Hey Everyone! March
3, 2014
Holy cow it
has been quite the week! Ok so on Monday we tracted for a while and then
we went to see one of our less actives Sister Mustafa. She has been a member
for quite a while but she is going through a rough time right now. She is
raising her granddaughter because her mom is in prison and the granddaughter is
quite the handful! She is very opinionated and not shy at all! We joke that she
will be an awesome/scary missionary someday! Then Tuesday we went to see how
Shae was doing, she got her staples out so she is feeling much better. She is
excited because next week she is going to New York to see this new guy her
neighbor introduced her to. Then we went and knocked some more! While we were
knocking we met youth pastor Caleb. He had some very interesting views on
things. He is a youth pastor at First Presbyterian. That is closer to downtown
which isn't in our area so I don't know where it is. If it's anything like
First Baptist around here though it is probably huge! He was very against the
idea of an apostasy, he doesn't think the authority ever left the earth. He
also thinks that the priesthood authority goes with the scriptures, so whoever
has the scriptures has the authority. Probably why he doesn't like the apostasy
idea. We also think he is a little lacking in the faith area. He has a lot of
knowledge and he has studied the Bible a lot but he was basing everything on
historical facts about whether the bible was true or not. I think he definitely
has a strong belief, I just don't think he quite understands the concept of
faith. Then we had dinner with a less active family, they fed us spaghetti. It
was pretty good. Then we went out with Aubrie! Aubrie is awesome and we love
going out with her. We tried to go see Miles but he wasn't home so we decided
to go see this guy we knocked into last week who said we could come back. We
got there and his wife answered the door and we introduced ourselves and she
let us right in! It was crazy because that never happens! She was very
interested and we had a really good first discussion. She had a lot of
questions, which is awesome. I love when people have sincere questions and they
aren't just trying to bash with us. She even invited us back the next day! We
then had a really good lesson about the Book of Mormon. She had a lot of
questions about that too but it was good! I have noticed that when I bear testimony
about the Book of Mormon out here and I say that I "know" it is true
people always want to know how I "know" and when I tell them I prayed
about it they never look quite satisfied, it's like they want me to tell them I
had some great visitation or saw the plates or something. It's very interesting.
Oh and one of my favorite scriptures to share when people are doubting the
validity of the Book of Mormon is the one in 2 Nephi 29 where it's talking
about how people will say "a Bible, a Bible, we need no more Bible"
and it freaks Sister Wood out every time! She doesn't like it when I share that
scripture with investigators but I love it! I like to share verses 7-10 because
it talks about how he is giving these scriptures as second witness and how if
he gave his gospel and prophets to one nation, what's stopping him from giving
it to a second nation. I just love that chapter! It's one of my favorites.
Honestly I have developed a lot of favorite chapters on my mission. Basically
the whole Book of Mormon! Anyway we had a really good lesson and she committed
to read and pray. Then Thursday was Sister Wood's birthday! Oh and for district
meeting on Tuesday I made this really yummy pineapple cake for her birthday and
it was super delicious! I will have to send you the recipe because the compound
would love it. We didn't have a very exciting day on Thursday, but Friday was
fantastic! Friday we went down to Macon for MLC (missionary leadership
conference)! We got to ride with the Stevens Creek sisters who are STL's
(sister training leaders) for the North Augusta zone and it was so much fun! I
didn't realize how isolated I felt just being around Elder's all the time and
not being with Sisters. It was so much fun though! Oh and they had Enya on
their ipods so next time I send my ipod back I want some Enya! MLC was so
amazing! We had Elder Soares from the presidency of the seventy and Elder
Gittons from the seventy talk to us. Elder Soares gave a talk this last
conference about being meek. He talked a lot about our calling and how we were
pre-ordained to be here doing this at this time in the pre existence. He also
talked about how it's our purpose to help people and to help build up the
kingdom, not that we are necessarily here just to baptize. I really liked that.
He also talked about how the Lord chose us and has confidence in us so we need
to have confidence in ourselves! That part was really good for me because you
know how I struggle with confidence. He told a story about how on his mission
his mission president told him he wanted him to go baptize someone who could be
the branch president for the area he was in. He said that in that area he only
ended up baptizing one family with nine kids but the dad couldn't read so he
wouldn't be able to be branch president. He said he felt like a huge failure
because he didn't find a branch president. Well recently in the temple a man
came up to him and it was one of the nine kids he had baptized! The man said
that seven of his nine siblings served missions and that the branch was now a
stake and he had been bishop and stake president and now he was an area seventy
so that was a really awesome story! Then he talked about how much the apostles
love us and how they are definitely inspired as to where they send us because
he has been in the room as they assign mission calls. It was really amazing and
all of it was just what I needed to hear! He also talked about how important
members are and how we need to be unified in our missionary efforts. Needless
to say I was super inspired after the meeting and so I really felt that we
needed to go see one of our less-actives, Nick. Nick is my age and he has been
baptized for almost a year. When I first met him I kind of thought he was just
a punk but it turns out he really does have a great testimony! We really want
to help him and get him coming to church again because he would be an awesome
Melchizedek priesthood holder and our ward really needs those! Anyway I really
felt like we needed to go see Nick and talk about the priesthood. We knew we
would be cutting it close driving 2 and a half hours back from Macon and then
seeing him but we did it! We called Aubrie and asked if she would share an
experience about times when she has had the priesthood in her life and times
when she hasn't. We shared an awesome scripture about the priesthood and then
we all shared experiences and it was awesome! We were all crying, we made Nick
cry and the spirit was just so strong.
