January 27, 2014
Hey Everyone!
Ok wow so I don't even know where to start on this week. This week was
actually really good. Oh and before I forget to tell you guys, Elder Stilson is
in my zone now. I think he is in Swainsboro but I'm not positive and I can't
remember who his companion is. Anyway I just thought I would tell you! Ok so the
week started off kind of like the last week ended. Just a lot of knocking. We
had exchanges on Wednesday which were really fun! I went up to North Augusta
with Sister Mcelroy. She is from St. George and she is really fun. I always seem
to be the one going when we do exchanges! They live in this cute little trailer
in the middle of a forest. It's really cool. Sister Frandsen came down here and
stayed with Sister Wood for a day. While I was gone they found us some really
awesome investigators! We had a bunch of appointments planned on Thursday but we
only ended up seeing two people because no one else was there. That was ok
though. We had Sister Lee with us pretty much the whole day and she is just
awesome. She is pretty much the perfect person to have along for a lesson
because she goes with the flow, she always says the perfect thing and she is a
convert so she can relate with pretty much anyone we teach. Anyway so Thursday
night we had these two really awesome lessons. First we taught this guy named
Anthony. He is a single dad, he has a five year old son who is super cute. I
guess he had come in contact with some missionaries a few years ago and they
taught him a lesson and he went to church a couple times but I don't know what
happened, anyway that's about as far as it went. We taught him the first lesson
and it was really great. The spirit was really strong. He was really concerned
because he has to work on Sundays but this week happened to be stake conference
so we invited him to the meeting Saturday night. He actually came! It was so
crazy! I was super nervous the whole night because he has no idea what our
services are like! I was also super nervous because the theme was "hastening the
work" and I had no idea how that would look to an investigator! I was literally
freaking out the whole time. It was a really good meeting though. There were
some really excellent talks. Anyway at the end he said he loved it and he would
definitely be back! It was so awesome you don't even know. We are going to teach
him tonight at the Lee's so hopefully it goes well! He seems really awesome.
Then we had a lesson with a guy named Miles and that went really well to. The
spirit was definitely there and he said he would come to church on Sunday but he
didn't show so now we have to figure out why he didn't come! We got a couple
other new investigators but those are our most promising. They guy who we had to
give to the Elders, Cody is doing really well. He is getting baptized this
Saturday so that is really good. I agree with Uncle Greg. I think it just made
him feel awkward and he wasn't really opening up so that's why we gave him to
the elders. He had some sort of bad car accident I guess, we don't know the
details but I think it just affected some of his comprehension abilities. We
just kindly said that as missionaries we need to focus on spreading the gospel
so we couldn't go out with him. He seems really happy with the Elders though so
that is good. They invited him to play basketball and stuff. He would just talk
to them more. On Friday we taught this guy named George. He is from Nigeria
which is really funny because Sister Wood's brother served part of his mission
in Nigeria! He just had a lot of questions and was very concerned because he
though that we had put the Book of Mormon in the bible. We had to explain to him
that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are seperate and we use them both. We
thought he was going to be a basher at first but he was just very passionate
about his questions. We have another appointment with him tomorrow so that is
good! Then on Saturday we just knocked a lot and then had the meeting in the
evening. It was so awesome at the meeting because there were other sister
missionaries there because our stake takes up two zones! You guys don't even
know how hard it is just being with Elders! It gets really lonely because we
don't have anyone to talk to. Guys just don't cut it sometimes! It was really
nice to see sisters there and get to talk to them. However we did find out that
the North Augusta sisters only live five miles away from us so we are going to
try and get permission to visit them on P-days. That would be awesome! Then
yesterday we had stake conference and it was really good! Elder Day and Elder
Kopinschke (sp?) of the seventy spoke and then Sister Mckonckie and Elder
Nelson. They talked about hastening the work and obedience and Elder Nelson
talked about how there are nine main points to the gospel, like the facets on a
diamond. It was a really good meeting. Then we just tracted most of the day!
Tracting is really hard on Sundays. In the white handbook it says that should be
one of your most productive days but in Georgia it isn't! Everyone is at church,
no one is home and no one wants to talk to us. Anyway overall it was a really
good week! Things look like they are picking up around here which is awesome. I
will probably get transferred in 3 weeks because things are going well. Ha ha. I
have been studying the atonement this week and it is awesome! There is just so
much to learn and we just will never be able to comprehend all that it
encompass's. Anyway I will share some of my favorite scriptures that I studied.
I love John 3:16-17 where it talks about how God so loved the world that he sent
his only begotten son. Christ did this for us because he loves us and because in
the pre-existence we all loved him! I read this talk this week that Sister Wood
has that really goes into detail about the atonement and it was amazing. It just
sheds a whole new light on things. I also read in a book that the Bible and the
Book of Mormon are so great because the bible gives the who, what, and where of
the atonement but the Book of Mormon gives the why and the how. If the atonement
hadn't happened we would all be lost. It is just such an amazing thing. I was
kind of having a hard time until I read this talk and remembered why I am out
here. I am out here because people need to at least have the chance to know the
path that will lead them to eternal life. I really am out here to help others
"come unto Christ" like it says in the missionary purpose (it's on the first
page of preach my gospel if you don't know). The only way that the atonement can
work is if we have faith in Christ. He can only save us if we let him and we
take those steps and act upon our faith. I love how it says in Alma 34 "I will
testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you,
that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon
him the transfressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of
the world; for the Lord God hat spoken it." I know that Christ is our savior and
I have faith and I just want others to know all of the wonderful truths that I
know! This gospel is true and I just become more firm in that knowledge
everyday. Oh one funny question that we get a lot that I just randomly thought
of is that people ask us all the time "well if I don't become a member of your
church do you think I will go to hell?" and I love to tell them nope we don't
believe that. If you don't become a member of our church and still live a good
live you will still go to a place where you will be happy, just not as happy as
you could be. I love the plan of salvation! Ok I am going to end now. I love you
all and you are all awesome! I love being a missionary...usually...and I love
everything that I am learning! I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Happy
Birthday Taryn and Jonathon!
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