Miracles Happen

This week has been full of fun and miracles! A few highlights from this week:
Friday: We got to do some service by prepping bulls (bucking broncos) for the Luna Rodeo... giving them B12 and Dex shots. OK, so we didn't actually get to give them the shots (keep in mind they're bred to buck), but we at least got to fill the syringes.

Saturday: We got to go to the Luna Rodeo! It was great being in proselyting clothes and feeling completely out of place at this back country, small town rodeo. We were doing service there (serving concessions) so we didn't see a whole lot of the actual rodeo, but when the lines slowed down we could catch a few glimpses of mutton bustin', team roping, and bucking. When we got back to Round Valley we got to go to the Pioneer Day Celebration where we and the Elders were judges of the food contest. It was all dutch oven cooking and each ward in the stake had prepared posse stew (Round Valley thing apparently - (cross between beef stew and chili) and cobblers. It was all delicious and very difficult to decide a winner.

Sunday: We fasted today as a district, and this is when our miracles started coming. We received a couple of referrals from the celebration yesterday that we are excited to contact, plus some of the potential investigators we have been trying to teach have warmed up to us, and are prepared to start taking the lessons.

One girl, Alandra, is 13 and lives with her grandmother, who is a inactive member. We first taught Alandra when she sat in at another investigator's home about a month ago. She is so intelligent and spiritual for her age... we watched the Restoration video, and she said that she felt something different. We felt that she had been prepared, and have been trying to get in with her for about the past month. We have met her grandmother several times, but she hasn't been very open to speaking with us. Sunday evening, however, she invited us in and began talking to us about her conversion and what the Church has meant to her... even though she hasn't been active in years, she had nothing bad to say. She has agreed to let Alandra start taking the lessons because she really feels like her granddaughter needs some help right now. We are so excited to start working with both of them.

Sunday evening we found out that Girls Camp for their ward is this week, and our ward mission leader suggested that we try to get Alandra there. It seemed like a long-shot since we would have to make it happen in one day, but somehow we did it... another miracle! Alandra had to take a lot of initiative to make phone calls, ask her grandmother's permission, and get packed in less than 10 hours, but she did it, and we know she's having an awesome experience right now.

On Sunday we were also able to talk to a man named Mike Geisler, who was referred to the missionaries in this area about 6 months ago. They were never able to get in with him because he was so busy, and not really that interested, which is essentially the same thing he told us about two weeks ago. But, when we went back on Sunday, he was totally different and even though he was busy at the time he said we could come back later that night, or sometime during the week. We scheduled an appointment for Tuesday and went over last night with two of his friends that are members and had an awesome, spiritual first lesson. Turns out since the last time we talked to him he has experienced the death of a close friend, and he is finally looking for answers to questions he has had for a long time.

It is interesting to see how important timing was in his situation - a few weeks made all the difference in him being ready to meet with us. We can see that he has been prepared, and we are grateful to know that the plan of salvation offers the answers to the questions he has.

I know the Lord prepares people, and I can see how our prayers have been answered for the Lord to lead us to those who are ready to learn about and accept His Gospel. I know our fast played a part in all this, and that our faith provides miracles. I am so grateful to be receiving the blessings that we are at this time.

As we continue to pray for the things we need, and then do our part through diligence and work, the Lord WILL bless us. Everyday people are being prepared to accept the gospel, and it is up to YOU to find them.

Never cease to pray, and you will see miracles in your life!

Love always,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

THIS WEEKS PICTURES:
TOP: We got caught in a torrential downpour, but fortunately a member helped us out with a poncho and some trash bags - I got the trash bags :)
MIDDLE:"Welcome to Arizona!" - on the way home from the Luna Rodeo - I figured it was my only chance to ever get a picture (in pros. clothes) of me at the Arizona border.
BOTTOM: Me and a syringe of B12 :)

Now!

First of all, THANK YOU so much for the influx of mail this week, it helped make my birthday super special! Really though, the increase of mail was significant enough for the ladies at the post office to say something about it, and as a missionary, it really means a LOT!

