Braven My Stride!!

Hello all,

 

Here are some journal entries from this past week:

 

Found a wonderful new investigator... that we'll have to pass. Met her while checking on a former. She moved in at the beginning of the year from near Wilmington, NC. She's a junior at West Springfield and doesn't like VA very much so shes moving back to NC at the end of summer :( She is a wicken and believes in a "goddess" AKA Mother Nature. But super open and willing to learn. In the middle of our conversation, she goes "You guys are way cool." What a peach! She's also a dancer, but her dancing dreams ended when she broke her foot a year ago - two days before competition. So heartbreaking. Also lost her father two years ago, so this girl could totally use the gospel. Pray for Paige :)

We were passed a potential investigator, Carolina, by the Rolling Valley sisters. I think they had planned for an actual sit-down lesson, but the girl was nearly out the door. She still let us inside for a short while and we got to know her. She's super smart and also VERY active in her own faith. Talked about a potential "church swap" - where we go to her church if she goes to ours. I still have never done one of these on my mission yet - clearly intrigued! However, she invited us to go to a Saturday activity with her (instead of her Sunday service), an event called ROAR, where Christian young adults gather for church rock music, socializing, and a devotional. I can just imagine the stares we would get - so exciting (Honestly, not be sarcastic in the slightest).Though we'll probably need to seek permission to attend this, I really hope we go so that I can write you ALL about it.

Before going to the library, we stopped by 7-Eleven to get gas and some drinks. Like always, we bring them into the library and a lady two seats over notices them. She whispers, "They let you bring those in here? I'm always afraid they'll yell at me. But hey, if you can get away with it, I'm going to go get the coffee I just bought!" So she goes out to her car and comes back with it. THEN this precious old lady came and sat down in between coffee-lady and I. She asked coffee-lady to help her open up her email account. Next thing I know, these two women (easily 25 years age difference) are laughing and talking for the following 30 minutes! They didn't know each other beforehand, but by the end of it, I heard coffee-lady say to the woman, "Oh, you are just TOO much! I'm so glad I could meet you today!" I don't know why it hit me so hard, but I was touched by these women and their kindness towards one another. It was one of those moments when your faith was restored in humanity - I hope to have conversations like theirs in the near future (especially as a missionary!).

We tried to check on some former investigators before Bishop's correlation but NO ONE was home. Slightly frustrating. We were on our way to check on another when we saw this good-looking YSA black man standing in the parking lot of a commercial business center (across the street from Pohick Library, kind of). I asked Sister Kartchner, "What if we just pulled over to talk to him?" She seemed okay with the idea, maybe shocked a little, but we did it (BRAVEN MY STRIDE). His name was James and he worked at the barbershop in that center – super nice (and attractive, I'll say it again). His friend from the shop came out a little later. They were more curious than interested, but each walked away with a Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlet. I felt accomplished and happy! Sister Kartchner asked me later that night, "What made you want to stop and talk to James?" I don't know if she was looking for me to say that it was a strong spiritual impression (which it wasn't really) or what, but I told her that I just felt like talking to him because he was RIGHT there! Haha I'm pretty sure the Spirit usually works in me like that.

As for our investigators: we saw Bridget AND Konnie this week! Bridget is doing wonderfully, we just need to get her to church. But she works at Burlington Coat Factory (ugh, retail), and so her hours can be a nightmare. Funny story, she's in a summer English class for college and she has to write a 5-page paper twice a week (NIGHTMARE). The first one that she wrote? About Mormonism. We got to our lesson and she says, "Can you read this real quick? I want to make sure it's accurate." And it was! She's a sweetheart. Please pray for her!

Thank you for all the prayers and support - I feel it EVERY day! Life is good. Something I've pondered this week... take the time to recognize how you felt God's love that day. Because I'm pretty sure we COULD feel it each day if we took the time to notice it. So I encourage you all to just take a MOMENT and ponder :)

Loves,

Sister Hansen