A Week Full of Blessings

 Sister Frisch & Sister Taula

 August 24, 2015

Hello!

I love getting letters from all of you! :) 

Washington Vancouver Mission

Sister Savanah Frisch

2223 NW 99th St

Vancouver, WA 98665

WARNING: This email is really jumbled about the week and people, but read on.

This is the story of Jenna. We started visiting her as an inactive member. She would often use us for our listening services, which is great, but you could tell how heavy her heart felt, and the spirit around her house was not good. She was struggling with finding a job and with family members. Sister Tauala had the impression to tell Jenna, if Jenna started reading her scriptures and prayed, then things would change for the better. And they did. Within a week a full-time job fell into her lap. Family started calming down and she was feeling at peace. The last three weeks she has attended church and has stayed all three hours and is becoming very involved. On Friday we visited her and she bore her testimony on her change of heart and how the gospel has changed her life. It was incredible to see the Atonement at work! She testified of God's love for her and her desire for her children to one day serve missions. How cool is that?!?!? We were all crying because the spirit was so strong that night in her home. People, The Atonement changes lives. The church is true!

Meet Bill. He is an 83 year old, who gets around by wheelchair. He has been a widower (is that the right word) since '96. He fought in WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and then became a post office worker. He is very quiet. We have this thing where I shake his hand, and then he shakes his arm, and jokes around that I am going to shake his whole arm off. He lives at an old retirement home that we visit on Mondays and have family home evening with all the single old people. He is one of my favorite people because he has incredible insight and wisdom, but you really have to listen and be quiet. His eyes shine with the light of Christ and his testimony is so simple and pure. His is one I will always treasure because he has been through so much, yet he does all he can to come to church.

 The color of the rising sun                                Smoky sky                  

The forests north of us are all on fire and the winds have been blowing it here. So, Saturday the sun rose red because of the smoke. By noon the sun couldn't even reach through the smoke in the sky and everything smelled horrible. Sister Tauala and I were planning on tracting (walking & searching for people) downtown the whole day, so tracting we did. We ended up finding this 93 year old woman who is a miracle. Maryann has one eye, no legs, is diabetic, and five years ago she died for four minutes.  After we talked to her, she became a new investigator! As we continued tracting we found investigator number two. I found Randall outside a rundown apartment building with his eight week old child. He ended up being the one asking for a Book of Mormon after we talked about the Restoration. It was incredible! By the end of the day my voice was so hoarse from breathing in the smoke from the fires. Both Sister Tauala and my throats were bleeding, so that wasn't so pretty.

As we continued walking downtown we found another miracle just walking with a smile on his face. He was born with cerebral palsy and the week earlier had gotten hit by a car. His arm was broken, had a few broken ribs, and had a bruised hip. He described his whole life as a miracle from God because there is no way he should be alive. We said we dedicated our life to also sharing about God and His love for us. This man smiled and went on his way. God is real.

Meet Cami - every Tuesday we participate in a bible study group consisting of all different faiths. I love this time because no matter the religion, or the bible being read, we read a chapter and discuss it for an hour. It is a time where we all unite and get to talk about Christ. A few weeks back Cami came up to Sister Tauala and I and asked more about our religion. Of course we invited her to church and Sunday she surprised us by coming to church! It was awesome! A new investigator out of the blue! It's also been a wonderful opportunity for me to realize how much so the Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand-in-hand. They build upon each other, testifying of Christ.

In all Sister Tauala and I have talked with over 70 people and have gotten so many referrals and have had three new investigators this week. We also have two investigators with baptismal dates. I've realized how when we put in effort to find people, showing God that we trust him and we are preparing ourselves, God will send prepared people our way. And the spirit will come and when we open our mouths to testify of Christ, others can feel of that truth.

Last of all, I invite all of you to read the parable of the Prodigal son, Luke 15:11.  I saw it in a new light this week. I saw myself as the son who had stayed with the father, who was angry when the other son returned home. Let us forgive others when they have sinned, rather then holding onto their past. When people repent and come closer to
God, they are uniting themselves in an effort to become better beings. We shouldn't hold them in the light as bad people, just people who have brighter futures to come!

I love you all! Peace!

Sister Frisch posing with the Columbia River and the bridge connecting Portland and Vancouver.

Portland is in the wee distance at the other end of the bridge.