We just really wanted to like give him a spiritual kick in the face and I
think we succeeded! Sister Wood and I were just proud because we made him cry
and feel the spirit! It was awesome! Then we made him commit to come to church
on Sunday. Then on Saturday we had tons of fun! We have decided that we want to
get sisters from the ward to go on splits with every Saturday so that they are
more involved in what we do. This last Saturday we had Sister Ellington go with
us and Sister Dransfield. It was tons of fun and I'm really excited to keep
doing it! We also decided on Sunday instead of sending around our meal calendar
we sent around a calendar that people could sign up to go out with us.(who
needs food when you can feast upon the word of Christ)! It worked great and we
got new people who signed up! We even got some less actives and recent converts
who want to go out so we are really excited for it! Mom good for you to let the
missionaries know you were willing to assist them, I hope they take you up on
your offer, I know I would. It’s cool
that Dad gave one of them their flu shot! That should make them remember who
you are! Ok but now I have to tell you what happened Sunday morning before
church. Church starts at 10. We have an early meeting with the ward mission
leader at 7:30 so we just stay at the church all morning. It was about 9:00 and
we had been trying to call and text Nick but he wasn't answering. So we had
this feeling to go knock on his door and wake him up for church! I usually kind
of squash those feelings because you know me, it's just not something I would
do! Anyway we were still kind of on a spiritual high and super motivated from
MLC so we just decided to do it! So we go to his apartment and knock on the
door a few times but we get nothing, so I decided to really knock so I
basically kind of pounded on the door and apparently that was enough to wake
him up and get him down there! His neighbors probably wondered who the crazy
people pounding on his door were. He staggers down in his pajamas and we can
totally tell he just woke up and by now it is about 9:30 so he asks what time
church starts and we tell him 10 and to go hurry up and get dressed so he does
and comes to church! Then he sat by us and Sister Wood convinced him to go up
and bear his testimony! She told him "go up and bear your
testimony, you'll like it!" I couldn't believe she said that to him!
Anyway he did and he told the whole ward that we pounded on his door and woke
him up for church! We were sitting up on the stand because we also coerced Shae
to bear her testimony but she said she only would if we did and we were like
well we are missionaries so of course we will! So we were up on the stand when
he announced to the whole ward that we woke him up. But he gave a really good
testimony. Then we were talking to him later and he was like "ya your were
like some really angry ex-girlfriends." So now we are the sister
missionaries who pound on your door to wake you up like really angry
ex-girlfriends. It was super hilarious and I really wish we could have recorded
the whole thing. People were really happy to see him at church and it was
really good! Then we even got him to come to the Meachams last night so we
could watch the CES fireside with him! It was really good.They talked about the
Holy Ghost and how to recognize promptings. Next week we have to give a
training at zone meeting, and we are teaching Sunday School so it will continue
to be a busy week! I am going to use the talk you sent me by Elder Callister on
the “BluePrint of Christs Church” in part of my training. I love how he uses the bible as well as the
Book of Mormon on what Christs church was in the beginning. You have to really know your Bible as well as
your Book of Mormon out here! Then the week after that we start exchanges so
this transfer is just going to fly by! Ok I think I got most of my week in
here. It was a pretty awesome week! We are going to get Nick active again so he
can have the priesthood if we have to drag him everywhere! ha ha. Probably the
best week of my mission so far!
Our new bishopric here is really on
FIRE! We have been invited to attend a big ward leadership meeting this week. The leadership are going to finally put
together a Ward mission Statement! I have my trusty Evans meadows statement so
hopefully there can be one put together that will fit with this ward just
right! It is so important to have a unifying statement, it certainly helps all
the ward to really come together with a single purpose. Not only to spread the
gospel but to help the ward and it members become stronger and “OF ONE HEART
and ONE MIND, Moses 7:18! Members just have to break out of their circle here
and get acquainted, we are the minority and it is intimidating most of the
time. I have found that satan has much
more of a hold on these people in the South than they think he does. The people
are good people and he isn’t leading them to do really bad things! He is just
keeping them “confused” enough that they don’t recognize the truth when they
hear it. He really is the great deceiver!
I hope all of you are doing well back home. I
love you all and am grateful for your support! Thank you to Sis. Severe and
Amanda good luck with Calculus! If you need my Dads big old brain you know
where he is! I feel your prayers, isn’t
prayer the greatest, its so much faster than any cell phone or tweet or text!
Prayer also keeps us out of trouble!
Especially thanks Grandpa Clark for your special prayers on my behalf!
(another long letter Uncle Dan!)
Love Sister Price
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