March 22, 2009

It is time for a new posting. We have been a bit trunky because we have not been able to feel a lot of support in our missionary work here in Sulphur Springs. Last week we just made the decision to go out and meet with families and get their family mission plans done. We need to do whatever we can to get them going and thinking about telling their friends about the church. I believe we met with four different families. This week we will continue to do that. The part member families have not been real fruitful.

Some of the ward members seem to be hostile about having us pushing missionary work in their branch. Two of them specifically, who are leaders in the branch have not cooperated at all. They will not attend things and will not open themselves up to meeting with us for a mission plan. It seems to us that they ar pretty involved in their own lives and don't have room for anything else.

We had Branch conference on Sunday and the whole stake congregated at our building. They had a stake meeting for all of the organizations and then they all attended our meetings and stayed for the potluck afterwards. There was a large crowd. After Relief Society and Priesthood, many of the brethern took a stake leader with them and went out to visit individual branch members who had become less active or whom we were teaching. We hope to hear some positive results from those.

Being a little trunky, it makes it difficult to continue at the pace that we have been going. Maybe we have slowed a little. We have been in this area for over seven months and we are ready for a move. We have worked them over.

This Branch is stuck in gear, and it makes it very difficult to move forward with missionary work. It could be that we have just not found the right key to open the doors we need to. The problem seems to be that they are not open and friendly to each other and new people. They all live their private lives. While we have instigated new activities and such, what will happen aftr we leave? Who will be the ones to keep it all going? The same people are the ones that reach out and help to feel welcome, the new ones. Others just struggle.

We have been teaching two young girls who have been to church. They are both struggling to find friends in the branch. Kimberly will not come without her inlaws because she has not connected with anyone. I think eventually they will both be friends to each other in the branch, after they are baptized. But Kimberly is just not making the efforts that she needs to, so she can move towards baptism.

Last night Marina made a commitment to be baptized with her son on the 14th of March. That is one week before we go home. Marina has three young children and she needs the Gospel as much as we need her here. She has a very sweet and kind spirit and could add a lot to our branch. Maricella and Shannon have agreed to help teach Anthony, her eight year old son. We are going to start that project on Saturday. We need lots of prayers because our time line is so very short.

Today is Elder Whiting's Birthday! Whohoo!!!! We are going to district meeting this morning in Gilmer and then we are just going to spend the rest of the day together relaxing and doing something for us. Then we will pick up our schedule tomorrow. Life has been good to us while we have been serving. Heavenly Father has blessed us so. Even the slower days in the mission field are joyous to us. WE love working with the Holy Ghost and enjoy so much the influence that we feel.

Our time is short. WE have three weeks and a few days. We will sad to finish, but happy to see our family and loved ones again.