Week 4- March 19, 2012

Oh my goodness family, this last week has been AMAZING. Holy canoli. Where do I start? I wish I had the time to write out everything that has happened, so I'll write just a few of the many many miracles that have happened in the last seven days. 

First, before I get to the good stuff, I wanted to let everyone know that if you've sent me mail since I've arrived in Indiana, I haven't gotten it.....the mission office is apparently being overloaded with mail, packages, etc....so if you are sending a letter to me, send it to this address please: 
Sister Donaldson
2330 Northwestern Ave
Apartment #3
West Lafayette, IN 47906
I will be at this address until at least the end of May. 

Ok....on to the good stuff...miracles. Oh my gosh, the Spirit is AMAZING. We are being led to people every single day and it's all because of the spirit.

One thing I've learned since being out here: our plan Cs are usually Heavenly Father's plan As. 

My first week we met A* tracting. We got into her apartment and taught her the lesson and then set up a return apt. We went back, and she wasn't there. We called, she never answered. For an entire week, we tried stopping by her place and she never came to the door. After a series of super discouraging events (another atheist, a cancelled appointment, etc), we decided to drop by A*'s house one more time. Guess what? She was there. Guess what? She had just been reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlet that we left her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Guess what? She had thought not even 5 minutes earlier, "Man, I wonder when those Jesus ladies are gonna come back. I may have to give them a call." We went in and started reading the Book of Mormon with her. Not even 10 verses into it, she told us that she thought the book was true because she felt "Gods love all up" in her body.  Score! She also said she wants to repent. I wish we had asked her to be baptized...but our time was so short. Oh well, we're seeing her again on Wednesday. 

We had an appointment with the progressing investigators, C*. He had a baptismal date for March 31, but he's been so sick that he's not prepared yet. He's 76 years old and has been really sick the last few weeks. Two of the ward members came with their wives and gave him a priesthood blessing. He loved it! C* is so nice and friendly, and he loves to talk. He reminds me a lot of Grandpa Chudleigh....:) Anyways, we got into the lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we asked him if he's noticed a difference in his life since meeting with the missionaries. He started to cry. He told us that he has and then said, "I have never met anyone who loves Jesus more than you people....these two ladies here are of God. They were brought to me by God" Good grief. I almost lost it. I love it! The Spirit was so strong and he is working on C*'s heart! He came to church yesterday and as he was walking out, he said, "I've never felt this good going to a church!" Wednesday, we're going to set another baptismal date with him. 

Another miracle: we have been tracting our bums off out here! And the last house that we go to always seems to be the golden door. That was the case on the 15th. The last door on the street we were tracting, D* opened the door. She came out and started talking with us. I don't know how we got it out of her, but she started telling us that her son had been killed in a motorcycle accident last May and that her dad has terminal cancer. She started telling us about, "I kept on trying to convince my son to get baptized, but now that he's dead, he'll never have that chance." I opened my mouth and said, "D*, he can still be baptized." She looked at us, with a look of complete shock and joy and started crying....like out of control tears, "He can?!?" Oh my gosh. The Spirit hit all three of us like a ton of bricks. We all started crying. "How?!?" She cried. Anyways.....that was the most powerful moment I have had in a long time. We had a return appointment with her yesterday and she loves the plan of salvation. She's coming to church on Sunday and she is so excited. Words cannot express how powerful that moment was. Sister Gillman and I were crying for the next 30 minutes. Wow. 

Oh there are so many more that I wish I could tell you about!  

Now onto some funny things: 

I have a new name among the primary kids in the ward. They call me, "Sister Dolphin" because they can't seem to form the name, "Donaldson." 

You know you're in Indiana when:
You step in Canadian goose poop at least 4 times a day. 
People have to talk to you through the screen doors because they own 4, violent, ferocious, stinky pitbulls. 
50% of the people you talk to are missing at least one of their front 4 teeth (I love it!) So funny. 
The sunsets are some of the most beautiful things you've ever seen. Hawaii sunsets have got nothing on Indiana! 
People start talking to you because you have red hair and freckles (hey, I'll use it to my advantage!)

We do service twice a week at an old folks home.....we play bingo with them. It is the funnest thing EVER!!! The old ladies love to ooh and ahh at my red hair and many of them have actually touched it. Haha....I got called a leprechaun the other day....that's what I get for wearing green on St Patricks day.

That's all for today! I love you all! Keep smiling! Life is so so so good!  

Sister Dolphin. I mean....Donaldson... :)

Alma 8:10 (applied to my life right now) "Nevertheless, Sister Gillman and Sister Donaldson labored much in spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the cities of West Lafayette and Lafayette; that he would also grant that they might baptize them unto repentance."