Daneil

I can't wait to tell you this news!!!!  Daneil is getting baptized this Saturday!!!!  I'm so excited for her, (can you tell?).  I don't think I've even written about her that much, except to mention her, so this email is going to be about her, mostly. 

She's from Jamaica, like I said before, and her Dad passed away when she was fairly young.  She lives here with her "Auntie" and cousin, and the rest of her family lives back home.  She works as a nanny, and she is such an incredible girl.  She's a miracle.  So here's the story.

A couple of weeks ago, we were checking on some referrals that the elders had given us, and Daneil wasn't home, but we ended up leaving a sticky-note on her door with our number and names and a note.  The next week, we were visiting some less actives that lived in her apartment complex when our phone rang.  Usually we don't answer during appointments, but it was pretty casual, so we answered the phone.  It was Daneil.  And she wanted to come over, and she lived two floors right above where we were sitting at that moment.  Not a coincidence.  So we ran up there, and scheduled an appointment with her for later that week.  

When we went back for her appointment, she was outside waiting for us, and as soon as we went up to her, she just started bawling.  Apparently her cousin had not been very kind that day, and then Daneil's whole life story came out, and the three of us had this instant connection.  We spent a lot of time just getting to know her before we taught anything.  We actually asked her if she wanted to learn about God's plan for her first, or the Book of Mormon (since the Elders had given her one).  She said the Book of Mormon, so that's where we started.  She just laughed at us the whole time we were teaching, and didn't want to answer questions, or believe anything we said, so I wasn't sure how this was going to end up.  But when we called the next day to see if she'd read, she had.  And that was the beginning of her keeping commitments. 

She's incredible.  When we asked her to live the Word of Wisdom, she stopped drinking alcohol, coffee, and tea that day and replaced them with warm milk, which she said was a good substitute, even though I can't imagine drinking warm milk.  Bleh.  When we were teaching the Law of Chastity and about how important it is to be modest, she said she was going to stop wearing her mini skirts, and she asked us if she should take out her second piercing.  We didn't even mention earrings!!!  Plus she's stopped listening to some of her music that "makes her feel bad."  She's just so observant, and so prepared.  And she's excited to be baptized.  This is how it should be.

Some of my favorite texts from Daneil:

"Translate: wa gwaan? Wa unu a do? wen mi a si unu again? Good luck, lol!"

After asking here where she was in her BofM reading:

"Testimonies of that man i don't remember his name and i dont have it ith me now, but I keep thinking he is moses but its not. lol."  (Referring to Joseph Smith)

"I feel so good after reading at nights"

"R u guys ok? Just checkin, haven't read from u all day."  (Haha.  It's pretty bad when your investigators contact you.  But good that she expects daily contact, right?)

"I just read and i feel great."

She is great!  And I wish I had time to write down all of the funny things she's said, like not to mention the "B-word" in front of her Auntie, she hates white clothes (which may be a problem this weekend...), and she's not excited about wearing a jumpsuit "like the hillbillys."  Just some of the many sassy comments we get from her.  But oh, am I'm so, so excited for this weekend. 

By the way, Sister Matsumori (the mission president's wife) came teaching with us this week because we're SO busy.  Last week we really did not have time to meet with all of our investigators, and we're thinking about going on splits this week.  It's crazy, and I love it!

We asked Audrey to live this week like she was getting baptized on Saturday.  We're sure she hasn't received an answer yet because she hasn't taken that step of faith into the dark. She just needs to live what she knows she should, and after the trial of her faith, the miracle will come.  She said she'd do it, and I can't wait to get the call from her this week that she got her answer. 

Transfers are next week.  I'm pretty sure I'm staying, but I'll let you know.  Love you all!!!

-Sister Welch

P.S. Madison - thanks for the ice cream!!!  I loved it.  It made my day. 

       Tegan - you've been married for over a week!!! Aaah!