December 6, 2010

Hi Everyone!

This week has been pretty uneventful. We just are trying to work hard and stay in contact with our investigators. We've lost contact with Isaiah. He seems to be acting like a normal 15 year old and doesn't want to meet with us very much right now. We also have not been able to get a solid appointment with Jonathan and Sasheene, but we have one scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. We picked up a new investigator this week, his name is Ray. He has a baptism date for December 18th, so hopefully it will work out! We also picked Shydon back up as an investigator. We had to bench her for a little while, but she's been coming to church on her own for the last little bit, so we picked her back up. She's moving to Portland in 3 months, so we have that long to get her baptized and solidified. We're meeting with her tonight and we hope to set her baptism date for Jan. 1, 2011 (1-1-11). Lucky number 1! Ha!

I had a pretty cool study this morning. I've been reading the Book of Mormon for 30 min./day and then studying Preach My Gospel (Chapter 3). I was reading in Alma 31:1. It talks about how Zoram is teaching the Zoramites to "bow down to 'dumb' idols". I thought the wording was pretty funny how Alma calls the idols dumb. Then I got thinking Alma probably isn't the kind of guy to just go around calling things names! I got thinking about what the word "dumb" means. It means to not speak. So they were worshipping Gods that don't speak. We run into people all the time who are worshipping a God who doesn't give revelation today (at least that's what they think). They say they have scripture and they need no more scripture, so in a sense they're saying God doesn't speak today. How lucky are we to know that we DON'T worship a DUMB God, but we worship a God who is still speaking to us individually and as a church collectively! I'm so glad I have this knowledge and we're in the position to be able to help others to have this knowledge. There is so much more of a solid foundation in knowing that God is just as real and alive today as he was in the Bible.

I also started studying in JS History 1:27-64. I've heard this account 100's of times, but I had so much fun reading it today and realizing that Moroni gave scriptural evidence to Joseph that the work he was proclaiming had been proclaimed before and was now being fulfilled! I also loved that as he was giving these scriptural accounts to Joseph they differ from the wording in the Bible (because of wrong translation). I think the one that was the most different was in Malachi 4:4-5. The way that Moroni spoke it gave A LOT more understanding to what it is actually talking about. Promises! Promises given in the temple! It is so cool!!!! Ha! Anyway, that's my fun little personal study for the day!

I've been trying to read the Old Testament again. I've found that as I'm going through if I highlight all of the JST's, OR's, IE's, HEB's, ect. in the footnotes, I understand it a lot better and I'm able to stay awake while I read it! Ha!

We have a baptism tomorrow! Yay! Alicia is getting baptized tomorrow night! We have to go to Dallas for the baptism, so that will be a fun little trip!

I also get to go to Corvallis on Friday night for exchanges! I'm really excited to see some of my recent converts there and to be back in Corvallis again! I miss it!

We have interviews on Wednesday! I'm really excited to get to talk to President again! It's been WAY too long since we got to talk. And then we have Zone Conference next week! I miss normal Zone Conferences! The last one we had was in AUGUST! That's way too long!

Well, I better go! Love you all! I hope to hear from you ALL this week!

Love,

Sister Losee

Pic 1: We have a member (the Wirfs' family) who were used to get me a tender mercy in the form of a REAL Christmas Tree! That's what this first picture it!

Pic 2: My first Christmas Ornament (as a missionary). It's an OSU Football player! Sadly OSU lost to U of O on Saturday, but I'm still a Beaver! Ha!

Pic 3: We cleaned out a swamp on our Bishop's property and this is an "after" picture. We were up to our hips in nasty water that was made of mud and who knows what else! Ha! Kind of gross!