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| This is actually leaving the Lutheran Church parking lot! |
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| Our Zone |
Me, Sister Gerber, and Sister Poudrier as Sister G. is getting ready to go home.
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| While we're driving!! Self - Portrait -- "Just the 2 of us!" |
Dear Family and Friends,
In a week we went from winter to summer! You would be surprised at how fast
the leaves have grown! They started at the size of my thumb and in a matter of
a day and a half got to the size of my whole hand and keep growing! EVERYONE is
outside and loving the sun! I am pretty jealous of all the bikes I keep seeing-
they are awesome. The Alaskan mosquitos are also back. UGH! oh well, I am lucky
because they don't usually get me like they get everyone else.
I got my going home date- August 8th. Sooner than I thought, but I will
leave it at that and stop talking about it.
So since Sister Gerber went home, life has been chaotic! Or maybe I should
just say it continued to be chaotic- with the amount of work we have, now it is
only harder to divide it between us between all the phone work, appointments,
etc. We still have the 3 different areas of work- YSA, Asian and 2nd ward. We
are staying busy, but that is a GOOD problem to have! We do miss Sister Gerber
lots though!
Next week is transfers, so we have another busy week ahead of us, but good
news- we have so many leftovers from people that we don't even have to go
grocery shopping today! yes!
We taught a couple of lessons after we dropped Sis. G at the airport on
tuesday at 4-- we had a lesson with a less active sister we have been
teaching. She is doing SO GOOD with giving up coffee and trying to avoid the
replacements she's been trying to put in. Haha, we send out scriptures of the day
to lots of people most days and SHE even has started sending US scriptures of
the day (the one she sent us yesterday was 2 Nephi 31:20-21)
20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life.
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the away; and there is bnone other way nor cname given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the ddoctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the eFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is fone God, without end. Amen.
We are teaching a few people through the daily dose program of the church
to help them learn English and they help us to understand Chinese as well. One
of our investigators just learned to pray in English, and he doesn't have a huge
Christian background I believe. He started out his prayer in broken English "in
the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. We thank thee for our families in the name of
Jesus Christ Amen." It was the sweetest prayer and by the end we explained to
him simply again how to do it and it improved, but that was so great to listen
to!
So we had a lesson with an investigator this week, (a man), who we hadn't been
able to see in a while. He shared with us about an experience he had at work
where he couldn't get everything to work out right- so he went in to a room and
knelt down and prayed. Soon after the trucks with the stock came in and he saw
the answer to his prayer! SO AWESOME! We brought a member who is one of the bus
drivers in the branch to that lesson and another sister and he came to us at
institute later that night and said, "It is the HIGHLIGHT of my WEEK to go to
missionary lessons!" It is great how the spirit work, because we are constantly
battered on all sides, but we can see the marvelous light that overcomes all
darkness. As missionaries we get to experience firsthand that light each day as
we seek it diligently.
Other interesting and crazy events this week: I fell backwards in my chair
at my desk- it's naturally a chair that leans back and it leaned back too far-
luckily I broke my fall to the wall with my elbow and now its all bruised up--
all good now-- thought you might like to know the advice you gave me my whole
life to not lean back in my chair is kicking in! Also, it is so interesting to
see how everything works out. First, we saw how prepared Sister Gerber had been
to go home beforehand that we had not known quite why beforehand. Next, on
Saturday we had so many appointments cancel and even drove to North Pole to find
out the person we were going to meet with wasn't there (we even brought members
with us and it was a bummer, but it turned out okay) and drove back to
Fairbanks. When we got to University and Geist we were waiting at the stoplight
about 5 or 6 cars back talking when we saw a car spin out of control and crash
and the 2nd car came crashing next to them into the first car at the light. The
people around ran- one pedestrian throwing his backpack to help the people out
of the car- there were a couple of injuries, it seems that none were too
serious, but the older man looked very in shock. They were each walked to the
sidewalk and eventually all taken care of, but was so impressed by the people
running to their aid without the hesitation. It was a powerful moment to be
there, and shook me a little, but I was grateful to see that. We all have good
instilled in us by our Heavenly Father.
We helped at a place called SOAP (forgot what it stands for)- for homeless
youth. The Elders painted and we fixed up the closet- it was FILTHY and a
mess. We have gotten to talk to a lot of new people this week. We met a girl
there and had a good conversation about her background with the church,
although she is not a member.We finally met her after recognizing that she is a
referral we were trying to contact. We also helped a woman move her food storage this week- she is moving to
the Badger Road area and has been member for only about 4 years I believe. She
is the only member in her family and has a HUGE truck full of storage. She has
been so diligent with it. When we asked her why she had so much, she responded
that her family didn't have it, and that she has children and grandchildren she
wanted to help if ever need be. THAT is faith!
One of the sisters in 2nd ward who comes to an investigator's lesson each
week told us about how at zone conference she made the lunch with a few other
sisters, but was early in finishing her part and sat up on the counter and
started drinking her pepsi just as the Zwicks walked by! She laughed about how
she knew that they wouldn't judge her but a general authority just saw her
sitting around! She is too funny!
We were happily surprised to see our recent convert at church on
Sunday because we didn't know he was coming back from the slope so soon!!! That
was exciting!
Yesterday at Sacrament Meeting in 2nd ward, an investigator who is getting
baptized and the Elders are teaching stood up and gave his testimony that he
knows that this is the true church and was just so grateful. He took out his
cigarettes and said that he would publicly give them up. It was really neat to
watch! We also had the bus drivers bring a few of their friends to church in 4th
branch- they are so excited about missionary work and so prompt about it!
Well, love you!
Love,
Sister Wuehler
scriptures:
Mosiah 24:15
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did astrengthen them that they could bear up their bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with cpatience to all the will of the Lord.
1 Nephi 18:15-16
15 And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to asee that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.
16 Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did apraise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.
Alma 62:41 (Similar experience,
different reactions)
41 But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their aafflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.
Alma 61:14
14 Therefore, my beloved brother, Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our awords, yea, such as rebellions and dissensions, let us bresist them with our swords, that we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God.
ism: "Sista Gerber, angel from heaven, can only eat apple and wataa!" from a
sweet thai lady, penny, who loves to feed us :)
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