Sometimes Washington is sunny...

...and when it's sunny, it's still raining, but when that happens, you see rainbows! Seriously, it's beautiful up here. I love it. When Heavenly Father decided where I needed to go on my mission, he totally kept in mind my love for the north, the mountains, and the greenery. So awesome.

Ya know, this week was really great. I'm really starting to get fully adjusted as things are becoming more routine. Wow, it's weird to say that things are already becoming "routine". We're already in week 4! And this past Saturday marked one month on my mission! One month, woaaahhhh. That's so weird. It feels like it's been an eternity, though, let me tell you... 

There were some pretty cool miracles this week. And when I say "miracles" I mean moments where you just know the Lord's hand is in charge and is leading and guiding this work. It seriously is not my work at all, it's the Lord's.

Something I've learned this week is how very subtle the still and small voice of the spirit can be, but also how stark and apparent it can be as well. I've been wanting to learn what it means to truly follow the spirit in everything that I do as a missionary and I think what I've felt from this past week is that the spirit, to me, is a gentle nudge in the right direction to lead me to action and in what to say. And it's my choice whether or not I follow it. But, when I do follow it, I see the beauty of the Lord's hand in all things. He is so in charge!

In following the spirit this week, we knocked on a very inspired door in which we found a sister that knew who we were as mormons! Because she's actually been less-active for about 7 years, but has no negative feelings towards the church. We became fast friends and she is a joy to talk to. She told us she stopped going since she moved here because she didn't really know anyone and that she didn't want to go without her husband because he's not a member and not super interested. Yet, she knows it's still all true and was so willing to listen and have a gospel conversation with us. She told us her husband lost both his parents recently and is really struggling because of it. The spirit made it immediately known the importance that it is that Beth re-kindle her testimony in the gospel so that she may share that with her husband. We are striving to be supportive to her in her efforts to return to church, following the spirit in what we should do and say. But, what's incredible is when we were tracting that night that we found her, we both looked at her door and listened to the spirit of whether or not we should really knock on it. I had a very peaceful feeling about it so we went up to the door and knocked. And then that's when we met her! It was an example of the subtle and gentle ways the spirit can lead and guide us. And now I ask myself, "Wow, what would have happened if we didn't knock?? We would have never met her!" Now I see that the Lord really is preparing us and we ought to listen to the spirit to guide us!

In contrast of the spirit being stark and apparent, we were tracting on the Cedar River Trail the other day and ran into two men that were quite anti-mormon, throwing at us statistics and research done and how DNA tests don't match up with the Book of Mormon people and this and that and everything, telling us we had been deceived and it was their intention on saving us and telling us how to be born again. They were quite urgent about it. We immediately realized that there was no worth in trying to convince or discuss anything with them, though we tried our best to testify of Christ and not fight with the Bible, as they were doing, throwing out this verse and that and how they really should be interpreted and whatnot. As I was standing there listening, and being full aware that the spirit was offended (these two men made the space feel very dark and loathsome), the spirit, however, as clear as day said to me, "This is a waste of time." And the spirit was right. While we were tied up with these two conspiring men, many families walked past us on the trial that we really would have liked to talk to. Yet, our precious time and opportunity was wasted. It was frustrating. When we finally broke away from these men, the spirit had left, and we lost all ability to talk to anyone else on the trail. It really showed me how important the spirit is so that we may not be confounded. It also showed how the spirit will immediately let you know when something is not true. In the Book of Mormon, Nephi tells us that he delights in plainness and speaks to us in plainness about the Gospel. Because, the gospel IS plain and simple, even so much that a child can understand. And, these two men were doing quite the opposite, throwing at us complicated intricacies of doctrine and, basically, were making claims based on man's knowledge and wit. It was like a real life Book of Mormon experience where the priests throw out their wisdom trying to find fault in the church. Crazy. But, all I know, is what I felt from the spirit. The spirit knows truth. If you are searching for truth, seek first for the Holy Ghost and understand it's role and power in your life. Then, truth will be made known to you, because you know how to recognize it. The Holy Ghost never lies, because God never lies. Everything good is of God. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23) If you're feeling any of those things, it's of the Spirit, which is from God. :)

