September 24th Letter

Dear Family,

First of all.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALLIN!! I hope it's the best day ever. Here are the highlights for the week :)

Tuesday night we had an appointment with Kevin. We read 3 Nephi 11. He's kind of had a rough few weeks. He knows the gospel has changed his life so far and that it continue to do so, but he's getting his priorities out of order which is hard because he really wants to be baptized, but because of things from his past he can't be until he gets permission and shows that he's putting forth the effort and really wants this in his life. Next we met with Alexis and Sabrina. Sabrina told us that she's been having a hard time at church because she just feels like she never knows what's going on or what people are talking about and then she's scared to ask question because she fears people will be like...'uhhh you don't know that?' So we tried to help her see that she shouldn't be scared to ask questions and that people would be really understanding because they know she hasn't grown up with this her whole life and how she needs to be patient with herself and the learning will come as she continues to pray, study the scriptures, and come to church. She felt a lot better after the lesson.

Cassie at the temple

Wednesday I went on exchanges with Sister Riggs in Santee! It was super fun to be reunited with her. I love her so much! We had mobat in the morning and mom's temple friend came and brought me pumpkin bundts!! AHHHHHHHH mom. Thank YOU so much!!! I decided to be nice and share with some of the sisters and all of them about passed out when they took a bite because it was so insanely delicious :) I really love those pumpkin bundts. Sister Miller and I took a really cool tour with these 3 french ladies. Even though they couldn't really understand what was going on, after the tour they had tears in their eyes because they could feel what was going on. That's what I LOVE. The Spirit speaks through how we feel, not necessarily what we hear. After mobat we had a lesson with a less active, Alex about being healed through the Savior. Next we had a dinner with a member, Luke, who is leaving on his mission soon. We talked about how he must be patient with himself on his mission and remember that the Lord will give him strength. Next we met a recent convert, Vanessa and talked about eternal marriage. She is so sweet! We went and contacted some less-actives, the Augustines. We found out the Dad joined the church when he was 18 and then left on a mission a year later and served for 2 years and got married in the temple and had 3 kids (who were the less actives we were trying to meet) and they were all baptized and then something happened... now he is re married and doesn't want anything to do with the church. His 21 year old son whom we met, didn't even know he served a mission and didn't really know anything about the church. It was really sad :( We tried to share something with them, but they didn't want anything to do with it.. so we invited him to some activities. We had a lesson with Stephanie, a less active, and taught her the plan of salvation. She is super cool! I saw Scott and Brent Sadleir so I got to talk with them for a minute and then Alexis pulled us to the side and asked us how we knew we wanted to serve a mission. She told us the thought keeps popping up her in mind and she just doesn't know if that is what she's supposed to do. Ahhh she would be an amazing missionary! Oh ps I feel bad for whoever has to replace Sister Patterson in Santee someday. So whenever I go on exchanges people always have a little panic attack that transfers happened and they didn't get to say goodbye to the other sister and usually it's just a little panic attack, but like every person in Santee that I saw were like flipping out that Sister Patterson was gone, haha it was funny slash crazy. Sister Riggs made me laugh a lot though. She opened up to me about some struggles she's been having and so we had an awesome chat and I challenged her to do something every day.

Sister Rasmussen and Sister Patterson. Cassie says she is like her best friend and she loves her. 

Thursday we had training in the morning and Bishop Seegmiller (Elder Seegmiller's cousin) is the transient Bishop here and he came to talk with us about homeless people because sadly it is a huge problem in San Diego. We had mobat in the morning and Sister Teanoa (She's from Kiribati) and I took a tour with this cute family. After the dad was super interested and had so many sincere questions and we gave him a Book of Mormon and then as they were walking out I could hear the wife kind of getting mad at him and asking him why he wanted the book and wanted to learn more. It made me really sad for them. She doesn't realize that her husband is realizing how much more happiness could be in their family!! After the mobat we tried stopping by a referrals and she wasn't home but we met her awesome uncle and talked with him for a little. We had a lesson with Edgar, Ortega, and Sam next. We taught them about courage and used the mormon message and story about Esther and invited them to use their courage to make a hard decision that would help them for the better. Edgar made us tater tots and chicken nuggets, haha. AND he told us he is getting his patriarchal blessing this next week! Ahhhhhhh I am so excited for him!!!!!! Next we had a lesson with Patrick and we taught him about the Plan of Salvation. Dan came and it was really great lesson. Each time we see Patrick I can just tell his eyes are being opened a little wider. Dan came with us which was awesome because he invited him to church and Patrick really liked that. We found out Patrick's only concern about going was that he didn't have any nice clothes and Dan told him that no one would judge him and not to worry about that. After Patrick's lesson, my companion was having a really hard time and so we had a really long talk and it was cool because the Spirit doesn't just speak through me as a missionary to my investigators, less-actives, or even members, but He speaks through me as a friend to the Sisters here and especially my companion. After our conversation I just sat there thinking to myself where did that come from? Because the Spirit was literally guiding me with everything I said. It was so cool. I love being an instrument in the Lord's hands! 

