A Wonderful Moment in the Mission Field

We have been visiting a sweet Sister ever since our first month here. We have been faithfully visiting her three to four times a month. We give her granddaughter a ride to Young Women every week that she wants to go. Angie would tell us that she will go to church maybe next week, this has been going on for months. She has a strong testimony and she faithfully sends in her tithing every month, and is a very spiritual lady. However that first step back to church has been a real tough one for her. A month ago she told us that she did not have any nice clothes to wear to church, of course we told her it did not matter what she wore to church, but Sister Carter found some clothes for her, and eliminated that concern.
So we anxiously called her the following Saturday to ask if we could pick her and her Granddaughter up Sunday morning for church, she said no she did not think so, and that is the way it has been going.
She told us six months ago she felt like we were sent to Texas for her. We told her much later that if that was indeed the case, the Lord expected her to do something about it.
We have been praying for a way to help her and have been getting no results. Earlier in the week Sister Carter had suggested asking her if she didn't have concerns about not taking the Sacrament. The other morning as I was pondering this and trying to think of a way to present this to her and another inactive lady that also has a strong testimony some thoughts went through my head as to the best way to approach her.
When we were visiting her tonight the spirit told me this was the time for action, and I told her that I was concerned about her and this other lady not doing the things that help them grow in the gospel, I explained that they both could be strong leaders in the branch, and they were hampering their own progress by with holding themselves from the Lord's work.
I also told her that when I would sit on the stand with Bishop Folsom and we would see someone in the ward come in that had not been to church for awhile, how great our joy was, and if we felt that way I could just imagine how our Heavenly Father feels when he sees a lost sheep return to the fold.
She sat and thought for a couple of minutes and then she said I am going to make a commitment. I will be in church Sunday. Needless to say our joy was very full at that moment, and we both think she really meant it.

Well, she didn't come. We were pretty discouraged. But, we'll persevere, and visit with her this week and hope for success next Sunday. We've had successes and failures before.

This Saturday at church is the Halloween Party, and the "Trunk or Treat". We're helping the YW decorate the shed outside for the Spook Alley. It will be a good time to take photos of the inactive families....we hear that they all come for the 'Trunk or Treat'!!
We're teaching the "Temple Preparation" class at church. We've got several people ready to go to the temple and we're enjoying the class. It's a trick to do the class (it's after church), and take our riders home....but we're getting it done.
I told this family that we have dinner with every Sunday (and who we REALLY enjoy), the Malone's...that I wasn't sure I wanted to go back to our home ward because it's so big, and it's changed even more while we've been gone, and they don't really NEED us! He asked me, "What's to stop you from coming back, after your mission, and living here?" "Eight things, to start with....Ian, Fiona, Kacey, Kade, Kelby, Liliana, Patrick and Rosann, our grandchildren!!!"
But...there is something wonderful about being needed, and called upon to do just about anything, because they know that we are dependable. Just last Sunday, Sister King, raced into church, handed me (Jennifer) a bunch of papers and asked if I could read them...yes...Well, that's your talk for Sacrament, because I'm not feeling well. OK. The funny part was that both speakers had been mistakenly given the same subject...tithing!! So, as Bro. Hicks was giving his talk, I crossed out of my talk all the quotes that he used in his talk!!! I didn't have too much left!! But, I have a few thoughts about tithing of my own...so all went well!! I have taught more Relief Society classes here than in several years at home. Now, I'm helping the Enrichment Leader, so I'm doing the Enrichment class for November. It is good to be needed. The problem is, we won't be here forever, hopefully others will step up to take our places (we're working on that).
Well, all for now!! Hope all is well with all of you.
Sincerely, Elder and Sister Carter
Texas Houston South Mission