Miracles

Week 52

Okay so this week has been one of the best weeks of my mission.  ANd here is why.

Lena.

The story: We recieved revelation at zone conference to teach her the Restoration again. We did this last Sunday, and we helped clear up a lot of confusion.  Now, I have also started including her in almost each and everyone of my prayers, I said "Father, I know that you wont tamper with someones agency, but if there is anything you can do to help her want to quit smoking, please, do it." So we were getting ready for a lesson with her on Thursday, and I remembered the story of Jesus after the Mount of Transfiguration when he said something upon the lines of "How be it that this kind (the demon posessing the poor boy) goeth out only by fasting and prayer".  So I decided right there I was gonna fast all day, I had been putting the prayer in, I needed to fast.  I knew that it would do something.  We get to the lesson, and planned on teaching about priesthood power, so she understood how it could help her.  We get into the lesson and the first thing she says is, "I havent smoked in 3 days, I have quit" I responded with how  happy I was, and she began to explain that God had began to send "curses" upon her for smoking. She said it all started with her head, it hurt her head a lot to smoke, she said then it moved to my chest, my heart hurt, and finally, it moved to my teeth, I couldnt eat anything for a whole day! I decided that was it, I am quitting, my body doesnt want it, and my spirit doesnt want it. I was soooooo happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I couldnt believe it. I had almost thought that teaching her was hopeless, and many members had told us it was. But prayer mixed with fasting, and patience and Faith proved to be greater than an addiction to smoking. I am almost disappointed in myself for doubting at all for Christ taught that if we have Faith as a Mustard seed, that we can move mountains.  WE are so proud of her and she is ready to be baptized, now that she isnt smoking she is a whole new person, she has a testimony, she understands what we say clearly, she is more mature, she is ready to be a member, she is ready to be our Sister.  SHe is planning to be baptized Saturday Evening (August 27th) in the River, we taught about Baptism Yesterday and how it will work.  She has officially not smoked in an entire week, so she is elligible.  I love her and am so proud of her progress. Despite what the Lord did through us, she also had to take her own steps and now she is preparing herself for baptism.

For those of you who are reading my emails that are not members of the church or have spouses, or children or friends that are not members, please consider meeting with missionaries, and have the courage to invite your spouses, friends, or relatives to meet them.  They are people who care more about you and your well being than anything else, excepting God and Jesus Christ of coarse.  God loves all of his children equally, and has given us missionaries the responsibility of helping others know how to fully feel His Love.

I love all of you.​

I'm not chatting with you...but this email has me in tears!  My prayers have been answered. I love you

Hey buddy,

It was great to see all the photos from your birthday.  Looking at the cupcakes and hearing your story of the butter this was my thought.  I thought I taught him everything he needed to know...but I clearly didn't teach him about cupcakes.  And the next thought...wait, in this house of all things cupcakes would have been taught!  So you only have yourself to blame for not learning my mad cupcake skills;)  Haha...

I love listening to the recordings and also love all the pictures.  Thanks for making that a priority.  It helps me so much! Also Julie Biesinger found that "humans of Sumy" Facebook group and we saw your posts!!!  It was so fun to see and read!  I love reading a Russian Accent message from you.  It is totally like Yoda:)

I got a great email from Julia this week with pictures of you that were awesome!  I also got the great photo from Vika this week that helped sooth my mom heart for missing your birthday.  I love that I have some connections to people you know there.  I have hope for Julia.  Everything she posts on social media is about Christmas!  Has she let you teach any lessons yet?  How is Vika also?  Does she have any plans for a real mission, or another mini?  She is so cute, I just adore her.  

We had a week of weeding, cleaning, organizing and trying to squeeze the last bit of fun out of summer.  Josh has his first day of school tomorrow.  Jordy, Jacob and Cam start on Tuesday.  They are a little excited...but mostly sad summer is over.  Kaestli has her Kindergarten testing on Friday and then starts a week from Wednesday.  She already started the Kindergarten enhancement program at her preschool. It will be 2 days a week in the morning and Kindergarten is afternoons.  She is also starting a tumbling class 2 days a week in the morning so her only free morning is Friday.  She loves the new schedule and can't wait to start kinder.  It will be strange for me to have all the kids gone for part of the day everyday of the week.  It's a new chapter of life for sure.  

