Happy Valentines Day

Date: Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Subject: Happy Valentine's Day!



Hey family,

Those pictures are so cute of Lil' one :) I can't wait to meet him. And Other lil' one who should be coming out the womb as we speak! :) Congrats Colton and Megan! So it's Maddox and Madden? that's not confusing..at.all. Hopefully they don't look too similar :) Anyway, I love it. Our family is growing so quickly and time is going by so fast!

So this next month is MINNESOTA MARCH MADNESS! We are really striving to focus our work on our purpose of bringing souls unto Christ through building their faith, helping them repent, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. The process is so simple yet so hard sometimes. We had some great experiences this week. President challenged us to invite someone to be baptized each day which means teaching a restoration lesson each day to someone. We had an experience where we met a man and talked with him, he wanted to make some changes, we explained the Book of Mormon and read with him Alma 7:14-15 and invited him to be baptized. We had a lesson with him a few days ago and he is now getting baptized in April. He came to church, enjoyed it and is excited to learn more. We are really excited to teach him. The Lord is seriously so good and provides so many miracles every day. We had other great things happen this week as well. I have truly come to recognize how important this work is. My goal is to be like the sons of Mosiah and tremble at the thought of my brothers and sisters not accepting this message and being baptized as the Savior directs. There are so many people ready to make that change. It saddens me when people are too prideful to obey the spiritual promptings they feel.

We are working on asking inspired questions this week and really focusing on teaching to people's needs--really getting out that concern. Because everyone we are teaching has a reason for meeting with us, they are searching for something. We had a lesson with two of our investigators last week who we have been teaching for a few months. We've taught them pretty much everything, but they are still studying and trying to receive an answer. We finally asked them, why have you been meeting with us. one of the replied, we didn't know we were searching for something. "it started as an act of kindness to let you in from the cold and now we are here." They have begun a journey. We are giving them some time to study it out and really pray on their own for a while, they weren't really committing to anything. But, we have good feelings they will progress because they are reading and praying and trying to find out the answer. one of them takes notes on the gospel principles book and the Book of Mormon as she reads and prays. Very analytical. I still feel like there is more we can do though! We're hoping to get them to the wedding and baptism of a couple in our ward this weekend. The elders have been teaching them and they are amazing! It should be really great. But, the whole asking inspired questions is amazing! These people matter and they are searching for something they sometimes didn't know was there. We all want greater peace and joy in our life and what we have is what they need. The Atonement is real. The Plan of Salvation is true. It's our choice to accept it.

This last week was really great. We had many miracles happen and we are looking forward to many souls coming unto Christ in March. The ward is great and the mission is growing so much. We had a recently returned missionary speak on Sunday and he mentioned a lot about sacrifice. I have been trying to figure out what it is I can sacrifice to help the work progress more and have decided to give up my pride. It's bad.

We had great conferences this week and I learned so much from them. I love zone conferences. The spirit is so strong! President and Sister Clements are the best people I know (besides you mom and dad). They are such great examples to me and I am so lucky and blessed to have come to this mission with them. I love them. In zone conferences, Sister Clements gave a training on love languages and how we all receive and give love in different ways and how we need to recognize how our investigators, companions, and members feel and receive that love as well so we an let them know how much we care. I am not one to give my love to people easily--it's something I pray for constantly on my mission (charity), but it truly is how the Savior served and sacrificed. He loved and knew perfectly how to reach people. I am so grateful for his example. I love this work, I love this gospel and I am so grateful for the gift of repentance and forgiveness. and the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. He loves us just as Christ and our Heavenly Father love us. We are all so imperfect, but all He asks is for us to do our best. Thanks for your great examples and love. I hope you know how much I love you and how much I miss you and how much I love you. You are each staples in my life. I could never do this without your support. I want everyone to have a happy family like I do! :) so cheesy, but so true. The Gospel Truly Blesses our Families. It's so simple.

Well gotta run! Love you all!

Sister Owens