November 4th

Wednesday we got to help a member with her tile! Yay for service opportunities. I was so pumped when she asked if we could help her. So we had a nice time chatting with her while we helped her clean her tile to get ready to grout (sp?) it.

Who cancels Halloween????? Apparently people in Indiana. Actually, it was a good thing. The tornado sirens went off that night!!!! I was so excited...Sister Tibbitts was worried we were going to die. Don't worry, we only heard them for about 10 minutes tops.

But more importantly we had interviews with President on Thursday. I love him! I'm so glad I've been able to get on the good side of my mission president. haha while we were talking he talked about "bringing out the coach hat", that's not something you want at all. But don't worry! He wasn't talking about me. So last week I talking about making the conscious decision to just be happy; that has continued this week. I can't let little things bother me. Missionary work is simple. Something else I studied one morning this week. Called to serve. Everyone (well at least me) loves serving people. I read over the copy of my call letter that I brought with me.

 What does it say? It says that I am called to serve in the Indiana Indianapolis mission. I've tried to have the mindset every moment that I'm serving other people. It makes the day a lot more enjoyable. Luckily, President is all about serving the members.

We had zone meeting on Friday. Benjamin got baptized Saturday! He was the Hispanic I taught in Seymour, I wish I could have gone. Ok Friday afternoon I was way stressed out. It seemed like we were running into problem after problem with Heidi's baptism the next day. I think I spent a total of an hour on the phone just trying to get things finalized. At one point I really didn't think the baptism was going to happen. That night we went and saw Don and Leah Ann and finished the baptismal interview questions with them. Leah Ann is already being a missionary! She's been posting youtube videos on facebook of President Uchtdorf. She says she figures her family is going to find out sooner or later anyways.

Ok SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WERE THE BEST 48 HOURS OF MY LIFE!!! First Don and Leah Ann passed their interview! YES! Baptism this Saturday.

I wish I could capture every emotion I felt as I watched Heidi get baptized. So she got baptized at a physical therapy place up in Greenwood. The pool is probably 10 x 15 ft. The bottom is made of stainless steel and has holes in it so it can rise all the way to the top to meet the edge of the pool (hopefully that makes sense). Heidi didn't want anyone coming, but there ended up being probably 30 people (probably my fault). We went over to her house right after the interview to make sure she was all ready. When we pulled up she was waiting behind the door in her wheelchair dressed in a white dress. She told us she wasn't nervous at all, which I was very grateful for. We made it up to the facility with no problems, in fact we were a little early. So there was a little waiting around while everyone came. Sister Francis was able to come as well as an elder who had taught her previously (she's been meeting with the missionaries since February). After an opening song and prayer and a few remarks by President Hilton, then rolled her onto the bottom of the pool. Bro Wilde baptized her plus another man and Elder Newbold (the elder who taught her) went in the water. They slowly lowered down the floor until the water was about at her chin. Bro Wilde said the prayer, started to lean her back, and then she started floating! An unforeseen problem. So they ended up just kind of pushing her down to completely immerse her. I can't describe what I felt as I watched her get baptized. For the longest time she was so nervous, but she recognized that she needed to follow Christ's example. Later she told me that when she started floating, she wasn't nervous at all. We went over the her house afterwards. She looked so clean! That's the only way I can describe it. She told us it was all worth it. I could tell that she was really happy. I think her baptism is the most unique one I will ever see. I never imagined in my life that I would have the opportunity to teach and plan a baptism for someone who is bedridden. Definitely worthy all the stress I went through! Heidi has every reason to give up. She is completely dependent on other people, yet she chooses to progress. She's probably taught me more than I have ever taught her.

I wish every single one of you could have been in sacrament meeting in the Franklin ward on Sunday. Obviously Heidi first was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Bryant is a 17 year old investigator the elders are teaching. He got up and bore his testimony, can you say missionary? He's not even baptized yet. He set the tone for the entire meeting. Then Leah Ann got up! Also a less active that we've been helping reactivate. Yesterday was only her second time back at church and she was up there! I was sitting in the pew, thinking I should get up, but then telling myself the ward didn't want to hear from me because I'm speaking next week. But I couldn't sit there any longer. I had way to much joy in my heart and I NEEDED to share it with others. D&C 18 was coming to pass in my life. I know that me typing it doesn't do the service justice. There was just a very special spirit there. Afterwards Heidi said she wanted to go up too, it broke my heart. She just didn't know if she would be able to. We told her we would get her to church next Fast Sunday so she could.

After church we went with a couple, the Province's in our ward to visit a few people. The first is a less active family. They have four kids and stopped going to church about 4-5 years ago. I've seen them one before  last transfer and have been calling about every week to set up another appointment. They have every intention of coming to church, but they've been sick the last two Sundays. Anyways, the minute Brother Province mentioned the Indianapolis temple being built in a year their faces lit up. We talked about the possibility of them being sealed as a family. I think it sparked in them a real desire to change. I haven't been able to get this family out of my head! Then we went and met with a HQ referral we received earlier this week. He's dated a Mormon girl from the Martinsville ward in the past and goes to that ward sometimes. He has a sincere desire to learn if the church is true. So it was a typical Restoration lesson, which I love teaching. Anyways, it felt really good to be teaching a first lesson. It's been way too long since I've been able to do that. We committed him to baptism, he said yes. Next appointment on Sunday! I told President at interviews I was nervous because we were baptizing our entire teaching pool. Luckily, Heavenly Father has placed in our path another prepared soul.

The talk for stake conference is going well. I guess. I don't have time to just sit down and prepare a talk like you do when you are not on a mission. I had the craziest dream last night! Elder Holland showed up for conference and I got completely nervous! Luckily it won't happen because he was just here for another stake conference about two months ago. Also, Kenz you were there too! How that happened I have no idea. I am slowly working on it. I have a lot of ideas. We went out to dinner at the Hilton's last Monday night and President Hilton told me to make sure I only speak for 8 minutes, otherwise they won't be too happy. Now I'm more concerned that I'm going to go over my time!

I wish each of you could be in my shoes right now. I'm beyond excited for Don and Leah Ann's baptism on Saturday! She is also going to speak at Why I Believe next Sunday. There were still a lot of hard moments this week, don't get me wrong. But I got chastised in zone meeting by being reminded we are only supposed to write uplifting things home. So I focused on the miracles!