Bittersweet

June 30, 2014

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Dearest family,

 

How are you? Good I hope.

 

Well this week was a bitter sweet week here in the Texas Houston Mission.

So first I'll start with the bitter.

As you know it was President Pingree's last week as our mission president. We all had the wonderful opportunity to do a session with him and sister pingree in the Temple. And the temple president and his wife came to officiate. It was a really special day and I could feel the spirit more powerful than ever as I sat in the temple with so many missionaries and President and Sister Pingree. Being together with them really felt like heaven. After the session we met in a conference room in the temple and the temple president talked to us about the endowment. It was an incredible experience. Then we got to hear President and Sister Pingree give their last testimony to us and as we walked out of the room we each got to hug them both. It was a day that I'll never forget and I'm so grateful for them. They have changed me in so many ways and helped me to be a much better daughter of God than I was before. The have changed my life for forever.

We haven't met our new mission president yet but we will on Wednesday. I'm sure he will be great. Mom I got the details of their homecoming for you! it will be July 13th @ 9 AM and sister pingree couldn't remember the exact address but it is near 3900 south and 2250 east near Olympus.

 

Now for the sweet!

 

We had another lesson with Keith this week! Last week he had mentioned that he knew we couldn't drink coffee and that smoking was out so we decided to talk to him about the Work of Wisdom so he could understand why. Before we even started the lesson he told us that he had quit smoking. One day he reached for the pack and then he decided in that moment he was done and hasn't picked up a cigarette since! The spirit has really been helping him. He also said that since he learned we didn't drink coffee that it's started to taste different to him. At first he thought that it was just a bad batch but he said every time he drinks it now it tastes gross to him! I couldn't believe it, well actually I could believe it because the Lord has been helping him so much and he has been so prepared! Well we taught him about the Word of Wisdom and he was very accepting of it. He's already decided to stop drinking coffee. He came to church and we were able to set a baptism date with him for the 26th of July! He even called us on the 27th to make sure that we were aware that it was the anniversary of Joseph Smiths martyrdom. We were so amazed! He has been an answer to 6 months worth of prayers. Tonight we're going to watch the hour long Joseph Smith film with him. He's really excited to see it and I think he'll really enjoy it.

 

We finally were able to have a lesson with Robin today! This morning we went over and taught her the restoration!  It went really well. She has had a really hard life but she is the strongest most chirst-like woman I've ever met. She is always doing something for someone else. We're really excited to work with her.

 

The lesson with Kaylee at the temple was really good! We were able to sit with her on the grounds and talk to her about the temple. We even got to take her inside to the waiting room. She wants so badly to be baptized and be able to enter the temple. I know Heavenly Father knows the desires of her heart and that one day it will happen for her.

 

The Lord has been leading us to a lot of people lately who are willing to listen to what we have to say and there is nothing like the feeling of being able to testify to someone about the restored gospel.

I wish I had more time to tell you about all the experiences we've been having lately. We are really seeing some wonderful miracles happen. The miracles that I've been praying so hard for for so long.

It's amazing to look back and see how much I struggled when i first got to this area and all the seemingly impossible mountains we had to climb and now to be able to see these blessings come is such a blessing.

I know that if we continue to go and do as the Lord has commanded even when the blessings are far off, and even when we don't see immediate results, the Lord will bless us even more.

I am so grateful for my mission. I seriously wish I could be a missionary in the Texas Houston Mission for the rest of my life.

 

I love you all so much!

The Kingdom of God or nothing!

Love, Sister Gregson