Sister Stephani Rodriguez: What do the Amish, Mormon Missionaries, and cows all have in common?

Y'all better pray they all stay warm this winter

hahaha on Saturday Sister Solis and I were driving back from a dinner appointment out in the boonies and they have tons of Amish people as their neighbors and we were talking about how we wondered how they stay warm in the winter and same with their animals, but then we wondered how missionaries stay warm hahaha we have been praying for warmth, that's how!

Well this week was great because I found out that KARIE AND MONISE GOT BAPTIZED!!!!! Two of my past investigators, both from Saratoga that I taught while I was there. While I'm super bummed I wasn't able to be there, I'm so incredibly proud of them and their decision to follow Christ. Truly the best feeling ever is knowing two of our sisters are back on the path to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

Cool little miracle this week: Our mission president really stresses having us out the door at 10 am and 6 pm exactly to show the Lord our faith and diligence in being exactly obedient. Well on Tuesday we usually have District Meeting, but since it was half mission conference, we didn't this week so we had nothing to do at 10. But we decided to go see a potential/former investigator we've been trying for forever. She answers the door but has never let us in. Well on Tuesday God blessed us for being diligent for being out the door at 10 and we saw Lisa and she let us right in and we were able to pick her up as a new investigator!! huge miracle.

Thursday, Elder Kim B. Clark from the 70 came and visited our mission for a half mission conference. It was really great and I learned a lot from him! Those meetings are always super humbling and yet encouraging to help us be the best missionaries we can be. The conference was from 9-4 and yet it took ALL day since we live so far away. It was in Syracuse so we left at 6:30 am and didn't get home until 9:15 pm hahaha it was kind of a bummer because we had to miss two of our appointments. But it was a great day!

Sunday we got to go to Owego for Stake Conference! Elder Clark also spoke at that so it was a great meeting. He focused on how when we take the Sacrament we remember Christ's perfected body, but how He still has His scars to remind us of His suffering for us. I'm really excited to take the Sacrament this Sunday and focus on that. The way he put it was really cool.

We also saw Brittany and read from the Book of Mormon with her. She is on date for baptism for December 16th! She is so sweet and I love seeing how Christ changes us into much happier and peaceful people. She has such great retention and I was so impressed with her memory. TEACHING THE GOSPEL IS SERIOUSLY THE FUNNEST AND BEST THING EVER. Seeing people have a desire to learn more is the best. I love that feeling.

One more cool experience!!! A few weeks ago a member gave us a referral to go try her friend. It wasn't a super solid referral but we decided to go try her anyways. On Sunday on our way back from Stake Conference we stopped by and found her house (miraculously cause no one has house numbers in NY ha). We just used a tracting approach and she let us right in and we shared the Restoration with her, she took a Book of Mormon, and said we could come back this week! It was such a great experience. This work CANNOT be done without members help. I want to encourage ALL of you to pray and ask God to help you find someone that the missionaries can teach. And then talk to anyone He puts in your path. Elder Clark taught us 2 golden questions to help with this. He said members should ask their friends

1. "What do you know about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?"

and 2. "Would you like to know more?"

I know it seems scary to talk to people about the Gospel but this is the Lord's work and you cannot fail!!! If you sincerely pray for a missionary opportunity, the Lord will help you! Remember, it's the missionaries job to TEACH full time, but it's the members job to FIND full time. YOU can do it. The Lord can use YOU to help further this work along! There is no greater joy than sharing the gospel with others. I'll be praying that each of you are able to find someone the missionaries can teach. (I promise it'll make the missionaries day if you tell them you have someone for them to teach)

Love y'all!!

Sister Rodriguez

P.S.

Elder Baum: "You could knock on someone's door in NY at 3 am and they'd say 'oh sorry we're just sitting down for dinner'" -that right there is the cold, hard truth

Elder Gavito: "If you say you don't McDonalds, that's like saying the gospel's not true. It just doesn't make sense." -also the cold, hard truth.

Pics: (there's a lot this week)

1. You know you're in Corning when... (I took this pic for you Sis Jenkins

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