Dilys got baptized!!!

Hello Family! 

2006, Denali, Alaska.  I know you all want a picture of Carly, and she lost her camera charger.... so I thought I would provide you with one!  :)  Lovin' the adventure even back then.

This week was splendid! Sounds like all is well on the midwestern front! Mom im glad you got to get that quilt activity together, Dad sounds like you are busy with your new calling. Keep being a missionary mom :) You can do it!

So this week! We will start at the beginning. We taught John, from Shang Hai in the Fentons flat about the plan of Salvation. He has no Christian background and limited but decent english so teaching him is pretty humbling and amazing. He has lots of questions about heaven and God and where we came from and where we're going." Will my son still call me father?" was one of them. We taught him how to pray and invited him to say the closing prayer. It was adorable...he said "Heavenly father..thank you for today. The plan of the celestial kingdom, i think it's true? Name of Jesus Christ amen." He was all smiles and told us that was his first ever prayer. 

On tuesday we read from the Book of Mormon with Ken and it was lovely! He told us he has been talking to his family about baptism and feels the Holy Ghost more ever since he started meeting with us. At least im pretty sure thats what he said. We also went and taught Joann with Ate Helen, a filipina lady in our ward. Joann is adorable and showed us she had read Alma 32 and marked and highlighted things. Ah that make me so happy. She wants to be baptized. After we teach Joann we go next door and teach her neighbor who is from India. Again limited English. Shes so pretty and kind. She's hindu, we have to go slow with teaching. This area is really teaching me to slow down and teach simply and clearly.

That night we went tracting and found a lady from Mississippi, Southern Baptist. Wow, do i have respect for missionaries in the deep south...she ripped us apart. I was in tears at her door testifying. Then we left and i just wanted to cry but we just kept on workin...a good experience in the long run. Its so much harder for me to deal with people who believe and have faith in God but their belief and faith is distorted, if that makes sense. 

On Wednesday we taught our Sri Lankan investigator Leyani about the book of mormon and church...she wants to come to church but her husband doesnt really want her too. She is so thankful for the book of Mormon we gave her in Sin Hala, her language. We also taught Helen, and older lady who is a former 7th day adventist (theres a lot of those here) and that night we taught Joann and Nino with the Fentons. They are going through a lot of hard stuff right now with their visa status and his work. We encouraged them to put their trust in the Lord and to pray together for guidance and come to church. There's a scripture in Job i really like about the will of the Father .."He that taketh away, who can hinder him? Who can say..what doest thou?" Or something like that.  What can we do but put our trust in God?  Why should we say "why me" when we know He is our Father and our life is in His hands. 

Thursday we were tracting and met a lovely lady named Jo. She let us in and gave us water which doesn't happen too much! That was so nice. We are going back to do service. I love when people ask the golden questions or say things like "yeah i have often wondered where we came from and why we are here. And of course, where do we go?" ..... why don't you take a seat and we will answer those questions for you!

Okay thursday night we taught John and Ardell the restoration with the Fentons and it was a workout with the language barrier and lack of christian background but i loved it! John is so cute and such a good dad to his little 9 month old son. Then at the end of the lesson elder fenton is walking by holding a glass of water and DUMPS it down my back...why elder Fenton? bahaha it was so funny. Elder Fenton and i just make fun of each other all day.  The fentons are the best. Im so glad they live next door.

Friday was our last lesson with Dilys before she got baptized! It went well and Sister Fenton invited her mother Stella to take the missionary lessons and she said yes! score! Then on Saturday...Dilys got baptized! And Peter baptized her, it was so special. Sister Kyaw and I stood at the top of the stairs in the font and hugged Dilys when she came out all wet. We are so close with her, shes amazing :)  Now we are going to baptize her island in Papua New Guniea:)

We watched conference, which was AMAZZZIINGG!!  love it.  I especially loved Sister Stevens talk...daughters of God, Do we know who we are?? Man she nailed it! And all of the talks were amazing...so much on missionary work, the Priesthood, and so many answers to my many questions!!!  It was funny, i was praying to know how to be a better follower to my mission leaders (surprise... i struggle with that) and then Elder Soares started talking about meekness and quoted an exact scripture i had read that morning during personal study...hurray!  i shall try to be more meek!  Sister Kyaw is helping me because she is like a walking example of Humility.  Love her!  Dilys was confirmed on Sunday and it was awesome.  we had dinner with Joann and Nino family at the Fentons flat and they both got priesthood blessings from Elder Fenton.  Man i love the priesthood, exclamation point! (did anyone catch that) 

You're all so awesome! I love you all.  will send pics of baptism next week hopefully.

much love 

Sister Schaelling