Remember when I read the package from the mission home and thought that since it said all missionaries would have access to a car and occasionally a few elders would be placed on bicycles that I wouldn't have to walk very much? Haha, well, I thought wrong! This week we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked some more.
I received the package with the pictures from Lake Powell on Tuesday! I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and I still can't believe how many fish you caught! Also, I've officially decided that I love receiving mail and there is nothing better than getting home from a long day and finding mail in the mail box! Tuesday we had dinner at the Rick's, and Brother Ricks is the one who served with Marion's brother. That evening we tried by a list of potentials, but didn't have any luck with them.
Wednesday ended up being a great day! We had our morning studies and served at Hills and Dales. Then one of the members picked us up and took us to her house where we were able to hear her and her husband's conversion story. Get this so after being a member for 4 years he was called to be a Bishop! They are such an amazing couple and it was so fun to visit with them! After meeting with them we came back and met with one of the Less Actives we have been working with. It is always an adventure and a crisis each time we go over. It keeps it entertaining, but sometimes it just wears you out. Anyways the lesson went alright and we made plans for her to come to church on Sunday. While we were visiting with the Less Active member we received a referral from one of the members in our ward and so we were able to call her and she was out of town this last week, so hopefully we will be able to meet with her this week!
We have a member in our ward that wanted to take Sister Whipple and I down to Nauvoo for a temple trip, so we called President to get permission. Well when President answered the phone he said "Well hello Elders, how is it going in Dubuque?" haha I responded that it was the Dubuque sisters and we were doing great. He then said that he hadn't read the caller ID all the way through before he answered. I had to laugh because I don't even think President knows about the whole "Elder Call" joke in the mission, because he wasn't here when it all took place. But I told Sister Simmons because she would laugh about it and we both decided that the "Elder Call" ordeal probably isn't going to die anytime soon.
Wednesday evening they have activity night at the church and so one of the sisters has offered to come with us on Wednesday nights since she brings her daughters up to mutual. So we were supposed to have an appointment with Rancle, and so we showed up at the apartment and Rancle had started a job that day so he wasn't there, but we were able to teach his wife, Jennie. It was a short lesson but I love having members come with us! After the lesson we were heading out to the member's car and Elder and Sister Thomas pulled up, because they had an appointment with the recent convert who lives in the same apartment complex. We visited with the Thomas' for a few minutes and then Sister Zander took us to the place we were going to tract that evening. As she dropped us off we started heading down a street and Sister Zander flipped a U-turn in her car and tells us that she had a good feeling about the house on the corner. So we went and tried the house on the corner. A lady answered the door and immediately asks if we are Latter-day Saints. Both Sister Whipple and I were not sure where this was going to go, but we of course responded that yes we were. Come to find out she had been a math professor at UVU and her husband is from Utah so she knows lots about our church! She told us that she has been in Dubuque for 4 years and has never seen any Latter-day Saints, and that her home is welcome to all of the missionaries and she doesn't extend that invitation to everyone. haha she also told us that she wouldn't convert, but we'll see about that one :)
Anyways later that evening as we were walking back to our apartment Elder and Sister Thomas drove by and offered us a ride, to which we gladly accepted. It turns out that they stopped by Tyson's who they were going to visit at the apartment complex and he wasn't home, but as they were heading back to their car Tyson pulled up. So had we not visited with them when they first pulled up to the complex they would have missed Tyson. Oh the tender mercies from the Lord!
Well Thursday and Friday we walked, and walked, and walked. And it was mid 90's with humidity. Basically both Sister Whipple and I were covered with sweat and felt so gross whenever we came up to a doorstep. Friday we walked for over 11 miles and were completely exhausted and drained from the heat. We were laughing because never before in our lives have we felt so gross when we were supposed to look presentable. OH well! the gospel is true and needs to be proclaimed to everyone at all times, despite the weather. Anyways we were able to drop by a lot of the potentials on our list and we were able to set times to return to some of these homes! So funny story. We stopped by one potential's home and she wasn't there, but Jeff answered the door and so we were talking with him and he mentioned that he knew quite a few members of our church, but that he was Catholic. And I am not even kidding this is what I said "Well that's okay, you can still become Mormon." Sister Whipple and I are still in shock that I said it, but hey it is true. Anyways the three of us laughed, and it gave him something to think about.
Okay so we go to the church early on Sunday's to greet people. As we were by the chapel doors greeting people, Donna (our Nauvoo Pageant referral from a member) showed up because one of the members she knows was speaking in Sacrament meeting. Then our less active member that we helped arrange a ride for showed up, and then the family we have been working with every week since we arrived here they all showed up. The husband never once came to church as his wife investigated the church last year, and since she was baptized in December she hasn't been to church very often. Well get this as well, she had been at the hospital the night before getting stitches because she had had an accident with a door and cut her forehead open.
So little miracles have been happening here in Dubuque and we continue to pray for the ability to see more of the Lord's tender mercies in our everyday lives.
I love you all!
Sister Call
p.s. This coming Thursday we are having a mission tour and Elder Robert C. Gay of the Seventy will be here, so I am way excited about that!
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Sisters Call and Whipple, Marissa, and Britney
Two of the sisters in our ward at the Hoedown last week. |
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