Here Comes the Bride!

Got me some of Dad's cookies from home!!!

Dede and Joel got Married!!!!! Thursday November 12, 2015 was the day they finally got married. Dede didn't want to be with Joel that day so she came and spent all day with us. We went tracting with her and actually had a good time. We met a lady who had three kids and asked us to come back. Sister Hill went back while on exchanges and had a great lesson! There is so much power when you work with members. (Or almost members ha) After tracting in the morning we came back for lunch. Then sister Hill and I had to leave Dede so we could go pick up the decorations. A member let us use the same decorations they used for the "My Favorite Things" activity. We did the ceremony in the Relief Society room so it wasn't huge. We had a table with food and drink, and a second table for the cake. Sister Hill and I both failed at taking any pictures on our camera. But a member was taking pictures of the entire evening and we should be getting those soon. 

Decorating

Sister Hill got home earlier than me from exchanges and cleaned the apartment.

She is the best!!

When we finished setting up decor we went back and sister Hill did Dede's hair and make up. Sister Hill has her cosmetology license and really knows what she is doing. Dede looked amazing! 

The wedding was at 7. Not a ton of people came, but their family members were there and the members in the ward that knew her came. It is really amazing to see how much support the ward gives her. 

While everyone was eating Sister Hill and I were talking with Bishop. He had interviewed Joel and Dede the previous week and just said what a wonderful woman she is. She has amazing faith and really does want to do what it right. It is always nice to hear that! You know that the things you taught really sunk in. 

Sunday afternoon we met at the church and Dede had her baptism interview. All went well and she will be baptized this Saturday at 4:30. She is so excited and we are so excited for her! 

We were able to meet with Zac twice this past week. We taught him the Plan of Salvation the first time. The spirit was there and it was great to have a member to look to! Investigators trust their friends more then they trust us. The next lesson we reviewed and answered some of the questions he had. We talked about baptisms for the dead, being families in the next life, and how baptism is essential. All really good things! At the end of the lesson, we asked if he had prayed about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He went on to tell us that he had been praying and then was reading an anti book. He believed that the Lord had lead him to that. And I was so glad Sister Hill was my companion! She very kindly told him that if he wanted to find negative things about the Book of Mormon that he would find them. She told him that she thought it was interesting he turned to a book that spoke negatively about our religion to find out if it was true. We then invited him again to read from the Book of Mormon to see if it was true! I am curious to see what will happen in our next lesson. 

This has been such a wonderful week. I am so grateful for the love and support that y'all give. And I know that this gospel is true. When sister Hill and I found out about France we couldn't stop talking about it. Things in the world are so scary. But this morning during my studies I was reading in Alma 10:22-23. I know that the prayers of the righteous bring great strength and protection. As long as the righteous continue to pray, we will be preserved.

I love y'all! Hope you have a great week :)

Love, Sister Erika Kelly 

Sunday Tradition, minus the rain!