I had a great birthday, and my companion's birthday was the day before mine, so we had lots of fun telling people it was our birthdays... usually it went something like, "Did you know Monday is her birthday?!" and then whoever hadn't spilled the birthday beans would say, "but Tuesday is HER birthday". Anyway, it made for an exciting couple days!

In other news I went to New Mexico today for the first time! We went as a district to a place called The Catwalk in Glenwood, NM... it's a really neat one mile hike through a canyon, and we had tons of fun!

I'm sorry this is going to be a short one, but we're pretty rushed today with traveling all morning, and still trying to get everything else done that we need to within the few precious hours that make up P-day.

I did want to share one thought I had that actually goes along really well with a comment in the email I just read from my mom about focusing on the "now". It actually comes from the June Ensign which I was reading the other day (we get them a little later than normal people because we have to wait for our zone conferences). Anyway, the author talked about the early Saints arriving in Kirtland knowing they weren't going to be there permanently.

It says: "I like to picture those early Saints hearing the Lord’s instructions and getting right to work. They plowed fields they didn’t know they would harvest, planted trees whose fruit they might never eat, and built a beautiful temple they would ultimately have to leave. I picture them living busy, productive lives, not peering endlessly into the unknown, wondering where they would go next and when. They acted “as for years,” trusting that their work would not be in vain." (Your Mission in Life is Now, Ensign, June 2010)

It really made me think about how much we worry about the future, and make conditional statements such as "I'll be happier/it will be easier/things will get better when______, etc." Although goal setting is great, and it is very important to look to the future the time to work is NOW. We need to take advantage of the present to accomplish those goals we have set, and to strengthen ourselves RIGHT NOW. Even though we may not always have the opportunities to see the final fruits of our labors, we will grow in the process, and will be better prepared for the future for when it does arrive. Think about that this week, and do one thing today that will help you accomplish a long-term goal you have. Get to work!

Thank you again for all the letters and packages!

Much love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Hopefully a few pictures will make up for a lack of a long entry... you know what they say...

1-3 Hiking at the Catwalk this morning.
4 Another beautiful Arizona sky this week

A little bit goes a long way....

I had a couple really interesting experience this week, and they were all very exciting. The first was when Hermana Wilkins called to let me know that a family we have been teaching will be getting baptized on July 24. We have been working with them for a while, and I am so happy that they have finally made the decision to be baptized. While we were on the phone Elder Crandall (from my old district) called her so she put me on hold to talk to him. The second exciting thing happened when she came back a few minutes later to tell met that Ron, a guy we had referred to the Elders is also getting baptized.

Hermana Wilkins and I met Ron after we weren't paying attention while we were driving and ended up in a different neighborhood than we had planned. We didn't have miles or time to go somewhere else so we went to talk to a referral that we had received for that area. Well, he wasn't home, but we saw that there were some people moving in across the street so we went over to go help them. When we asked if we could help they said they were fine because the only thing they had left was a big TV and they didn't think we were strong enough to carry it (we weren't). But, Hermana Wilkins saw some pillows in the back of the moving truck and we told them we could probably handle those. She climbed into the truck and had fun tossing them out to me to see how many I could catch. We lugged them upstairs into the house where they were supposed to go and when we saw that none of the couches were put together we decided to do that for them.

We did it as quickly as possible so they wouldn't notice we were taking so long, and then went back outside to talk to them. They went back in with the giant TV and I guess they saw the couches because when Ron came back out he was so impressed that we would do that he couldn't thank us enough. We brushed it off as nothing (it really wasn't) and after his friend left we talked to Ron for almost an hour... about everything - the importance of families, the gospel standards, YM/YW programs, the Restoration. He had so many good questions, as well as lots of good stories, so we really enjoyed ourselves. He has lived a pretty hard (thug) life, and has been trying to make changes in the past couple years, and "had found God" but still had some doubts about his church. One of the things he was concerned with is that he has been moving houses by himself (which has been stressful because he's preparing for his 5 daughters to move out here with him) and no one from his congregation was willing to make time to help him, and the ones who were wanted to be payed. I think that's why he was so impressed with our willingness to help and serve (we had offered to come back the next day and get the rest of his stuff unpacked for him). He said that every time he has seen missionaries around before he has successfully avoided him, but since he really needed help he accepted it and allowed us to serve him (I felt just like Ammon in the Book of Mormon!)

