Hey!

  9/23/12

So I had a bit of a crazy beginning to the week! I travelled down to Buena Vista for exchanges with Young Single Adult Zone Leaders. In Buena Vista is Southern Virginia University, which is similar to BYU, where it has the church standards and most of the students are members, but it isn't sponsored by the church. Anyway it is like mini Utah down there. It was really strange. So we travel there on a Monday and get there in time for the student Family Home Evening, headed up by the one and only Rebecca Rayburn. It was so crazy. It threw me off, but it was really good to see her. I guess she should be getting her call this week and I heard thru her that Jordan Jones is off to Chile for her mission. After working there we came back to Charleston. It is a 3 hour drive so any exchange involves 12 hours of travel. I haven't enjoyed road trips that much, but now we just talk and talk and talk. We can't hardly stand to listen to talks on CD, because we learn so much by discussing. We have learned to try and make every moment productive and fun!

We had a good lesson with Sister Surface again this week. This Friday we are all fasting to know if she is ready to be baptized. She struggles a bit, with getting on the in with members socially, so that is kind of the next step. She read a few more chapters in the Book of Mormon and read half the Ensign about Temples. WE had awesome experience with her on Wednesday. Right before the lesson we felt prompted to teach tithing. It didn't really fit with her progression, but we taught it and it was going well. In the middle of the lesson, she somewhat stopped us with a smile and tears in her eyes that she understood more with the lessons, than she had her whole life growing up in her church. She said, "I Know who God is." It was one of moments where every little bit is worth it. Who would of thought a tithing lesson, would help her understand that? She again said the closing prayer and did a phenomenal job.

Friday night we had a dinner with a fairly recent convert. We always eat at her mom's house with her non member mom. When we came Friday, there was a new face there. Her name was Brietta. She was taught by missionaries a year ago and we started teaching again. She came to church today and we are teaching her in a members home next week. Things are looking good. Love yall so much

Elder Dumke