War and Peace

(Posted by Steph's Dad 12/13/07)

Hola my familia!

I hope things are going well for you in idorut. That's my new word for where all of you are. Ha.

A couple things before I forget. Dad, I talked with Dave Cook and Callie Shaw/Shawl, who both went to school with you. Their daughter lives in our ward and they came out to bless their new grandbaby. They also informed me that the same year Brother Cook was Mr. Incredible for Shelley High, you were too. Is that true?!?

Secondly, Dawn, could I get the alfredo sauce recipe from you? I have a less active family that wants it and I'd love to give the recipe as a Christmas gift.

Thirdly, I had a couple in our ward came up to me the other Sunday, the Seavers, and informed me that "their missionary" was Keith Bond! It was so cool to see how connected the work is. They LOVE Elder Bond and I guess had recently talked with him. I didn't even realize that he'd served in the Tallmadge ward so it was way cool to hear their conversion story and see how the work missionaries do continues to bless the lives of those they taught years later.

I would love to say that this week has been the best of the mission so far, and it has. But it's also been the hardest. I continue to be amazed by the Lord's involvement in the work but also amazed at how much it can hurt when people make poor choices. But even though I've had a heavy heart in the midst of those difficult things, the Lord has blessed me with deep peace and comfort, knowing that He is conducting this work.

We had the opportunity to take Richard to Kirtland last Thursday. It was so great to go to a place full of the Spirit. Richard was very touched by the film, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration as well as the tour. We were able to talk openly with him about baptism (the tour guide even told him that she wanted an invitation to his baptism! I loved it.) and get his feelings about how he's gaining a testimony of the Restoration. It was a great tour. Brother and Sister Stebel drove us there, and I think it was also a very important experience for them to have as well. I'm grateful to have been blessed with the chance to bask in the Spirit of light and truth at Kirtland.

The Lord has really blessed us in the past week in our finding efforts. Last week we found twice as many investigators as we have since I've been here! The Lord really blessed us. I think the Lord knew that we needed to have that support from our finding because many of our investigators that were consistent and solid have begun being flaky/have so much going on that they aren't making meeting with us a priority. Grr. I still love them but want them to just get on the ball about things and recognize the importance of the message! But knocking sense into them doesn't work, because the Spirit isn't in the wind or the earthquake, but in the still small voice. And they have their agency to choose to accept or reject the message we share. I just want to be able to share the message I guess. Sorry, I'm ranting. I just want people to get it! But agency and the Lord's timing are critical factors to that process and I need to just be a willing instrument in His hands to assist in that work.

But then the Lord has blessed us too. Saturday night we got a call from one of our investigators (yes, one of the formerly consistent ones) who called to let us know he'd be at sacrament meeting on Sunday. It was so great to have him there. He enjoyed it and I think will be bringing his kids to the ward Christmas party this Saturday. I look forward to continuing to build upon the things he already knows and strengthening his faith in Jesus Christ.

Another blessing this week has been a project Sister Corbridge and I put together to deliver the DVD "Joy to the World" as a gift to referrals we receive from members. We have received 15 referrals through it and I'm so grateful the members are willing to share the Christmas story from both Old and New world perspectives. If there is anyone you are thinking about sharing the gospel with, Joy to the World would be a great gift to give them to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and help them get a taste of Lesson 1 from PMG. We were able to deliver 2 last night and it was great to talk with people about Christ. Sister Corbridge and I memorized the nativity story from Luke 2 and Matthew 2 and I loved being reminded of that sacred night in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

Monday we had district meeting combined with our whole Zone. They're going to start doing that every 2nd Monday of the month so the Zone Leaders can relay the workshops they hear during mission council. We talked a great deal about our role as healers, the need for commitments, and about the need to make plans of action for the goals that we set. I loved the workshop about spiritual healing, going off of the scripture in Matthew (chapter 4? I don't have a Bible with me) where Christ went about teaching, preaching, and healing. Our role as missionaries is to invite people to come unto Christ by helping them become clean from their sins. In asking them to make commitments, we're essentially asking them to repent and align their lives with the teachings of the restored gospel. That's why commitments are so important; they provide a way for individuals to progress. One of my favorite things we talked about was choosing the commitment and/or identifying the concerns, THEN creating a lesson plan rather that doing it in the reverse order. It's like in all of my teaching classes--you start by stating the objective, what you want to have the students accomplish, THEN write the plan. I needed the reminder and also someone to help me see how to apply it to the gospel message.

I'm so excited for this Christmas season and for the chance I have to talk with people about the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks for you love, support, emails, letters, pictures, stories, prayers, etc. I'm so grateful I have such an amazing family--the longer I'm here the more I realize just how blessed I've been in my life. Thank you for your examples of Christlike love and diligence and for helping me to see what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I hope all is well and I love love love you!

Love,

Sister Cannariato

P.S.
1. when a former investigator opened her door, she was wearing a coat but no pants. she came outside to talk with us for a bit then to clean up some of her yard. yep, without pants.
2. another pants story. while tracting a younger guy came around the back of the house to talk to us. as he walked up, his shorts (which were so low that he was wearing them as pants underneath a really long t-shirt) fell. he casually grabbed them but still, i had a hard time not laughing.
3. I had the nicest dinner at a investigator's house the other night. dim lights, sparkling cider, music playing softly in the background...it was gourmet! then she and her member sister asked me to play the piano for them. For the life of me, I couldn't remember a single piece! I got through maybe 5 measures and then went blank. That's what I get for not memorizing arrangements of church hymns, I guess!
4. we have a Christmas chain :) and it's short. Christmas is less than two weeks away...crazy!