Friends, Miracles, Missionary Work, Connections

Date: February 12, 2009

Familie!

Hi family! Mom could you forward this to Candace and Evan, and Sean and Kim? I can't remember their addresses. First of all, oh there is so much this week to tell!! I just saw Elder Lofthouse. He got here yesterday and it was fun to see him. I still can't believe Ritchie's friends are here. It's wonderful! Next, Dad you knew the Bangeter's in American Fork right? Well there is a Sister Bangeter from American Fork in our Branch and I thought you might know her dad Paulo? She is Julie Beck's niece, and you went to school with her right? Anyway, I was just wondering. Also, I don't know if I ever told you, but I am the Coordinating Sister for our Branch. I was called a couple weeks ago. It's fun. I'm kind of like the zone leader, but just for the sisters. Also, I don't know if I ever told you, but I accompanied one of the elders in the zone. He auditioned for one of the Musical numbers here and we performed a few weeks ago for the Senior Couple Opening meeting. Kind of like the one you dropped me off at, except it's just for Senior couples. It was fun. I always love to perform. I enjoyed it. Um, next interesting thing, every week in Relief Society they have one of the sisters who is a convert come and share her story. Well last week a Sister from Iraq shared her conversion story. It was pretty amazing. I just think, wow, the Lord does know His children and miracles never cease! A sister missionary from Iraq! and a sister missionary from Communist China (Sister Zhao in Tara, Jessica and my ward last year)! It just completely amazes me! Also, I don't know if I have told you that one of the counselors in my Branch Presidency is from Germany, East Germany before the wall fell. Over Christmas he was sharing some stories about how life was for them and it was incredible. They were able to escape at some point, but they lost a lot of things. Another of the wives is also from East Germany and she has some pretty amazing stories herself. Her family was also able to flee, but they also lost a lot of things. Everyone has an amazing story! There are so many incredible people that just live their life and it amazes me.

Ok, now for the best part of the week! Last Friday our district was in the RC and we were doing out bound calls (people call in and order stuff, then we call them back a couple weeks later and ask if they received it and ask if they want more). So I called a man in Chicago who had ordered a Bible. And he said he hadn't received it yet. So we started talking about the Bible and I asked if he had ever heard of the Book of Mormon. He said no, but he wanted to know more. He was searching for the truth. Anyway, he was really receptive and I was able to tell him about the restoration and committed him to go to church that Sunday and gave him the address. So this week I called him back and asked how church went. He said he had driven around for two hours trying to find the church but never found it. He had written down the address wrong, so I gave it to him again and made sure he had the right one. Then he asked me more questions about the Book of Mormon, and I got talking to him. And I decided I would teach him the 2nd lesson (Plan of Salvation) so I started telling him about Heavenly Father and how he was our Father in Heaven and then he asked, "Can I ask you a question?" I said, "Yes" He said, "This might stump you, no one else has been able to answer this question." I said, "Go ahead, questions are good." He said, "Ok, Do we have a Heavenly Mother? If God is our Heavenly Father shouldn't we have a Heavenly Mother?" I said, "Yes! Excellent question! We do! And we got talking about families and why we're on Earth and why it was created and what happens after we die." I started telling him about the kingdoms of glory and he how to live in the Celestial Kingdom with God, Jesus, and our families we needed to be baptized in Christs church and make covenants with Him. (And more) anyway, I said but that it had to be by the right authority, and he said, "Yeah, that makes sense, it has to be legal. Can't do anything illegal to get into heaven." I said, "Right! It has to be legal, it has to be done by the right authority, and that authority has to come from God." He said, "Yeah, that's right." Anyway, he had so many questions and through the Spirit they were all answered. Another thing he told me was how he had felt the Holy Spirit twice in his life. Once a couple years ago when he attended a church the Spirit told him that it was a good church, but that there was a better one and that he needed to find it. The other time was when I called last Friday, he said, "After you called last Friday I hung up the phone and I felt the Holy Spirit tell me that what you had said was true and that I needed to pay attention to what you said and ask you all my questions." At the end I asked committed him to pray about what I had said to him and to go to church again. He said, "Well I feel the Holy Spirit telling me it's true already but I'll pray about it too." Wow! What a prepared man! It was so incredible talking with him. He is so prepared to hear the truth! It was so neat, so neat!

Well I meant to answer more of your questions. Man. Um, I'll just say thanks for the Valentine letter Family! I came in the class and squealed when I saw the letter and my elders said, " I wish I got that excited when my family wrote me." And I just have the best family! Thank you so much for everything! Maybe I'll write a letter too since I haven't answered anything.

I love you all!

Sister Fitzgerald