Week ending June 2nd, 2014

​I LOVE THIS CHURCH!!!!! So I have always loved this church and I love the concept of eternal families and being together after we leave this life. I have not really had to face much loss in my life though so that re-connection of loved ones hasn't really seemed real yet! Last night I got a glimpse of what it will be like to pass on from this life into the arms of my loved ones. At the Member and Missionary Fireside I saw two families that I taught and have since been baptized during my mission. One family was the first people I taught as a missionary and I have not seen them in 6 months. I did not think I would see them until after my mission.... I was absolutely overcome with joy seeing them at the fireside. They have been slightly active since I left the area and it made me so happy to see them in such a great and spiritual environment. We ran and hugged each other afterwards and my heart was so full of joy. I really saw that as a glimpse into the future of where we will all rejoice to be together forever after this life. 

We had an amazing week full of some really great lessons. Sister Madsen was sick this week but despite that we improved from the week before and we had really meaningful lessons all week long. My testimony of the Book of Mormon is growing so much! I KNOW that it is ANOTHER testament of Jesus Christ. I have seen it touch peoples lives my whole mission but it was so good to see it a lot this week. I was really able to see and feel God's love for everyone we met. It was a really spiritual week for me and I am soooo thankful. I am excited to see what happens with those we teach this week.

Tim- Tim is a potential that Sister Madsen met with a previous comp. and we went back to see him this week. It was a great conversation. He studies all religions and isn't quite sure that he believes in the atonement of Jesus Christ. He asked us how we know and I was able to testify to him that not only do I know of the savior's ministry and atonement through the Bible but I also know about it from the Book of Mormon. Both testify of him and that he lives! I was able to share Helaman 5:12 with him and help him to know that Jesus Christ as our foundation will help all mankind to be steadfast and immovable when it comes to faith. It was amazing to have my testimony to come so easily I know that that was because of the promise given in the Doctrine and Covenants section 84: 85,88
 85 Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your mindscontinually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion thatshall be meted unto every man.
 88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will beon your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mineangels round about you, to bear you up.
Service at Lutheran church- So in this area we do service at a Lutheran church on Wednesdays. This church has a program that feeds the homeless on Wednesday nights. I loved this service opportunity soooooo much! Everyone was so sincere and had such a strong desire to help EVERYONE feel the Love of God. So basically everyone there has my daily motto: "if you help one person feel the love of God today then your day has been a success" to thank all of the helpers afterwards we sang them "I am a child of God" and now they want us to sing it this week for all of the Homeless people in Edmonds! I am so excited!
Todd- He is our investigator that is on date right now for baptism. He is an older gentleman and he has such a strong desire to come to Christ. He lost his wife a year ago and he wants to "prepare himself" to be with her again. In my book he is doing the best thing he can. By following the savior we prepare ourselves for blessings... every time. Here is the fun part about Todd.... He has 9 cats!!!! 9! They are all in door. I didn't touch even one of them and i was wheezing ha so we will see how future lessons go.

Cheyrl- Oh Cheryl!!! I LOVE HER! You know those moments where you feel like you have know someone for forever? That was Cheryl. I truly belief I knew her before this life and she specifically asked me to come and find her here on earth and give her something to have hope in when life got tough. Cheryl is an ex-Jehovah's Witness that still believes in God but has a tough time with organized religion. She was in her backyard when we knocked and she poked her head around the fence. She said she was going to shew us away but something made her change her mind. She has such a strong faith in God but doesn't feel the need to go to church, but she LOVES the 10 commandments and says she tries to follow them because she knows they are "good and it feels right to follow them" She felt the spirit so strongly and she recognized it in us. She told us that we were "sparkly and had a glow" around us do to our passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She had a spiritual experience when she was 15 where God ansered her prayer and erased a lot of emotional pain from life circumstances. We were able to testify to her about God's love for each and everyone of us. We shared my favorite scripture: John 14:18 and then we told her that God is SOOO aware of her and that He loves her so much. She cried and told us she needed that. She told us to come back anytime and taht she usually turns people aka "missionaries" away but she really felt that we were meant to meet and there are no such thing as coincidences. She really felt that she needed to know of God's love on that particular day and we were able to be there to deliver that message. AH! I love being an instrument in God's hands :) 

 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory ofmyself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory,that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul torepentance; and this is my joy.

Grace- She is our Korean investigator and we are teaching her English through reading the scriptures. I had a really hard time understanding her though which is strange since my mission president is Korean ha ha oh well. hopefully more on this next week. 

Ivko- He is Buddhist and so sweet! He loves talking about faith and unity of community through faith in something. He asked us to share our beliefs with him so we gladly did so. We shared the Plan of salvation with him and he loved it. He even at one point asked "are you sure your not Buddhist?"... to which we replied "are you sure you aren't Mormon?" ha ha it was wonderful! (for those of you that are unfamiliar with the Plan of salvtion please go here: https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/manual/missionary/pdf/36950_the-plan-of-salvation-eng.pdf?lang=eng) He cried when we told him that his family can be together forever. I love this message of hope and peace that we are able to bring to  world full of sorrow and turmoil. There is so much negative in the world but hope in our Savior Jesus Christ takes the sting away! It makes our days, weeks, months etc so much easier! I love this message and I love this gospel so very much. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and know that God lives and Loves each and everyone of you so much!

Love Sister Jennifer Franzen