Happy Fall Y'all!

HELLO!

Sister Nelson's First Day in Christiansburg - It Rained

First three days with a new companion... SO GREAT! Miracles all around! I can't even believe all the amazing things happening in our area. God is preparing his children for a "White Christmas" :)

Sister Nelson is really great! I love her already! We get along really well, we do a lot of things similarly, which is always nice! She just came from Charleston, WV and has never been to Virginia before! So this will be her first taste of the forest that is Virginia! :)

This week, we have really been focusing on our investigator Elizabeth, who is preparing to be baptized in a few weeks! She is so awesome! She has been progressing really well. She is actually reading 5 chapters of the Book of Mormon between each visit that we have with her! Last week we had a really cool experience teaching her. We went in and said a prayer to start the lesson. It was the day after fastSunday, and after I finished saying the prayer, we look up and Elizabeth is crying! We ask her what is going on, and she says, "I don't know why I'm crying, I'm not sad." We didn't say anything, we just waited and listened. She said, "I'm just thinking about those testimonies. Every time I think about them, I start crying." Then she said, "They were all talking about Joseph Smith being a prophet and.....  I believe it." It was SO cool! She knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet and she knows that the Book of Mormon is true! I am so grateful for Fast and Testimony meeting and for everyone who shared their testimonies about the Prophet Joseph Smith that day.

Sister Miller's Last Night - Dinner with the Shepherds

We also saw a couple of other amazing miracles these last couple of days. On Saturday, we were super excited for a church tour that we had scheduled with one of our new investigators, Jeffery. He is doing really well and is also on date for baptism! I am super excited for him! He hasn't come to church yet, so we wanted to plan a church tour with him to help him feel more comfortable coming to church because he struggles with some anxiety. So everything was planned, we had a great member that was going to come with us to help friendship him and help us. Our lesson was set for 6:30 at the church and the member was going to come by our apartment to pick us up and take us to the church at around 6:00 so we could be a little early and get things ready for the lesson. We were just finishing dinner and we were waiting for this member to come. It's 6:05, and he didn't come. We waited a few more minutes, looking out the window expecting to see her car, but she still hadn't pulled up. It is not like our member to be late. By 6:15 we were really worried and so we decided to try calling her. We called her cell phone, and then we realized that her cell phone had just been turned off a few days before. Starting to slightly panic, we called her house phone, and no one answered. Sister Nelson and I look at each other, with worried looks. Then we get a call from an unknown number. It is our member calling us! She apologizes and tells us of a family emergency that had come up. So by this time is is 6:20 and the church 20 minutes away, so we call Jeffery to cancel the appointment before he gets too far. We call him and he is already on his way there! I felt a very distinct prompting to not cancel the appointment, but to try to find a woman that could come with us. I followed the prompting and told Jeffery that we would be running late because something came up, but that we would be there. After hanging up the phone, I was nervous. I didn't know how we were going to see him! I felt like Nephi when he went back into Jerusalem to get the Gold Plates, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (1 Nephi 4:6) I prayed in my heart as I looked through the contacts of the phone. I thought of a Sister who we had already taken out to a lesson with us that week, and felt impressed to ask her. I was hesitant at first, because I didn't want to burden her in any way. But I knew I needed to call her, so I did. I told her of our circumstance and she said, 

"Yeah I think I can come with you, what time?"

"Umm, actually right now."  

"Oh, okay. I can go."

WOW! IS THIS EVEN REAL LIFE. Sister Nelson and I jumped in our car to go get the member and then to head to the church. We were able to have an AMAZING lesson and church tour with Jeffery! It was a huge testimony builder to me! As you follow the spirit even when it seems impossible, miracles can be brought to pass because of your faith and your obedience to the promptings of the spirit! 

Someone had Some Beds in their Garage for their Dogs

We also had another cool experience, where it was in the 8 o'clock hour and our appointment had cancelled. We tried a former that we have tried a couple of times, and she wasn't home. But I realized that we hadn't ever stayed and knocked on her neighbors doors. So even though, it was dark and cold. We started knocking on a few doors. The first couple doors didn't answer. I suggested that we would try one more door then try a less active we wanted to see. We agreed, and knocked on the door. We met a woman who was nice, but not interested. We turned around and started heading to the car, then after a moment, I stopped. I felt like we really needed to knock on the next door. I tell Sister Nelson and she agreed. We knocked on the door and was 

immediately invited in to teach the Restoration! It was unbelievable! I am starting to realize the Lord's promises, more and more. "For with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37) If I have the faith, I can accomplish all things, with God's help. I am so grateful for how much God really knows us, and he knows our desires. He knows what we seek and how we feel. He is there to help us and to guide us. I truly love this work and being His servant. 

I love you all and I am so humbled by this incredible experience I have to serve. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. 

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

1389 Dow St. #B

Christiansburg, VA 24073