August 23

Hello Everyone!!

Lets start things off this week by asking ourselves what is up with the weather in Utah right now?? Haha lets me honest i was on a tour yesterday and I thought the world was ending haha. The wind was flying everywhere and it was pouring rain. Every time we tried to talk to someone thunder would crash and i became deaf pretty much! Well satan tried to distract everyone ... but the spirit is stronger then the weather SORRY! This week has been amazing but very hard. We have been rejected more this week then any other week so far and its really sad. When people sit there and have tears in their eyes and then just reject the message.. its so unfortunate!! But i have come to truly realize there must be opposition in all things. Because if we never had darkness then we would never truly appreciate light.. and i think we can all agree with that one.

Today in itself has been very interesting... we woke up at 5:45 so we could get ready to go the the temple! FINALLY! so we went to the temple about 6:15 and waited .... and waited... And we needed more people so we had to wait till 7. The session was amazing, my first time in the temple and it now holds a special place in my heart. MOM and DAD what a beautiful temple to be married in :) It was so peaceful, lets be honest everyone gets a little homesick sometimes on their mission... but in the temple I feel home so i love it. Then we were informed that the North visitors center and South visitors center, tabernacle would all be closed this morning... hmm where are we suppose to take people? There were 180 Sister missionaries walking around the square and every guest probs was talked to at least 3 times by different sets of missionaries. I was standing by the entrance of the south visitors center when i see this golf cart with lights coming down the path, Sister Rathgeber is a space cadet and she was just facing the gates talking to someone.. and i turned and had a nice man grinning and waving... i waved back to Elder Oaks that was literally 3ft away from me. It brought a huge smile to my face and i had the chance to explain who he was. YaY first transfer and i already see an apostle!! i love this mission :) ... That's why all the buildings were closed, they were having special meetings about temple square.. aka best mission ever!

Here are some stories from the week!

1. one of the elders from my zone in the MTC ... felt inspired to have me call his brother for a referral. I called his dad to get some info on the brother... when he told me that Barton had taken his name off the records of the church because he got offended and something happened with one of the home teachers... So his dad told me he felt like there was something special about my spirit and the fact that Elder Burdette felt inspired to have me talk to his brother... So his dad said, we live here in salt lake I'm going to bring my son to take a tour there with you and your companion.... Uhh PRESSURE.. they have been working on barton for 15 years now and he is 28. Well they came and we prayed all day to be inspired to know what to say. He was really nice, tats down the arms, well half way through the tour i told sister R to go and talk to the parents so i could open up Barton... I felt prompted to talk about zach's story.. THANK YOU BROTHER for being you it has brought many to be humbled. He felt the spirit as i said... you know Barton one thing that will never change, is that your Heavenly Father loves you and his son's atonement is infinite.. You can't out sin the atonement of Jesus Christ you just have to accept it. Barton your never too far gone. With that statement he just sat and looked at me.. i knew he felt the spirit. A couple days later i called the father and he told me that barton talked about church the whole drive back... He was touched by the story even if he didn't way anything... that tour was so powerful words cant express how strong the spirit really is.

2. Met a family from Canada taught them a little about the prophet.. then took them through the family presentation, they LOVED it... They bore their testimony about how they felt the spirit when they head the prophet speak. They were not members but they knew that what the prophet said was true! They came back the following day and watched every single clip on temple square that involved the prophet or 12 apostles... they are going to have missionaries come and teach them... and then they will be baptized! MIRACLE ... they were teaching us ha it was incredible ps they were hindu

3. 2 ladies from Tennessee... They walk in and I feel prompted to take them into Gods plan for the family... They are crying their eyes out in the grandma and grandpas room ( btw they were old) They felt the spirit and i knew that they would accept missionaries to teach them more. After the last room they sat in awh and again ... the spirit hits me over the head and says... SING JENNA... I'm like oh gosh what am I suppose to sing? ... In my head i was going to sing I need thee every hour but what came out was Nearer my God to thee... and I found out why after the song.... The spirit was so strong and they were both in tears. And one of the women said... how did you know that was the song we sung at my sons funeral 5 months ago? ... I said i didn't the spirit told me... I then invited for the missionaries.... and they REJECTED :( WHYYYYYY!!! They said they thought we were angels and they pray I will sing as they enter heaven.... uhhh fiddle sticks!! i tried not to cry

I have made a promise to myself NEVER to get caught up in the numbers... Every soul is great in the sight of God .. and so should be the same for us as we teach souls. Whether we plant the seed or water it doesn't matter. I'm grateful for opportunity I have to be a missionary and though it may be hard, with faith in every footstep I can do anything! The definition of a missionary is one that spends time away from their family, so that others can spend Eternity with theirs!!

I love this gospel so much and I am so humbled to meet people from all over the world and help them feel the spirit... President says... we make golden investigators for missionaries around the world! That makes me so happy! i love you all and I can't wait to hear from you! Thank you for all your prayers and love! ... I sure do miss you all!!

Love Sister Mettra!!