Here is Maureen's latest. She is on fire! So, consider yourself warned. Actually we couldn't be more proud . . . in a good, humble way.
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Dear Arizonans, Utahns, Californians, and wherever else you may be,
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This week has been so good. Sis. Park and I are busy teaching everyone that breathes... okay maybe not that many but man are we always so busy. We had another baptism this past week, which makes two this year already. It was really neat and the spirit was so strong there. The lady being baptized, Brenda invited her husband and a friend who are not members. Her friend was crying the whole time and wanted to learn more from the missionaries. :) And her husband is getting closer to baptism. We usually share a message while the person baptized is getting dressed so we showed a mormon message about listening to the Holy Ghost and how we need to live by faith in a world governed by sight. We challenged everyone there to follow what the spirit invited them to do as they were at the baptism that night. It was so powerful! Then Bishop got up and invited all those who were not baptized to pray about it and be baptized. Then Brenda got up and bore her very first testimony (as she put it). It was such a wonderful baptism - the spirit was so strong and we heard so many amazing testimonies that night.
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Well, at church on Sunday Beth and her whole family came and Stayed all three hours. It was so neat and the kids loved it. I guess in the past they've been bored. But it was a great experience for everyone there. Then we met with their family again last night. We talked to them about why it was important for them to get an answer to prayer and to know if the Book of Mormon was true. We shared with them that if we want to live with Christ and Heavenly Father again we must follow the right path and make sure what we are doing is on the right path. So we must pray to find out if this is the path Heavenly Father wants us on. It was so neat to see them understand that. We taught them how they would get their answers to their prayers and how the Holy Ghost speaks to us and then we invited them to be baptized. The 7 year old perked up and said he wanted to be baptized. Haha then both Beth and Ruth said they would be baptized too! It was so neat and Dale (the husband) was so happy with his family and their decision. They told us that they have loved having us over because their family has come closer together and they've needed that time together for a while. It's so true. The Gospel blesses families, it brings more love, patience, and peace into our lives and our relationships. And it was so neat to actually see that take place in this family over the past few months. Ruth told us that she knows we are messangers from God. A 10 year old can recognize it. I hope that many others will feel the blessings of the Gospel, it's effects in our families and our lives and choose that road that will bring us closer to our Heavenly Father.
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Well other than that our week has been really good. We've been busy trying to talk to everyone. We've had some amazing members helping us out, going with us to appointments, taking our investigators to the Mormon Battalion, visiting those that need some support. It's been really good. We're going to try to focus our efforts a little more on the members and how they can be amazing examples to others. On Sunday we had our ward council meeting and we were discussing the ward mission plan for the ward this year. Half of our ward council understood that this is designed to help people come closer to Christ through the ordinances and the other half was very concerned with how this applied to them. It made me sad to see how selfish we all can be at times. We don't realize it but many times we don't do things unless it benefits us somehow. I admire those that stick up for the truth and have the desire to spread this amazing message with the world. If everyone understood that they were children of a God and that He has a plan for them this world would be 1000 times better. But that's exactly how satan works. He tries to diminish not only our self-worth but our view of God's other children and we get so focused on our physical needs. We've been listening to conference talks lately and we just heard a talk by President Uchtdorf about love being spelled out as T-I-M-E. And what we spend our time on shows what we value in life. I hope that I always take the time for God first and then my family. I know that as I do that everything else will fall into place. Satan wants us to be busy with anything: texting, movies, tv, video games!, facebook, internet, etc, whether it's good or not because when we make ourselves busy we tend to not think of others or God. I hope and pray that we can simplify our lives to spend time on those things which truly matter most. :)
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Anyway enough of my soap box. I know these things are true. I know God gives us Prophets to lead and guide us in this war against the adversary. I know that in a battle we need faithful leaders who help us to stay organized and win the fight. That's why God wants order, that's why we have Prophets and teachers and leaders and parents, etc. He's so wise. :)
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Well I love you a lot! Give my hugs to my sisters and parents. Thank you for the wonderful examples you have been to me.
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Love Sister Maureen Davis
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