The best week ever!

From Sept. 8, 2009, email: We had a wonderful Labor Day yesterday. The missionaries in the Hartford/Bloomfield wards headed over to the mission home to watch the BYU-Oklahoma game. Of course the Elders were in heaven because they hadn't seen a football game in months and years! One of the assistants, Elder Pawlak, will be playing football for BYU next year so I'm sure he got a bit trunky. It took me back to the days of watching sports with Dad and my bros!

Sister Pehrson (below) took me and Sister Thomas to the mall for a short visit and even bought us some lip gloss from the MAC counter. She spoils us! We also made some super yummy oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies at the mission home. Maybe I'll send the recipe home next week so you can enjoy them too!

This week has been one of the best in my entire mission. We have seen so many large and small miracles happen. We had some good lessons with Dominick and even took him to a YSA dinner which was a hit. However, we got suckered into giving the FHE lesson tonight there so we'll be going again with him. He went to church for the first time this Sunday and loved it. He really enjoys the family-feel in the church because his family isn't the greatest. He's still a go for the 26th of September so keep him in your prayers!

We are also still planning on a baptism for Amanda this Saturday...if her mom will give her consent. Her mom said yes at first, but then took away her approval after hearing some anti-Mormon rumors. Her parents are in the middle of a divorce after which her father will gain full custody of her. He totally supports her in getting baptized so we are in this back-and-forth battle with her mom. So keep her in your prayers also!

We were finally able to have an appointment with Leslie, a middle-aged lady, whom we met contacting. She had issues with prophets, but that was quickly resolved after a scripture chain through the New Testament. We were looking at a scripture, Mark 13:24, where it compares Christ to a man taking a journey and "giving authority to his servants" when we ran across a difference in Bibles. She had recently studied with Jehovahs Witnesses so she was using a copy of their Bible. But hers did not mention anything about Christ in that verse, which really upset her. We've got her turned back to the King James version. She has been searching for truth for her entire life and now it is right in front of her. The answers that we give her bring comfort to her that she hasn't felt in years. I'm excited to see how she will progress. Not only did that lesson touch Leslie's heart, but it changed mine also. Of course I've always felt that the Book of Mormon was true. But the truth never came with such force as it did when I bore testimony to her. I wasn't just saying that I believed it was true. I KNEW it was true. That was the witness that I'd been praying to Heavenly Father for so long to receive. There have been times that I've doubted, even when I have been out here on my mission. But now I know without a doubt that it is here to restore truths that were lost and to be an additional witness to Christ.

The mission has started a Book of Mormon activity in which we are reading the entire book & highlighting all the names or references to Christ in red and marking his words in blue. I highly recommend everyone to do this! I'm only halfway through 1 Nephi, but I've gotten so much out of it!

I know that when we put it in our minds to be obedient & diligent no matter what, miracles will happen. I love my mission. I especially love these people whom I am serving. I'm so thankful for the change in myself as I have served here in Connecticut. I know that I'm closer to being who Heavenly Father wants me to be. It is wonderful!