Happy 4th of July from Challis Oregon, July 3, 2017

Family and friends! 

This week we had another lesson with Jessica who is a sweet lady we found knocking on doors. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to her. And when we were talking about the process of repentance she said she felt very comfortable with all of it. She grew up catholic and does not like how things were done there. So she has a hard time committing to coming to church but I think this week we will give her a church tour either at the church or the app that explains it so she feels more familiar with church before she comes. 

So Friday, we had alot going on. President and Sister Russell ended up staying a few days longer due to President Orton's 99 year old father passing away. 

It was also new missionary training in the morning. Where I get to role play with the zone leaders and sister training leaders. Long story short. They showed up and I the new greenie had the lovely privilege to role play the plan of salvation to the President and sister Russell, the zone leaders, the sister training leaders, and another set of sister missionaries. I thought I was going to die or break down in tears but I made it. Just don't ask me to do it again. 

Sister Datwyler thinks I can do anything now she said she was praying for me the whole time. I think she was just glad it was me and not her.

It was very nice to see the President one last time before they left. They are such amazing people and I am so grateful I was able to meet them for a small amount of time. 

We also visited with Ed who is one of my favorites to teach. we talked a lot about baptism and answered his questions. He shared with us the day he got baptized and he truly believes he was baptized by someone who has the power of God and he believes the Holy Ghost is always with him. He said that he would be baptized again into our church only if the Holy Spirit told him to. But he will not pray for himself because he finds that selfish. He is one of the neatest guys I have ever met and I hope someday he will know for himself. He is very good at studying things out in his mind. In fact he was reading and listening to the Doctrine and Covenants when we walked in. 

We had two people we were teaching drop us this week. The work is not easy here in Oregon. Many people are open minded to listen but they are not open to act and try it out. It is very hard to find new people to teach. 

I want to wish you all a wonderful 4th of July! We know the Lord prepared America for us! Nephi saw the Day when Christopher Columbus would discover the America's. God inspired the founders of America to establish a new nation with religious freedom for all in preparation for the restoration. There needed to be an atmosphere of freedom of religion to allow a young man to ponder and one day Pray out loud to find an answer and  we know he did. We see that God is in every aspect of our life's. I know that Jospeh Smith was a prophet and restored the Priesthood of God back to earth to fulfill the purpose to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men! 

Just a quick last minute thought I want to share with all of you. 

When we do temple work for the dead and they accept it, they too are doing missionary work for their descendents. So we are not the only ones preparing them to receive the gospel. Keep doing temple work! 

I love you all and hope you 4th of July is great! 

Love always 

Sister Leavitt 

Ps if you send anything to me in the mail please address it with my full name. Thank you 

Our zone gets up early most pdays and plays soccer. We also went bowling today. 

Picture of last time with President and sister Russell 

Mom! 

Sounds like you are having so much fun at the family reunion. Can't wait to see pictures from it! The work is kind of slow here not very many people to teach we contact alot of less actives but it's good. I do love the people I teach and talk to. 

Thanks for sharing that story of the man and his eye sight. What a grateful heart he has. I can't imagine what that would be like. I am so thankful for the functioning and able body I have also I had a similar experience last night actually. 

I had just fallen asleep and I hear banging on our door. I woke sister Datwyler up because it freaked me out. It was sister Smith. So the family whos home we live at are out of town but her motherand father are upstairs. We have been watering the garden all week because sister Smith can't walk down  to it. So I was so surprised when she was banging on our door. They had locked themselves out of the house and it was midnight. So we walked up and let them in. Well brother Smith is paralyzed on his right side. He doesn't speek very well and he couldn't get up from the chair he was sitting in in the garage. You also can't lift up his left arm because it is in a sling and it will pop out of socket if you lifted it. So we spent about 30 min trying to get him up. But we did It. I am so glad we were there at the house so they didn't spend the night in the garage. 

Then we woke up super early this morning because the zone likes to play soccer at 6. 

I am loving Oregon even though the work is hard but we keep going and the people here are good. We don't have any plans for the 4th but out talking to people we have to be back at our apartments at 7 so not anything good exciting. I love you! 

Love 

Sister Leavitt