October 24, 2011

Hi everyone!

It was a bit of a slow week until the last few days this week. Through Thursday, we had only 3 lessons with investigators (only 1 new) and a ton of finding hours, but Friday and Saturday we turned on the heat and we ended up with 12 lessons with investigators for the week and 7 new investigators. Unfortunately no one came to church, including our progressing couple who promissed the night before they'd come every week. So our focus this week is sacrament meeting attendance. We will be teaching and reviewing the importance of coming to church in every appointment with investigators this week and inviting even people on the street to come. Church attendence is they most important key indicator of progression. Sunday was also a very solemn day because we received a phone call during pristehood meeting that a less-active sister we were very close to passed away. She had been in the hospital for two weeks, but it was still very unexpected because we had heard she was coming out of the hospital and was doing much better healthwise. It turned out she had an aneurism in her heart and she passed away Saturday night. I felt particularly bad because I had a strong feeling we should go visit her Saturday evening and I ignored it. She was one of the most Christlike people Elder Bentley and I have ever known and was only less- active for health reasons. She also made some really delicious meals every time we visited. She inspired us to be better people and we miss her a ton. She was suffering through a lot of pain the last month of her life however and it was her time to go. She is certainly resting from those pains in paradise right now. She was 73. I thought of a scripture after hearing about her death that reminded me of the example she set for us. Alma 13:28-29 read: "But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest." 


Despite the sad news, we are both having a lot of fun here.  Anyway, that's all the time I have and thanks for everything! Love you! 


Elder Winder