Letter from Cassidy June 9, 2014

June 9, 2014

Hey guys! 

Well it has been a super interesting week... this area just keeps getting weirder and funnier. I love it. 

Funniest thing I think I saw this week... we were at a lady's house and she made a pizza.. and then she was cutting it with a random little pair of scissors. All I could do was ask myself if it was real life. 

And then... the lady's husband said he wanted to change his pants, so I said I would leave the room.. for obvious reasons.. then he said  "You don't need to leave the room, I have my pull up on." And he was dead serious. And I was like...........  I am DEFINITELY going to leave the room. There are just some things I never want to see, and that happens to be one of them. 

So that was interesting. 

So things are going good with our investigator Gerald! He has committed to get baptized in July.. so that is exciting. He still never wears a shirt... and the other there was like a bug stuck in his hair and it was so creepy.. hahah only in Ashtabula. But he really is the nicest guy and I always feel so good after we see him because I can tell that we really are helping him. 

We went and visited these less active members named the Moleks. They are hysterical. He wrote on the calender "LSD 6:00" for when we were coming.. and I was like LSD IS A DRUG. hahah we are LDS. Classic mixup I guess. 

Our investigator Mark is doing pretty good. He is the one that owns the ice cream/sub shop. And he is super cool and the ice cream is pretty delicious too. Especially when it is free. haha. But we had a really awesome discussion about prophets and why we have a modern prophet. He was trying to come up with all these reasons as to why God wouldn't call a prophet again... but he couldn't win with any of them. He was trying to say that God never changes... and yeah exactly that is why he called a prophet now just like he used to. Because he doesn't change. And then he was saying something about how people needed a prophet to know about Jesus Christ... and I was like... that is EXACTLY why we have a prophet now. Because we all need to know Jesus Christ a lot better. Safe to say he was stumped and he is going to keep meeting with us and learning. So things are looking good! 

Things are starting to get super busy at Kirtland. We have been having a lot of tours lately. It is going to be a crazy summer. It is tough work but I have a lot of neat experiences so it is good! We had some insane people get on chat this week. The first one said their name was "Cain" so that was obviously good. Then this girl named Rachel got on and was asking us the weirdest questions.. at one point she asked if we were Muslims. I was like, Rachel, you are on mormon.org not muslim.org....... haha people these days. 

I think I reached an all time low this week. Okay just kidding. But it was Friday night, and I was cleaning out the world most disgusting car. We asked this guy if we could do service for him.. and he said sure. Yeah had NO CLUE what we were getting ourselves into. I have never seen such a dirty car. It was in no way sanitary.  I don't even know what moldy things I was pulling out from under the seats. Pretty sure most of it could have been living. I had to take like 6 showers and I still didn't feel clean. I think it might have been the first time of my mission that I really wished I wasn't doing what I was doing.. hahah but hey I survived and I haven't gotten any weird illnesses yet so I guess I am a stronger person now.  And it made me really think about why I am doing what I am doing.. and I am out here because I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I want to help them help others. So, even if it means risking my life to clean the grossest things in the world, I am happy to do it. 

We didn't get to see Bridget or Clark this week. That is the really hard part about Kirtland. We have NO TIME in our area. But I did have some super cool miracles! So last Monday night we were out tracting.. and it was 8:55 and my companion was like "let's go back to the car" but as we were walking i got the strongest feeling to go knock on this door. So I went up to it, and knocked, and a guy comes out and says "Mormons! I love Mormons!" So turns out he had meet with missionaries a long time ago and loved it.. and he has read some of the Book of Mormon and is totally interested and prepared. So now we are teaching him! It was incredible. The spirit is totally real and I am so grateful I listened to that prompting. 

Then on Saturday we were visiting one lady when we saw some of our investigators sitting in their car.. and my companion thought they were arguing so she said let's not.. but once again the spirit was yelling at me to go talk to them... so I did and then we ended up having a super awesome lesson and Amanda needed it so much. So all I can say is Heavenly Father really is like pushing me along every single day. 

My favorite investigator named Gene is finally making progress. He is so funny and cool. Last time we saw him I basically told him that he has to read the Book of Mormon if he wants to find any answers to his questions... and for the first time ever he actually read! And he read a lot! And  he had the coolest insights ever. I learned a lot. So I am really excited. I just like teaching hi m because he is really normal and he loves like traveling and stuff like that so we have a lot in common. And now that he is reading the Book of Mormon I know things are going to get good. 

I finished the Book of Mormon for the 7th time of my mission this week. And it is more true every time I read it I think. I really have developed such a love for the Book of Mormon. Before my mission it was honestly hard to read and I didn't enjoy it all that much. But really reading it has been the best thing ever and has truly been what has made me love the Gospel. I just want everyone to read it because it really is the best book in the world. Sometimes I want to throw it at people and make them read it.. but for some reason that is not "socially acceptable". So I just hand em out like candy and hope people will read it. 

That reminds me. I tried to hand this girl a picture of Jesus Christ the other day.. and she said "I don't support that" and I was like... You don't support Jesus Christ? And she said "No I am not a Jehovah's witness follower" and I was like that is awesome neither am I. And then she made fun of me and I just smiled and walked away. I feel like everyone here thinks I am Jehovah's witness or a Nun.... 

Let's see... other than that not too much else happened. It was kinda a slower week. But it was a good week. Lots of great stuff is happening here. I notice lots of little miracles every day and I am super grateful that I get to see God's hand in my life so much. 

Well, I have to get going. I hope that you all have a great week! I love you! 

