Week 33: Lead Me, Guide Me

Saturday: March 23, 2019

Today was amazing! Where do I even start? First of all, we did some updating and things to get caught up this morning! We had some lunch and did some studies! It all started when Christine, a person we are trying to get a large Book of Mormon to, had to reschedule because she couldn't get some where on time! We were pretty bummed out about that. But then we went to an area that needed the gospel and we needed to go there at that time. We went and checked on a few people that asked to come back. We checked on them and they weren't even available at the time.. so we checked on a few more people in that area! There was a guy from Mexico named Emmanuel that said he has met with missionaries before and that he would love for us to come back!! So we got his number, to set up a time and we will be coming back! We kept going and knocked on a random door and a girl, who new some one in our congregation and has been to church, opened the door! She was awesome! She was open to receiving a pamphlet and she started talking about her friend from the congregation! We then went and checked on another guy that our area book said had moved, but someone else lived there! This guy had moved from Nepal! He is awesome! He asked which  ward (congregation) we were in! (He really had been to church and met with missionaries before if he knew our lingo! Haha) we got his number. It's amazing that we were able to catch these people, they all were going to be somewhere else soon. So if we had gone at a different time, we wouldn't have met them. If it weren't for Christine rescheduling we wouldn't have been in that area, at that time! God's divine hand is amazing!

After meeting these awesome people, we then went to a neighborhood, just across the busy street. We met about 3 more people who were searching for the gospel and we were able to meet them, now we get to go back and teach them! :) truly amazing! We drove down the street again to another place near by to knock on another person's door! He wasn't too interested at all. So after that, I was being silly and spinning around in circles, so that when sister Minaker said "stop" I would point in the direction I would go... I was spinning and she was trying to be silly and go somewhere so I couldn't find her when I was done spinning.. but, then this guy and his dog start to walk up to us! I was still spinning with my eyes closed, I swear I was almost in the road. Then I heard a car, so I stopped so I wouldn't get hit. Then sister Minaker was near the corner almost talking to this guy... this guy was awesome, we got his number and said to come back tomorrow! If we had not stopped by this random guy who wasn't even interested, and if I hadn't been sitting there spinning, we wouldn't have met this man! Wow! What series of events!!

This wasn't even the end of it!!

We had a dinner scheduled for that night with a member, but the member had a "lot on her plate" (lots of things going on) and really was not able to feed us that night! She was talking to another member on the phone and the other member said that they would like to take us out to dinner! Her name is sister Joseph! So she texted us and asked where we would like to go! We had no idea where we were going to go eat, and so I said what about Mexican, it just so happens that the Joseph's are Hispanic! So the only other Mexican restaurant other than Chipotle in that area was Qdobas, so Qdobas it is!
We get there and ordered some food! It is actually a lot like Chipotle! We got our delicious food, went and sat down and I noticed this man right behind us in a bright red coat, the spirit prompted me to give this man our card or do something! We sat down, had a prayer over the food and started to eat. Sister Minaker had the sun shining in her face from the window, and we were trying to figure out how to make the blinds so as to shade her face, but the blind was broken. The man behind us offered to help. Seeing that it was obviously broken, we started to pick up our stuff to move it to a different table. As I went back to get my water I had said "thank-you" to this man and then asked him what his name was! He said Martin, and I said "Nice to meet you Martin, I'm Sister Chaffin!", and then we exchanged handshakes! We stood there for a minute, he commented, saying "What a firm handshake you have there", and I said "thank you!" Then he asked, "I heard the words Jesus Christ, do you believe Jesus Christ is the Truth, the Light and the Way?!" I said "of course!!" As he is still shaking my hand, awkwardly standing there (Sister Minaker had just told me a story of this creepy guy that one time shook and held her companions hand for way too long... hahah I was dying!! Not okay!!!) He then let go and started to ask more about us!! He perceived that we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! We started to talk about the Book of Mormon-Another Testament of Jesus Christ! It just so happened that he has a Book of Mormon sitting at home! He has a really strong Faith in Jesus Christ and in the Bible! He was quoting scriptures and stating things he believes, we were totally agreeing and he couldn't believe we believed so much in the Book of Mormon! We helped him by explaining that we completely believe in the Bible and explaining what the Book of Mormon is--another testament of Jesus Christ. 