Anyway, what really touched Ron was our family values and programs, and when we came back the next day we gave him a copy of the Family Proclamation (this was during the time Hermana Wilkins and I were memorizing it). The most exciting thing about the news I got on Thursday is that not only is Ron getting baptized, but his daughters that have since moved her are as well! AND, he and his wife are trying to work things out so they can all be one family again. It is such a testimony to me that the gospel really does bless families, and is a power that provides unity and healing in a way no other thing can!

During the second lesson Hermana Wilkins and I were sad to turn him over to the English Elders (because we had been called to teach in Spanish, not English) because we both knew he had lots of potential, but we also knew that the most important thing is that he received the gospel, which he now has. I really believe that we were the right missionaries in the right place at the right time to find him, and I know the Lord put him in our path to help his family. It is very rewarding to know that out of all the thousands of "seeds I have planted" some of them are already blooming.

Another interesting experience happened this week when we were talking to a lady named Tomasa... we had talked to her at the 4th of July parade and were following up with her. While we were chatting she mentioned that she had a brother in Queen Creek and I asked her where exactly he lived since that's where I had been assigned before this new area. Before she answered my question she said that he had seen me at the parade and recognized me - he told her I had come to their house to talk. After she gave me his name and street it took me a minute to remember, but once she described his house I knew exactly who she was talking about. His name was Francisco, and we had tracted into his house looking for someone else but ended up having a good conversation with him. It is SO COOL to me that several months later and a couple hundred miles away he was still able to recognize me - not me for being me, but because I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I know that even though he wasn't interested he had to have noticed something different about me that made him remember me, and hopefully the next time he has some interaction with the Church the positive association will continue to build until he is ready to accept the gospel. Again, interesting to me to see where my seeds are landing.

I'm running out of time/space, but I also wanted to tell you about a baptism Sister Emrazian and I had this weekend for a lady named Trish. She was originally contacted on the street about 2 years ago and started taking the lessons, but wasn't ready or really interested at the time. The sisters that were here right before us were going through former investigators and decided to call her. She happened to check the voice mail for her old phone, and about a month later she decided to call them back and started meeting with them again. In the past two months she has come so far and made so many positive changes in her life, and is being blessed for it. She was baptized this weekend, and the spirit at the baptism was incredible. I am so impressed by her faith, and once again by how she was prepared to receive the gospel.

We never know who is prepared, or when they will be ready to receive the gospel, but I know that through every association people have with members of the Church or missionaries they are being prepared in their own way to one day accept the message we share. We have such a great responsibility to be an example to those around us. I promise they ARE watching, and they notice something different about us. If we truly live the gospel we believe by serving others and following the example of Jesus Christ, people will be put in our path that need our specific personalities and will be influenced by the way we live. A little example, and a strong testimony really go a long way...

Love ya,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

p.s. It's my birthday next week... Just letting you know :)

The Land of Promise.....and the Home of the Brave

There are very few places outside of Utah that have enough pull from Mormons to change the day a national holiday is celebrated... and Eagar/Springerville is one of them. The town of Eagar actually has a pretty big 4th of July celebration... it's well-known throughout the state, and everyone's family (and families are BIG up here!) comes back into town for it, so there was tons of excitement this weekend. It all started Saturday morning with the parade, and since we wanted to see it but couldn't really sit and watch it we decided to take the opportunity to talk to as many people as we could on the street. We walked the opposite direction of the parade, and talked to a ton of people; of course they were mostly members but that's ok - we left them with a pass-a-long card and challenged them to give it to someone THAT day since there were so many people around (relatively speaking). After a looong day of working (no one wants to talk to missionaries on holidays) we were excited to watch the fireworks, and fortunately we had a really good view from our front porch.

