A week of miracles!

Greetings to my treasured family!!

This week was sure a treasured one. A week of miracles! My heart is brim-full of joy!! I'll do my best to try to express everything to you, and I hope that the Spirit can speak to you as I do so!

On Tuesday & Wednesday last week, we did exchanges with the sisters in Rutland. So Sister Hatch and I were with a new missionary named Sister Nelson from Utah. She has so much fire, and we had a wonderful time together! After lunch on Tuesday, we went to contact a referral named Linda. We visited with her, but for the most part, she wasn't interested. HOWEVER, our car was parked across the street, and as we were getting inside, we thanked the lady in the yard for letting us park in front of her house. She immediately put down what she was doing and came to talk to us! Her name was Linda too! She's Catholic by tradition, but doesn't really believe anything that they practice. She said she doesn't believe in infant baptism or purgatory or anything like that. We shared some Book of Mormon scriptures with her and prayed with her. The Spirit was strong, and she invited us to teach her more later that week! So we came back on Friday and had a beautiful lesson with her and her husband. As we shared Joseph Smith's experience, tears filled their eyes, and the room was peaceful and warm. Linda expressed how wonderful and true that is! She isn't willing to come to church (because she's determined to stay catholic by tradition), but she is going to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it!! (So that means that she eventually WILL come to church, if she prays with a sincere heart and real intent! hehe). So Linda is our wonderful new investigator! YAY :)

On Wednesday,

we finally went to the JOSEPH SMITH MEMORIAL with Nancy!!!!! She was super excited to go. We drove about 2 hours to get there, and when we drove onto the property, the Spirit spoke peace to our souls. It was incredible.

We got a tour of the visitors center by the senior missionaries, and then watched the Joseph Smith movie! Every time I watch that movie, my testimony of Joseph Smith is strengthened. I remembered a question that a man asked me a few months ago back on Temple Square. He asked why the Joseph Smith movie doesn't show or talk much about Jesus Christ. As I watched, I noticed that the movie doesn't show much of Christ directly, but it really is all about Jesus Christ! He is reflected through Joseph Smith- his whole life was centered around Him and lived FOR Him. I want MY life to be like that. I want others to see Christ through me. I want my life to be centered around Him and to be lived FOR Him. Anyway, Nancy loved everything. As her testimony grows, the light around her grows brighter and brighter. I LOVE being able to see that happen. She is a lot different from when I first met her. She is closer to her Savior. I am SO fortunate to be able to see all of this take place! I LOVE IT! :)

It was quite an eventful week for Nancy. The day after going to the Memorial, she had an interview with President Wilkey!! Our mission president!! We all got to drive down to Middlebury and have our own interviews with President (SO AMAZING. I love that man!!!), and then we waited while Nancy had her baptismal interview. I am SO glad she had the opportunity to be interviewed by him. She really needed it. He was able to help her feel forgiven for some past transgressions that have been weighing on her for more than 40 years, and he helped her feel more prepared for baptism. She came out and screamed "I made it!" and then ran into our arms. She was saying "Thank you, thank you" as she sobbed tears of joy. All three of us surrounded her in a big group hug as we cried and rejoiced with her. I cannot begin to express to you the joy that filled our hearts that day (Alma chapter 29 might give you an idea). It was a moment that will forever be etched in my memory.

The moment we walked into the door of our apartment after returning from interviews, the phone rang. Private number. I answered it and a lady named Cathy was on the other end! She said she had a card with our number on it. She had met with missionaries before years ago, and wanted us to come back and teach her again! She also wanted to come to church that Sunday!!! Sister Hatch literally fell on the floor in amazement, and I was trying to act calm and collected as I was jumping for joy! :) We set up a time to teach her, and a time to meet her at the church and give her a tour. We rejoiced, and THEN got a call from JASON!!! He's the EMT guy that we met in Sister Acosta's house, while he was putting her on a stretcher and taking her to the hospital! We then tracted into him a few weeks later and he said he would discuss it with his wife. We weren't sure if we'd hear back from him, but alas! He called us saying he went on mormon.org and saw that he could get a free Bible, so he decided just to call us instead! He has crazy work hours, so the only time we could meet with him was at 8:00 on Saturday morning, in the LDS church parking lot! We met him there, and gave him a Bible, and of course a Book of Mormon. We listed some of our favorite scriptures and wrote a little note for him. He and his family were going camping to get away from the world, and Jason was thinking that he could read from the Bible to his family!!! It was SO CUTE!!! He is definitely the future bishop of the Burlington ward... seriously. We are SO EXCITED for him!!!

Yesterday, we met Cathy at the church! Such a sweet lady. She brought her Book of Mormon and was ready to go! She loved the tour, and already knew some people in the ward! She seriously seemed like a member already. We are teaching her this Wednesday! One of the members didn't know who she was and asked her if she was getting baptized this Saturday (lol), and she said, "not yet, I'm working on it"!! She is so ready and we're so excited for her! That day at church was so crazy and hectic- in the best way possible- because there were so many new people and nonmembers to talk to, and we set up so many dates to go teach them! The work is progressing incredibly! We came home "tired in the Lord" and ready for bed! lol. I LOVE days like that.

That's only an overview of the entire week. So much has happened. Hearts have been changed. The gospel is spreading. I LOVE IT! Sometimes my spirit is like POPCORN... it just wants to pop because it's so filled with happiness and excitement! lol :) haha

I know this email is already super long, but I came across this little analogy that I want you to read......

It is so easy to get caught up in the rat-race of life, and sometimes neglect that which really matters most.

THE CELLPHONE VS THE SCRIPTURES

I wonder what would happen if we treated our scriptures like we treat our cell phones? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to other kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled? What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go...."Hmmm..Dude.. where is my scriptures?"

Unlike our cell phones:
One Plan does fit all.
Unlimited usage. No roaming charges.
You always have reception.
You can use it in the mountains and in a tunnel.
It's free with no hidden costs,
AND you don't ever have to worry your scriptures being disconnected because CHRIST has already paid the bill!

FEAST UPON THE WORDS OF CHRIST!!!

I love you all so much!

Love,
Sister Rochelle Frogget!!! :) :) :)