Stories from Afar (Volume 6)

This week has been amazing! And so you all know, both the mission president and Site Director have let go of the ropes and so now we can choose how often we go up to Kirtland. They both wanted what was best. (Elder Jennings just wanted me to come to love Kirtland. Which could only come from being there.) So I thank my family for fasting for us to get through that situation. It really did help!

So Kirtland! There is a lot of negativity about the missionaries who go there, but I'm grateful to be able to look past all of those opinions and have my own. Kirtland is AMAZING! So story time!

Sister Burnside met Shannon on her first Sunday in this area about 8 weeks ago. It was Shannon's first time at church and they found out that she had just walked in on her own!!! She had been through tough times and a friend from work had given her a Book of Mormon, telling her that it was the only way to true happiness. She read it and decided to go to church where she met the Sister missionaries! Wow! My companion raves about her being so prepared! 

So fast forward to now. She has had all of the lessons and has such a strong testimony! She needed to be baptized! But she was a bit wary because she didn't think she was ready. This last week, she didn't work that much so we invited her to come up to Kirtland for a personal tour from us and she eagerly agreed. We settled it for Thursday afternoon. Sister Burnside and I really hoped that it would be just the thing Shannon needed. And it was!!!

So we were in the N. K. Whitney Store and the spirit was just so strong! Wow! With every story we told we were able to relate back to her and she was so amazed. But the best part of it was the School of the Prophets and the room soon after.

We told all of the stories of those men who followed Joseph Smith's council with the Word of Wisdom and then preparing themselves to see visions when the first presidency was first ordained. And the spirit whispered to Sister Burnside that we needed to leave Shannon alone in the room for a bit and thus we did, telling her to pray about when she should be baptized.

As we waited, my companion told me I had the next part with a scripture from the Book of Mormon. (Have I told you all how much I love the Book of Mormon?) And I was terrified. At least at first. But then I had faith that the Lord would give me the story that Shannon needed to hear. Really quickly the story of Alma the Elder came to mind and I knew that was what I needed to talk about. 

When she came out she was feeling the spirit so strongly though didn't really want to talk about it. So we continued with the tour and we got to the Book of Mormon. I told her about Abinadi going among the Priests of King Noah and then perishing at the King's command. But I explained that Abinadi did not preach in vain, he converted one person and that was Alma. Alma then went on to teach the people and eventually they all made their way to the waters of mormon. I opened my book and read Mosiah 18:7-11. It was so powerful! And after our testimonies Sister Burnside asked her a question:

"Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized on December 9th?"

It was so soon! But Shannon said yes and told us how a voice had told her earlier that she needed to be baptized. HUZZAH! We were all so happy and tearful we just hugged out of pure joy!
Shannon is going to be like Alma! She is the only one of her family interested right now, but because of her all of her ancestors will be able to receive the ordinances and we know they are looking to her to do it for them! Yay!
We are so excited to have a baptism and can't wait for this Sunday. (We are doing it before church and then giving her the gift of the Holy Ghost during Sacrament right after) 

So yeah, that experience has helped me come to love Kirtland and ignore all the things others say about it. Also this experience has given my companion something else to freak out about this week: preparing a baptism. She's never done one and obviously I'm new at all of this. Hehehe! God is so good!

The next story is about church. We got Carolina, Bruce and their 5 year old son to come to sacrament meeting yesterday! It was amazing! Yeah, Bruce had a lot of questions and I got to answer a lot of them because I was sitting next to him. He asked if I had a best friend who was a guy and I said no. Well, he stepped up and now I do have a best friend who is a guy! Haha! He's amazing! I really hope I'll be able to show him that. He has more light than he realizes. 

From all of the testimonies, he was shocked to realize that we really do believe in all of this stuff and asked how. I told him that the first step is to want to believe; to open up and have that desire. Wow, I want that for him so badly! I imagine him being a priesthood holder and being with his little family forever more. I will be his friend and show him that he can have happiness in his life! He just needs to let go of the darkness that is holding him back. And I know that he can! 

So please keep Bruce, Carolina and little Raiden in your prayers. They are really so amazing!

Time is almost up!! Eek! I've got too many stories! I can't tell them all! 

But I will tell you all that I love you! I LOVED the notes my family all made for Thanksgiving! 

(And the chocolate )

Until next time!
Sister Becca Steiner