Your Seat's On Fire!

Dear Family,

 

The new chapel we're meeting in. It's the only building
the church owns that is made out of coral.
Also, you could actually drive a boat up to it
if you wanted. And it has two stories!

Yesterday marks the first meeting of the Miami Beach 2nd Branch. A member of our new branch came up with a slogan for us - we're all in the hot seat! With so few people all the members - and missionaries - have to step up and get things moving. Yesterday the branch-wide joke was telling each other that their seats were on fire.

 

There were people there, though. We had a sacrament meeting attendance of 47! Not too shabby. When you consider that there were two families of seven, four missionaries, and four visitors it seems a little smaller, but hey :) We have a whole branch presidency, two Sunday school teachers (Gospel Principles and Gospel Doctrine), and a music coordinator. So it's not a bad start. Sadly with four missionaries in attendance we weren't able to get any investigators, which was really disappointing, but we're moving.

 

Our branch was very strange, mostly because it was so normal. The people were mostly young couples who are here for schooling or work, are from out west, and have been members their whole lives. We didn't have the diversity that I've grown accustomed to on the mission, and it was really weird!

 

Welcome to the Bible belt.

So we get referrals from mormon.org, from people who have asked for a missionary visit or church media item, or whose member friends have asked for a visit for them.  This week we saw a miracle as we cleared up referrals. When I got to this area there were a lot of referrals on backlog in our area from the last few months, many of which the other sisters had visited, and some that they hadn't. We were not having any success in harvesting, and had been trying for several hours. We said (another) prayer and I felt the impression to get out our referral list. We went through and called all of them. One was amazing and wanted to learn all about the church. Most of the others we just needed to drop off the system. But the real miracle came as we finished up. By the end of the day we had gotten four new referrals, two of them from member friends and family, both ready to be taught.

In my other areas we didn't get a lot of referrals. But now that we're working a lot with them I'm seeing many miracles. The Lord is really in charge, and He gives His children the desire and opportunity to come in contact with His church, directly and indirectly.

 

Sorry I don't have too many details this week. I'm kind of in a p-day fog and don't remember much...  we're working with some people with amazing potential, but not a lot to show for it yet. I love you all!!

 

<3

HH

Sister Albrecht turned 23 on Thursday.

The ice cream truck came by on Christmas eve
after a rather depressing day of nobody answering doors.

Yes that is a plastic swordfish in the back of somebody's truck.
Sometimes I forget where exactly I am, and then I remember.

With Jinny and Stephanie, two teenage recent converts
who used to come out with us
all the time before the ward split...
Also they were taught by Sister Ware :)

The Fort Lauderdale Temple! The open house should
be in March and the dedication in April!

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