Week #70 - God Keeps His Promises!! I Am Overcome With JOY!!


This week has been the hardest, happiest, saddest and most rewarding week I have had on my mission.

This is my 4th transfer in Burlington and I love it! Sister Price stayed and we are training Sister Pearson. 

So last week I missed taking the Sacrament at Church.  We were meeting with some people and had to be in 2 places at once.  I felt such a loss not to take that moment to renew and focus on Christ.  The week was full of more difficulties then I have ever experienced at one time.  I longed for the Spirit and yet at times I felt distracted, frustrated, and tired.  Then on Sunday (a few days ago) I took the Sacrament and I felt God's Promise so clear that I too could be clean and pure because of the Savior's sacrifice for me.  When I took the bread I could feel my body clean and when I took the water my Spirit felt clean as well.   What a peace and an assurance came to me.  God not only promises that a person can be clean when they are baptized.  He has promised we can experience and feel the Savior's cleansing power each week when we partake of the Sacrament.  What a blessing!  

Ok, It never fails that when someone is ready to be Baptized, many challenges, temptations, etc can get in the way.  Well we experienced all of them this week!!  

Juliet's husband (they are separated) decided last week that his family (wife and 3 kids) COULD NOT BE BAPTIZED. He was fine with it before that - the past 3 weeks!  We immediately drove to their home and prayed the whole time that he would have a change of heart.  He was very angry when we arrived and we could feel an evil influence in that home.  We felt to share with him God's Plan for his family and the Restoration.  Once we read some scriptures and bore our testimonies the feeling changed and he was listening.  His heart changed and he said that he could see that his wife and kids were so happy.  He gave us permission that night that they could be baptized.  We felt like everything was ready!  Oh, no there was more to come...


Juliet called the day before her baptism.  Her pastor talked to her and said that the family should not be baptized.  He made them feel very uncomfortable and as if we were evil.  There baptismal interview was set for that evening, Friday evening.  We quickly drove to their home and prayed the whole way there.  We testified and read Mosiah 18 with her. They felt the Spirit, but was not sure still.  I promised her that if she would go to her baptismal interview that night that she would have a sure answer for herself if this was right for her and her family.  After we left they searched on the internet for more information and came across two videos about Joseph Smith and the 1st Vision.  When she told me about them I realized that she found one from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints and the other was an anti-Mormon site.  They decided to watch the 1st video - yay!  from the correct source!  What a miracle.  They mentioned they loved seeing Joseph Smith so young and receiving his answer from God himself.  They felt the Spirit powerfully and felt that was their answer to go to their baptismal interview.  I was so grateful that  they watched The Church produced video and not one that evil men have put together.  They met for their interviews and felt peace about being baptized the following day.  


We have been working with many families who have not been to church for a while.  Many people who we have taught, shared messages with, and invited to come back.  We decided this week that each of these families would benefit from a attending a baptism.  So we went and invited each of the families and they all showed up on Saturday!! Happy Day!!   


We arrived at the church plenty early so we would be prepared for anything else that may happen haha!!  As Juliet and her family were just arriving and the chapel began to fill with the ward members and returning members, my Mission President and his Wife walked through the door!  I wasn't expecting them and then I ran up to Sister Ensign and hugged her for a long time.  It was like you were there Mom!  I am grateful to have someone in your place until I come home.  All the emotion from the last week came flooding out and the tears flowed.  They are wonderful.  We introduced them to the family and to Juliet's husband who was going to be watching his wife and kids be baptized.  Then we pointed out the returning members in the crowd.  It felt like the whole ward was there on Saturday.  I just love Pres & Sis Ensign!  They were kind and mentioned how rare it is to see a family baptized and that they had received reports of good things going on.  Then I mentioned, that we need to get the father baptized and then it will be complete!

 The Baptism was amazing!!  What Power!  What Peace!!  I could see their countenance change and peace fill their soul! You could see the change in their eyes!!  They smiled from ear to ear and so did all of us!!  What a change they have already made in this ward.  We were so grateful to witness their baptism.  

That same night, when we were finishing our Missionary Work we received a call from Juliet's husband.  He had supported his family and watched them be Baptized.  It was a great day and we were looking forward to seeing them the next day, Sunday for them to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  He called and said that he felt something at that Baptism and that HE WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED WITH HIS FAMILY!!  He asked if he could do it before church tomorrow so they could all receive the Holy Ghost!  We were so excited by the call, but informed him that there are other steps he will need to take so he would need to wait, but that we would help him.  We are meeting with him this week to set a date for his baptism. It made me cry to think that this family will one day be sealed as a family!  I was completely overcome that night with joy!  I dropped to my knees that night in gratitude for the Miracle God performed.   

I received specific answers this week when I read from 1 Corinthians 2:9  and Moroni 10:32.  The scriptures and the Ensign have really been where I have found answers.  

This is what President Ensign sent out to the Missionaries in the mission this week.  
"Every week your letters describe scores of miracles that have occurred throughout the mission. One recent example occurred in Burlington where Sisters Rees, Price and Pearson had a family of 4 ready for baptism--but unexpectedly the father changed his mind and said no. The sisters earnestly prayed for him to have a change of heart--and that is what happened. They had 4 beautiful baptisms in Burlington yesterday--along with wonderful stories from members about how influential these sisters have been in doing service work and bringing in-actives back to Church." -President Ensign

One more experience I need to share.  We were out tracting and met a boy that was close to 25 years old named Brent.  He was sitting by his town home smoking a cigarette when we stopped and asked him if he would be interested in listening to a message about Christ.  He brushed off our message and said he wasn't interested.  My companion shared the importance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and through Him you will be cleansed.  Then I felt prompted to bring up the 3 kingdoms of glory and in the Highest Kingdom you can live in a state of Paradise with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and your family forever.  I grabbed my Book of Mormon and wanted to read about the plan of Salvation in 2 Nephi 9, but thought it was 3 Nephi 10.  I glanced at it and realized it was talking about how Jesus Christ gathers us like a hen gathers her chicks.  I went to flip the page, but felt very strong to have him read those verses (3 Nephi 10:5-6).  His cigarette was gone and his eyes seemed so bright.  Before we left another strong prompting came to me to leave him with a prayer.  As I closed my eyes and went to fold my arms the Spirit whispered twice to relate the prayer to Uncle Brent.  As I prayed thoughts came to my mind of things to say.  I just shared what came to my mind, but when I finished I felt a slight bit of what Uncle Brent's life was about and that his experiences are still blessings others.  When I closed the prayer - the boy sat with his head down and looked up with amazement.  I don't know if he went through anything that Uncle Brent has faced, but I know the message made a different to this man this day.  

I learned this week that God Keeps His Promises!!  Hold on and keep serving, loving, and believing!!

Love, Sister Rees

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