January 29, 2013

Hello Family!

Wow, that is so special that Grandma and Grandpa were able to celebrate their 68th Anniversary on Saturday!! I love all the decorations and what a cute idea to have them cut the cake!! How neat! I love how you were able to find their original cake topper and to make a DVD with so many great photos. They will truly cherish it, as will we.

Paul indeed did get baptized on Saturday!! The evening went very well. He came with his girlfriend who was baptized a few months previous. They have a 5 year old girl Annabelle and his girlfriend has a little boy named Alec who is 3. He reminds me so much of Lance! There were so many wonderful ward members that came and showed their support. There were nearly 45 people. We were a little nervous before hand because we kept trying to contact him and to set up an appointment the week prior to his baptism, but didn't happen. He doesn't have a cellphone so we were only able to hear from his girlfriend that everything is set to go for Saturday. When we saw both of them on Saturday before the baptism and the big smile that was on Paul's face, our worries were set aside. It was so stressful up until that point. One of the Sister Missionaries that taught him was able to come over from Iowa City. They drove with the Flynn family and it was great to see Sister Flynn and to hear that her sister Pam who Sister Brown and I taught for a while and set a date for January 10th back in August and who moved to Ohio right after the date was set, was baptized on January 20th!! That was so great to hear! Sister Flynn's friend Carrie whom Sister Brown and I sat a date with also and who was baptized at the beginning of January went and did baptism for the first time at the temple with Paul (the man from the Congo who speaks French) and a few other recent converts as well. Sister Flynn also said that she had just taken out her endowments the week before with April Schmidt who was baptized last year and who gave us some of her old furniture for the new apartment there in Iowa City. Sister Flynn also said that Brother Flynn was able to baptize their youngest daughter and Carrie! It was so great to hear about all the amazing things that are going on in that area!!

On Friday night we met with a woman who wanted to go through the Stop Smoking Workshop. She is so ready to make this change in her life and we all got so excited the more we went through the 15 steps with her. I really felt like she was going to succeed when I told her that we would remove temptations for her by taking her cigarettes, lighters and ash trays. She said great and sprang up from the couch and grabbed the unopened pack from the kitchen, her two lighters and at the end we took her ash trays out. That kind of reaction told us that she was serious about this. I felt a little weird when she handed the pack to me and her lighters though, just because in a way I didn't want them in my hands, but I did want them to be out of her hands. I put them in my backpack and when we reached the Jensen's home, I discarded them right away in their trash. She was raised Catholic but she doesn't believe in many points of their doctrine. She is open to learning about the gospel and we look forward this week to teaching her of the plan of salvation. Her dad's cousin passed away Thursday night and she sent a message to us earlier that evening asking us to pray for her because she would be passing that night from cancer. We said we would pray and we gave her Alma 40:11 to read. Bridghid texted us later that evening and said that she had read that verse over the phone to the cousin and that she was able to draw great strength from it and she passed peacefully without any pain. We really feel that Bridghid is prepared to receive the gospel at this time and we look forward to inviting her and her two boys to be baptized :) Her two boys are 15 and 12 and they are so happy that she is quitting smoking!

We had interviews this last Tuesday and President told me that the one new sister in Ankeny who Sister Neville was training didn't last. He then said that 7 sisters were coming out and that 8 sisters were able to train, which means there will be one sister who isn't training this next transfer. He said I would be training and that I have been ready to train for a while. That was so great to hear from him! He also said that at the beginning of this year we have 180 missionaries and by next year that will be 280, 30 of which will be couple missionaries. He also said that we have 20 sisters in our mission right now and by the end of the year it is projected to be 60. He then went on to say that some sister may train this next transfer and then the next transfer they may begin training an additional sister at the same time. Crazy!! He also said that some new sisters may be paired up in the very beginning as companions in a new area and be asked to go for it!! It's so crazy, but the Lord knows what he is doing and they will be so ready to hit the ground running. It is so important that they begin preparing way before they enter the MTC. One of the best ways if from reading Preach My Gospel. We have been asked by Elder Clarke to read only the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel. That's all we really need to be studying at this time. I have always wanted to read Jesus the Christ, but there just isn't time.

Those are some of the great highlights from this week. We have been able to get a little situated in the Jensen's basement and it's working out great. They are an amazing family and we are so happy that they are willing to house us missionaries which cuts down the housing cost for the mission.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and are staying well! I love you all so much and pray for you all the time.

Love ya lots!!
Sister Tucker

P.S. Paul was able to be confirmed yesterday!! There was talk of an ice storm for yesterday and the zone leaders grounded our cars. Our ward just had sacrament meeting and the Jensen's were able to take us there. This made it possible for Paul to be confirmed which for a while there we were unsure if it was going to happen if church had been cancelled. Prays are so important and they are heard and answered!!

P.P.S. I think you may be getting more of an Iowa winter than we are, Crazy!! Stay warm!!