Chapter 22: The Plot Thickens

There we were: watching the Joseph Smith movie with Feily and her dad. However, Feily´s friend came over so the only ones really watching the movie were me, Hermana Shaffer, and Feily´s dad. We were at the part that they were forced to leave the temple in Ohio, and he asks us, "So after they left, didn´t they end up losing the property for the temple, then they built Nauvoo Temple, and then started the Salt Lake Temple, but the St. George Temple was finished first, right?" Alright. At this moment I knew that he had not just "taken the discussions". So, we decided to investigate, and as it turns out, Feily´s dad was a really active member back in the Dominican Republic, and became inactive here! That´s how he knows so much about the church. Anyway, we have really been working with the young womens and the young adults this week, as well as some less active members, and we have seen so many miracles. My companion was told when she was set apart to really focus on the young adults on her mission because she would be preparing them to raise children that would see the Savior. Incredible, right? So, first we decided to work with Iveris. I believe I have mentioned her before. She is our lovely 19 year old, super cute investigator that just doesn´t want to change her life. So, I decided to make Feily a missionary, and brought her with me to the lesson. She was incredible!! Feily just told her about her story--that she was on kind of a rough path and then changed and she has seen the blessings. She said that the church doesn´t make you change who you are as a person, it just changes you into the best version of you that God wants you to be. I felt like a proud mother during the whole lesson! She bore such a powerful lesson, and guess what? She came to church and sat with Feily and said she would pray about a baptismal date!. It was seriously a miracle. We also were able to bring 4 less active members to church this week, which was completely amazing. Two of them were both young adults that just needed a little bit more fellowshipping from the other young adults. I decided on a different strategy as well. Instead of telling the less active members why it is important to come to church, I have been giving them the names of people of who they can help us fellowship. It is kind of reverse psychology, but it completely worked! I was so excited to see all these people brought back with love! I don´t think it matters if you have a baptism or if you are bring back less active members, I get the same feeling from both! I am so excited to be working in this area that is starting to really come alive. Now, the week is not complete without a quick update of our friend, Francisco. He has been in the hospital I found out, and so we called him to see how he has been doing, and he just said, "Hermanas, I know I was supposed to get baptized today (we had set the date for August 10), and I have just felt sorrow all day because I haven´t. I feel like this time in the hospital has given me time to think, so I know that I need to get baptized. I just don´t know if I will ever feel ready." To be continued. 

Les Quiero!!

Hermana Hopkins