Dudley, Michelle

Visits-dinners-teaching-lunches-service-lunches-dinners-April Fool birthday celebrations, FaceTiming with family, missionary flat ‘inspections’…..and then GENERAL CONFERENCE - the perfect way to end the week and start a new one all refreshed and renewed and motivated. Let’s start with food!! Dinner #1  -One evening we met Simon and Becky Wall for dinner.  He was the previous bishop serving almost nine years.  They have six children, five of which left the church during his service. They feel tired, underappreciated, forgotten, and hopeless with their children…..We listened, hopefully lifted them up, and began a new friendship with them.   Lunch #1 - with Damian and Denise Halligan.  Damian shares the same April fool birthday and so we celebrated with them for lunch.  We have gone to dinner with them a few times.  They are a really nice couple, and Damian is not a member…yet.  He comes to every meeting, participates fully, dresses in a nice su...

How can we top last week with Cooney’s baptism and Johnson’s visit?  We can’t….yet missionary work day in and day out, week in and week out has its highs and lows.  We’ve been here four months and the highs have been so high - and the lows rare and tolerable. Our continual challenge?  Find new friends to invite and teach, help build and unite our ward, inspire young adults to keep on the covenant path, love the youth, encourage and minister to members who struggle (which are many), visit the elderly who are unable to attend church and receive the sacrament.  We work hard gaining trust and developing friendships with lapsing members.  Then one week - one returns to church.  We are so excited!  The next week another one returns, but the last one drops off.  It seems most need a personal ‘invite’ and ‘push’ weekly. Then our daily missionary work just REPEATS.  Missionary work is constant and sometimes can feel a little mundane - but we are learn...

“Scattered Israel loves being with Gathered (Covenant)  Israel” Jason Benting - a young father who has ‘investigated’ the church for a long time with several young missionaries.  He has read the Book of Mormon many times, loves everything about the gospel, yet puts up self-confessed roadblocks before baptism.  We had a special time teaching him and will continue weekly discussions.  Will this time be different?  We pray it will. -Philippa Smith - she looks forward to our weekly visits.  She is reading the large print Book of Mormon.  She asks good questions.  While she is naturally a sceptical person, she admits she looks forward to our weekly visits and discussions.   - Chantelle Comins - a baptized, endowed member of the church who hasn’t been living the gospel or attended church for over 18 years.  Her story is a sad one, as most are who stray from the covenant path.  Yet - when we called to ask if we could visit her, she...