Week 69 (7/28/14)

THAT'S RIGHT! 

NATHANIEL GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! 

Or should I say, Brother Smith. 

Ah. That sounds awesome. 

It's been a pretty crazy INSANE week getting everything organized. I learned from David's baptism how important the environment is for the baptism. Even though the font was in the gym at Tampa we made sure that we could still feel the spirit easily... even if that meant bringing all the soft chairs from the Relief Society room in there... 

So of course we dragged the huge filing cabinet from the font room here and switched pianos and took down all the stuff off the bulletin board. We even threw a couple plants around the room. It was awesome! The spirit was SO strong at the baptism. We had OVER 50 people there! There wasn't even enough chairs! You could literally feel the love pouring out of the room. 

While he was getting dressed we had everyone write him a little note on a note card telling him how they felt or telling him welcome. HE LOVED IT! I mean, he can't read, but still! We are going to read them all to him tomorrow. But it was like Christmas for him! The Leicht family has been doing SO good at fellow shipping him! They LOVE him and he adores them! 

He was beaming after he was baptized! We had a white shirt for him, but he came out throwing his hands up in the hair with a huge grin on his face wearing his shinny purple shirt. 

IT WAS AWESOME! 

I played an arrangement of Joseph Smith's first prayer and my Praise to the Man song for him right after he was baptized and he LOVED it! He appreciates music so I thought that's he'd like it. It brought the spirit even stronger and he said, "Ah! There's the knot in my throat again!" Hahaha. 

Yeah. It's the spirit. 

Afterwords he came up to Sister Gustafson and I and just looked real serious at us and said, "thank you so much." He was so sincere! He's usually a pretty crazy guy so it was pretty touching to see him so thankful for everything and so thankful that we found him. 

The thing that stuck out to me the most that he said afterwords was- "I never knew I could feel so loved"

I know that I've said it a million times, but REALLY! That is what we were going for, and that's what investigators should feel the moment they walk into a church building. 

This is what it's all about! His testimony will continue to grow, but he will remember most the strong spirit and love that he felt that day. It was almost overwhelming and so happy! :D 

It's been one amazing week and I couldn't be more thankful to my Heavenly Father for letting me take part in this work. This gospel truly does bring me so true joy! I know it's true with all my heart :) 

Love, Sister Calder 

The longest P.S. of your life...

Oh, here's some hilarious things from this week. 

I must be serving in a foreign country because we opened cans without a can opener or anything on Monday! We were eating at the Leichts and theirs wasn't working so we went boy scout style so Kevin and I rubbed them on the cement until they opened haha. I feel pretty legit now. 

We also had a huge BBQ at Hammock State Park! It was a blast! I was sweating buckets from running around playing soccer and swords with noodles with the kids. It was a BLAST. We also went hunting for alligators in the middle of a swamp! It was like dead silent and we were walking over the water on these 4 pieces of wood.. Pretty fun but freaky!

Here's the best part. 

I had my first real life snow cone in 16 months. Longer actually because I didn't have one all winter when I was home... like 2 years! Talk about withdraw. But a man that used to be in our ward has an ice cream truck that he drove into our ward party in the middle of the forest! And of course... HE HAD REAL LIFE SNOW CONES! 

Ah. 

Cotton Candy of course.

And the baptism just happened to be this day as well. 

Best. 

Day. 

Ever. 

My life is complete and I could probably die right now and be completely happy :) 

P.S.S. The pic of him holding his hands out like Jesus is not meant to be sac religious… ha

We had real life snow cones!

Nathaniel got Baptized

From the can adventure

Week 68 (7/21/14)

So guess what...? WE HAVE A BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!!!!

I am SO excited!

I can remember if I have ever mentioned Nataniel... But I'll tell the

story anyways ;)

The sisters before us were biking and saw Nathaniel. He's a big black

man that sits on his porch waving and talking to every single person

that goes by. He's REALLY nice and friendly. Everyone likes him....

Including the Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Venice, and the baptists.

Annnnndddd he was studying with all if those guys. So of course he'd

study with the Mormons! Especially because his son and grandson are

Mormons.

So we started teaching him. It really didn't seem to be going

anywhere, but he always let us come over and we'd have a lesson on his

front porch while he waved at every car coming by laughing and taking

to them.

It was pretty entertaining and hilarious to be honest ;)

We developed this really close love and friendship with him. He even

started telling us that he loved us!!! It was awesome. But he really

wasn't progressing and didn't seem to be taking anything seriously and

we didn't know what to do.

I went on an exchange one time and the sister that I was with came

with me to Nate's. We decided to crack down and have a super serious

spiritual lesson with him. So we talked a lot more about Joseph Smith.

Both of us turned our serious spiritual faces on and bore a firm

strong testimony (yes, we had done this a million times before because

he'd always look at us and say, "you KNOW" talking about the things

we'd borne testimony of).

He was taken back. I think for the first time he felt the spirit. He

even stopped joking around and said- "this is serious." We told him

that this gospel is the most important thing. We then asked him to

pray about what we'd told him right there and to wait for the answer.

He said a really heartfelt prayer and then just waited.