I absolutely love the Book of Mormon and connecting it to the Bible! It makes so much sense! God is truly a God of Order and a God of Love! The Gathering of Israel is absolutely amazing and such a tender mercy of Gods love!

We explained that the Book of Mormon is the promise of the Gathering of Israel! He really thought that was cool. At the end of the time of the conversation and exchanging thoughts, stories, and beliefs, we invite him to read the Book of Mormon, specifically Moroni 10:3-5 and to pray about the Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true! He promised us that he would and that he believed us! I seriously could see him as a bishop, Stake President, mission president, and even a sealer!! There is so much light in him! The Book of Mormon will change his life and put so many missing pieces together!! I am so excited for him!! He doesn't live in our area so we got his phone number! 

It was truly amazing to be able to experience this natural missionary experience! To be able to have the members there to experience that! I was shaking the whole time because I felt so strong about helping him understand The Book of Mormon! It was strange, I am never that nervous to talk to someone, but it always can get nerve-racking when the spirit is so strong!! 

At the end of that night we went and visited the person who couldn't have us for dinner and told her that it was part of God's plan that we didn't go to her house for dinner! We helped her know how much of God's plan things were! And that this man needed to hear of the restored Gospel at the time and she was a big part of that miracle! She broke down in tears! how amazing and heart touching!

I know that God is aware of each of us and our desire! He has a way of giving us the blessings we need right when we think that everything that we had in our plan goes wrong!!  

Sunday: March 24, 2019 

Sunday was so beautiful! It was 66 degrees outside and time for the Lord's day! :) So many sweet blessings come on Sunday's! Sacrament meeting was a revelatory experience! It literally was on deepening our conversion, personal revelation, and prayer! haha Would you look at that!  The Hymn we sang really rung true to me. Hymn  #185 Reverently and Meekly Now "At the throne I intercede; For thee ever do I Plead. I have loved thee as they friend with a love that cannot end. Be obedient, I implore, prayerful, watchful evermore, And be CONSTANT unto me, that thy Savior I may be." 

I want to be more constant to my Savior!! :)

A good talk to read is "Faith in Jesus Christ" by Elder Oaks!! It was all through out our Sacrament meeting!! 

Tonight we found Davon!! He had been on date for baptism and we were going to take it off date but he was sitting on his front step when we went to go see him debating his life and he had so many questions! It was the most amazing spirit there! I've never testified with the spirit prompting me in such a direct blunt way! Davon is now on date again for April 20th!! 

These were the most impactful days this week!! They truly were lead and guided by the spirit!! 

God is great, God is real, Jesus Christ is a living resurrected being who felt everything we have and can run to our need as we ask for the help! Jesus Christ and God are not an abstraction. 

I love the name "Abba" used in the bible for father! God truly is our Father and Jesus Christ is our brother!

Love you all! Have the best Week! And always choose the right! God will lead and guide you in the right direction to be where you should be to helps others and yourself! 

Siempre el amor, 

;) Hermana Chaffin 

Manassas Battlefield

Massive doors in a rich neighborhood on an exchange with sister Reeve! ❤

Massive houses in the strangest modernized neighborhood!

Close

Me, Sister Minaker (my companion), Sister Reeve, and Sister Bonner!❤❤❤

Book of Mormon, a gift from Heaven!

Trying to copy a picture I saw in someone's home!

A little river

Casey is the cutest!! Has the biggest desire to be like Jesus Christ!❤

Blossoms!!!🌸🌸❤

Week 32: Blossoms 🌸 & Baptisms💦

A day as a missionary. 

(We did not have any appointments set up for today because it was just a "finding day" and the baptism, but in this area we have quite a few appointments each day)

Saturday, March 16th, 2019
Today was awesome! We started out the day with the best run!! 6:40 a.m., out the door, a light jacket, sweats, and a running headband to keep the ears warm. It was at 49 degrees. The perfect weather for a run. Smelling like Lake Powell summer nights. We went outside and ran around the whole entire apartment complex (it's pretty big) in the dark dawn morning. I almost tripped on some of the cement again.. I did yesterday and just tucked and rolled. It was kind of fun! My hurdling days got me ready for this one moment in my life!! Haha! \

We got back home, stretched, planned and got ready for the day and time for studies! Some thing really awesome is that sister Minaker is amazing, and we are meant to be companions at this moment in time in both of our lives! It's weird when you can see that. She taught me a lot about studying scriptures when I asked her how many copies of the Book of Mormon she had read through and the things she did for each time she read it! I learned a lot! And I strive to become more and more knowledgeable and diligent and strive to do more things! I am so very grateful for the Book of Mormon and I strive to continually read it and apply it to my life and most importantly to others lives!  I am so very grateful for the time I have, to be here and help others come to the knowledge of their Redeemer!  

