This email was sent by Sister Welker on November 21st.  We received it on November 20th.

Week 15: Transfers, Seaspray, and Oh ye of little faith

It's been a good week!!

Transfers were this week, and Sister Johnson is staying.  She only has three more weeks left, and then she goes home.  We didn't get a third person though, so I'm not sure what will happen to me in three weeks.  I'm assuming I'll be with the Te Puke sisters for three weeks till the next transfers, but I'm not sure.  I'll definitely let you know when I find out.

So last week when Sister Johnson was at MLC (Mission Leadership Council), Sister Lavaka and I were contacting just about everyone and having the worst luck.  No one seemed to be home or had no desire to hear about the gospel.  We were on our way from the Mount to Welcome Bay, when I drove by Seaspray Drive/Lane.  As I drove passed it, the street sign almost seemed to glow-- it stood out as if everything else around it went out of focus/blurred.  My gut told me that we needed to contact that street, but we had already passed it and had planned to go visit Chasidy.  So I ignored the prompting, and continued driving towards Welcome Bay.  For the remainder of the day and even days later, I kept thinking of Seaspray Drive/Lane.  I became disappointed, thinking I had missed out on the opportunity.  Wednesday night I felt the prompting again to visit Seaspray Drive/Lane, and this time I didn't ignore it.  Thursday, after visiting some less-actives in the Mount Ward, we drove to Seaspray, pulled over, and choose to visit the first house.  We knocked on the door and a beautiful young lady answered.  She was tall and thin with long wavy red hair, in about her late 20's, and she had the cutest accent.  Growing up she had little to no experience with religion/church, but she's met missionaries before.  She mentioned how the Jehovah Witnesses' actually stopped by her house earlier that day.  She, like most people, wondered why there are so many churches in the world today.  Sister Johnson and I then gave her a brief summary of the Restoration and explained how Christ's church once was on the earth, but over time, the gospel was scattered into pieces and good people looking for the truth took parts of the gospel and formed churches of their own.  We then mentioned Joseph Smith and how he was the first prophet in this dispensation, and was responsible for restoring the church.  She paused us mid-sentence and said, "You know I would have just taken your pamphlet and said 'Thanks but no thanks,' but you answered my question.  I want to learn more about Joseph Smith".  We were so excited, gave her the pamphlet, and asked if we could back again next week.  She agreed and asked us "How did you know to come to this street?  If you would have tried any other day, I wouldn't have been home."  I know that experience was a miracle, and that God trusted me enough, to prompt me to go to that street.

Lately, I've found myself guilty of being doubtful, whether it's deciding if we're gonna be able to turn around without having to back the car up, or just inviting someone to be baptized.  Somehow everything works out.  I wouldn't be able to explain it, it shouldn't work, but somehow it does.  I need to learn to trust the Lord more.  He has a plan for me and He knows what He's doing.  If you put your trust in the Lord, everything else will work out. 

That's the highlights for this week.  I hope you guys have a good week and remember how important you are to me.  Love and miss you lots.

Sister Welker

"Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it."  ~Enos 1:15

A member made me a Samoan dress called a puletasi!!! I wore it to church yesterday.  I'll take a better picture for next week.