Jackson Branch 08/30/2021

It has been my first full week in Jackson! This area really works on member work, because without the members we don't have a branch. We are teaching one lady her name is Rebecca. Her husband has been a member his whole life and she has met with the missionaries for about 3 years. She told us how she wants to be baptized on Tuesday! We picked September 18th and planned out the following times we can meet with her! The branch presidents wife, Sister Jones is really great friends with her and she comes to the lessons with us. 

It seems like my Spanish wont be wrecked after all! There is a Cuban family, the Alsinas that are in the branch. There is not a Spanish area for them that is close so they are assigned to the branch. They don't come to church but every week lots of members go by to visit even though it is hard to understand them, but the Alsinas love the members that come by! On Saturday Sarah(Sister Volley) went with us over to visit them. Sarah served in Chile and has kept up with her Spanish she visits them a lot. The Alsinas are so sweet. They are an older couple and Cuban. Which means rough for me to understand fully but thats okay, the Holy Ghost really does help out! 

On Wednesday night we got a call from the branch president and he asked if I could talk on Sunday! So my first Sunday there I gave a talk during sacrament and it was great. I love that in this area you really get to know the members because in my last area it was hard with juggling 2 wards and teaching a lot. So I am super excited! Plus everyone is so sweet. 

One family that we are close with are the Volleys. Brother and Sister Volley have 2 girls. (Sarah Volley is Brother Volleys sister who lives with them) Brother Volley is the 2nd councilor in the branch and he is awesome. He asked us what our favorite temple is and he 3D printed us them! We also had dinner with them twice this week and he teaches every missionary how to solve a Rubiks Cube...we will see if he can teach me lol!

Pics:

1-2. Sister Silveria and I out filming a video for Facebook with the STLs

3. We had our studies at a members home on their back porch that is over a lake! 

4. 3D of my favorite temple (Houston TX)

SISTER SILVERIA 08/23/21

 Wow. Lots of things happened in this past week. I am going to start with the most recent which is me getting Emergency Transferred! On Saturday Sister Golightly and I got a call from President saying how he is sorry but we are getting split up. He said how Sister Worley you are leaving Stone Mountain to go to Jackson to be companions with Sister Silveria and how Sister Golightly you are staying here and getting Sister McAllister as your companion. Let me tell you, if that doesn't hit you as a shocker I don't know what will. I was so sad to leave, (especially after having been comps for 12 days) but luckily I got to sneak in a few goodbyes to my favorite people before we switched on Sunday(last night). Jackson Georgia is in the boonies, it is an English Branch (Rip Spanish lol) and kinda a ghost town if you shall say but I am SO EXCITED to continue to work in Jackson!

On another note, we had Zone Conference on Tuesday and it went really well. President talked about giving invitations and teaching with the Spirit. One thing I loved is that we practiced "role playing" and teaching to their needs with the Spirit. I learned that the needs of people and receiving help all comes down to one simple question. Do you know that God loves you? If you are struggling with loneliness, heart break, a lost job, a death in the family, etc. If you know that God truly loves you, you can receive so much strength and support. I know that God loves each and every one of you and that he hears your prayers, just keep holding on because He loves you and He has a specific plan for you!

Pics:

1. Sister Golightly and I headed to Zone Conference!

2. We got a crazy storm and of course we had to take a pic in it

3. Our last District phone call with me being in Stone Mountain 

4. Goodbye to my favorite house mates and appt. 1007

SISTER GOLIGHTLY 08/16/21

Hey y'all! This week was a long week! We had transfers and Sister Watson left Stone Mountain(so sad). I am still in Stone Mountain and my new companion is Sister Golightly. She is from Utah, originally called to Chile, we both came out together, this is her first Spanish area and she loves Dr. Pepper (a lot). It has been a wack adjustment to getting a new companion and leading the area again but it has been good. Since she has only been in an English area I have been leading/doing almost everything in Spanish. 

At the transfer meeting Sister Watson and I wore our matching dressing (thanks mom lol) and everyone thought it was so funny! A pic is below!