Something reaaaaaally cool that happened this week is with our investigator Randy. We have been trying to help him understand that the way for him to be able to be with his wife again is through following Christ and being baptized, then going to the temple to be sealed to her for all of time and eternity. But, he is still hardening his heart and not accepting the truth all around him, or even the answers he is receiving. I'm not sure he really realizes he's gotten answers, though. We tell him we know his wife is in the spirit world waiting, but he just always says, "Well, I hope..." not really believing us. But, anyway, something cool that happened the other night in a lesson with him was we were discussing his same concern he always has, that he can't really be sure that there is just one church, because how can one church be "better" than another (in his words)? Well, during this discussion, Sister Loeak, who, by nature, is not a touchy-feely, emotional person, suddenly said, "Randy, I feel impressed to tell you something." The room went silent and we all stared at her waiting to know what she had to say. It took her a moment, and she had started to sob. Then, full of the spirit of God (for the influence was very strong), she says, "Randy, I feel impressed to tell you that your wife has accepted the gospel and is waiting for you." It was incredible. The spirit flowed in like crazy. And I knew she was right, because I had been having the same impressions, too, that his wife was VERY near and involved in this process. Randy didn't say much, but I know he had to have felt something... We just hope it touched his heart in some way. That night, after we were home, I had prayed for something oddly specific for Randy... I prayed that his wife would come to him in a dream. As a companionship, we prayed that his wife would help us, because Randy is a hard person to reach sometimes. The next day, as Randy sat with us at church (this is his third week in a row to go to church!), he told Sister Loeak something incredible... He said he had a dream with his wife last night!!! Whaaaaaaaat! I was stunned. When she asked what happened, he just said that they were together in the dream and he didn't remember much else. BUT WOAH HOW INCREDIBLE IS THAT?? She is sooo involved! Sometimes, when Randy is harping over the same concerns each lesson, I can almost feel his wife saying, "Oh, Randy, you're so stubborn." Hahaha. She's waiting for him! 

We hope to continue to help Randy realize the truth right in front of him. He said he'll know when he feels it. I wonder when he will realize that he has felt it. Yet, we all have our agency, and it is ultimately his choice. We are just his guides and helpers. But, we are definitely keeping close with the spirit to know how to reach him. 

Life is good as a missionary. You meet a lot of good people. You can learn something from every single person you talk to, if you're listening with love and with the spirit. Every moment of the day is an opportunity to learn and grow from something and someone around you, to progress in some sort of way. And that's why repentance is so important! Because it's what allows us to continue to progress in every moment. Sin stunts our growth and stops us from progressing. Repentance re-positions us and allows us to continue forward. So often we see the word "repentance" as a negative thing. But, it's the most joyous gift the Lord has given us in this mortal life. If we didn't have to repent, what would the Savior be for? There would be no Atonement. And then there'd be no us. Adam fell that man might be, and men are, that they might have joy. So allow yourself to repent (turn your heart back to God), and have joy! 

Yesterday I attended my first missionary fireside that the mission holds once a month. We had two investigators there, including Randy. It was SO COOL hearing peoples' conversion stories. I sang in the choir, too, and loved that. I told the choir director I play violin and wanted to maybe do something next time because this time there was someone playing violin too and she was like a little skeptical because sometimes people are sketchy in their violin skills, if you catch my drift, but then I was like "yeah so I have a degree and stuff" and she's like OOOHHHH MY GOSH WHY DIDN'T A KNOWW AHHH WE WILL TOTALLY USE YOU NEXT TIME! I laughed really hard inside hahahahaaaa. So hopefully I'll find a violin and play soon. :) But, yeah, the fireside was AMAZINGG. The church is true, ya'll.

Sorry, no pictures this week. Maybe next week! 

Hope all is well in all the places you are all in! Thanks for all the support. You are all on my mind a lot! 

Love, Sister Eldridge

PS: The Book of Mormon is important and if you're not reading it every day start doing it. It WILL change your life.