Plan of Salvation

So this week was really sad! One of our less actives that we have been teaching passed away last night. I didn't think it was going to be so sad to see him go. He was this hilarious older guy and he had such an attitude! We loved going to his home because we would always tease each other. Seriously I miss him a ton already! We got to go sing to him while he was in the hospital this week and I could not hold it together. I started crying just seeing him hooked up to all of those machines. He was in the CCU for a couple of days and then they took him off life support and moved him to the 6th floor. We got to sing to him twice and the first time we went his heart was working at 35% and when we were done singing (after about 45 mins) his heart was working at 91%. The spirit was so strong there and it was incredible! We got to sing to him on Saturday as well. His family knew he was going quickly so they asked us to come and sing so he would be comfortable. We raced down there and sang for a good hour or so. It is amazing to see the Lord work because each time we came to sing he would be completely at ease and resting well. After we finished singing we said our goodbyes and told him that we still expected him to be in the sealing room at our weddings. We frequently talked about having their family at our weddings. So we told him we would have an open seat for him and that we still wanted him there. So there will be an empty seat at my wedding for Brother Landy in the sealing room. I wish you guys could have known him. So this week Sister Arndt and I have really been focusing on the plan of salvation and how we can best teach it to them at this time. Oh, we are teaching three of his granddaughters for baptism and we have an appointment with them on Wednesday. So it was definitely the Lord's timing with that. We should have taught The Plan a long time ago but we kept having different things come up that we need to teach. The Lord lives and His timing is perfect!

I never would have guessed that something like this would happen on my mission. I am grateful for the opportunity to have known Brother Landy and that I will be able to see him again. I am dying now wanting to make sure that His temple work gets done.

Well, on to happier things. Mikayla!!!!! "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SMALLS!...I'M FAT!!" name that movie! Oh man. Mikayla it is going to be sad not being able to talk to you on your birthday but don't worry I will talk to you on Christmas morning! Also tomorrow I will be going to a member's home who knows it is my birthday and they are so excited to have us there for it. Also mom you can respond when Sister Henry sends you messages. She is the member who is feeding us tomorrow. They LOVE having the missionaries come and they love hearing from our moms as well. They kind of remind me of the Zufelt family....a little bit. Anyway I also get to go to the temple on Friday and I am SO stoked. I cannot tell you how excited Sister Arndt and I are to go. It was been WAY too long since I have been able to go. So I will be doing that for my birthday as well. Mom I haven't gotten you package yet but I will let you know as soon as I do.

So, all of you people who read this don't be too jealous when I tell you that it is still sunny and about 50 degress here. Not a big deal. I think this will be the first sunny birthday I have ever had (watching it rain tomorrow just because I said that).

Oh my goodness! The Christmas devotional was so good! The spirit was so strong during Elder Nelson's talk. I loved how he had the Savior's voice in there!

About the work here:

Lydia has had to push her baptismal date back for a few reasons and now we are hoping to set another date with her on Tuesday. Melissa, Kaitlyn, and Angelina are doing so well! We taught them on Friday and we gave them some reading to do in the Book of Mormon and in the Picture Book of Mormon. We stopped by the next day to ask about their grandpa (Brother Landy) and they told us that they had done all of the reading and had been praying as well! They went on to say that they had a warm happy feeling while they did these things and that they were so excited to be baptized! I love teaching little kids! They are so open to the spirit it is incredible!

Oh! So mom, you know how Jeffrey is in a dangerous spot. This story isn't going to make you feel any better. So the other day we got a letter from a random address in the apartment complex that we live it and it was sent to "occupant/BYU" I figured that was for Sister Arndt. She opened it and it was some anti Mormon material. We quickly tore it up and tossed it. The next day we went to the other Sister's apartment that live 2 apartments down from us and told them about this letter we got. They said they had received the same thing and it was from apartment 1006. We stopped for a second and then realized that that was our apartment number. I then remembered the number on ours and it had their number on it. So moral of the story is; someone around us hates Mormons, and knows that we are members and that we know each other. Someone is stalking us. Not a big deal......ok maybe it is a small deal. We told our Zone Leaders and they were shocked. They said if it happens again we need to tell president right away. So we will see what happens with that.

Jeffrey is in some dangerous parts huh? Tell him he better be exactly obedient! That is the only way he will be safe in those areas.

Well, this is definitely a scattered email but that is ok. I know there is more that I needed to talk about but I guess that will have to wait until next week. Love you all!

Sister Skeeter"