Carla! Sister Watson and I had a lesson with Carla on Tuesday about the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom and it went really well! We told Carla that as she goes off of coffee we will go off of sugar!(something that we love) to help support her as she prepares for baptism. Carla is so awesome she has such a strong desire to change her life and follow Christ! So keep her in your prayers as she prepares! (and me because we will see how I am without candy or treats lol) 

We have been able to find 4 new people this week which is good! One experience was on Thursday night. We went to go visit a lady who requested a Bible but she gave us a fake address (gotta love that) so with the free time gap we had we decided to look on area book, an address book, to see who lives near by that we could visit. As we were looking at a list of people I felt the impression we should go visit a man named Grover. It was interesting because I have never seen his name before in our area. We went to go stop by his house and he was so excited to see us! He came outside and we talked for about an hour. We asked if we could return and share another message and he said yes. It was a really cool experience for both Sister Golightly and I!

Also please keep Adam in your prayers! He is going through some hard health problems :( 

Pictures:

1/2. Pictures from heart attacking Hermana Gonzales💖

3. Our first Sunday together at the Spanish Ward!

4. Last apt. 1007 picture with Sister McAllister, Sister Watson, Sister Saunders and I

5. Sister Watson and I matching:)

El Templo! 08/09/21

 Hey everyone! I hope y'all are safe and doing great! Here is a recap of this past week with pictures!

-We got to go through the Atlanta Georgia temple and it was so good!

-We had interviews with President (and took pictures in Conyers)

-Luis came to church on Sunday and is bringing his family this next week

-Our district went and hiked Stone Mountain 

-We got transfer news and Sister Watson is sadly leaving and I will be getting another companion on Wednesday

-We had dinner at the Ramirezs (ALWAYS THE BEST) and she brought us treats:)

The Atonement 08/02/21

 Hey y'all! I hope this past week was good for you! This week was filled with lots of things for me! We had a lesson with our friend Carla this week again and she is officially on date for baptism! We are so excited for her. One of the best things you see as a missionary is the lives of people having a whole 360 because of their desire to change and follow Christ!

We visited a few less active members this week! One was Hermana Serpa (STORY TIME) Hermana Ramirez told us about her and so us 3 went over and visited with her. She is a little old lady from Cuba and talks way fast Sister Watson and I could barely understand! (Good this Hermana Ramirez was there) This week was our week to go to the Centerville ward and while we were greeting people, Hermana Serpa and her granddaughter walked in! We were SO SURPRISED! One reason is because its the English ward and two is because we didn't know! She brought her granddaughter and she told us that they would go to this ward when her granddaughter was younger! Hermana Serpa doesn't speak any English though so were were a little shocked. She loved it though and after so many people came up and and said hi! She told us after sacrament how she needs to have us over for dinner to make us Cuban food and that next Sunday she will be at the Stone Mountain Ward!

We also went and visited Hermana Gonzales, she is the sweetest lady. She told us some people she knows from the Stone Mountain Ward and this next week we are going over with Hermana Castillo(a member who she knows well) Hermana Castillo was SO HAPPY when we told her about Hermana Gonzales! We think it will be really good!

This week we had the opportunity to find a new person! We gets lots of referrals every day but usually are for English class so we will tell them about our group class. We were stoked when we saw that a man, Luis wanted to learn about the church. We gave him a call to get to know him and he is super cool. He has been through a lot in his life but he wants a change for himself and for his family. When we were talking with him we ended with sharing a scripture in Isaiah 53:3-5;

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed"

This scripture is so powerful to me. Jesus Christ was rejected, despised, felt grief and pain, betrayed, wounded and died on the cross for each and every one of us, because he loves us. He knows how we feel when we are low and he knows how to carry us. He also knows how we feel when we are filled with joy and happiness. He gave his life so we can have eternal life and repent daily. A perfect man gave his life for imperfect people. I know that Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ love us all so much. I know that there isn't anything that can stop Their love from us. I hope that you all will continue to put Christ first in your lives and allow his atonement to heal! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!

Love, Sister Worley

Pics:

(Sorry for so many Car pictures lol)

1. After our visit with Hna. Gonzales 

2. Muffins Hna. Ramirez gave us after visiting Hna. Serpa