November
11, 2013
Family!
Such big miracles have
happened this week!!! As you know, Sister Pitts and I as well as Sister Damato
were all bugged that Ed's baptismal date wasn't until the first weekend of
December. Sister Damato and I had talked about it quite a bit and then I got a
letter from Dad asking me if I had talked to Ed about moving it up... Sister
Pitts and I had talked to Ed and Michele about moving it up... but they said
they wanted to keep it in December. ugh... I was so sad and so frustrated about
it!! I have been praying for a long time about what to do... and this past week
Sister Damato and I felt impressed that we needed to talk to him about it
again. We sat down and went through the baptismal interview questions and Ed
was choking up as he answered everyone. The spirit was so strong! At the end of
going through the questions, we told him, "You're ready Ed!! You don't
need to wait for another month!" We told him that we didn't want to
pressure him into moving it forward and that we would respect his decision but
that we felt obligated to tell him about our impressions. He immediately said
that he would get baptized now if he could.... so why are we waiting?! hahaha
Ed said that we needed to first talk with Michele because she was the one that
had had worries. We talked to her a little later and she said that these past
couple weeks she has felt like Ed is ready for it!! We set up an official
baptismal date for November 23rd at 6 pm :) :) I'm SOOOO happy you guys!!!
I am learning the
importance of having faith in the promptings that we receive from the Holy
Ghost. God will move His work forward the way He has planned :) We planned it for November 23rd so
that Ed could quit drinking alcohol. We gave him a date to be totally done
drinking by November 15th and both Ed and Michele were more than
confident that he could do that.... On top of all that excitement... we were
just shopping at Walmart and ran into Ed and Michele! Ed started off the
conversation by saying... "You guys, I'm not going to be able to stop
drinking by the 15th..." My heart sunk.... but then he said, "because
I actually quite last night!!!" Hahahahaha… So mean of him...! but I'm
SOOO happy for him!! He wants to get baptized so much. He is so ready and has
such a strong desire to make those covenants with Heavenly Father. Ed is such a
big miracle. I really hope that you guys get a chance to meet both Ed and
Michele one day. I love them so much.
I have been praying so
much to do the Lord's will and not my own will when it comes to Ed's date
and I truly know that it was the Lord's will. Before the date change, I was
just worried sick that transfers were going to come and that I was going to
miss Ed's baptism by 5 days and then if Ed and Michele were to go through the temple
next year... I would have probably missed being there by DAYS because I would
most likely be home! But now, I will be there for Ed's baptism AND there is a
bigger chance that I will still be here in Florida to see them go through the
temple and get sealed next year. What an amazing way to end my mission! This
experience reminds me of 3 Nephi when Christ knew the thoughts and righteous
desires of the 3 Nephites' hearts. I just know that God knew of the righteous
desires of my heart as well as Ed's and He helped make it happen.
Another crazy story
about Ed and Michele... I took pictures of family and friends to share with
them at a lesson this past week. I don't think I've mentioned this... but Ed
kind of looks like a redheaded version of Dad... no joke. haha! It's so
awesome!! I showed them a picture of the family and Ed immediately choked up
and said that Dad looks like a spitting image of Ed's dad that passed away a
year ago this month.... whoa. Kind of freaky. Michele was shocked by it as
well. How cool is that? Michele then said, " Ed, there is no doubt that
Sister Kirkham was sent specifically for you." ....and I couldn't agree
more. I never thought that I would actually come to know WHO I was to touch
with the Gospel... but I have no doubt that God sent me to Orlando Florida
for Ed. Hopefully there will be more people I can touch out here... but I would
be so overly grateful for Heavenly Father for just letting me help Ed. I have
learned to love Ed and Michele sooo much and I'm going to miss them so much
when I leave New Smyrna Beach. I've had the scripture in D&C
18 repeatedly run through my head:
"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto thispeople, and bring, save it be one
soul unto me, how great shall be your joy withhim in the kingdom of my Father!
And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto meinto the
kingdom of my Father, how great will be your
joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"
This past week we had
a Zone Training Meeting in Deland. I was asked to play a musical number. I
played a pretty version of "I Know My Heavenly Father Loves Me"
on the piano. I was a little nervous to play because not only has it been
awhile since I performed something... but it's been more than 5 months since I
actually played something other than hymns! How sad is that?? :( I felt really
good about my performance though. I miss the piano... it has definitely been
something I have sacrificed by being on a mission. But I don't regret it. There
are bigger more important things to be doing... like helping people like Ed and
Michele. :)
In the Zone training
Meeting two exciting things were announced:
1. Our October goal of
reaching 33 member referrals reached an actual of 68 member referrals!
2. President Berry has
announced that we are going to start internet proselyting soon. He said that
not everyone will start using it all at once but that it is now becoming part
of our mission. I have a feeling that I won't be one that gets to use Facebook-
at least not immediately- but I'm okay with that for now :) haha I don't know if I want to get on Facebook...
that would be so weird. haha! Speaking of Facebook, will you check my account
every once in a while and make sure that you add people from Florida that are
wanting to be my friend? Thanks :) I would love to keep in touch with them
after the mission!
Well, I better get
going... but know how much I love you guys!!! We had a pretty busy day today
and I don't know how much I'll be able to write today but I'll do my best. You
will be happy to know that I finally got all of my pictures on a CD's and I'm
mailing them home!!! :) Please take good care of those pictures! I've been too
afraid to delete them off of my camera... ahh! Haha!
I hope that everything
is going well. Thank you so much for all of your prayers on behalf of Ed and
Michele. They have been heard!! You do so much more than you will ever know. I
love you!!!
Love,
Sister Kirkham
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