Dad fired our yard guy so him, josh, jacob and me are the new crew.  Jacob and Josh are thrilled to use the riding lawn mower though.  Jacob figured out how to fix the weed wacker by himself this week when Dad was still at work.  He was proud...so was I.  He can definitely be the new Jax;).  

We had Great Grandma's 80th birthday party at Joe's this week.  The beef was the best we've had there in years.  Almost everyone was there.  Main news there is Carly is pregnant with a boy, due about the same time as Keely.  Jace had a GIRLFRIEND!  He even introduced her as his girlfriend.  She is in the picture I sent next to him.  Josh walked up to him and looked at both of them back and forth a couple times and then said, "and I thought you'd be lonely the rest of your life" and then he walked off.  So social skills may still need to be worked on..haha.  

Dad had some of his team over yesterday for a swim party.  They are making some big changes on Monday (today) so that will be interesting.  He is less stressed though, so that is good.

Jordy was presented as a teacher today.  We will do the ordination next week.  Mikey is going to do it.  He is very excited to prepare the sacrament instead of passing...but he will most likely end up passing every week anyway!

Jacob had a great game yesterday and they won by 36 points or something crazy like that.  He has a playoff game on Tuesday night and will play again on Saturday if they win.  

Questions-

1-Transfers next week right?  Any word on Changes for you yet? 

2-Julia info?

3-Vika info?

4-More recordings

5-more pics

6-If you get transferred when will you travel?  If you can have someone email me again if it's going to be a day before you can.

7-Are you excited for a change, or hoping to stay untouched again. (I'll honestly be sad when you and biesinger aren't comps anymore)

8-Why did you guys do the Facebook page thing?  Details on that would be awesome!

9-Are you still happy and positive?

10-Favorite thing about E. B.?

11-Message for me..

12-Favorite thing this week?

13-Will you miss Vika and the other members if you leave?  Will you keep in contact with Vika?

I miss you like crazy and love you so much.  Thanks for being amazing and serving the lord.  I am really proud of you.  I can't believe it's almost been a year!!!  That is just nuts.  I hope this next year goes even faster than the last year:).  We are all doing well and think about you everyday.  Your example will last your lifetime and beyond.  I am so grateful to have you as my son.  I can't wait to get that hug!!!  

Love you tons!!!!  Be safe, have faith, pray always, stay strong, lead with confidence and humility.  You are the best!  Dad said the other day, "Jax is seriously one of the most amazing people I have ever met."  He meant it too!  I completely agree.

Love you TONS!!!!!

Mom

Thanks for the pictures, I love getting so many of them.  We are staying in Sumy.  Julia is very nice, but we think she just wants us to marry her sisters.  She LOVES America, and we dont know how long it will be until she will investigate.  Her Husband is nice enough and I think he might be the one who will get her interested, because she is just closed to anything but Orthodox.  Vika is cool, she is helpful for lessons.  We did it because our ward missionary told us about it and we hope it will help people know who we are, and that we are normal.  I am still happy and positive.  He is just a dork, and we get along because we dont care if the other is different about something, we poke fun at eachother like brothers.  My favorite thing this week is Lena and I will give that full story in the group email.  Yes I will miss the members and vika, it is agains the rules to email members of teh opposite sex if they live in the mission, so after the mission I might email her.  I dont expect any kind of relationship with her. It is actually when missionaries make relationship promises to members or missionaries here, because 95% of the time they cannot or will not follow through. They go back to America and see their friends from before the mission, or meet people at college and then probably immediately forget about whoever it is in Ukraine.  It is emotionally devastating for them, and it is something I will never do to any of them.

I love you so much! You are the best and I am so grateful for everything we do. Elder Biesinger and I talked about how different everyones relationship with their parents is and he said "Yeah you and your mom are best friends while other people arent quite enemies, but definitely not friends." I love you so much!