New York NEW YORK!‏

The following conversation took place at Mission Leadership Council this week:

Me: "What's a good way to visit less-active members multiple times in the week without wearing out the members, when they live in the middle of nowhere?"

President Wirthlin: "I don't think there's a silver bullet solution to that."

Me: "PUSH SCOOTERS!"

President Wirthlin: "Not approved."

I've been trying to get those approved for months now. Still no luck.

It's been a really good week! Thursday and Friday we had meetings in Utica (one with all the sister training leaders, and one with us and the zone leaders), and on Wednesday - Thursday we went on another exchange. I am absolutely LOVING being a sister training leader! It has been AMAZING to be able to serve these sisters and help them in so many ways!

President Wirthlin also surprised our district this week! He showed up to one of our meetings and wanted to interview all of us, because he wasn't going to have time during our next zone training meeting to do so. When it was my time to be interviewed, I sat down and he said, "Your email made me smile this week."

"How so?"

"Do you remember what you wrote about the ward?"

This past week, I wrote about how much I love the ward and have learned to love serving in Saratoga.

"Oh! Yeah! I really have grown to absolutely love it here."

"You had me worried for a while. I was going to transfer you last transfer, but the spirit told me not to do so."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. I was unsure about leaving you here for another transfer, but I'm pleased with the turn around you've shown."

"Well....thanks! I'm glad I stayed!"

Later we were talking and he said in passing, "Never give up. Never---."

"Oh my gosh have you seen Galaxy Quest?"

"No."

"Oh. You half quoted it."

He laughed.

Sometimes I say ridiculous things.

So some missionaries have been lax with some of the music lately, and we were addressing this issue at mission leadership council. I brought up that some missionaries were listening to movie soundtracks, and wondered if that should be allowed. The Assistants said, "Ultimatly it should be bringing your thoughts to Christ."

"Oh straight up. I mean if I listened to that I'd be thinking of Jack Sparrow, not Christ! I'm just wondering if we should make it a set rule?" I said to them.

"You know there's this rendition of 'If you could Hie to Kolob' that reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean." said one of the assistants, and he proceeded to imitate it while playing the air cello. We all died laughing.

We were able to pick up a new investigator this week! A week ago, we ran into him at WalMart. He said he was from Arizona, and went to a temple open house there. He said, "I'd love to go to your church sometime, but I work on Sundays." we invited him to a ward social, and he showed up, AND brought a friend! He was visited on the exchange when I was in Glens Falls.

They taught him the restoration. He had been reading the Book of Mormon before the lesson. He listened and participated throughout the lesson, and at the end, they asked him to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. He agreed, and after he prayed, he looked up and said, "Okay so I'll just keep praying to know if it's true, right? I mean, I'm pretty sure he was. Nah, I know he was a prophet. But I'll pray about it anyway!"

......okay!

We're meeting with him this Tuesday and I hope it goes well! It was AMAZING to see how everything worked out to meet him. He mentioned how warm he felt in the church, and how friendly and welcoming everyone was at the church activity. I am SO excited to continue teaching him!

Things really have been going really well here in Saratoga. We are seeing so much progression with the people we're teaching, and the ward has been SO supportive of us, especially with the Elders gone!

Also, I learned that the first potato chip was invented in Saratoga. Who knew!

I love you all! This work is AMAZING and I'm SO glad to be doing it!

Hurrah For Israel,

Sista' Stimpson