Love, Cassidy

Pictures from Cassidy 6-2-2014

Top Picture: Me and my old companion, Sister Derrick. We are at the Morley Farm. 

Bottom: This is the grove where we had our meeting.

June 2, 2014 Letter from Cassidy

June 2, 2014

Hey! 

It feels like I was just emailing! But here we are again. It was a good week! We found some really cool new people and were super busy so it was great! 

So I can't remember if I mentioned her before..but we found this lady named Bridget a few weeks ago. Well we went back to visit her... and she wasn't home. And as we were walking back to the car we saw some people a little ways away.. and 90 percent of me was like "eh just get in the car" but for some reason we were like.. we will just go over to them and give them a card. So we go over.. and it was Bridget! And she was like unnaturally excited to see us. Which was fun. Her sister Nina was with her, and we had a super awesome discussion! We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and how we can be with our families forever and they were all over it. They both are a tiny bit crazy (but that is to be expected out here) and kept telling us all these stories about how they have died and came back to life and they know there is a God and heaven. But they are really willing to learn so we aren't complaining. And they LOVE us. Seriously Bridget (oh by the way she said "You can just call me Big Mama... that is what everyone around here calls me."... I said it once to her and it was too weird hahah so I am gonna stick with Bridget.) Anyways after I said the closing prayer she hugged me and kissed my cheek and was like "I love you so much babes!" hahah she is crazy but it is super fun. I am expecting some quality stuff from her. 

Also we were able to see Clark again and it was SO COOL! We taught him about how Christ's church has been restored and about the Book of Mormon.. and he said "I have been searching for the truth for such a long time... and I think that this might be it." I basically started jumping up and down telling him it is the truth.. but we are gonna let him find out from reading it. It is so cool how true the Book of Mormon is and how when people actually read it and are willing to pray about it.. they can't deny that it is true. Because it is and I love that book more than I ever thought possible. 

Yesterday we got another new investigator named Gerald. He is the sweetest older guy ever. Even though he wasn't wearing a shirt and he was so hairy that he could have been a wolf.. he is super cool. So he is christian but hasn't gone to church in about a million years.. and he said that he has been feeling really lost and in need of guidance lately.. and then BAM we appear. No coincidence there. We taught him about praying.. and then I taught him how to pray. And then he said a prayer and told God he was really thankful for Him sending us to him. It was so nice. I think one of my favorite things about being a missionary is teaching people how to pray and then hearing them do it. It is so sincere and just always brings the coolest spirit. 

We are going to dinner with Karen (the miracle) tonight! I am so excited. She really is the miracle of my mission. Everyone pray that things go well! 

We had a meeting at the Morely Farm on Friday and it was so neat! So you probably don't know much about it, because I didn't.. haha anyways so it is in Kirtland, Joesph Smith lived there for a while.. and there was a really important conference that was held there where some incredible things happened. It is called the Sacred Grove of Kirtland because it is so beautiful, and because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared there as well.  So you can only imagine how incredible the spirit is there! I wish I could actually explain it, but I can't. But it was a beautiful, peaceful morning, and I swear I wasn't in Ohio. 

Karl Anderson taught us, which is always good because he knows everything about Kirtland. He is a legend. Anyways one thing we learned really stuck out to me. So Joesph Smith was living at the Morely Farm.. and then he learned the farm was being sold and so they had nowhere to live. At this point he was 25, had just adopted 2 children.. and was also the Prophet of the church.. so naturally that was a huge trial to not know where to live. But Karl talked a lot about how that trial was preparing him for all of the things he would have to experience later. I mean being homeless is nothing compared to being in Liberty Jail. But he shared D& C 64:33  33 "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." which was received here.. and he said "You can't ever be big if you aren't small. We all have problems, but as we conquer them, they truly do make us stronger. The trials we are going through right now, are preparing us for the trials we will face in the future." 

It was so good! And true. And I think that is an awesome way to look at everything we go through! It is all an opportunity to learn and to prepare for the future. And if we have faith in the Lord and a positive attitude than everything we go through will be for our benefit! 

Some other fun things that happened this week.. I got to go back to the bug house.. that was fun! We got to help plant flowers at Kirtland so now it is super pretty! It is finally starting to feel like summer and I love it so much that I might actually die. After that winter that seemed to never end, having warm sunny weather is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And people are about a billion times nicer now that it is warmer. I guess they have a reason to be happy now.  So everything is really just looking up! Oh and I forgot, two of our investigators, Christian and Elissia, said they are going to work to get baptized! We are so excited! It is awesome to see people making progress. 

Haha so the other night we went this like barbeque dinner (except everyone here calls them a "cook out" it is really weird) anyways this lady gave me the worlds largest piece of cake.. it was seriously bigger than my head. So I took it to go because I would literally die if I ate it.. so we were driving down the road and I yelled at my companion to pull the car over.. so she did.. and I yelled at this couple that was walking down the street.. and they came to the car and I said "Do you want a piece of cake?" and if you could have seen the look on the ladies face.. she was like "What?" and I explained I didn't want it and she like gets all suspicious and said "Where did you get this cake" and I was like I am not trying to poison you just TAKE THE CAKE.... haha and so she took it and started pigging out. And it made he whole day. And my companion thought I was the biggest freak in the world. haha probably true. 

And... I think that is about all that happened last week! It was quick. Next week is transfers ALREADY.. I swear I just got to this area. I am about 90 percent sure I will be staying.. but I might get a new companion. Change is always fun! Anyways I have to get going. I hope you have a good week! I love you! 

Love Cassidy