January 28, 2013

That father that I talked about last time, let's call him Mr. O, and his family are great and busy. They came up with our ward to the Temple for a youth baptism trip! Can you believe it? It was a miracle that they came and we were able to go and get a ride with a member.
We have like 70 youth in our ward. Crazy big group. Not all of them came, maybe like 50. But! Mr. O and his kids got to go to the Visitor's Center with my companion and I to look around and learn! They asked so many questions about the Temple. "When can I go inside?" haha! We explained it all to them. We watched Finding Faith in Christ and got Mr. O a Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith Pamphlet in his native language. They didn't come to church though. :( We need to meet with them more. But I am excited for them. I love this family so much.
We don't have anymore new investigators this week.
Wow! What a miracle that Dad experienced. I am so grateful and proud to know that dad follows the Spirit. That is so reassuring as a missionary.

Okay! So! We had a missionary departing fireside last night. This happens every 6 weeks when missionaries are leaving the mission to go home, we have a meeting and they bear their testimonies. The spirit is ALWAYS so thick in that room. Powerful testimonies are shared. President has been threatening to stop the firesides because missionaries stay too long and get home late because they have to travel home after. But for now, we are doing okay. Anyway! We invited our investigators and 2 of them came! Sister Anderson, myself and Sister Smith and Sister Borland all performed a song together for the fireside. "Come Thou Fount". Different arrangement than from the MTC that I sang. It was so great. :) We were all nervous but so grateful to be there. I'm so grateful our investigators came!

President talked about how when we are making some decisions in the church, especially for those who are investigating and deciding to be baptized or not, sometimes we must set aside all logic and reason, and just go with feelings. How does is FEEL!? What does your heart tell you? President Riggs shared a story about how a lawyer friend of his asked Pres. if he wanted to merge their firms a couple years ago. Logically, it didn't make sense to President, but he prayed about it and it felt right. So he agreed. Because of this, his daughter married the other lawyers son. AND, President Riggs was able to leave his firm in good hands when he got the phone call from Elder Bednar and President Uchtdorf to become a mission president a few short years later. If he hadn't listened to the Spirit, and how he felt, President would not have been in a prepared state to take over the DC South mission and influence allllll of us! What a blessing. I know that S, one of our investigators, needed to hear that testimony and witness from a powerful servant of the Lord.
I also got to interpret at the fireside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yaya! My first time for a Deaf person here in DC South! :) I was so happy. And the people watching said I was very clear and they understood everything I signed. I know that God helped me be a vessel of the Spirit to convey the message to someone who could not hear. It literally was just coming out of my hands. I had not interpreted for such a long time! It felt so good. I wish I could teach a Deaf Investigator!

Transfers are this week! AH! I'm not sure what to think or do! I have been here for the whole time in the outbound. We shall see. I don't want to leave these people, I love them so much. But I want to be wherever the Lord needs me to be. I never want to feel or be stagnant or complacent. I think switching things up might be good, but I'll miss Gainesville if I leave.

-Sister Zibetti