Ashley Ltr: 2013-09-23

September 23, 2013

Helloooooo family!!

Sounds like things are going great back home! Sorry for kinda the downer letter last week...Hopefully there won't be any more of those!! We had a pretty good week, kinda slow but good!

I heard from some members back in Chatsworth this week! It was so fun to hear from them, Mama and Papa Black :) Love them! They sent me some pictures of Keyaundra and her mission, she's doing great!

We had another baptism this week! Do you remember Dylan Roberts I told y'all about a few weeks ago, we had to pass him over to the Elders but he got baptized Saturday!!! They asked me to speak on the holy ghost, which I think went alright. He is so legit! The spirit was so strong there, and his mom and I think step dad were there to watch. Planting those seeds.

We're still doing a lot of less active finding which is always fun haha. We had a pretty cool experience with one sister Alicia Hendrickson, we were on our way home and I really felt like we needed to go see her, I'd never met her before but her name kept coming to mind so we head over, turns out she had broken her foot that morning and really needed a visit. We met her boyfriend and her brother who aren't members but have some serious potential. She texted us later that night and said thank you so much for coming I really needed that and Dee (the bf) is very impressed with you and hasn't stopped talking about y'all since you left! It was really cool! I'll keep y'all updated on that one!

We picked up a GOLDEN investigator this week! Her name is Debbie Short (I'm thinkin' Debbie is a pretty good name) she has been meeting with the missionaries for a while now and going to church for about 2 years. She said she'd be baptized by now it's just smoking that’s holding her back... Have a I mentioned how much I HATE smoking?! It just ruins people’s lives, it's so sad. Her husband is a LA member who is starting to come back, he told her he really wanted to get back into church and that he wanted her to come with him. She said she'd give it a shot but that was it, now she doesn’t miss a Sunday!! She loves it all, especially Relief Society! She kept talking about the temple and how badly she wants to go there! We just gotta help her get off those stupid things then she'll be baptized! They have 5 kids too! 2 don't live there but there's a 14 year old girl, Kalli, and a 10 year old boy, Eric, that I think have a lot of potential! How awesome would that be?!?! A whole family! Keep them in your prayers please.

Debbie Smith is doing great! Man I love that lady a lot. She's volunteering for stuff and just glows while she's at church.

We haven't been able to see Gloria for a couple of weeks now due to family problems, she was supposed to get baptized this Saturday but I don't think it's going to happen... She still wants to get baptized eventually but she said right now she doesn't see how she's going to get to church because of work.

Sarah has also been really slammed with work, so we haven't been able to see her (sometimes I forget other people have lives haha) but she called us the other day and said she was missing us and wants us to come next week. So that's a positive! :)

We're meeting with Patty tonight, pray hard that this lesson goes well! She is SO CLOSE!!

We haven't been able to see Sydney at all, I've tried calling, texting, we went by and she wasn't home. I refuse to give up her. Just please keep her in your prayers too.

We got some sad news from the senior couple, Elder and Sister Nielson, who are in our district and serving in Rogersville, they went home about two weeks ago for Elder Nielson to go get some tests done and we just found out last night that he has leukemia... They have been like the grandma and grandpa of the Rogersville branch and have taken such good care of us and them. I think Sister Nielson is going to come out and pick up there stuff next week, it breaks my heart to see them go. I hope they're able to get everything taken care of and get him feeling better. That's another name to add to y'alls prayers. They just live over in Huntsville so hopefully I can see them when I get home.

Amb!!!! You're going on a mission!!!!!!!! Holy smokes how are you feeling?!? A letter should be coming your way soon.

That's way cool, you got to meet Sister Dalton! What an incredible lady.

Well I think that about wraps about the week here... Thank you for all the love and prayers! I love love love y'all!! xoxoxo

Sister Bedke :)

p.s. I could use another new journal if you get a chance to send one my way I'd really appreciate it!

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Later the same day in a 2^nd email…

p.s.s. I didn't even wish y'all HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!! Geez fail on my part... I hope y'all had a great day!