Friday we taught William the Plan of Salvation again. A member, Cameron came. William's heart really is softening. We had district meeting. I really like our district! We talked about utilizing members and played this fun game which was good to relieve some stress with all of them. My companion got a blessing after and it was a really cool experience for me, mainly for 2 reasons.. 1) The elder she chose to give her blessing is an 18 year old fresh out of the MTC and as soon as he started giving the blessing, this wave of reaffirmation came over me of how real the power of the priesthood is especially because of reason number that Heavenly Father really is speaking through whoever is giving the blessing and 2) what he said in the blessing was basically exactly what I had said to her the night before and it just made me realize more so that the Spirit really was speaking through me last night and how important it is for us to be worthy of the Spirit, but more importantly to be sensitive to it. Because there were a lot of things I wanted to say, or that I could have said, but I listened to her.. then I listened to the Spirit.. then I spoke only what I felt I should say. I just wish I could always be that way, ha but unfortunately sometimes I let other things get in the way and then I start to say or do what I want to do, instead of what He wants me to do or say. We had mobat next and I helped Sister Bement and Jarrett with a project.

Saturday we had coordination. DAn is awesome! We then weekly planned and had temple. It's closed right now for maintenance and cleaning, but the temple president really wanted the grounds to be open and for us to be there still and it's a good thing we followed his inspiration because there were SO many people tonight! Like more than when it's open, haha. We met this awesome couple who were less active a while ago and got married and had 2 kids and then they ended up getting a divorce and they were divorced for 2 years and then they both started getting active again and then they got back together and now their family is sealed in the temple! Ah! We also met this awesome couple from SWEDEN! And they weren't members, but they had such sincere questions and it was so cool! Don't worry Jorgen, I told them all about you :) They said they will keep their eye out. It was also freezing tonight at the temple. The security guard brought us free ice cream which was so nice and so delicious, but made me so much more cold, haha. 

Sunday Eric got the aaronic priesthood and he passed the sacrament! It was SO cool!!!! He is incredible. Church was great! A RM gave his talk about his mission and then the Rockwells spoke. Patrick came to church! And guess what? He was wearing a nice shirt and tie! Dan bought some for him! Isn't that the nicest thing ever?? OH my goodness. William also showed up to church! He was a little skeptical of it all, but I think he had a good experience and everyone was really nice to him. Patrick loved it! Mobat was great! I got to take Elder and Sister Holley's family on tour so that was fun (they are a senior couple in our mission who I get to work with quite closely) After mobat we had a lesson with Nathan. He told us he really wants to put his past life away and be worthy and go on a mission! So that was pretty cool. We read Alma 7 with him. 

Sister Rasmussen with the Rockwells

Monday we had a full day. We had a lesson with William and we watched the Joseph Smith Movie. He really liked it. It actually made him quite emotional and he just cares about his family so much. He is worried that none of them will accept this message and that he will always be the only Mormon. We told him he is going to be such a great example to his family! We ate lunch and then I had a meeting with Sister Frampton. Next was a lesson with Patrick. Adrienne came and we taught the gospel with the soap demonstration. Patrick really enjoyed that. He also told us that when he woke up this morning he just felt so much better and happier because of yesterday at church. So sweet! It's funny because it's really hard to get investigators to come to church for the firs time, but once they do, they usually love it! Next we met with Mary. It's been a while since we've seen her. Our member, Brooklyn, came and she was in charge of the lesson. It was great! We then went out with another member Sarah so visit some less actives and then we had a lesson with Neina. We taught her the gospel lesson with the soap also. She is hard to read sometimes, but I know this is what she wants. She set a date to be baptized! Edgar is so overjoyed that someone in his family is finally accepting this! We went to fhe for a minute and then we had a farewell for the Rockwells. I love the Rockwells so much!!! We are definitely going to miss them. 

Our cute recent convert Sabrina, wrote us the nicest note this week. I want to share some of it with you. 'I just want to give you guys a quick thank you for being you! Without missionaries like you girls I don't know where this world would be. You two brighten my day and make me feel loved and that is such an amazing blessing because you two were once strangers and now I'll have you in my heart forever. Sister Rasmussen, at first I couldn't say, read or properly pronounce your name so I would call you Sister R or think of you as Rapunzel because of your long hair, that's how I remembered your name but now I can never forget it! Thank you for always having a smile on your face and being so happy. It really cheers me up when I'm down. I know you nor Sister Lehmitz or any missionary are the type to judge but I still get embarrassed being completely open with people that aren't family, except with you. I think it's because you have such a happy-go-lucky spirit and I am hoping it rubs off on me someday. And I love that you and I both love Taylor Swift!' Then she wrote a super sweet paragraph for Sister Lehmitz. I just wanted to share that because I feel like there's a lot of people out there who just don't know how much they are loved and it's so amazing to be able to help them see their potential and their worth and help them know they are loved by us, but most importantly by Heavenly Father and the Savior. It's funny because I was reluctant to share this with you because I didn't want to seem boastful or anything, but then I read Alma 26 this morning and I was like no way! Haha I am not boasting in myself, but in God! Truly though. Anything I have done or become out here is because of Him and His son. I am so grateful for Their love. I hope all of you feel of Their love every single day!

And mine too. Because I love you :)

Love,

Sister Cassie Rasmussen