I'm so happy for all that has happened this week, good and bad in Stansbury Park. I read your emails already and I have gotten your letters that you have sent to me along with a few friends that wrote me this week too and it is such a joy to feel of your love and support. To know that you are all doing well despite all the change that has occurred and crae cold weather! Ha. So I'll just start from the top!
Mondays are just a joy to have. It was a blessing to have Sister Wardel invite Sister West and I to make General Conference Journals....scrapbooking!!! My comfort zone that made me have a warm fuzzy all day! Then we played football as a Zone. Shoot, I'm like totes good at it! All of the Elders love us Sisters and our District is so good! I ran and was like, so out of shape I have gained like 10 lbs......no bueno! Dinner at the Lambert's was just wonderful as always! The love they have in their home is just so tender. Then to have a FHE with Patrick and his boys was so cute! They loved the 10 commandments and the hand motions! ;)
Tuesday, we have been really working with less actives in the four wards we cover and it's just really difficult. But we were able to have a great lesson with a husband and wife; she wants to stop smoking for her husband and not for herself. He almost cried in front of us and it was a bit hard to listen to them talk about why she isn't ready to stop smoking....she doesn't want to go through the motions and go to the temple to then go right back to her old habit. Wow. I had to give it to her. So true. Her husband needs to just be patient....it's hard but totes worth it! Then that evening Patrick's lesson was so good, the Bishop was bale to be in on the lesson and it is so joyful to see the family doing this together! That evening we went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leader. She has only been out two weeks and Sister Burns was a but nervous but she is totes great!
Wednesday morning was wonderful and Sister Burns had planning and study all under control in the Tooele area! We had a service project that morning and it was a tender moment of reflection for me. The sister's husband was out of town for work and needed to get her yard weeded....when I looked to see the weeds, they were taller than me, and that's saying a lot!!! Haha. Where the heck do we start, so I just went at it! (Mind you the sisters didn't tell me we were doing service so I totes wore my pjs!!! Hahahahahaha. Oh it is too funny even thinking about it!) As we continued to weed the Elders in their district helped too, the ground was a bit hard but the clouds looked like it was going to rain. Oh no I thought! Totes not cool, weeding in the rain?!!?! As the rain had a constant flow it loosened the soil and the weeds were easier to pull up. For some reason my thoughts went back to when I would wake up on a Saturday morning looking out of the kitchen windows seeing dad work outside on the fences for the lambs or back in the North 40 in the wood pile and it would be raining. Tears came to my eyes being so full of gratitude for the love and devotion he has for our family to continue to work hard despite of the rain and hard times that have come to our family. I stood up and no longer cared about what I looked like or how my hands felt hurting from the big weed stocks, I smiled and sang, 'When we're helping we're happy and we'll sing as we go!' It was amazing to talk about the gospel to the Elders and help them see all the joy that comes from hard work and lessons we are able to learn.
All that day Sister Burns and I experienced miracles as she looked at what roads to go down, being unfamiliar with the area, the spirit was able to tell me good things would happen that day with her strong testimony. Sure enough I would lock the keys in the car as we went to a sister's referral (For some reason I had my camera in my hands and Sister Burns had the cell, totes a good thing!) and we had to walk 15 minutes to our dinner appointment! Haha. It was so much fun! It all worked out getting it unlocked and going on for the evening. Heavenly Father had a plan for his children.....I saw a lady on her step and so I pulled over and rolled down the window and started to talk to her! Well Amanda needed us and we said a prayer and left. Sister Haddock texted us the next day after exchanges and said, 'Sister Pratt, thanks for taking care of my companion yesterday. You saw all the people I'd been worrying about and I know it's because you were inspired. Thank you so much!' It was so sweet to hear. This whole week it has felt like I have made no impact and the negative thoughts from Salt Lake City have come back into my head and have held me down. But that was amazing to hear from the sisters!
Thursday was a down day, but we were able to practice our song for Patrick's baptism!!! Then have our lesson that night on Lesson 2 at the Lambert's! Sister West was inspired that morning to talk to me about the boys having a testimony. I told her she needed to ask them and explain what a testimony is. So good she did, Dallis said he didn't want to be baptized.....WHAT??? Patrick was hit in the side but I knew that I had to talk to Dallis one on one and looked him in the eyes and told him, 'No matter what decisions you make, know that Sister Pratt loves you! and your Heavenly Father still does and your family!' I challenged him to pray about knowing if what we talked about was right and being baptized...We said lots of prayers that night, us four sisters!
Friday we had District meeting which was amazing! Elder Taylor is wonderful and we need to work with the members. We are treating them like investigators now. They need to know how to talk and teach their friends the gospel! We were able to leave and the Zone Leader's put a sticky on our car, 'Your front right tire is totes flat!' Elder Olsen is funny! They changed it for us! All is well, I just love Sister West and the people here way too much and want the best for them! We got a text from Patrick that afternoon and Dallis is back on date! Happy day. We had all four of their interviews that evening and the Lambert's got them each their own set of scriptures with their name on it! Then as we were waiting, played some bball! Totes the best thing ever in a skirt! Ha.
Saturday was a tender joy to have President Child and all of Patrick's family and friends at his baptism! It was so quiet and for true felt like the temple! Oh what love was there! As we sang our song I couldn't get the 2nd Soprano note so I just stopped singing....them picked it back up. I had prayed that if I couldn't get the note, then please have the spirit cover it up. Sure thing, the spirit filled everyone and it was amazing! It was amazing to see one by one each of them enter into the font and be washed clean, you don't even notice Patrick's tattoos! He has felt of His love and is a changed man. After the baptism he gave us a side hug (It was totes worth it!) and said, 'You saved me!' Tear.
I was able to go to Cold Stone and eat my fav, Founders Favorite!!!!! Chocolate!!!!! It was odd but so good!
Sunday was tender as I was able to fast for our wards and for West and I to teach in members homes and for me to use the atonement and continue to push forward in life having Hope and faith! President Hansen was at the Confirmation of the boys and again the spirit was so strong, each of their blessings were so special! They will be wonderful missionaries and leader of the church!
Today, Sister Hill was able to take us to the temple! The peace and joy filled my heart as I know what I am to do here and will be an influence on others for good! I knew the face when I saw it, Sister Wixom walked in and I wanted to hug her but didn't. So before we left....she talked to me and gave me a hug! I told her about mom and since you were a convert you didn't know the primary songs so you made sure we knew them.....'I am like a star shining brightly.....' Tears filled my eyes as I felt her love and Heavenly Fathers love! I know my Savior lives! Sister West and I will be going to the Sunday evening session of General Conference!!!! Happy day! Elder Olsen had asked me to text him and his companion every day of a good thing that has happened! I'm so grateful for all the love and support around me!
Love your daughter and little sister,
Sister Sarah Jane Pratt
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