Dearest friends and family,
Hello! Sounds like the fourth of July was a success!! Thats so awesome all the fam got together and way to run that race Dad and Scott! Exciting Alyssa went thru the temple (and is getting married!!) i got that announcement in the mail by the way a while ago at district meeting and everyone was passing it around. :) So this week was lovely! Here goes...
So we had zone meeting on tuesday where we learned about the gathering of Israel and the monthy focus of The Book of Mormon was introduced. Also complete with role plays. I really like the second two paragraphs of the Inro to the Book of Mormon, they are dynamite. Then on Wednesday we had Specialized Training meeting in Morristown. This is where the trainees all meet together with the president and the trainers meet with the assistants and you talk about your experience so far. I really love being with other missionaries and feeling that unity of purpose. And especially with other new missionaries because we're all kind of going through the same thing being trained and all. That night we taught a member, Brother Murray about the Book of Mormon and the Holy Ghost. The lesson went well because we taught in unity so the Spirit was there. I usually get pretty nervous to teach, especially at the beginning of the lesson, so that lesson that went smooth was reassuring.
On Thursday we had...dun dun dun...Weekly Planning! So let me just set this up for you. We live on the third floor. We live in New Jersey where it is like 80 degrees and 80 percent humidity. And we....dont have air conditioning! hahah so we just sit around our table and plan and sweat and plan some more! We do have ceiling fans however so thats good. But planning man, its so hard for me! Dad teach me your ways!! :) Later that day we got to go to Denville and watch fireworks with our zone! It was so fun. Fire works in New Jersey are amazing! And it was so fun to see everyone and talk.
On Friday we had exchanges! woot! Sister Swann, our sister training leader, came with me and Sister Kranewitter and Sister Pack, went with Sister Herrera to her area. Okay folks story time. So our ward mission leader is Brother Mathusek and his son, Eric, is 18 and has a mission call. Eric has been talking to his good friend Jasmyn about the gospel and plan of salvation. So Eric invites her over for dinner and us over to teach her. Member referrals are amazing because they already have a connection to the church and someone they know can bear testimony. So the dinner was that night, and the elders came too. So we are teaching a member referral with the Mathuseks, our sister training leader is there and the elders, (one of which is my District Leader) are there and my trainer is there. So this is not helping my nerves. And my trainer says "Sister Schaelling you are going to lead the lesson and we're just gonna back you up! And then you are going to invite her to be baptized." Man my stomach is flipping just remembering it! So now that i have that set up HERES WHAT HAPPENED:
Sister Schaelling is super nervous and contemplating faking sickness. Sister Schaelling is praying all through dinner that she will have the Spirit with her and she won't mess up. Sister Schaelling goes to the bathroom before the lesson to pray some more. Sister Schaelling sits with the four other missionaries that are there and starts the lesson. Sister Schaelling is trying not to look like a nervous wreck. The lesson gets moving and Jasmyn feels the Spirit. Eric bears testimony about his Savior Jesus Christ. The Spirit fills the room and calms Sister Schaelling a little. All the missionaries offer testimony and teach. Sister Schaelling leads the lesson.
AND THEN
there are seven minutes left. (I am switching back to first person now) and i am wondering if i should invite her to be baptized. I get butterflies. Sister Kranewitter gives me the "do it now" nudge. I look into Jasmyns eyes aand say "Jasmyn, as you come to know these things are true, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God?" My heart is beating super fast and i feel tears in my eyes.
She smile and nods her head and whispers "Yes."
We ask her about July 28. One of the elders helps with that. She agrees. We kneel in prayer. (back to third person:) Sister Schaelling walks out of the house in awe at what just happened. Sister Schaelling prays all the way home thanking God that He helped her and that the Holy Ghost was there. Sister Schaellings testimony of our reliance and need for the Holy Ghost and the Savior is strengthened. Sister Schaelling is so happy her trainer had her lead the lesson even though she was a nervous wreck. Sister Schaelling agrees with Paul when he said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Man that night was awesome becuase i was so nervous but the Spirit came and corrected all the times i fumbled over my words. It was a miracle my friends! Some missionaries can teach with ease and dont have nerves because of their firm testimony or their personality and that is awesome! But i get nervous every time so i really have to rely on the Spirit to help me or it would just be a mess let me tell ya! Thank goodness for the Holy Ghost my friends.
So then on Saturday we went and saw our friends Jim and Jane in the nursing home. Nursing homes are sad. We went and saw recent convert Judy Teets who is preparing to go to the temple. It was lovely meeting with her. We also taught recent convert Bro Robertozzi about the Book if Mormon. He is starting to understand the importance of the book of mormon more now and its awesome. We went and saw Bro Carrol who is in the hospital again and talked about repentance! He is great and wants to get active in the church again. We are teaching his non member wife Eileen who has a baptism date of 21 July. She is on her 3rd round of cancer and has chemo treatments a lot but she is so nice and so strong. They have New Jersey accents which i love :)
Eileen came to church on Sunday! Yay. And We had dinner with the Murrays they are awesome. We are at their house all the time. We just walk in and start eating their food, its great :) haha really they love us so its okay. Sister Murray is RS pres and awesome we are close with her and their kids are awesome. I love their home. We went and saw brother Carrol again and his non member sister was there visiting him so we sneakily taught them both about the Book of Mormon :) We gave her one and our number. Something that's hard for me is that were supposed to have the investigator or less active or whoever we are teaching say the prayer at the end, kneeling preferably, which is great. But a lot of times people don't want to pray, and were supposed to work through that until they feel okay praying. But if someone tells me they don't want to pray in front of me, i have a hard time...making them do it? If that makes sense? But then again they say if they don't pray with you they're not going to pray on their own, so its hard. We had that happen with Ernesto who we taught that evening about word of wisdom, he is less active and the lesson went well. then we asked him to pray and he was like "oh my mouth is too dry" and then to my surprise i said at the same time as my comp, "if you can talk to us you can talk to God!" haha old Carly would have just been like okay fine ill just pray. That night we also taught Marlene Briones, whose husband is a member. We have taught her before and we talked about God is our loving HF and Gospel Blesses Families. She has lots of concerns but is so kind and bold. Love her.
Family i love you all! I am learning and growing so much here in the Garden State. The sister i came out with who is also going to Australia got her visa so who knows when i will get mine? I will let you know. i may even get to call! haha but probably not. i love you all!
love
sister Carly Schaelling
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