News from the mission field

It has been a real tough week. It seems like satan is trying real hard to discourage us. We had three good investigators who seemed very promising. Then one by one they fell off our list. Roman said he was not ready to get baptized after spending a month with his father in El Paso, Hannah quit coming to church and started asking about he fast offering program, Gabrielle cannot do anything until his grandma comes back, and then to top it off, our prized re-activated man, Kevin, said he didn't want to come to church anymore beause the branch presidency is not taking thier jobs serious (they are not coming to church). We were so proud of him and thought he was going to be a wonderful asset in our struggling branch. We tried to to tell him he needed to keep coming to church because of his boys, one who just got baptized and he should make decisions about his own salvation. He told us he would come to church on Sunday, but yesterday he did not come to church. Then our branch president didn't come either. This is the second time and the last time he came he left right after sacrament meeting to go to a ball game. Sometimes, we wonder what is happening. But as good missionaries, we have to trust in the Lord and know that he will open a way. He knows what the y need better than us. Just pray for us ok?

Love mom and dad

News from the mission field June

My what a crazy week. The former branch president's family are still fighting. It's hard to stay neutral. We offered to let the family talk about him in sacrament meeting because they never got to say anything at the funeral and they were delighted. Then we received an email right before church started stating they had to work. When we called to see if they would let us read the talk, they said it was against their culture to talk about the dead. Ohhhhh!

Anyway we are doing very good. We had 41 people to church on Sunday, mainly because of the baptism we had. We are very delighted.

When I walked into the church I saw a lizard on the floor. I thought is was a toy and went to pick it up. It jumped right at me and sent me screaming all over the church. I finally found it again on Sunday morning while we were waiting for the font to fill up. Dad caught it and threw it outside. I felt relieved. Then to my dismay, during primary one of the kids opened up the door and the lizard came back in. It was a zoo! That thing can move so fast I jumped up on my chair to stay away from it. It is a fast little critter. You know how I hate wiggly things. Finally the Sunday School brethern heard us and came in to help us out! Thank goodness for the priesthood. BUT they proceeded to tell me that a rattle snake came into the chapel once and they had a terrible time getting it out. Now I am absolutely paranoid over every little thing. Pray for me to be safe ok?

We had another baptism all lined up for next week, but her father saw how happy she was and felt bad that she wasn't going to his church and so he said, "No way is my daughter going to become a mormon! He made arrangments to have her baptized in the catholic church in the Downs. I felt bad because I don't think she realizes that a switcheroo was made on her. When we went to her house, she came running to me smiling. I"m going to baptized Sister Lee. I'm so excited. I knew it wasn't in our church because she had to come to sacament meeting one more time before we could baptize her, but we couldn't get her mother to budge. She said she had to do what the father wanted.

Life is good in the mission field!!! We love serving the Lord

News from the mission field

Our Branch President has been in the hospital over two weeks now. They say he is not doing well and might not make it. We have been running the branch for almost four months. It has been very interesting. Our attendance has dropped of but our missionary work seems to be blooming. Since our last expereince with no attendance at the church, we have had almost more investigators at our meetings than members. They say itis because of the feasts that are around the reservation, some don't want to come because President Morgan is ill (they think it is disrespectful) or just plain don't want to come!!!! I don't know what we are going to do with them. However, the Lord is placing more people to teach almost every day. It is great to get back into the teaching mode again.

On July 1 we will be getting a new MISSION PRESIDENT. We are going to Roswell to visit with President and sister Robison on Wednesday. It will be hard to say goodbye to them. We love them so. Keep praying for us. We need your prayers.

News from the Mission Field

It is never dull in the Mescalero Mission field. We have been working with Sharon Pessiwonit from two months now. She has been very interested in the gospel and has felt the spirit many times. We had to postpone her baptism date because her boyfriend was killed two weeks ago. So when we went to see her last week we wanted to firm up our baptismal challenge. We discussed the church and her belief in Jesus Christ. That was good. She said she thought Joseph Smith was a prophet. That was good. But when we gave her the lesson on living the commandments (that was not good). She told us that she didn't feel like she wanted to keep the commandments right now because life was too hard for her. We tried everything we could to convince her but she likes gambling, drinking and says she can't go to church because she has to work. Somehow we missed the boat on this one. Oh, well, we are learning.

Then we went to visit Rex and his wife, and found out they don't want to give up drinking alcohol b ecause it is FUN!!!! She even brought out a can of tobacco chew and said this was her favorite thing to do. My, My, these indians are hard stuff. But dad and I haven't lost faith and hope that the Lord will send someone to us. Keep praying for us ok?

Love mom and Dad

News from the Mission Field

Well, dad and I were very happy on Sunday. We had 30 people at our sacrament meeting!!! We have a small primary working and they are learning the primary songs. I want them to be able to sing in sacrament meeting and sing "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" because most of them do not know the name of their church. Every other Sunday Dad teaches a Gospel Principles class and the other two sundays we are having Relief Society and Priesthood lessons. WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS! The Priesthood lesson will be given by a man who has been the church one year and he is scared to death, but excited for the opportunity. We had a sister ask us to teach her two sons 12 and 15 Preach my Gospel to help them prepare for a mission maybe. Wouldn;t that be fantastic. We are having a Linger Longer dinner next Sunday and they are excited for that. We also have a Halloween carnival that is being planned. Our little branch is finally starting to move. We are SO EXCITED!!!!!
The Gospel is true and I love it.