July 13, 2015 Member Missionaries are the best!

This week was wonderful! We had a a blast teaching and finding. Our numbers were higher than usual which is a huge blessing and all credit of course goes to the Lord. We as missionaries and even as people must admit our own shortcomings and give credit to the Lord when we succeed! 

We had 5 investigators at church yesterday!! Mitch and Rich came, as well as our new investigator Thomas, and an investigator family. We were really busy and excited to say the least.

The exciting news about our new investigator Thomas, is that he is a referral from one of my absolute favorite families the Talivacaolas. We invited the Talivacaolas a family to help us with missionary work. 

President Hinckley taught: “The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching,but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change. … The process of bringing new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found” (Ensign, May 1999, 105–6).

As Bednar said some of us need to stop praying for people to come to church and go out and get them!

The Talivacaolas stuck to their commitment and had not only Thomas over for dinner with us the other day, but even another neighbor who is not a member! It was a beautiful dinner full of the spirit and delicious food! We are so grateful to be able to teach Thomas, and now he has a perfect family to help fellowship him. They live nearby and are able to take him to church with them every Sunday. They even bought him a shirt for church because he did not have one. The Talivacaolas are not a rich family, but they decided to give. 

Jacob 2:17 "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you."

We don't need to give away everything we have to be right in the eyes of the Lord but because we have been given much, we truly too must give. Especially when it comes to the gospel. We must share what we have and know to be true! 

I am grateful for the Talivacaolas and their example of charity and know they will be blessed. I am a perfect example of people giving. I am certain I would not be where I am today if it was not for people giving a whole lot to me! And I'm not talking monetary things or items. I was given Charity: "The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ" and for that, I am so so so grateful.

As a mission we set monthly goals for what we are to do to push ourselves. For whatever reason the spirit promoted us to set a goal of two investigators baptized this month, which we were hopeful could happen but were unsure. Yesterday at church our bishop completely ecstatic, nearly tackled us to tell us that two of our investigators committed to being baptized on the 25th!!!!! Wahoooo. Horray for Bishop Peery who is a serious missionary and so dedicated to not only the ward as a whole, but supports the missionaries and their efforts. And of course thanks be to God for his goodness and mercy for allowing this goal to be reached. 

Transfers are soon and I feel like I'm going to get the boot from Palo Alto! I love it here, but just like I loved Livermore, I'm sure I'll love my next area. 

We will seeeeeee, I'll keep you all posted ;)

The Church is True!!!!!!

Sister Carter