"Of Course I know Kent Derricott:)"

Hello my sweet family! 

It’s amazing how every week I read your letters and feel so strengthened and uplifted.  y'all are pretty wonderful people who inspire me to do better and be better- I could never say it enough just how much I love and appreciate you.

It was an amazing week.. It was a freezing week.. It was a week full of miracles.

First I wanted to share this quote by President Monsen that I read in my studies this morning-- I was preparing for a lesson we have tonight with a girl has been going through a lot of trials, one thing after another. 

"Our Heavenly Father... knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass.  We know that there are times when we will experience heart-breaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits.  However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were-- better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before".

Exchanges this week.

The Christ-like attribute I have been studying this week is Hope.  I have experienced a lot in these past few years, and I have met many incredible people who have been handed very severe trials for this life.  I feel that my eyes keep being opened to the hardships that surround us.  and I have had to work on staying hopeful towards the future :) I loved this quote by President Monsen that gives us the very reason for our Hope- we have a loving Heavenly Father who has designed the most perfect plan for each individual.  He has provided us a way to overcome this life and each sorrow, heart break, and disappointment—it’s all through our Savior Jesus Christ.  As I have studied about the Plan of Salvation and the attribute of hope I have been absolutely filled with peace and with hope.  His plan is perfect.  We have every reason to trust in that.  He is making us into who we can be each day.

I think I have already told y'all this but I have been reading the Book of Mormon with a question- I started over and have been looking for answers to that question as I read and then I have been journaling what I have been taught.  It has been the neatest experience.  My questions have been how can I better rely on the Lord and show more faith.  I have loved reading and finding answers on every page.  Something thats' stood out to me is that those in the Book of Mormon who truly rely on the Lord are consistently praising Him and expressing heir gratitude.  I have felt incredible amounts of gratitude in the work this week.  As I've been striving to rely fully on the Lord I have been able to better recognize His hand in all things.  

- We found TWELVE new investigators this week

- We met Michelle- a mother of three, who has been incredible to work with.  She came to church with us yesterday and feels that the church is the exact answer to her prayers.  I love how the Lord prepares people, as we taught the restoration she kept saying that it just makes sense.  and before we even introduced the Book of Mormon she asked for it-- and said she is so excited to read it.

- Wayne our recent convert started crying as he shared an experience he had with his atheist son this week.  His son text him and said that seeing the change in Wayne since he started living the gospel and was baptized-- and also seeing the miracles in his life that have occurred since- have brought him the closest he has ever been to believing in God.  That meant the world to Wayne.

-Sister Chidester and I had every appointment fall through one evening, we pulled the car over and said a prayer of where we should go, what we needed to do.. then nothing really came to us, we tried some people, and we didn't meet a "golden family" actually nothing occurred that night but we felt so happy at the end of the night.  I know we were being blessed with peace and happiness, we really felt His love surrounding us, and we marked the night up as a success.

Twiners :))

- A couple invited us into their home and as we taught just railed into us about Joseph Smith how he was a thief and that God would no more restore His church through "a fish" than through Joseph Smith.  They quoted the Bible over and over and then prayed for us that we could find the truth.  

It was amazing comparing the spirit we felt in Wayne's lesson moments before to the absence of the spirit in talking with this couple.  I am so grateful for my testimony, and I'm grateful for the people who question it-- because I have found that it makes me study harder, pray more sincerely, and each time I find it has been strengthened a little more.

I wish I could go on and on... but my fingers hurt ;) I love being a missionary.  I know that the gospel has been restored and is on the earth today in its fullness.  I love that it is Christ's church.  We have Prophets and Apostles, we have modern day revelation-- how lost we would be without it.  I love this gospel.  It is so good.

I love y'all. a lot

Love Always,

Sister Welling

ps the stake presidents wife came and worked with us this week.  She served her mission in Japan.  I asked her if she knew Kent :) She said OF COURSE I KNOW KENT DERRICOTT they said they would go to peoples doors and ask them if they had ever heard of the church- they would say no-- have they ever heard of Christ-- no-- have they ever heard of "kento derricotto"? YES-- then they would respond, we have a message from him, and they would let them in. hahaha so awesome.  She also quoted something he had said

"don't be fooled, you never know how much good you are doing"

I love that.  pretty lucky that we know such a famous and wise man :)

Making breakfast....she said it has been freezing!