell me of an answer she had received. And she said, "You are where you are so that you can learn the things that Heavenly Father would have you learn." We were both just standing there crying haha. But I felt Heavenly Father's love through her...and I know that what she told me is so true...we are all each where we are supposed to be. If we hold on faithful we will be stronger and learn what HE would have us know!

Probably one of the highlights of my week was seeing Lizmary on WEdnesday! We had dinner with her and her mom and then we tried to have a lesson but the whole time we just ended up talking about her baptism. We resolved conflicts and questions! The first thing she told us was that she had been praying and she had been reading!!! The best words ever. She then proceeded to tell us that she "needed this poop in her life" and I said why did you call it poop? She was like well it's better than saying the other word...haha so I said yes ok than just say "poop"! The change that has taken place within her is INCREDIBLE. She ask so many questions...she told us that when we first started meeting with her she believed it was all too good to be true. But now she knows its true and what she needs! She is preparing to be baptize in February with her little sister :)

Well I wish I had more time to write but I've gotta go! 

Love you all to the moon and back!!

Love, Sister Innes

Wouldn't have it any other way 1/12/2014

Hey y'all! :)

I hope you are all enjoying our winter....meanwhile I'm just over here freezing my little buns off! (See Pic 2) It got to -8 degrees this week. My nose hairs were literally frozen within minutes of me walking outside. I have so many pairs of fleece tights and wool socks it's getting to be a little ridiculous. But in case you were wondering... I haven't frozen yet. Sister Olsen actually told me I was a pro at driving in the snow today...I don't fear for my life when I drive now so there is definitely some improvement here! :)

No.1 Miracle of the week:

drum roll.....Liz came to church!!! :) Let me tell you, fasting works miracles. I am still receiving answers to prayers...it's amazing. We were able to get 3 lessons in with Liz this week with members present at all of them. It really has been so humbling to see the change that has taken place within her in just 1 week. I love her so much....she seems to really be influenced by the Book of Mormon and is actually reading them even though she doesn't understand them completely...which is just awesome. She is still on to be baptized..to say I'm happy is in understatement :)

We have also started teaching this awesome lady named Debbie, who I mentioned a couple weeks ago...and she has so much potential! Her best friend is a member and she is just awesome. She has been to every lesson with her and even though she lives like an hour away she is going to come all the way to Waterville just to come to church with her next week. Debbie actually prayed after our first lesson..she hasn't got an answer but she prayed!! Sister Olsen just told me yesterday that her and her previous companion had been referred to Debbie before and she had declined their invitation to learn... but she never told me. It took a couple times to get in contact with her and Sister Olsen didn't really see much potential there because of her previous experience...But, I'm really glad she didn't tell me that  though because I probably wouldn't have been so fast to follow the promptings to visit her as many times as we did....and now she is one of our two progressing investigators! That is a testimony to me that Heavenly Father NEVER gives up on His children.

Last Monday I was dealing with Holiday Hangover bad time and I just couldn't seem to be happy even up until Tuesday morning...It was very unusual for me because rarely am I like that. So Tuesday got up and got ready and then started my personal study...before I did I said my usual prayer but this time I just prayed and prayed and...prayed that I could get out of this weird funk and be normal so I could be effective. So I was studying the Plan of Salvation and I have studied and taught it multiple times...but as I read through it my sadness literally turned to happiness. My darkness turned to light and my heart was bursting out of my eyes! I felt the redeeming love of my Savior so strong...and this I have a testimony of...that God is my literal Father. He knows me. And he loves me. He has provided a plan for me which is all centered on the atonement of my Savior. As I trust in His plan and follow it...that is when I find true happiness. I have found it and I will never look back. Words can't explain the feelings I felt...my heart is feeled with Gratitude for the knowledge I have which has been confimed by the Holy Ghost.  

I found a gem this week...Romans 8: 38-39

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In case you ever wonder...Heavenly Father is there. He hears your prayers....and HE LOVES YOU. If you ever think otherwise ask Him, He'll set you straight. :)

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox. I love you all so much!! And I hope you have a marvelous week...go to church, read your scriptures, say your prayers! You'll thank me later :)

Love, 

Sister Innes

It's Bittuh cold! 1/5/15

Hi peeps! 

Happy New Yeeuh! (Thats Mainer talk for Happy New Year!) I've got the language down finally. Here's the trick...switch r's for uh's and uh's for r's. It's amazing! ;)

My news years consisted of missionary coordination at our ward mission leader's house with supper...and then me and Sister Olsen made new year's resolutions (missionary style) and then we went to bed at 10:30...at 12:35 AM one of the ladies in the ward that we visit texted us "Happy New Year" and I woke up, looked at it, said, "Happy New Year!" to myself then went back to bed. Best new years ever! :)
 
This week was so good...so many miracles it's hard for me to write all of them. First miracle: Liz is getting baptized!!!! She has accepted to be baptized on February 14th and I am so excited for her. We read through 3 Nephi 11 and the spirit was so strong...I felt my heart might explode. I was praying and praying the spirit would change her heart and help her to see why she needed to be baptized...and it did. We still have some things we need to work out and alot we need to do but we are on the right path! Yay!

Last Sunday we visited a couple in the ward who haven't been to church in a while but oh how I love them so! ...we have been visiting them for about a month and a half and we weren't too sure where they stood with the church but we kept visiting. So about 2 weeks ago..the wife asked us for help and told us they felt like they had something missing and they wanted help getting back to church. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? My heart was leaping for joy! So last Sunday we took an awesome couple from the ward with us and it was amazing...the spirit was so strong...they felt loved and understood and had alot of questions answered. Heavenly Father is so aware of His children, it just blows my mind! 

Saturday there was a man baptized into the ward that was being taught by the elders and he was baptized by another man who was actually just recently baptized within the last couple months. It was Brother Madison's first time baptizing anyone so it took a couple times for him to get it right before the baptism was complete. As I was watching this the spirit whispered to me..."He is doing his best." So I shook his hand afterwards and complimented him and he said, "I did my best!" And I said, "That's all that maters right!"... And I have just really been pondering that experience ever since. This week I have felt an overwhelming amount of Heavenly Father's love for me. And I was assured that he sees my efforts and he knows that I am trying my best....and that's all He asks. A smart fellow once told me, "Do your best, Don't stress. Leave God with the rest!"

Yesterday was probably my favorite fast Sunday of my life...I went into it sincere with specific people and questions in mind and the whole 3 hours of church I was just spiritually fed. Heavenly Father gave me answers I didn't even know I needed...he gave me feelings and love I didn't know I needed. One miracle I have already seen from fasting...last night we had dinner at the house of a member's parent who is not a member. I had fasted that day that I might know how to help them in their situation...so we ate dinner with them and I wanted to share something but didn't know what..then the spirit prompted me to sing. So I explained that I wanted to show my gratitude for dinner by singing them a song and they accepted! Well I hadn't sung in 2 weeks because I've had a little cold and haven't been able to sing too well...so I was just praying that everything would come out ok and that the spirit would be there. Miracle from heaven! My voice came back and the spirit was so strong. I was so grateful...my faith was strengthened in fasting and what an honest fast can do! I know that I will continue to see miracles from it. 

Well my time is up....but I love you all. I hope that something I have said has helped you in some way. I hope you all have a fabulous week! 

I LOVE YOU!!! XOXO

Sister Innes