First Chicago Snow !!!

We received this email letter from Allyse today.  Their P-day was moved to Tuesday this week because of Veteran's Day yesterday, and the public libraries were closed so they couldn't email.  Enjoy this letter and photos from Allyse:

Hermana Meanea's beanie

made for her by a ward member

Hi Family & Friends!

How are you all? Thank you so much for all of your love and support. This has been a great week here in Chicago!

November 4 - Tonight we were able to go and teach the Restoration to a referral. The lesson went well, she is very open and accepting. At our Noche de Hogar (FHE) one of the members gave us beanies she made, I am sure they will be a big use to us in the upcoming weeks and months!

Hermana Meanea and the
fall colors of Chicago...

November 5 - Today we went to try and contact a former investigator. A little girl, 3 or 4 years old, opened the door and we asked if her mom was there. She went to go and ask and came back saying no. We asked if she lived there and she said no after thinking for a minute.  Taking a hint, we said thanks and left. I had always heard about rejections like that and now I have my own story! We gave the car to the other Hermanas and they didn't have the bus passes so we walked everywhere today! It was one of those nights where I wished I had a Garmin to know how many miles we walked!

November 6 - Today we had District Meeting and it was good. We had a lesson about prayer and I gave a spiritual thought about working with the wards in which we serve. We then had a mini Zone meeting where our Zone Leaders introduced Moses 6:32 as our Zone Title of Liberty. They also asked us to commit to tracting for one straight hour each day and promised us blessings if we obeyed. So, that night we went tracting. We got 6 PNI's (Potential New Investigators)!!! It is super scary knocking doors and just talking but it is good for me!

Hermana Toney & Hermana Meanea
excited about a baptism commitment

November 7 - Today we had another lesson with the referral. Guess What?!?!?! She is on date for baptism after only 2 lessons!!! I can't believe it! We asked her and she just said yes! There is still a lot more we need to teach and a lot more she needs to do and understand, but, she is on date! She also has a son that will probably be on date soon too. We also taught two other investigators that have been on and off because they are the ones who's father in law was kidnapped and they still haven't heard anything. It went well, especially because we had a member with us. It was long because they asked so many questions! They really expressed a desire to come to Church.

November 8 - So today was huge! We got on Facebook for our one hour of proselyting online and saw a message from our mission president saying that our mission gets iPads!!!!!!!! we should be getting ours on November 21! The work truly is hastening! I am so excited. I also gained a strong testimony of having prayers answered today, even if they are simple, sometimes silly, little things.  If we truly pray with a sincere heart, Heavenly Father hears, AND, answers our prayers!

November 9 - Today was kind of a rough day because all of our appointments and plans fell through. Especially because our 2 hour long Missionary correlation meeting with the Bishop and Ward mission leader to plan how we can work well with the ward was canceled. We did a lot of stop-by's but no one was home or wanted to answer. But that is OK, we will have days like that sometimes.

The chapel that our Chicago Midway
Ward meets in for church

November 10 - Today we had Church. It was good and I understood a good bit of it. Sadly, our investigator that is on date didn't come to Church which means we have to push her baptism back from November 30 :( Also, our MCM that was rescheduled to today after Church was canceled again. It is hard when you try to work with the ward like we have been asked to do and it just doesn't work out, but we will get there! Tonight we went to visit the investigator who didn't come to Church and there was a guy there. Before this, we thought that a husband or boyfriend wasn't in the picture just because it didn't seem like it. But, he is her husband and they let us in which surprised us because she had kind of been avoiding us and we thought we were going to get dropped. We ended up teaching the Plan of Salvation part one to their family. The husband was so serious and accepting. He answered questions and gave commentary! At the end of the lesson he said he would prepare to be baptized, a soft baptism invite, and the whole family said they would read and pray! He then, with the help of my companion, gave the closing prayer.  We think he was even crying a little, the Spirit was so strong! After that he stood up and asked when we could come back!!!! Gold! I am so excited. They have a great desire and seem sincere!

My first Chicago Snow!!!

November 11 - Today we had our first Snow!!! It was cold but we put on layers and went tracting in the snow! What an experience! We also had a Noche de Hogar tonight. We found out 30 seconds before it started that because some people brought non-members, they wanted the missionaries to teach! Hermana Toney did everything! She was incredible. I shared the First Vision and then bore my testimony. It went well and the Spirit was there so that is all that matters. We then had a little party because it was one of the girl's birthday. They turned on Cha-Cha slide and it was so hard not to dance! It was fun though.

I cannot thank you all enough for your love and support of me and my family! Thank you for your prayers and letters and emails! I love you all so much and miss you tons!

Yo se que este Evangelio es el plan de nuestro Padre Celestial. El quiere que vivimos con felicidad y volvimos a El. El Libro de Mormon es la palabra de Dios y podemos aprender todas cosas necisitamos hacer cuando leemos lo. Nuestro Padre Celestial y Jesucristo nos aman mucho.

Have an incredible week!!!

Hermana Meanea