Happy Easter Everyone!

This week was great! It wasn’t terribly warm but it wasn’t terribly cold either. I went on a tradeoff in West Branch with Elder Fiame, and they do not have a car at the moment so he and I did a lot of walking. Apparently he did not even know we were going on tradeoffs that day, so he didn’t have any specific plans… so we went wherever he felt impressed to go at the time, and I’ll tell you what happened: knocking on what would seem like random streets, we happened to knock into a woman who is a member of the church but hasn’t come for years and years, and we had the chance to talk with her and get her phone number. Continuing to knock, we happened to knock into that woman’s daughter who is also a member and hasn’t come in a few months. Is this all coincidence?? Pish posh, there is no such thing. 😉

And this wasn’t even the last of it! We decided to do some personal contacting downtown, and as we were going there was a big church building, but the sign in front said something about a thrift shop, and we had a feeling we should go inside. When you get those small feelings or ideas pressing on your mind, just do it. We went in and as we were looking around, a lady happened to recognize that we were Elders and came up and talked to us. She told us that the past Elders used to come in this building to do service for an hour or two each week, and she directed us to the woman in charge who was very grateful to see us and says they could use the help again. It is a non-profit organization to help kids within the community. Our last district meeting was literally all about service and encouraged us to look for service opportunities in the community. Coincidence? I think not!

I am indeed grateful for Elder Fiame’s cooking. He cooked fish in coconut oil and made me breakfast in the morning, too.
We had the chance to teach three lessons to investigators with members present. That hasn’t happened in a week in this area for probably at least a year. Things usually move pretty slow here.

This is quickly turning into a long email, so I’m just going to go all out: Have you ever experienced tree rain?? On thursday our area was subject to freezing rain which blanketed everything in sight in a sheet of ice. Friday, our walking day, the weather was just warm enough to cause the ice to melt, little by little, causing a constant rain of ice to fall from every tree in the city. Seriously at some points it was actually pretty dangerous, but hey, I love a good dangerous adventure! >:D

One last detail of my week: Have you ever woken up unable to turn your head to the left or right without experiencing excruciating pain? That’s what happened to me yesterday morning (Easter morning.) I still can’t really turn my head to the left, and I can’t keep my head straight, it stays at about a 30 degree angle to the right. Haha, any suggestions anyone…?

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week. I’m grateful for this Easter season to remember Christ’s triumph over sin and death. Through him, everything that is unfair in life can be made right, thanks to His Atonement:

Alma 7: 11-12
11. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people
12. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Sincerely,

Elder Breinholt