Wonderful Walnut Hills Ward

Dear Family & Friends:

We had another wonderful week in the Walnut Hills Ward!

Monday was Sister Chirinos' Birthday and that evening we were able to have dinner and our monthly missionary coordination meeting with Bishop!  

Rene called us and said that she had ordered lunches for us so when we came to call Bingo that we could come a little bit earlier and have lunch, and visited with the seniors!  

We were able to meet with the Relief Society President and go over the ward list with her and see who she would like us to focus on and help!

Sister Call & Sister Chirino

Brooklyn, who is one of the young women in our ward, came out with us for a few hours, and she said that while she did the mini mission earlier this summer that her favorite part was tracting!  So we'll make sure to allow some time for tracting each time she comes out with us!

We finally were able to meet with Greg and his wife Amy.  The Elders had met with them a few times in the past few months and they are Evangelical Christians, but love talking about God and learning more!  The lesson was such a neat experience.  At first they were talking about grace and how they feel that we think of grace and works differently than they do, but then Sister Chirinos said "I don't think it is grace that differentiates us.  The one thing that does differentiate us is the Priesthood."  It was so neat, because the Spirit was really strong and you could see the wheels turning as pieces were starting to come together for them.  They then asked what they could read that would help them understand the Priesthood better!  And really if they can just understand this important piece, that indeed Christ's church has been restored through a modern day prophet, then the rest will fall into place for them!

Olivia went to mutual again this week and fits in so well with the young women!  After mutual we were able to have a short lesson with her and her grandma!  They mentioned how Oliva and her dad want a stronger relationship, which will come through the gospel, because the gospel is about relationships!  Relationships with our Father in Heaven, relationships with our Savior, relationships with our family, and relationships with others.  And if we are willing to apply the principles and teachings of the gospel we can have stronger relationships!

Thursday we were out tracting and at one of the homes that we stopped by, it was a Chinese family and their sons answered the door.  We introduced ourselves, gave them a mormon.org card with the address to church and invited them to church.  Which they said that they would be there and they asked if we would be there.  So yesterday we were at church and David and Ming did not show up for Sacrament meeting.  So Sister Chirinos and I were in the Gospel Principles class when one of the missionaries from the ward that meets at 11:00, came and got us from class saying "your investigators are here"  Sure enough, David, Ming and their cousin Oliver were sitting in a pew with another missionary.  The pew in front of them was open so, we went in and said hello and then attended the Sacrament meeting of the Raccoon River ward with them!  They don't have much/if any religious background and so we pulled out a pamphlet that talks about the Sacrament that we gave them during the Sacrament so they knew what was going on.  haha anyways, despite it being their first time, and having only introduced ourselves briefly at the doorstep a few days earlier, they seemed to have a good time, and want to keep coming to church!

Saturday was wonderful as well!  Since the Shelley's are still in Utah, we were able to go and help the Stringham's in the mission office again!  Saturday afternoon we were working in Grimes and had tried a part member family, and were walking towards the next place, when Rene drives by and waves, and then the next thing we know, she has turned around and pulled over.  She asked if we had been to the ice cream shop yet, and that she would like to treat us to ice cream!  We had a wonderful visit with her and invited her to church, so hopefully in the next while she will come to church with us!

I LOVED the women's broadcast!  And am so excited for General Conference!  I think it is amazing how when we are prepared with questions or things that we want to know, that the Spirit touches our hearts and lets us know the answers!  One of my favorite parts was when they showed the video of women all around the world testifying of the blessings of the temple.  And it was in all different languages, but the Spirit was SO strong!  And it goes to show that it doesn't matter what language we speak, or how well we speak it, but that it is the Spirit that touches hearts!

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy conference!  What a wonderful opportunity we have to listen to our Prophets, Seers and Revelators!

Love, Sister Call