Answers to Prayers

We had a pretty good week. I don't know if you remember me talking about our investigator, but Sister Wilson and I worked with him for a while before she left, and he went on vacation. Well, he is back and doing great! I finally found a video I wanted to show him about Wilford Woodruf being baptized and then re-baptized when he found the church with prophets, apostles, correct doctrines, ordinances, and authority. He had concerns about being baptized over again having already being baptized and feeling good about his first baptism. He really related to the video and also loved the account in the Bible of Paul re-baptizing those who didn't receive the Holy Ghost. He decided he is finally ready to set a date to work toward to show the lord his faith. He was going to put it off until after exams in October, but when he went to say that to us, instead of "November" coming out of his mouth, he said "September." We all agreed that it was inspired, because Sister Taufu'i and I had been praying about it and felt he would be ready in September. Now he just needs to decide on a day! Oh, and he also told us about a dream he had....about Sister Wilson! haha, She was following him around EVERYWHERE with a book telling him to read it and stop putting it off. It is so funny how the Lord works, because she was always so persistent with him, and he came to expect it of her, so the Lord knew he would understand the message if she was the one "nagging him".

Something else that happened this week was that we got back in touch with a recent convert of Sister Wilson's and his older brother who almost got baptized a couple of months ago. We went to visit them for less active visits, but they weren't home. I called their mom though, and she surprisingly answered (she hasn't in a long time). I talked to her once more on the phone, but she couldn't give me a time to come by, so we just dropped in on them. The older brother was outside, so we got to talk to him for a few minutes and he got the younger brother outside for us too. He turns 12 on Tuesday and hopefully we can see them, I'm making him brownies! Haha, Sister Wilson's signature dessert. Nothing much has come of the contact yet, but we still hope that it will. 

We had Stake Conference this weekend and all the missionaries were invited to Saturday session which normally doesn't happen, but the theme was hastening the work, so they gave us a special invite. It was nice to see all the missionaries as well as some members from San Fernando and to hear from President and Sister Mehr and the Stake Presidency. Some of the members from Sando also bore their testimonies on the temple trip they had last month. It was really special to hear about their experiences.

Sister Duff is leaving this Friday to go spend a few days with Sister Wilson before going to the MTC on September 2nd. The work will be different here without her, but she has her own mission to perform; she will do great things in the Ogden mission! 

Thanks for all your love and support!

Love you!

Sister Bratt

Repeat Companion :)

Sister Taufu'i and I are doing really well. It was nice to jump right in to teaching together since we already had done it before. It is definitely more effective when you don't have to adjust to teaching with a new companion. 

Our investigator unfortunately disappeared again, but we still hope to find her. We have found some other good potential investigators including a family, a mom, 2 daughters, and a son. The father hasn't joined our lessons as of  yet, but we will see if that will change. Yes, school starts again soon in the first week of September. We have been trying to work with the young women more over the summer. We were counseled by President Mehr to split up during church and help in different classes, so we have been switching off going to YW and Relief Society. We also wanted to take some of the young women out on splits on Sunday, but it didn't work out this time. We will keep trying, though. 

One of the recent converts in our area came to church for the first time in a while with his sonl We visited him last Saturday and he told us he was getting some time with his son and he would bring him to church. Then we visited him Saturday for less-active visits with the branch, and sure enough, he called 26 times on Sunday morning around 8 to let us know he was there at church and that we were late. We missed the calls while we were getting ready. It was great to see him there in his white shirt with a smile on his face and his little boy on his lap when we walked into the chapel. 

It hasn't been flooding in our area recently, but it is rainy season. The other day we heard that Port of Spain, the capital city, had some flooding problems and in some places there was dirty water up to peoples knees along the road. 

I miss the Temple a lot. I'm sad that I didn't get to go more before my mission, so I'll have to make up for it when I get home. 

Hope you all have a great week, I love you lots!

Love,
Sister Bratt


                                                                                P - Day at the Zoo

Hastening of the Work

This month the mission had 68 baptisms; 30 of which where on the same day! The Lord is truly hastening his work, and we are right on track to reach our mission goal of 600 baptisms this year.

There were many changes that happened this week! I guess I'm good at "killing" people...I said goodbye to Sister Wilson and hello to Sister Giles, then 3 days later said goodbye to Sister Giles and hello again to Sister Taufu'i. This is her last transfer, so I will be sending her off as well. Though my time with Sister Giles was short, it was nice serving with her, but I'm sure the Lord has great things in store for Sister Taufu'i and I this transfer. We set a goal of getting 2 baptisms this transfer, and fasted this Sunday for help and guidance to reach that goal. We are already seeing the blessings of that fast, and the Lord's help in our work.

Things in our area have been slower lately, but we have been working hard, having faith, and seeing success. One of those successes this week was the investigator who came to D's baptism. We met her a few weeks back when she was walking past the church and called out to a member who was outside to ask him about the church. She had recently started staying in a house around the corner and wanted to start going to church again as she hadn't been going for some time. Amazingly, we were just finishing our branch coordination meeting at the time, so the member came to get us to talk to her. We taught her two short lessons in the next week or so, and after the second lesson invited her to come to church that Sunday and to D's baptism later that day. And you know, she came to both! She also felt the spirit really strong.

Unfortunately, we lost touch with her this week when she moved again, and her phone wasn't working. I prayed all week that she would come to church again so that we could get another address or number for her. Well, my prayer was answered! On Sunday morning at church, in she walked. Not only was she there, but she bore a powerful testimony in Sacrament Meeting about the changes she has seen in her life in she short time she has been attending this church, and she said the opening prayer in Gospel Principles class. We also went to teach her that evening, and though she ended up not being home, the Lord placed many people in our path in her neighborhood that we met instead. We have great hopes that she will be baptized this transfer, and are so grateful for all that He has done to bless us so far. I know that our Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers, I know that fasting is powerful, and I know that the Lord is laboring alongside us each and every day. 

I love you all so much!

Sister Bratt