Hey y'all!(: It has been another great week here in
Big Shanty! I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas! We are getting lots of
rain and it's super dark! Tornado warnings coming our way!
Tuesday morning we had district meeting and I
gave a training on how the Book of Mormon and Bible support each other,
and how you can use the Book of Mormon to respond to objections. I invited
Jocelyn to come bear her testimony and it was amazing. The spirit was so
strong! I just love that girl! After district meeting we had lunch
with Donna and her husband! It was so much fun!(: They call themselves our
Methodist grandparents! (These are the people that run the food pantry where
the LDS sisters serve). How cute is that??(:
It was super foggy and very humid today! So gross!
We had to walk to the branch for a lesson with Andrew and we were soaked by the
time we got there. The lesson went well! We talked about hope and trusting in
God, having patience in his timing. He is a bit of a roller coaster right now
but he knows exactly what he needs to do, he just needs to do it. Then we
had a lesson with Mario and his girlfriend Tiffany on the restoration. She had
some questions but it was really cool because I was able to answer her questions
so much better after the studies I had done for my training. There truly are no
coincidences! It was a bit crazy with their 3 year olds running around, but
it went well. I am excited to start teaching her!(: That night we had a
wonderful lesson with Jocelyn! We taught her about the word of wisdom and her
response was "ya that makes sense!" She is so elect its crazy! At the
end she told me that she wasn't connecting with the missionaries so she had
prayed really hard for a missionary she could connect with and then I got
emergency transferred to this area. She apologized for yanking me from level
creek but said how grateful she was I was here. It was so cool! This is
gods work. He is in the details of our lives. Sometimes things happen and we
don't know why but it is all part of the plan. We have to put our trust in him!
I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve in big shanty and teach
Jocelyn!❤️
Wednesday morning we had a lesson with
Jocelyn and it was great! We talked about faith, hope and charity. It was a
fantastic lesson! After that we made Christmas cookies with Laurissa to go deliver
on Christmas! It was a lot of fun!(: Then we went and got hot chocolate with
Colleen and shared a message about Christmas. It was awesome!(:
That night got a little crazy! It was pouring rain
with really bad thunder and lightning! It messed things up a bit but we were
able to go visit Elizabeth at work which was really good! Colleen offered us a
ride home which was a tender mercy! We really didn't wanna walk 45 minutes in
that weather to get home! God answers prayers!
Thursday was a wonderful Christmas Eve! We went and
had breakfast with Andrew and his family! We made them pancakes and shared a
message about Christmas. His sister had a few questions, luckily we were able
to answer them. It was fun and good to get to know them better!(: We spent our
afternoon weekly planning which was a bit rough since campus is still closed
but it was good! That night we took Jocelyn to Carabbas for Christmas and it
was so delicious! When we first walked in it was packed like wow! We thought
there was no way we were gonna be able to eat there and then we saw 3 seats at
the pasta bar first come first serve! It was perfect and we had so much fun!
God cares about even the little things!(: After dinner we went and met up with
the elders to get some less actives from their ward to come to the branch. It
was a great lesson and they both promised to be there on Sunday!(:
Christmas Day was so wonderful! We woke up, got
ready and then the Kennesaw sisters who are assigned to the family ward came
over and we all opened presents together! It was so much fun! I was so
overwhelmed with love. Thank y'all for the packages, letters, prayers and all
the love. It means so much! After that we went to the Murdocks (branch
president) and had a delicious breakfast! Sister Blair Skyped her family while
I watched the grandkids open their gifts and then I got to skype. There are not
even words. I am so filled with joy and love. I am so blessed and it
was so good to laugh with my incredible family again! Miss them tons and
couldn't thank them enough for all they do for me! Next, we went caroling at
the nursing home! It was so much fun and reminded me of good times with grandpa
Gordon!(: they were all so happy to see us and it was so much fun! We had some
extra time before dinner and decided to check with the sisters that lived
around there and they were about to head out caroling so we got to join
them! Sister Neff who I was in the MTC just got emergency transferred
there so that was really fun to go with her! We got to visit some less actives
and read the Christmas story with them and also sing a Christmas hymn! We
harmonized since there were four of us and it was beautiful! Then we headed
back to the Murdocks and had a yummy dinner!(: After that we sang to them, read
the Christmas story and then talked about some things in the branch. It was a
peachy Christmas!(:
Saturday morning was Marietta miracles! In the
Marietta zone this transfer every Saturday we go out and find every Saturday
morning from 10-12. It is way cool! Since campus is closed we went to the mall
parking lot and started contacting! So many people with Christmas money and
returns! We were able to talk to lots of people and it was great! No one has
contacted yes yet but I have faith we will hear from someone!(: After
contacting we went and visited Jocelyn at work since she was right inside the mall! That was fun and she
is doing great as always! She was worried because they were very busy and she
was going to have to stay until 3 which meant she wouldn't be able to come see
a baptism with us up in Hickory Flatt that afternoon. We went home for lunch,
praying she would get off and anxiously awaiting her call. At 1:15 she called
and said she got off! Wahoo!! We were able to go to the baptism and it was so
amazing!(:
Sunday was another beautiful day!(: Numbers were a
bit small but we had a great meeting. Sister Blair was asked to bear her
testimony and it was great! Sister Murdock gave a wonderful talk about being
the young adults of the noble birthright. Then me and Sister Blair got to teach
gospel principles! It was a lot of fun and actually went really well! Being
in a YSA we end up teaching and speaking quite a bit! After church we
had some meetings and then a great lesson with Elizabeth. We talked about the
Plan of Salvation and it went really well. She is doing great and loving the
branch! That night we went over and made dinner with Jocelyn and had a
lesson. It was fun! When we got home we went and checked on the sisters.
One of them is really sick so we stayed and talked for a bit. It is nice being
in the same apartment complex and getting to bond with them. They are great
sisters and I love them both very much!(:
There has been a lot of talk about the new year
lately and I have been thinking about it quite a bit. I feel very honored and
blessed that I get to be a missionary for all of 2016! Why is Christmas at the
end of the year?? If you think about the Christmas season like Sunday, Sunday
is a special time we have to reflect on our Savior and to prepare for our week.
Christmas is a special time we have to reflect on our Savior and his birth. It
is at the end of the year to help us prepare for a new year! I hope y'all
had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Think about how you can
involve Christ more into your life and make 2016 the best year yet! I love all
of you and am so grateful to know each one of you!(:
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