Composing My Life : "Fish are Friends. Not Food."

Sister Davis and I are both not fish eaters. None of my companions really have, which is nice. So most of the time when members ask "Oh are you allergic to anything? Is there anything you like and don't like, want or don't want?" Usually we reply back that we don't have any allergies but that we are not fish people. Well during the week, we were invited to dinner at a member's house and they were inviting a coworker over to meet with us. They asked about allergies and the thought crossed my mind to say my usually fish line but for some reason I didn't. A little further into the conversation, he tells me that his friend is a "something or other" (I can't remember the name because it was obscure and I had never heard it before and neither had he). He researched what his coworker was and it means that she only eats fish and so he would be cooking salmon.

Sister Davis and I looked at each other and made a face.

Yay. We would have a couple of days to prepare for this.

We tried to be optimistic saying "well at least there will be asparagus and mashed potatoes," because he had told us that he would also have those for dinner.

Come to find out, this couple are major health people. Which is all good and fine. Rare.

Well they ended up not having salmon because Costco didn't have it or it wasn't on sale anymore so they got a white fish- they didn't even know what kind of white fish! What an adventure! Then a few days later I see this sign and I said,

"P Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney."

A "Finding Nemo" Week!!

We taught Femi again this week. We taught him the Word of Wisdom over Skype at the church building, for better wifi. Femi this a well rounded thinker. As he asked the reasons and benefits for abstaining from coffee, alcohol, and tea, I thought that he was asking these things because he would need help to overcome them. Nope, he does not have issues or addictions. He just wanted to make sure that he knew how to answer people when he said no. I was talking to Brother Jenson later on in the week and he told me that Femi said to him that he had thought about starting to drink coffee because everyone in his office drinks coffee. I am so glad that he has been prepared by the Lord! He wants us to get him a list of teas he can drink though. Do you know the particulars or the ingredients he needs to make sure is not in his tea? I also think that every time he asks a question, he has a different person in mind, other than himself; whether it be his wife or another family member or friend. He is so intelligent and I am so grateful to have the Jenson family friendshipping him and answering questions. They are perfect for him! We taught him "Follow the Prophet" yesterday at the Jenson's. We watched "We Need Living Prophets" from lds.organd a Nigerian man bore his testimony in it and I thought of Femi right away and knew we had to show him! We also watched the Mormon Message "What Matters Most" from President Monson. Femi was concerned about being able to tell the difference between a true prophet of God and a false prophet. My understanding is that in Nigeria, they have a lot of prophets and people usually don't question what the prophet says. Another reason for all of his questions may be a cultural thing.

Also on Saturday, we IMed Femi through Skype letting him know the significance of April the 6th in church history. We gave him a couple of links as well as a quote from a church manual. All he said was "okay. That day is important."

I was thinking, "Femi, do you understand how great that day is?!" Nonetheless, we asked him at our lesson on Sunday how we felt about being baptized on April 6th and he said he is preparing himself for that day! Yay!! There will be one more reason for me to love that date!!

Femi is the only person we have taught this week. Our other investigators are either officially dropped or have told us they will be busy for the next couple of weeks and to try back in a couple of weeks.... We can only hope and pray that their interest will remain there. We had a good chance of getting 3 new investigators this week, but none worked out. The coworker than only eats fish thought the message of the Restoration was interesting and she came to church and enjoyed it but it was more out of sincere curiosity than sincere interest in learning more to benefit her life. The other two we were SO close with!

Last Saturday, Sister Richards was at Bounce- U with her kids and she overheard a worker talk about living in Austria. Sister Richards began a conversation about how she wants to move to Austria. They got to talking and somehow got on the topic of religion and invited her over for dinner last Sunday. They told us that she, Manuela, was at their house for about 4 hours talking, asking questions, and they watched the Restoration. She accepted an invitation to meet with us! We set up an appointment for Tuesday. We later found out that Manuela was bringing her husband. They only see each other 2 days every 2 weeks because of his work. (How sad!) But this showed us how interested she was. Satan, though, came into play. Manuela was called into work. But she called around and found someone that would cover part of her shift for her to meet with us! What a miracle! Where were over at the Richards, finishing preparations for our lesson, finding a video to hook up to their TV, when Sister Richards got a text that her son had gotten sick in the car and they had to turn around and go back home. Manuela was still considering coming to the lesson, whether without her husband or to see if her son really was ill or what. Time passed and we hadn't heard anything and the Richards decided that it would be best to not stress her out and to reschedule. Come to find out later her son needed to be taken to the hospital. He is fine now! She came to our Relief Society birthday celebration and we got her phone number to schedule a time to teach her. Come to find out later, Manuela called Sister Richards after the RS activity and they talked for an hour about Relief Society and the organization. Earlier in the week, the Richards ordered a Book of Mormon in German for Manuela and it came in and Sister Richards dropped it off to Manuela. She said Manuela was excited to get it!! We called to set up a time to teach her, but got her voice-mail. Still she has not returned our call but Sister Richards believes it is because Manuela is sick- Manuela told her this over the weekend. I hope that we will be able to set something up for this week!

Follow the random thoughts to invite! Manuela was a stranger and now she is a friend!

I briefly told this story to President Anderson at our interviews this week and he asked if I would be willing to share and bear my testimony about this story in stake conference this weekend? Yikes! Of course I told him yes. He said it will all depend on timing and if he even has time at conference.

President Anderson told me that his company was doing so well before he was called that it was a challenge to decided to come out. President Uchtdorf told him (how SWEET that would be to talk to President Uchtdorf face to face) that he didn't have to accept the call now but that they would then call him a year or two. President considered it but he and his wife are so grateful that they decided to serve now. They know it is their time. They would not have met any of the missionaries that they have met if they had not decided to go when they did. I know this is their time and this is my time!!

I love you all so much and I hope you have a marvelous week!

It will be spring this week! Who is beyond ready and excited?!?!

Sister Hanson

Take a look at the first picture.

Second picture is zoomed in.