Something really great is about to happen

Um...this past week was sweeeeeeet! More specifically, Friday might have been the BEST day of my life thus far.

So, Friday we have our regular appointment with Mandi (I can't remember if I told you about her. She recognized miracles after we left a blessing with her a few weeks ago and now has been meeting with us multiple times a week. Committed to baptism, but without a date)> 

Well...we show up and she wasn't there! What the heck? So weird right? We were super bummed because we had a lesson planned and we were gonna use the "power of the pause" and everything! But, then she wasn't home. 

So, we were like "Dang it...this is GREAT!" (Because we are trying to be positive about EVERYTHING.) 

But, we didn't have a back up plan so we quickly decided to go check in on the Edwards. They're a family of 5 and the Dad is the only member. He served a mission in Costa Rica, but then went inactive. He and his 19 year old son, Dakota, have been coming to church the past couple of weeks and last week Dakota dropped the bomb on everyone that he wasn't a member! What the-?! How did we not know this?

So we rode our bikes in the heat (it was around 100 allllll week) over to their house and as we were walking toward the house I said "Hey guess what? Something really great is about to happen." 

Sister Pack said, "Oh yeah? and what's that?"  

I said "we are going to go into this house and ask if there is anything we can do for this family and then we are going to clean their entire house and Dakota will say gosh these Mormons are great people, I want to be baptized!"

Before we knock, we pray that Dakota will be home and will soften his heart to us and recognize the importance of being baptized. 

We knock on the door and what do you know...Dakota answered!!!! Hahaha I think I am so funny. But, this isn't funny. It's serious. Anyways, he said that he was the only one home and that everyone else was at the beach, but he decided not to go!! 

So, he let us in and agreed to take the discussions from us. Then bold Sister Anderson said "let's do one right now!" and so we did. 

We opened with a hymn (which is the best thing ever, it immediately invites the spirit) then said a prayer and began to discuss the restoration. HE. KNEW. EVERYTHING! We were like "why haven't you been baptized?!" 

Okay not like that, but we did say that we were shocked about how much he knew for being a non-member and asked why he hasn't been baptized considering he knows the Book of Mormon is true and is very in tune with the spirit. 

He told us that he feels like he needs to read the entire Book of Mormon and know all of it before he can be baptized. We explained to him that that isn't necessary and taught him all about the Holy Ghost and the principle of faith. 

We had probably only been there for 20 minutes when I said "Dakota, if you pray about baptism and receive an answer to your prayer that this is something you need to do, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized?" to which he said "Yes I will." 

WAHOOO!! He is getting baptized July 27th! :) We are meeting with him and his dad on Thursday so we can officially teach him about the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.

After that lesson we were on cloud nine! It was the most spiritual lesson experience I have had. I could feel the spirit working through us. It was very powerful and emotional (I may or may not have cried when I asked him to be baptized and when I bore my testimony. And he may or may not have cried too...) I know that this is the restored gospel and I am so grateful for it!

I am also grateful for everyone who wrote me letters!! That night when we got home I had 2 packages from mom (THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM THEY ARE PERFECT!!!!!) and 5 letters from friends and family! :) You could say that Friday was emotional all day long. It truly does make my day to receive letters from everyone. I feel of your love, support and prayers daily. Thank you, thank you. :)

Now to the funniest miracle of the week...

Saturday night we had dinner at Sister Liu's house. (We eat at a Chinese members house about once a week and I am really good with chopsticks, don't love the food though.) 

Plus, I think it is really funny to offer lots of food to Sister Pack because she can't say no, especially to the Chinese members. 

We sit down at the table and Sister Liu has made 3 HEAPING plates of dumplings and that's it! Sister Anderson hates dumplings and Sister Pack isn't a fan either so this was set up for fun. :) 

As we started to eat the dumplings we were eating really slow because if we take our time she won't offer us as much and then when she sees we are full,  she will think we are just continuing to eat to be polite. (This is the tactic we use at all members homes when we aren't a fan of the food.) 

But, then Sister Liu says "I am cooking soup so save some room!" 

I DO NOT like Chinese soup. It is very watery, has floating eggs, little fish that still have a faces (eyeballs and all) and seaweed. So, obviously I started to eat as many dumplings as possible so I could pass on the soup. 

Well Sister Liu's 90 year old mother who doesn't speak a lick of English poured me up a bowl so I had to get it down and let me tell you...it smelled like I was eating a bowl of the excess juice from the fish in a fishing bucket and it tasted like it too.

Sister Anderson took some soup so she didn't have to eat any more dumplings and Sister Pack was still eating dumplings so she didn't have to have soup. 

Yeah...like I was going to let that happen...

(Side note: Sister Pack was out for 2 days this week because she was really sick.  She finally took some Chinese medicine where they rub a rock on your neck and back until you bruise and then you're all better. It actually worked! But, this was her first full day back...)

"This is what Chinese medicine looks like"

I turned to Sister Liu and said "Would this soup be good for you if you've been sick?" 

and she said "I guess. Why, you sick?" 

I said "No, Sister Pack has been sick all week and I just thought that maybe your soup would help settle her stomach." 

Sister Liu said "Oh yes yes yes yes!" as she filled up Sister Packs bowl with soup. :) 

Sister Anderson and I were fighting back the giggles for 20 minutes straight as Sister Pack ate the soup. Then when she was done I tried to encourage her to eat more, which of course Sister Liu had my back, but Sister Pack said she was too full and couldn't eat any more. 

So Sister Liu sent her home with the rest of the soup and a whole plate of dumplings which we made her carry in her backpack. There was LOTS of laughter and tooting (obviously on Sister Packs end) on our way to our next appointment. 

Sister Pack started praying that we would run into the Elders so we could give them the food. Not a minute later did Sister Pack say "No way...the church is true!" A few feet away the Elders had pulled over to say hi to us. Lucky Sister Pack.

I LOVE YOU ALLLLL AND MISS YOU DAILY!!!!

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

Sister Nelson