October 13 Weekly Updates and Pictures

Highlights from another great week!

So many good spiritual experiences this week! In one, we were teaching about the restoration to Paula, the wife of Jim who we met on exchanges the other week, and she not only felt and understood the spirit and was excited about how much it made sense, but couldn't get over how bright our eyes were--she could see the light of Christ! We also had an awesome lesson with a less active and her non member husband, Kelly and Kaushik Roy. We had the prompting to show them the "The Hope of God's Light" Mormon Message and they were both so touched by the spirit! We also got to see Nora who came home for fall break and she is doing so well! She is in a family ward at school because the singles ward is 40 minutes away and is still so strong! She even taught Ed with us after church on Sunday and we were so proud! ED IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!! He took us out to lunch on Saturday while Sister Shoff was out of town, and he also finished the Book of Mormon, which we were so excited about! He is so elect, I feel like I learn 3x more than he does from our lessons!

This week we taught Rob, Laura Smith's boyfriend about faith and repentance. They are in quite a situation with housing but have been so faithful and strong! Our lesson about repentance was one I will never forget! Rob had a rough beginning, growing up in Chicago and already told us there were a lot of things he was going to need to change in his life. We went into it wanting him to see the hope of repentance, and what happened was totally by the spirit! We got to the page in the pamphlet with the picture of the Savior and I asked him how he thought the Savior felt about him. He laughed and said "Sister Evans why you gotta always ask the hard questions??" but then we shared the story of the Prodigal Son and how much he was loved and even he was crying! Laura said it was the second time she had ever seen him cry in his life! We invited him to church and he wasn't actually able to come but was so excited and so grateful for "his sisters" that kept him going! He looks like a big, tough, African American guy but he's really just a big teddy bear that loves so much! What a blessing it has been teaching their family!

Testimony Meeting yesterday...oh my! How can I even describe it? Dennis came to the Mishawaka ward, and skipped his Nappanese Church Saturday and Sunday! Transfers are not this Wednesday but the next and knowing I'm probably leaving, I knew I had to bear my testimony. Finally I got up the nerve, and stood up, at the same time Sister Clegg did! We stood up at the same time in our unintentionally matching polka dots. We have uncanny comp unity. I shared my testimony of the prophet and apostles, and talked about how much I loved Elder Bednar's talk about the power of the Atonement and our desire to share it. I related that that was the reason I was on a mission, because even with my struggling knees I knew the Atonement was strong and I couldn't keep the blessing of that knowledge to myself. Luckily I was almost done before I was in tears! After I sat back down by Dennis who just squeezed my hand, thanked me for sharing, and told me what a good job I did. The testimonies were perfect for Dennis and he felt the spirit so strongly! After he said he didn't know I struggled with my knees and was worried about when I'd be leaving, and when I said it wasn't until next Wednesday he was relieved that we'd have a few more lessons together.

Favorite Quotes!

"Who are you with?" Dana

"My girlfriends" Dennis

"What??" Dana

"The missionaries" Dennis

"The Mormons?" Dana

"Ya"

"Ok. Tell them hi" Dana

"And I was like 'don't give me sass, woman!'" Nora, when her roommate didn't understand temple sealings

"Hi! This is Sister Evans from the Indiana Indianapolis mission!" me

"What?? Who?" Receptionist

"Amanda Evans...sorry" me

Lunch with Ed! 

Church with Nora!