"Hark, All Ye Nations!" - Alma 18:39 - January 9, 2023

 Hello hello, everyone!!


It has been a great week here in Fairmont!!

MARY IS ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!! Sister Nelson and I are so excited for her!! We had to stay inside Tuesday and Wednesday because I'd been sick and we had to quarantine, even though it wasn't covid but it's ok! We were supposed to meet with Mary on Tuesday. We decided to try and meet over the phone! It was wonderful! We read 2 Nephi 31 with her and then asked if she would be baptized. She said yes! February 4 is the day! Mary is absolutely amazing! The Lord truly led us to her. She loves the gospel message and is excited to be baptized! 

Thursday we were finally able to get back out!! It was glorious!! We tried stopping by a couple people but no one was home or interested in talking to us. So, we went knocking. Wow. I think it may have been the hardest day of knocking my whole mission. One lady just opened her door, looked at us for 2 seconds and then shut it fast. I hadn't even finished saying one sentence! It's ok. Then this other nice man told us we could only knock on his door of we had a permit from the city of Fairmont. I told him we had a permit for the whole world but he just restated what he had said and then pointed his finger and said, "Go." I've never wanted to cry after knocking someone's door but I did after that one, haha! It just seemed like a lot. However, I know that this is the Lord's work. It's supposed to be hard!! If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!! I also remembered a district council lesson from the Zone Leaders at the beginning of my mission. "Whenever it seems to be the hardest, the biggest miracles are coming." We have to keep moving forward! And we most certainly did! A couple doors later we met a nice man who was sooo happy and recognized us as missionaries! He has a couple friends who are members and he helped lift my spirits. Later, we met a nice lady and her husband who immediately let us in and then talked to us for an hour! They, too, knew who we were because they had had the elders over all the time when their kids were younger. Amazing! The Lord is always watching over us!

We met with Mary again on Saturday. We taught her the Plan of Salvtion. Oh, it was beautiful! She loved it, especially hearing about forever Families. We asked if she had prayed about our previous message and and she said she just knew it was true, without praying! Mary is incredible! We invited her to pray about this lesson and she said she would. She also told us that it's hard for her to read the small print of the Book of Mormon. But! She figured out that when the sun shines she is able to read! Imagine that! Sunlight truly does wonders. Later in the day we met a nice grandpa named Richard. He has gone to lots of different churches but none have felt right. We emphasized that truth comes from God and, after sharing the message of the Restoration, asked if he would ask God if it was true. He said he would!! We are excited for Richard!

Song of the Week: "Hark, All Ye Nations!" Hymn 264. A missionary song! I love the second verse!
"Searching in darkness, nations have wept;
Watching for dawn, their vigil they’ve kept.
All now rejoice; the long night is o’er.
Truth is on earth once more!"
The truth has been restored! We no longer are in darkness! This is the message we bring each day to people. We bring that light to them! The scripture this week is Alma 18:39. I love the beginning that says, "But this is not all." Ammon was an amazing missionary. He taught King Lamoni so simply. He and his brothers brought the light to a nation in darkness. I love verse 39 because it states how the Plan was laid from the beginning. Just as the Plan of Salvation was laid from the beginning, so was the Restoration. Heavenly Father knew an apostasy would happen after Jesus Christ. The Restoration was already the Plan! The light was already going to come back! If we don't understand the darkness we can't comprehend the light. There must be opposition. But the Lord will always reach out again! I'm so grateful to be out here serving! I know this is the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I hope you all have a light filled week! Talk to y'all next Monday!


Love,
 Sister Sariah Francis






Pictures!!!
Covid tests

Wild and Wonderful West Virginia

Late New Years Eve party



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