Okay. So you all know how much I absolutely HATE silence. That's why I

talk so much because I hate it when it's quiet... so I've got to do

something. It was a good 3 minutes of silence (I know a lot of people

exaggerate the time of silence... But for reals. That's how long is

was) after he'd said the prayer.

Then after he said, "something is going on here" Hahah I guess that's

how he feels the spirit.

Long story (that has already been WAY too long) short....

He's getting baptized!

Well... here's a plug! This has taken a lot more work than David! It's

been a struggle! But I've really learned that not everyone is the

same. People that we meet are prepared, but they are also at different

levels of being prepared.

Yesterday he told us that he told Jim Woods (we hear this name all the

time. Nate loves the guy. He's a baptist preacher) didn't act very

Christian when he told him that he was getting baptized. So I guess

that confirmed his decision!!! He loves the gospel. It's amazing.

Especially because right now I really feel like he's taking a leap of

faith. He doesn't know everything (not that anyone does) but he just

knows he needs to be baptized.

I know that his confirmation will come and that he will feel different!

He wasn't really wanting to give up his coffee. On Saturday he said he

hadn't had any! It was awesome! Then we told him that he should just

throw it away because he said that he'd still smell it. hahaha he said

he wouldn't drink it. But then randomly he just went inside, grabbed

his coffee and gave it to us! It was awesome!!!! And kind of hard for

him, but he did it!!

It was awesome.

Our whole zone has been praying for him and we can really see how much

it has been helping him. I love it! Ever since they started the prayer

thing for dates set he's been progressing even further!

Well. The world is awesome.

But missionary work is even awesomer!!!

I love it! :)

Love, Sister Calder

Week 67 (7/14/14)

My companion fell off her bike this week!
It was at 6:30 in the morning though.... So I guess that's why it was
not hilarious. 9 months out and she's finally not a greenie. Good
thing I had that covered in my 3rd transfer.... twice in one day ;)

Weird that that is the first thing I put haha...

We did an awesome service this week where we planted trees! We had 42
people from our ward show up (well, and the new Lake Placid branch
that was just made last week) and we planted 2,500 trees!!! It was so
much fun! We were all sweating like beasts in the middle of the
"Florida desert" and a couple people got heat exhaustion, but it was
totally worth it. Now when I come back to visit in like 20 years I can
drive a million miles in the middle of no where and look out with my
big proud head and be so proud of all those awesome trees we planted.
I'm adding it to the bucket list. ;)

We got a new ward mission leader!!!! Of course it's our favorite
person/family in the ward!!! We are STOKED! The work here is going to
take off! He was called yesterday, and already had a couple new sets
of ward missionaries and we had a big meeting with him, the elders,
and the ward missionaries.
We are totally going to ROCK this ;)

Here's the REAL excitement for this week!!!!
Remember John? Our miracle guy?

Well we haven't been able to get a hold of him for 3 weeks!!! The last
thing we did was give him the Book of Mormon right after church. He
had texted us once telling us he loved the Book of Mormon and that it
brought him so much peace. He also said he knew that the prophet was
true as well! Then we didn't hear from him for another 2 weeks. We've
just kept on praying and praying that he'd get in contact with us. We
were planning on dropping him on Thursday if we couldn't get a hold of
him.

On Wednesday randomly HE CALLED us!!!! We freaked out... And then
answered it. He said he had some time and wanted to meet at the church
for a lesson. So we dropped everything, grabbed a member, and went.
He told us that he was in Alma 2!!! People, WE GAVE HIM THE BOOK OF
MORMON 3 weeks ago!!! He LOVES it! He said that he would just lock
himself in his room and read it. His little brother noticed him
reading it all the time. One day he couldn't find it, and found that
his little brother (he's 8 btw) was reading it!! He said that he saw
him reading it so much that he wanted to read it too (of course we
sent him home with another copy for him)!!
He's just been so busy so he hadn't gotten back to us. He drove up to
Alabama to buy an RV. The guy selling it to him was a member and saw
the Book of Mormon in his back seat and told him who he was and asked
if he'd gone to church. He said only once, and the member said-
"once!? Well you've got to go more than that!" He ended up selling him
a much nicer RV for REALLY cheep because he said he needed to go to
church with it hAha. Cool right!? He is noticing the blessings from
reading it!! And we are noticing the blessings from constant,
heartfelt prayer.

Who's going to make this movie?? Seriously. It's amazing to watch all
of this happening! The gospel TRULY does change people lives! :)

The mission can make you REAL homesick. It doesn't help that I haven't
had a real Calder roast and mashed potatoes in over 15 months! I've
just been scarfing down deviled eggs with miracle whip, and that
onions are in everything... (The fam will get this one... And Danny)
I haven't been so homesick my whole mission combined as much as I have
these last couple weeks.
It's really helped me grow.
It makes me realized how important our families are in this plan, and
how essential it is that we spend every single moment we can with
them. My family means so much to me! I know I know, I say this every
single time, but it love my family more than I can even explain, They
are the reason I am here. The gospel, combined with my amazing family
is what brings me true, everlasting happiness. And that is what I
yearn and crave to share with others. :) it the best. ;)

A lot of mushy love, Sister Calder :)

P.S. Don't forget Ash and I at the gorge! Our heads better be there
this year ;)