January 29th Letter

Dear Family,

I love you! How was the cabin?? Please don't tell me that was the last year we are doing it! Oh and I have bronchitis, so that's fun? Here are the highlights . . . 

Tuesday we went bowling and it was way fun! I also discovered a Firehouse Subs and a Yogurtland! My two favorites :) We had a lesson with Tanya about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Keri came and it was cool to have her there and testify especially since she just recently got baptized, she could relate so well. Tanya is really, really shy and so she won't come to the singles ward . . . we are still working on it, but President said we could just have her baptized into the family ward in her area and still teach her. She is so humble and always keeps her commitments which helps us know that she is serious about this! After we had a lesson with Jackson a less-active. He lives at a really sweet place! He had his friend there who knows nothing about Mormons so that was cool, except that he wanted us to focus on her and not him. He doesn't really have any desire to become active again, but we are hoping that through teaching his friend about the restoration, he could be reminded of his testimony.

Wednesday we went to see a potential who lives by these way cute beach houses! We had a lesson with Deggy. She didn't seem as willing to learn as before, but she said she wanted us to come back, so hopefully her heart can be a little more softened. After we went to lunch with Rodney, Keri, and Kaite at corner bakery. It was delicious! And we had a great talk with them about service. We covered at the mobat from 3-6 for some sisters. Next we had dinner with Hugh. He made us really good food! We were all surprised, haha but we were really grateful for a delicious meal. We had a lesson with David after and a couple members came which always helps. We taught him about following the prophet and the ten commandments and keeping the Sabbath day holy. We asked if he knew we had a prophet today and he said yes and then we asked how he knew and he said he just knows and has this feeling! Ah. He is still unreal. I feel so honored and grateful to have the opportunity to teach him. He's so humble and prepared! I think I say that every time.

Thursday we had MoBat in the morning. I met Bryan Grover's aunt! She is Esther's (his mom's) sister and she looks just like her! Sis Pagel and I got a blessing today from some of the elders to help us get better. We have the same sickness. We had coordination and then had a lesson with a referral named Laurel and added her. She is way cool and straight up about everything. She wants a relationship with God, but because of bad past experiences, she doens't want to talk about Jesus Christ because it reminds her of those bad experiences which is really sad, so we are going to start small. My voice sounds like a boy. . . hahaha.

Friday we had a special training with a guy named Sherman Fleek who is a member and used to be in the military and now dedicates his life to the story of the Mormon Battalion basically. He has written a lot of books about it. He came and taught us some of the history and then we got to talk to him after for a bit. We had district meeting which I always love and then we had MoBat. It was pouring rain all day today! David came to the MoBat with some of the members and we took him on tour and then had a lesson after. I love our ward!

Saturday was Mormon Battalion commemoration day! There was a parade at the park that we got to be in and then there were lots of booths with activities and such at the square all day. The MoBat was wayyyy busy! So busy that we handed out tickets of when people could take tours. It was a busy and crazy day, but fun! We had a lesson with David after and answered some of his BofM reading questions. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and then we had a lesson with our Ghana friends after! Hanifa, Pizaro, and Andrew were the only ones there at first. We brought a member with us. We taught them about the restoration. Hanifa was really into it and said he understood that the only way he'll know if what we are teaching is true is if he reads and prays! Andrew was a little harder though because he said all he needs is the Bible . . . so we are trying to figure out what to do with that. Oh and I saw a bunch of Sadler cousins today at the commemoration.

Sunday MoBat was pretty slow. Church was great! Elder & Sister Cash who are over the La Jolla Institute, talked about the Plan of Salvation and it was so good! David came to church :) in Sunday School we were introducing him to everyone and then we were like he's getting baptized on Feb 9th! And he was like no you said Feb 2! And we were like uhh, no pretty sure we said the 9th . . . and so we were like we'll talk after and then after Sunday School we were like we are pretty sure we said the 9th, but you can surely get baptized on the 2nd if that's what you want! And he was like well, I want to get the baptized this weekend!!!! So surprise for us! Haha we have a baptism this weekend! Seriously, he is unreal. After church we talked to the bishop and got everything organized and the word out for his baptism. We had a meeting with all the ward missionaries which was good! We brainstormed ideas of how to get the whole ward more involved in missionary work. We went to dinner at a members and she made us salmon! It was so good! We tried visiting a referral, but he moved and we got to talk to this cool kid named Phil. After we had a lesson at the mobat with a member named Daniel. He is unusually shy! He's also so tender.. ahh we came to find out that he just got baptized a little over a year ago and he just went through the temple! After the lesson we asked who his friends are in the ward and he said 'no one, it's kinda sad.' Poor guy! We gotta find him some friends! He's just so shy. I thought I was shy!

Monday we studied and then had to get an oil change. We got some things organized for our area and then we went to the doctor . . .  Sis Pagel and I have the same symptoms and everything, but I didn't want to go to the doctor (haha I think I'm like you mom!) and she did so we went for her! They confirmed it as bronchitis and she got some medicine. We had a lesson with Tanya. She is still excited to get baptized! She finally told her mom and her mom is so excited for her! After we talked with Brother Mackay for a bit (he's the institute director/teacher). He's so awesome! Then we went on splits! Sis Pagel went with a member, Carli, to visit some less-actives and then Sis Riggs and I went and visited a less-active. After we had a lesson with David and taught him the law of chastity . . . his facial expressions during that lesson were pretty funny, haha. He said he's going to make a promise to his future wife though! We went and had another lesson with Laurel, it was good! She is just struggling with the fact of why do bad things have to happen to good people? We hope she will open up more soon and let us know what exactly is scaring her.

Missionary work is still wonderful! It's hard, it's fun, it's tiring, it's worth it!! Also Happy Anniversary this week, Mom and Dad! I love you two so much and I am so grateful to have parents like you two :) This gospel is REAL.

I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Cassie Chea Rasmussen