From Monday, 26 Jan 2009, email:
Can you believe that another transfer has gone by? I'll be staying in East Providence with Sister Jones. I just might "kill her off" [be her last companion] since she only has one more transfer left. But you never know. President Pehrson is a bit unpredictable when it comes to transfers. We are getting a new sister in today who's being trained by Sister Baird. We have an odd number of sisters so there will be a trio in Fairfield with Sisters Glenn, Terry & Lambertson. The latter two are headed home this transfer...I hope they don't get trunky together! Two more sisters are coming in next transfer & two after that! Some big changes are going to happen here!
We finally had church yesterday after two weeks of snow cancellations. The high counselor talked about being self-sufficient & being prepared for the future. We had Burke, our investigator, there. He seemed to enjoy himself there & even made friends with one of the younger single guys in the ward. It's so great when the ward fellowships! Burke decided to try out "Mormon life" by living the Word of Wisdom. Hopefully he'll see a difference in his life by not having substances take control of his agency.
I forgot to tell you that last week we went to an investigator's church because ours was canceled. Topper (Burke's friend) goes to a Reformed Presbyterian church. It was pretty interesting. The preacher/pastor gave a good sermon on "Counting the Cost" as told in Luke. It's a GOOD church, but I love having the fullness of the gospel. It brings so much peace and happiness!
Tuesday I was able to distribute some of the Christmas money [some of the money budgeted for Christmas gifts for her] you gave me. There is a young guy named Dan at the soup kitchen who has hit some hard times in his life. He's living at the shelter in Providence & spends his Tuesday nights helping out at the soup kitchen. Now is that Christlike, unselfish service! I anonymously slipped $30 into his bag & hopefully he'll find it soon. I was so excited to bring some monetary blessing into someone's life. I'm still waiting for the right moment to give the other money away.
I had another "ah-ha" moment in the scriptures on Tuesday night. I wrote that I had previously received an answer to be humble by reading the Doctrine & Covenants. But I wondered how I could humble myself more. Of course, the answer came from reading the scriptures again. Just a few pages further in Section 5, Joseph Smith received a revelation for Martin Harris who wanted to be a witness of the BOM. But the Lord said that "except he humble himself & acknowledge unto me the things that he has done which are wrong, and covenant with me that he will keep my commandments, and exercise faith in me..." he wouldn't be able to. There was my answer on how to be humble. I'm amazed at how quickly prayers are answered and how diverse the ways they are answered. That's about all for this week. Hope you all have a great week & a Happy Chinese New Year today!
Attached are pictures of our Scituate district & also a portion of Brown University. Brown was dead for a few weeks because of Christmas break, but now it's all a bustle with students. Scituate district: (back) Anderson, Tanner, Lima, Gonzales, (front) a portion of me, Sis. Jones, Earl, Brown