Sunday we tried to get to as many wards as possible, and they were all packed. We made it to one Relief Society class and had an awesome lesson on patriotism. I was so grateful, because I think it was something I really needed to hear, and of course it was season-appropriate. I have never been the most patriotic person, maybe because we lived outside the US for 4 years, but I think it's because I've always been fascinated by other cultures, and the other countries I have had the opportunity to visit have had just as many awesome things as the United States of America. But, what this RS lesson reminded me of is the fact that this country really was preserved as a promise land, and was discovered and founded by divine inspiration. I truly believe that the Lord's hand was very much in everything as a way to pave the way for the Restoration - there were very few countries (if any) in the early 1800s that had the religious freedom necessary to be able to establish a church. I know that it had to take place here, and it had to take place then.

Another thought that came to my mind during the lesson are all the Book of Mormon scriptures that refer to the Americas as a promised land. Like I said, I know that to be true, but we have to remember the conditions that come with that promise. We know that we are responsible for keeping the commandments, and for maintaining high moral standards to keep the liberty we now enjoy. However, one look at "the world" and it is clear that we are quickly moving farther and farther away from any standards, let alone high ones. As citizens we have the duty to ensure that we and our leaders (both civil and religious) work to enforce those standards. I think the last paragraph of the Family Proclamation puts it well: "We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society." We should be supporting not only the family, but also high standards of education and moral agency, etc. I hope that each of us can do our part by setting an example, but that we can also help those around us to recognize the importance of keeping the commandments... the scriptural promise is clear - if we do not keep the commandments, we will suffer, on an individual, community, and national level.

I know that this is a choice land, and through our actions we can work together to make this country stronger in the principles of faith and Christianity it was founded upon. I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day, and took the time to give thanks for the significance of the freedoms our country offers us.

Love you all,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

PICTURE - Sister Emrazian & I at the Snowflake Temple this morning... another great thing about being in this area! Sorry I don't have any pictures from the 4th, but just imagine me wearing red and white standing on our porch railing watching fireworks...

Rain in the Valley

I guess I should begin by letting you know that I barely sat down to the computer in the public library and a forest park ranger just came up behind me and gave me a lime green snap bracelet that says "Smokey's Helper" and she reminded me to be careful with my campfires. I love this place. Here are some other things I love (or am learning to love) about Round Valley:

1. There are lots of cowboys - like, real ones; someone told me that John Wayne used to own a ranch here.
2. At church we sing songs like "In Our Lovely Mountain Home"
3. Everyone knows EVERYTHING about EVERYBODY! And most of them are related.
4. No one knows street names - addresses come in the form of "oh he lives down there next to the Udall's old house." This might help me if I knew which Udalls they were talking about (they say there are more Udalls here than there are Y'alls in Texas) OR if I knew where they used to live. Fortunately there aren't too many streets, so I am starting to learn my way around.
5. I have not seen a single cactus - and the landscape really is beautiful. Plus the sunsets over the valley are gorgeous almost every single night.

There are more things, but they kind of all have the same theme of being in a small town that is densely populated with Mormons... It's a very unique culture.

Well, in the last week I have officially been cold, and not because of air conditioning. The weather is crazy up here! As a matter of fact it has been raining here quite a bit... I was thinking about that and the fact that it actually stormed the first couple weeks I got to Queen Creek as well. I think it's symbolic of my entering a new area and needing some rain to help me grow :)

The other day I was studying in Ether 9 and I read a scripture about rain that I really liked, especially because it was so applicable to the current weather. In Ether 9:35, after a period of drought, the people humbled themselves and the "Lord did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries..." I was thinking about how Christ represents the rain (as the living water) and how he can literally revive our souls when we are feeling down, weak, or weary. As the rain falls to the earth it provides nourishment for every living thing, and brings forth fruit. As we accept Christ and his gospel into our life we too are strengthened and can produce good fruits.

I am so grateful for the many opportunities I have that help me to grow... I feel like I have learned so much and become so much stronger in a few short months. I hope you will recognize the power of Christ in your life to help you grow, and rely on his living water to proved needed strength and growth in your own life.

Much love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette