Dearest Patrons of the Iowa Des Moines Mission followers!! 🙂

I just have to tell you RIGHT NOW! The past month has been a roller coaster ride of goods and bads. But this week really made up for it!!! 🙂 🙂
We had an AWESOME experience with our 2 investigators, Brighid and Angie! We went over to see if we needed to drop them because they’ve been dodging us lately, and right as we bowed our head to pray before entering their house, they pulled in their driveway. Apparently they’ve been super sick (Brighid has Chrones Disease) and needed groceries. The fridge and freezer were completely bare, except for Banquet TV dinners…so sad! 🙁 So we came over the next day and made them lunch (with the Chili Mix you sent me, Mom!!) and taught the restoration. They are usually super chit-chatty, but when we told the Joseph Smith story, they were completely silent! I REALLY LOVE to tell the first vision story because I KNOW it happened and I get the chills every time. I always pause after I quote, “Joseph, this is my Beloved Son, HEAR HIM!!”….

After the pause, the spirit was super strong and Brighid just opened up. She said, “WOW! I totally relate to Joseph! I feel confused just like he did about why there are so many churches!!” She said she’ll be willing to convert after she gets a confirmation from the Holy Ghost. Which will totally happen. 😀 After we prayed she sent us a text about how she thought missionaries were just there to baptize people and only wanted them to convert, but now they know we are showing the love of God to them, they will listen to us! Ah!! That was our highlight for SURE!!

Zone Conference was this week! Our Assistants the Presidents are such amazing elders and gave a training about BECOMING instead of DOING. Elder Moore came out in this teeny tiny T-shirt meant for a toddler and said, “This is what it’s like when you are just doing all of the rules. You go to church, you teach a lesson, you obey the mission rules, you do all of the things that the Lord asks you…but you feel constrained doing it because somebody else is asking you to do it. It doesn’t make you happy and you don’t ever open your heart and allow yourself to be Molded by the Savior. So of course, what are you going to do when you get home from your mission? You’re going to rip off that T-shirt as soon as you can because you don’t feel happy! But the Savior is telling us that we can obey the rules and still be happy if we just give Heavenly Father our mind and heart! Then when we are home, we will be changed people! And the mission will make us happier, not force us to be robotic rule keepers!” 🙂

So for those of you who aren’t aware…there is a rule for missionary companions. We always have to be “in sight and sound” from each other for 24/7. That rule makes it a little difficult when you are SICK! I had a little stomach bug this week and our district leader called last night for numbers. When he called I quickly said, “I’ll be back in a second,” and went to the bathroom…When I came back he asked how I was feeling and I said, “Well, let me put it this way…I was out of sight, but I was NOT out of sound!” 😉 They got a pretty good snicker out of that. 😉

Anyways, I truly appreciate everyone of your prayers of support. 🙂 I can feel angels guiding us and giving us directions. There were other miracles that happened this week, but I simply don’t have enough time to write about all of them in detail. 🙂
Hope you are all so magnificent and cheerful. Remember how much you are loved, and that our purpose in life is to be JOYFUL. 😀

Keep up the good work, and please…. GIVE A REFERRAL (one of your friends in need) TO YOUR LOCAL MISSIONARIES THIS WEEK!! They need them so badly! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Loves and Hugs! (well…Handshakes for the men),

Sister Stephers Tobias 🙂