Week 41

Hi Family!!!

How are you all doing? I absolutely love hearing from you all- it makes me so happy. :)

Well, the weather has been really mild this last week. It has been snowing and so that means that is really isn't that cold. In fact, on Saturday, it started to rain which means it is really not cold! Ha ha! All the ice has melted and the land is covered in slush. I have cut back to only wearing one coat out or else I just get too warm. So don't worry about me being too cold. :) It feels like spring is in the air, but it's totally not! Ha ha! The sun is up longer and longer everyday and that is really great- I never realized how much I love sunlight! :)

This week has been a week of miracles! So many amazing things have happened and I am so grateful!!! :) Here is one: On Tuesday, we went over to visit a less active woman named Birget. She is hilarious! I love her so much. The last time we were over at her house, we taught her about the plan of Salvation because she had lost her sister recently. I drew some little pictures of the plan to help explain it when we teach and Birget loved them so much so I promised to make her a copy of them. So on Tuesday, we planned to give her the copies and then talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we got there, she had her neighbors over for a visit. It was a mother and her 9 year old daughter. They were just over chatting with Birget. Well, when I got out the pictures of God's plan to give to Birget, the little girl's eyes lit up. We asked her if she would like to learn about God's plan and she said yes. We then began telling her all about how she is God's child, how much He loves her, and then about the amazing plan that He has for her. We taught it so simply and clearly so that this little girl could understand. Birget was able to help and the mother listened to it all. The Spirit was soooooo strong! I was so incredibly grateful that we were able to share the sweet message of the plan of happiness with them. It is so perfect and every little bit of it is just oozing with evidence of God's love. It was while we were in that teach that I knew I was an instrument in the God's hands. It felt so good!!! :) Here is another: We found this girl on the street named Sabina. She didn't really have a belief in anything at the moment, but was previously Jehovah Witness. We were able to teach her about the restoration sitting on a bench outside a store. We gave her the Book of Mormon and we will be able to meet with her later this week. Maybe it doesn't sound too exciting, but this girl was prepared. She was asking us all the right questions and she was searching for truth, so Heavenly Father lead us to that part of town at that time so that we could find her and help her out. Man does He love His children!!! :)

Yesterday was Mariell's baptism and can I just tell you... It was AMAZING! That was one of the coolest experiences yet! It was a lot of work getting it all put together and I had to re-arrange a lot about 2 minutes before it started, but the Spirit was so strong in that meeting! Her father is not a member, but he stayed for the baptism and all 3 hours of church. I spoke to the Branch President afterward and he said that he couldn't feel the Spirit there, then something is wrong... Ha ha! Sister Campbell and I waited in the dressing room while the baptism took place and watched. Sister Campbell cried and I just about jumped for joy! When Mariell came out of the font, I wrapped her up in a towel and gave her a big hug- I hugged a perfect person! :) Yesterday was Norway's Mother's Day, so I asked her mom to bear her testimony. It was so sweet! Words can't express how wonderful that baptism was... I love this Spirit!!! :)

Well that's about it folks! I'll attach some pictures for you all. The bowling pictures were from a few weeks ago. A member took all of the missionaries bowling. It was so much fun! The one with the guy in white- that is Daniel- the member's brother who was atheist and was baptized. Then the rest were of Mariell's baptism. I think my eyes are closed... too late! :)

Have a great week everyone, and Happy Valentine's Day!!! Love and miss you all!

Vi Snakkes!

♥-Søster Jessica Taylor