Monday, October 31, 2016

Do what the Savior would do: offer help when it is needed.... - Week 78 (Transfer 11, Week 4) - October 24, 2016

Sister Osman is coming home!!!
Arrival date in SLC: Nov 9th, 2016
Homecoming talk: Nov 13th, 2016, 11:00 am
285 North Matterhorn Drive
ALPINE, UTAH 84004
Please, join us at our home afterward for food and a chance to get re-acquainted!
Email for our address!

Fall 2016 in Barrie, ON, Canada

Hey Everyone!

Story of the week:

Last week one of the members here, Lisa Pearce, invited us to dinner. :) Since she lives outside of our area, she came into town and we all went out to dinner at this fancy restaurant. It was delicious. She brought her friend M*, who is also a member of our ward, baptized when she was 19, but hasn't come to church in many years because of...well a lot of reason. But ANYWAY, dinner was fantastic, we shared a message, M* wasn't sure if she wan'ts to meet with us, that was okay, we understood, dinner was over and we left.

Monday of this week: M* gave us a call out of the blue. She told us that her friend T* is going through a really hard time and needs help. She asked if the church offers help to non-members and told us she was embarrassed to ask because she hasn't come to church in such a long time, but that she turned every where else she could think of and just couldn't get help for her friend. Of course, as missionaries, there is only so much we can do and we weren't sure exactly what the church can do to help, so we gave M* the Bishops number and his counselors numbers and told her to give him a call.

She did!

So a couple days later the bishop texted us and told us he had set up an appointment with M* and her friend T* so that we could all go meet them and see what we could do to help. I was on exchange with another sister and was kinda nervous about not having Sister Wilson with me (I know Sister Wilson well, after all she is my companion, so we teach better together and when I don't know what to do, she does.) but of course, we went anyway. We pulled up to the house and bishop had just parked. We asked him what the goal of the meeting was. Did he want us to teach a lesson? Were there to support him? And he said, "I don't know. We'll find out." So, we just went in.

T* was the biggest sweetheart. She told us about how she is a correctional officer at the local penitentiary and how she was diagnosed with severe PTSD which makes it difficult for her to go to work. She told us a lot of other things, that are too personal to share, but I was so touched and just felt so much love for T*. She had her 5 year old daughter S* with her and told us how she just wants a good life for her, and wants spiritual healing, and needs help.

The bishop knew exactly what to do. He testified that while we could help financially with some stuff, the best help we can offer is through what we as missionaries teach, and pointed to us. That's where we came in. I don't even know how to describe the lesson, but the Spirit was so strong. T* is so kind, such a good mom, and is so prepared for the gospel. We all came to an understanding, the bishop was able to offer whatever financial help she needed, and then we were there to help with the other stuff.

Her and her daughter came to church this week. Such a cool experience. And it was all because of the members. Because the members give us dinner. Because they invite their less active friends. Because they call us and reach out to us. Because the Bishop and Relief society president are awesome. And because M* was Christlike enough to do what the Savior would do: offer help when it is needed.

I love you all!

Sister Osman

Brother Stewart, our ward mission leader. He was laughing so hard at coordination, then we started laughing, then we all started crying. The elders were just sititing there like, "What's so funny?"

Exchanges with Sister Kehrers trainee, or in other words, my granddaughter Sister McGill

 Painting Heather's Kitchen. I'm wearing her 8 year old's PJ pants. LOL

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