Aug 6th and 13th 2012

Aug 6, 2012

Hello Everyone,

I can't believe that the summer is almost over it feels like it just started. Time is flying!

This week has been a lot of fun and a lot of work. One of the Spanish sisters that we live with got transferred and the new one is a trainee. When trainees come in they are about tow days out so we got the other Spanish sister with us for those two days, which was way fun!

We had two huge brake throughs with two investigators that really thought me that loving people is truly the way to help people convert. The one has always been skeptical about what have been teaching him, so we have been focusing on just teaching him things that will help him with what he is going through and he now ask as questions and takes it as truth. The other one is a brother of two less active converts. Funny story… One time we walked up to their house and their door was open so I yelled, "Knock! Knock! " and I'm so glad I did! We heard a big thud and someone running so we thought someone didn't want to talk with us. We looked in the door and there was the dad sitting in a chair we asked him who ran, and he told us it was our investigator, we asked him why he ran and he told us "I’m not sure ...... oh yeah he was in his underwear!" I laughed so hared!  It wasn't that he didn't want to see us but that he didn't want us to see him.  The whole family is planning on coming to church on Sunday and he is starting recognizing the spirit now when we talk to him. Helping people come closer to there Father in Heaven is the greatest thing as a missionary. 

I have had such a great spiritual week! I can't put it into words.

I was reading an Ensign this week and stumbled on to a great talk

 " Making Choices for Eternity" by Ucktdor, that really strengthened me.  

“As Church members, most of us have the ultimate goal of achieving immortality and eternal life. The Savior has already made provision for part of this goal to be achieved: immortality has been brought to pass for all of God’s children here on earth. Now we are working on achieving the second part of that goal: eternal life, God’s greatest gift to us (see D&C 14:7).

We read in the Book of Mormon the necessary preconditions to reach this lofty goal: “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; … and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. … Then are ye sanctified in Christ” (Moro. 10:32–33).

Each precondition for this transition to perfection and sanctification is no small task. The things we are required to do are challenging. But they are worth the effort. The process is based on the law of the harvest: “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

That law, however, will be divinely influenced to our advantage by our loving and caring Heavenly Father. We are promised uplifting sunshine and nourishing rain in times of slower growth or serious setbacks, if only we stretch out our hand, mind, and heart to receive renewing energy and strength through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Repentance is the handle and forgiveness is the window that will open up the heavens so we may receive nourishing rain and uplifting sunshine.

Always remember to walk tall, for you are sons and daughters of God. Your lives will be fruitful and you can overcome any fear or doubt if you only have the right motives, which will give you the power to stay on the road to true achievement. You can do it!”

The Lord is truly on our side and always will be! YOU CAN DO IT!

Thank you so much for all your prays and the love that you all give me It really does build me up to know that I have a loving family that is always on my side!

Keep up the good missionary work and what you know you should be doing every day.

-Sister Cannaday

Aug 13, 2012

Hi everyone,

Things here in Livermore are picking up we got three new investigators these last two weeks and PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOME! Everyone was out of town there for a long time making it very hard to teach people that are out of the country!

There was a miracle that happened this last week! A woman that we had just started teaching has been praying that she would be able to go to church but hadn't been able to because of work. Well her boss just asked one day if she would like to have Sunday mornings off. The neat part is that it was just in time for a surprise visit by one of the seventy to our ward this Sunday. In class she bare testimony about how God lines everything up so He can put you on the right path. I was so neat and the spirit was so strong. Also at church a man we met at the library and invited to church came. He stayed for all three hours and loved it. I'm so excited because the lord really does help those that are looking for the truth.

I found a really amazing quote this week about the Book of Mormon.

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.”3

These promises—increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness—are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God"

 Who would not want a home like this? A home filled with love where only the best children would come out of it? Well the blessings are there waiting for each of you! All you have to do is put forth the work, which will yield so much more than you sew. Think of it this way all we put into the ground is a seed and water and the Lord will give us a tree. We put in so little and get so much. I love you all and hope everything is going well hold to the rod! It's the only way to real everlasting happiness.

-Sister Cannaday