June 14, 2010

Hi family!  Happy Birthday Dad! 

Hey, I had one of my poetic spurts that I wanted to share with you.  This can be your birthday present, Dad!  It's called "Touch me not":

What I'd give to find a way

to be there on that day

when Abinadi said "Hey!

You need to listen to  what I say!

you're not doing what is right

and even though with me you'll fight

I'll stand up straight in the might

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I won't be silenced, bribed, put down or fought.

So while I tell you what you need to hear

touch me not!"

Whoso shall lay his hands upon me

shall wither as a dry reed.

Brothers, can't your hard hearts see

that's not the way you need to be?

By the power of the almighty

you can't throw me into the sea.

I see the spirit on you has wrought

you're in for one big shock

now help me with the task I've got

because we've got great waters to cross.

Think of all you've been taught

and touch me not!

Oil and water

evil and good

you can't disobey

and live like you should.

There's lots of things

to be done, seen or thought.

So if they're unclean.

Just touch them not.

You have more power than Satan

in your pinkie toe.

You have the power

to just tell him "no!

I will follow the things

that Jesus taught.

Now, get thee hence!

Touch me not!"

Ok I'm done.  That was fun.  Ah! I'm still rhyming.  I'll stop.   

Hi everybody!  We have had some disappointments this week but we still see miracles.  We committed Brother Clark to baptism on June 26th!  He never ceases to amaze me.  First he'd listen from the other room, then he'd come in if we asked him, now he waits for us to come.  We show up for our lesson yesterday and he has lawn chairs and a table set up on the lawn.  He read like we had invited him to and even had questions.  We tell people we're teaching him and they're surprised.  One member said he's been over to the house 15 times and Brother Clark has never come out.  (As a side note- everybody do your home teaching and visiting teaching!  There are so many less active members who we get appointments with, we bring their home or visiting teachers along and they haven't met them before.  Most of the people we've found that need the gospel are through these families.)

My companion is great!  She is a dedicated runner so every morning she makes sure we get at least 30 min. of running in.  She said it helps her asthma. (Is that how you spell it? I should know.)  It's good that she takes care of herself because she only has one lung. She also had to have part of her brain removed before.  She likes to make a lot of jokes about that.  Probably most impressive, she is the only member of the church in her family.  She joined 3 years ago and is now on a mission with zero family support.  I think that's incredible.  It's great to hear her testimony and her ideas from a convert point of view.  We can relate to a lot of people now.  A lot of people we meet on the street assume we've basically been brainwashed our whole lives which is why we are serving a mission.  Now with this companion they can't use that argument.  She steps up and says "Actually, I've only been a member for 3 years" and they can't really respond.   That's just another testimony to me that you don't have to know everything to serve a mission.  You just need a testimony of the basics and then you rely on faith for the rest while constantly working to learn more yourself.  That's why I like Doctrine and Covenants 4:3. "If you have desires to serve, ye are called to the work."  You don't have to know everything, but if you want to serve, the Lord has a place for you. :-)

I know our Heavenly Father loves all of us more than we know!  We see His hand in our lives according to our faith. Keep up the faith because miracles don't stop! 

                Have a great week everybody!

                     Hermana Evans