The Price of Becoming‏ June 20, 2016

Hi you all!!
So after a week where we weren't seeing a ton of visible success, last night we went out with a member for part of the time and just went out tracting/OYMing the rest of the time and we saw some incredible miracles! Right before our member joined us we met Ruthie! So Ruthie is here visiting her son (I believe) for a couple more weeks and guess where she's from?! Louisiana! <- That's where my Daddy served! And out of all places in Lousiana, Treeport! Haha well that made things easy to connect with her to get to know her and share the gospel with her. While we were talking she asked if Gladys Knight was a part of our church and we didn't know so she looked her up while explaining that she had seen her live with the 300 member choir that she leads (aka the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). So it turns out Sister Knight is a member and Ruthie loved one of their songs so she pulled it up while talking to us and we started teaching the Restoration as Ruthie found this AMAZING song by Sister Knight that she started playing. We taught the Restoration with I Am a Child of God by Gladys Knight and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the background. Hermanos y Hermanas, it doesn't get better than that right there. It really was an amazing experience and as we left she was like "I just feel SO good right now!". We will be back on Tuesday- we are so stoked to see how things pan out!
One of the other miracles we had last night was about 8:45- a go home and obedience walk for 10 minutes, or knock on another door and potentially stay out 15 minutes after 9?- we decided to knock one more door. It was a home that while it was being built, Hermana Brown and I had talked to one of the men working on it and given him a Book of Mormon. So we knock on the door and some kids answer it. "Hey, buddy! Are your parents home?" They open the door all the way and their dad is chilling on the recliner directly in front of us! "Come on in!" so we are about to step in but I hurry and ask "Okay, wait, is there another woman in here?" "Yes.." haha okay... we step in just a little and there is just a woman on the TV, "wait, is there really a woman in here besides the one on the TV?" "Yes..." So the kids go to one of the rooms "Mom! There's someone at the door!" Haha oh okay, he wasn't just making a joke about the woman on the TV. So we come in and start talking about his deer head that they have on their walls and the wife comes in and we start talking with all of them. This family has 4 kids and are all in the living room, more of less listening. So we start teaching the Restoration after a bit and they were asking questions, it was really great! It went really well and we were able to set up a return appointment for later this week with the Mayor family! We are pretty stoked!
As for Phillis, she didn't get baptized this past weekend because we had Stake Conference yesterday and she would have had to wait a week to be confirmed, but she's getting baptized this week and she is SO excited! We will send you all pictures and how it goes next week! It's going to be an amazing and busy week that's for sure!
I'm so grateful for the amazing companion that I have- I absolutely love serving with Hermana St. Clair! She's seriously the sweetest person I have ever met! She gets so excited about all of the little things and I am pretty sure she's never complained or said anything bad about anyone. Even after we ran into a group of old people outside this past week who kept calling us "CULT! CULT!", besides the lady in the group was super nice though and mentioned a few of the members in our branch. That was an interesting experience! Haha this week has certainly turned out great though and a learning experience!
 I did hear from home today of a close family friend who committed suicide this past week and that was hard news to hear. The prevalence of suicide and all the many other temptations that are happening more and more in this world is so saddening, and even the very elect are being deceived. I can't think of any other way to overcome and avoid falling personally into these pits except through true application of the doctrine and atonement of Christ. But I know now, better than ever, that the doctrine of Christ is real, and as we apply it we can become clean, sanctified, strengthened, and who Heavenly Father has in mind for us to become. I loved a quote from President Walkenhorst during Zone Conference this past week that applies to this that "there isn't any way that you can be something that you haven't paid the price to become" and that includes becoming like Christ and Heavenly Father. We can't become like our Heavenly Father if we don't pay the price to use the atonement and change. I've never thought of it like that before, but like Christ paid the ultimate price, we have to pay a much less but still significant price to become like Him.
I love you all and I pray that this week we all can change to be a little more like Christ! I'm so grateful for each of you and your positive influences that you have had on me! Until next week, chao!

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