GRACE

Hey everyone!

Sorry you missed me yesterday. LABOR DAY!!! Library was closed.

Oh boy, another tough week in the mission field! Tough but GOOD all at the same time.

Guess what.... we have bats in our walls. They creep us out at night, but we named them Boo.. not quite sure how many there are, but they're fun.

So I gave a training in District Meeting last Wednesday!! It was "Why must our prayers be ones of faith?" Holy cow is FAITH so important. The Lord only works by our faith and we NEED to trust him. When we act on our faith, it shows that we love and support our Father and that we are on HIS team. I hope it went well:)

I don't know if ya'll remember be telling you about Jeremy? He was a miracle find. We found him one night at 8:50. Ten minutes before we were supposed to be home and we did a "Heavenly Father, where do you need us to be for these last 10 minutes??" We drove around town and I saw a man out sitting on his porch. HIM! We stopped and were able to teach him about the BOM. He said he'd tried different churches before, but none of them could he ever FEEL anything. So we gave our testimonies and he said we could come back. This was probably about 5 weeks ago..?

So we went back and he was SUPER busy with football stuff. He's a couch at the High School, so he again said to come back in a couple weeks. Well we went back this last week and he is the nicest man ever. His wife and kids go to a baptist church and because of us, he went to chuch with them last sunday for the first time in YEARS. He said they were comfortable where they were, but he appreciated us showing up that caused him to reflect on what he can do better in life.

He's the nicest man. Probably in his mid 30s and it didn't quite seem that he was interested in learning more, but EVERY meeting that we had this week, we were told to seek out those who will one day be stake presidents and bishops and our mind always wanders to Jeremy. We have a couple of members that work at the high school, so we're asking them to fellowship and befriend him. I pray so hard that we can teach him. We're going to go over in service clothes this week to see if we can do anything for him.

IT SNOWED YESTERDAY!!.... okay, like less than a half an inch. There was frost on our car, and that's about it. But it is getting colder and colder! We're listening to Christmas music now:)

One of our investigators works at the food pantry here in town on Wednesdays, so we went to go visit her this week. We met up with a lot of her friends and invited them all to attend the Gingerbread Festival that is held at the Trail Center and the Kanesville Tabernacle.

HOLY COW I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE GINGERBREAD FESTIVAL!!!!!! So all the wards around here go ALL OUT to create these massive gingerbread houses and then they display them both at the Mormon Trail Center and the Kanesville Tabernacle. We have plans to go with MANY of our less-actives and investigators up there and I am so excited to see it! It's all anyone around here talks about at Chrsitmas time.

We were able to go to Shenendoah this last week and help the Red Cross set up for a fundraiser they were doing. Set up and take down chairs. Made me REALLY miss my days in the Clinton City Youth Council... holy cow I'm so glad I got involved in that in high school. Tell Julie hi for me and that I miss her!! Service is seriously the best, you guys. DO IT. The ladies running the red cross are ADORABLE!! They are super active in their church but we gave them some great sunday school activity ideas and we believe the Elders are working with them.

On Wednesday night we were able to attend our ward combined YM/YW/RS activity where they made ornaments. We were there to help set up and the ornaments they were making were going on a ward Christmas tree that will also be displayed at the Trail Center. While setting up, I was in charge of fluffing the big Christmas tree-- momma, you would have been proud of me:) Alllllll those years of fluffing our alpine trees have paid off :P hahah It was fun. I love our ward.

We also attended the viewing of the woman who passed away last week. So sad :( I hate funerals..... but how much HARDER they would be if we didin't have the knowledge that we'll be together forever:):) <3 We got to pass that along to the family who aren't members.

Sister Carpenter was sick on Sat and Sun. We had to come home early from church and stay in all day on Sunday because she was extremely dizzy. I got a lot of studying done and wrote some letters. I was able to chat a lot with the family we live with. Holy cow I love them:) She made us soup and pudding and sandwhiches Sunday night and it was nice. It's hard not being able to get out though.

I did have a miracle on Sunday though. I love little kids and my biggest miracles come through them.

Sunday, as we were partaking of the sacrament, I was just pleading with the Lord to know that what we were doing was acceptable. It was a really slow week and I felt like we didn't see a lot of progress. As soon as the sacrament was over, a little girl named Grace (the name is no coincidence) tapped me on the shoulder to show me a picture that she had drew during sacrament. She drew two sister missionaries with her standing inbetween and says "that's us!! See! You two and me!!"

I started crying... I hadn't felt like we did a lot that week, but Grace was just a reminder and tender mercy from the Lord that we're doing well. Even if we're just being examples to the little girls around us.

This gospel is true. No doubt of it will ever cross my mind. We cannot do everything, but we can do a LOT just by being examples. Let your friends know that you are members of this church. Invite people over to your homes to feel of the spirit that is in them! I know the Lord lives and that He loves ALLLLL of His children, even when we have a hard time loving them. Pray for guidence and pray to be humbled. We have the greatest gift this world will EVER offer--- the restored gospel and the full knowledge of God's plan for each and every one of us. SHARE IT.

I love you all!! I hope you all are well and wish I could extend to you how much you truly mean to me. I'll never be able to express my love and gratitude.

Have an amazing week! You're always in my prayers.

-Sister Checketts

(The picture is Grace:))