After studies, we went and did the progress record and did daily contacts! We then got just a little bit distracted on lds.org because of the awesome new thing that comes up when you first go on it. It asks if you are a member or not and then leads you to a site www.ComeuntoChrist.org  that helps the person understand what it is that we teach and the lingo we have in the church! It is amazing!! Then we saw that President Nelson was gonna have a birthday party at the conference center on September 9th!  we were so excited!  Then we looked at some of the amazing Rome temple pictures!! Wow! Amazing! Just goes to show you that if you give a missionary some internet, they are going to get stuck in the church newsroom site! Such good distractions!!

 We then got some lunch and did companion study! Companion study was awesome! We hadn't done companion study for like 2 weeks, until the the day before today. It was really nice! I got some help from Sister Minaker on how to study more effectively and how to always remember the people! We then went out!! And it was such a beautiful day!! 

We went and met a sweet woman named Marjory who has been taught once before, so we got to go in and show her a video about Jesus Christ and talked about how we can learn more about Jesus Christ and how we can become better and stronger through being baptized! We invited her to baptism, she was unsure and said she was always busy... LOL...we testified to her, promised blessings, and invited her to read the Book of Mormon. It was good. Then we said a prayer, tried to set up a next time to come, and left. 

That is a typical lesson for us, to some one new being taught. We went to some other places in that area! And we talked to some more people.

Met a nice man who moved from India and talked to us about his faith and his temple! It was kinda fun to talk about the similarities! We then went to some other parts of the area and met some more people, met a part-member family and sat down and talked to her.
Had dinner, got ready for the baptism at 7:30, knocked on a few more doors, then went to the baptism! It was awesome!! He bore his testimony and he truly has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the prophet and Jesus Christ! He is amazing! He was truly glowing! What an amazing and special baptism to be able to be a part of! 

Afterwards we had a lesson with another Young Single Adult  and talked a lot about prayer and baptism and getting answers! He will be baptized soon! :) We are so excited!

On Sunday Brother Gant was able to come to church and this time in a "full on" and nice suit! We had a lesson with him it was awesome! He is so prepared!! So excited for things to come! 

Miracles are everywhere! Like Brother Gant said "put your church ears on!!"

Love you all! Have the best Week! 

Always love, 

Sister Chaffin 

Week 31: Sister Chaffin & Minaker Miracle Makers

My new companion Sister Minaker (Mine-ah-ker) is AWESOME!!!!

I love my new ward, Vint Hill ward! They truly have a love for missionary work!!! It is a pretty big ward member-wise and their goal is to be able to split the ward into a Vint Hill 1st and 2nd ward!! After 24 hours of being with Sister Minaker, there were soo many miracles!!! 

Aric: He is Awesome! He is a YSA. We had a lesson with him one of the first days we were here. A member referred him to us.. he has met with missionaries before us and knows a lot! He loves the standards of the church! He said he had a 5yr plan to be baptized! Then we met with him again and he changed it to 2-3yrs then he texted us and said he wanted to be baptized on the 23rd because this friend is going to school!! So he's on date for the 23rd.

Farshid: is awesome! It has been a long haul with him but he desire to be baptized and prepare himself! He is awesome and has come a long way, from not believing... to believing!!

Have an awesome Week! Love you all!!

Sister Chaffini (what one brother called me when he first met me!! And couldn't see my name tag from a far! Haha)

Bye the Olson! Amazing family!💙

Bye Arnezs!

Bye Sister Harley!💙💙💙🐘

Sister Knutti from Centreville 2nd ward! She is a rock woman!! Made Elephant cards! :)

Sister Pugh my old Sister Training Leader, I took her place in the Vint Hill ward! She just went home!!

Good luck sister Wood in Centreville 2nd!

A parking sport that we got the day before and that miracle developed miracles for the rest of the day

Sister McEntire, what a sweet little lady!!

Crying because the person we are teaching committed to March 23rd to be baptizes.. that was our 3rd to be baptized in one week of being together with sister Minaker!

Playing piano! ❤❤