Our joy to help and support the Elders

We had a delightful day on Saturday. Elders Charles and Lewis, whose mother, by the way is a Hoopes, have been visiting with Sister Danita Rouzer. President Holms called us and asked if we would visit her as well. Talking with the Elders we learned she had her own business called Mama Dee's Car Wash. The Elders told her we would be coming to visit her sometime.

When we drove by the car wash in downtown Detroit she was outside and saw us pass by and & watched us as we turned into a driveway to turn around. She was worried for us in her neighborhood thinking we were going to get ourselves into trouble. When we stopped and said hello from the car she immediately knew we were the missionaries the Elders had mentioned. She was extremely happy to see us. For the 40 minutes it took to hand wash our car, we visited with her and it was an exciting time for each of us. She even explained to me that the sounds I was hearing in the ceiling were mice and that they find large rats too. That was a funny crazy new experience for me.

Especially wonderful is her story in many ways. When she saw the Elders on their bikes she was always concerned for them. One time she saw the Elders and yelled to them to stop but they didn't hear her. Then down the street the Elders felt they needed to turn around an go back and they found her. This was the second time she had met some Elders.

When the Elders mentioned something about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,

she immediately, made the signs to be closed on the Sabbath.

Wrapped up in this plastic is a huge speaker from which she literally blaaaasts gospel music out into the neighborhood. She said no one has complained and she feels it has brought business in.

What we find with several of the investigators we have met is that they had already turned to the Lord and were seeking answers. Denita is a very spiritual and intelligent woman with the scriptures. Likewise is Sister Hannible.

Sister Kimberly Hannible showed me her scriptures and said she wanted a new Bible with gold leaf on the edges of the pages. I pointed out to her how special her Bible is to me because it is well worn. She has read the the Bible completely through at least two times and is now reading the Book of Mormon.

The other thing I marvel at is their love and acceptance. The women we have met so far, who are either baptized or investigating, have tremendous loving hearts and many of them with deep knowledge of scripture. We will be assisting in getting these special people to the scripture study on Wednesday nights.

As we were taking Sister Danita Rouzer and Sister Gwen Jordon home from church today, they got to visiting and Danita offered Gwen an opportunity to come and help work at her car wash. She will make very little money. But right now Sister Jordon has nothing and is all alone. It was thrilling to see the goodness of Danita and the happiness in Gwen that she had a friend, a place to go and something to do the next day.

Saturday Evening Holloween Pizza Party

Sunday the 31st

Elder Erichson, Sister Lockhart Pres & Sister Davies, Pres Brown, Elder Rushton, Elder Adamson and Elder Lewis

Elders Lewis & Adamson, Rushton & Erichson & investigators

Sisters Danita, Kimberly, Gwen and Debbie

Today was a sad day for Sister Gwen Jordon. When Elder Adamson told her he was being transferred on Tuesday she began to cry and could not stop crying. Then we had a Sacrament Meeting talk by a returned Elder who talked about being transferred before a sister was baptized. At the end of his mission he learned from the Elder who took over, that she was baptised and became a very strong member. His talk helped put things into perspective for our sister Jordon. I see how attached these investigators can become to their missionaries. She said it was because he was so important to her because he had changed her life. Elder Adamson told her he would not forget her and in fact would always remember her and write to her.

When we took her home she said she wanted to be baptized. She felt more peace attending the Mormon Church than the other churches she had attended. Her experience in other churches were preachers arguing about things.

We are having a wonderful mission because of these beautiful African American people we are serving here in the branch and the good mix of people coming in for help at the Employment Center.

We also enjoy meeting in stake Networking Meetings and our ERC Conferences where we meet and enjoy Employment Specialists and job seekers who are spread out over Michgan and parts of other states and Canada which is a total of 50 stakes that we serve. I am sure thankful for CDOL (Church Leadership Directory) which, with special saved searches makes it possible to keep 100% up to date on new bishops, branch presidents, stake presidents and district presidents and even new units. An awesome site. This is important because we communicate with these leaders occassionally.