Follow the Prophet

Holla Familia,
Sooo to start off  I read a talk this week called "Follow the Prophet" by Glenn L Pace. and It pretty much states how I feel some of the members are.
A member even gave a talk last week and said how he knew the church was true, but didn't agree with everything the leaders of the church did. They are all 'very smart' individuals in our ward. Several of them are students at VT. and others have Doctorates and other accomplishments. They all rely on their knowledge. Man's knowledge, instead of God's. So yeah, we also have several Feminists in the ward that are causing a spiritual strangle right now as well. Women and the Priesthood kinda thing.
"Inappropriate intellectualism sometimes leads one to testify that he knows the gospel is true but believes the Brethren are just a little out of touch. Out of touch with what? Don’t confuse a decision to abstain from participating in a trend with a lack of awareness about its existence. These Brethren “prove all things” and “hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thes. 5:21.) To accomplish this, they are in constant touch with Him who created this earth and knows the world from beginning to end."
This is how I feel. Flat out. Just putting it out there.
Anywho, Adventures of this week... sort of. ha,ha. So there was this lady we were teaching... well sort of. She was Indian/Mexican or something - She talked and looked like the lady off of Pirates of the Caribbean 'Calypso' lady. So it was really hard to understand what she was saying to us. So She is a little confused, and confusing. She has visited with missionaries before, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, and others. So she has a mass of information floating in her head, that she doesn't really know what to do with. She kept saying how confusing our book was and she would open it up to a random page and read a verse and say "like that! what does that even mean?" *blink* *blink* (didn't really do this but this is what I thought of) flip open bible; read random verse; doesn't make much sense. You can't just expect to flip open anything or learn about anything if you don't do it with the right intent or the right thought! She also kept mentioning how we were raised in this religion and it is hard for us to ask her to change. Why don't we change. *blink* *blink* hmm... well... I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the age of eight. I continue with this gospel because it explains and expounds on all of the knowledge I have learned from other churches. Yes, it is true that I have never really 'investigated' other churches, because in all reality there really isn't anything to investigate. Yesterday we (Sister Richards, Reed, Wines, Me, and another girl and Elder Carter, and Fotofili) went to a ‘Holiness church’ in Blacksburg to sing. The Blacksburg Sisters investigator attends this church and she invited them to come and sing, and they asked us to come and help them out so we did. I'm not going to lie: it was really fun! We sang, there was karaoke, and they had Chick-fil-a! YEAH!! ...but was the spirit there? No. Oh and it was a Pentecostal church, and the pastor did warn us that they did 'weird stuff' that others weren't use too. But nothing crazy happened. They did a blessing of people in place of other people to help them come closer to Christ (we all thought of baptisms for the dead, cause he quoted a scripture that is related to it) he would lay his hand on their head, and I think he did a drop of oil as well, and he would start to pray over them. The only weird things that happened was he did start speaking in tongues - which I didn't notice at first... because I couldn't really understand what he was saying in the first place. The people would also shake under his hand, but no one ran around the room or rolled on the floor or spoke in tongues. So it was a pretty mellow Pentecostal church... they only had 10 members. After that they also had a 'Bible Study' They read from Numbers chapter 16-19 I think. I couldn't hear the guy who was 'teaching' and they would always relate it back to Christ and what He did for us. Yes.... but we just read about the Priesthood, and that is what it is talking about... We felt out of place to say anything... because there was no Spirit to add to. Anywho, It was Fun. I have also been to other churches not on my mission. They were Fun... but they didn't have the Spirit in them. They didn't feel right, and most of the time I didn't learn anything. Let alone something that increased my knowledge of Christ. That is why I don't 'investigate' other people’s churches. There is nothing to investigate that I can't learn and expound upon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From this Gospel. It has the answers and everything. Finding them can be difficult, because there has to be that real intent and desire to learn. But once you do so it is good. It sounds good; it feels good; it looks good.. ETC!!!! yeah!!! Happiness!
So yeah that was the adventure of this week!
I hope you are all doing well and that everything is awesome! Love you!!!
Be good, live happy, the Gospel is awesome!

Loves,
Sister Karen Call

An email sent later to Mom Call from this family:

Hi Kathy,

We have enjoyed very much having your daughter in our life.  She is a very

good missionary and a sweet young lady.  You will be very proud of the way

she is serving and how hard she is working.  She is the kind of missionary

that ever parent hopes their son or daughter will be.  We will miss her

when she is gone.

Jon (Passic)