GEORGIA HEAT 06/20/22

This week I only had 3 full days with Sister Case! There are 5 sets of Sisters in this zone so we go on exchanges (switch out companions for the day) twice a week pretty much. I was on Warner Robbins from Tuesday to Wednesday and it was pretty fun. I was with Sister Maloy. I was training Sister Johnson in Summer Grove when she was being trained by Sister Burch in Newnan! We actually did a lot of finding people to teach while there and we found 5 people to teach!! We were visiting 2 people who were taught the gospel in the past that reside in a trailer park and they both answered the door when we knocked and said they wanted to continue being taught. Also when we were walking back we talked to more people and found 3 more people to teach! 

This week I really forgot what GA heat feels like. Last summer it was hot, but not as hot as Macon. It was over the 100s and mix it with humidity....no bueno! (don't worry mom yes I am applying sunscreen every few hours)

MEGA MIRACLE! On Saturday night we got a RANDOM call from a man named Timmy. We looked up his number in our area book and he had been taught all the lessons (even on date to be baptized) but for some reason the missionaries stopped teaching him like 7 months ago. He told us he had a dream recently that he needed to call us because he has been struggling. We shared a spiritual message and he is so ready to learn more!! I love GA! Everyone wants to learn about God!

Some things really cannot be described in an email. Half of the people we are teaching or that were taught in the past live on Vineville Ave. We don't go there after dark. We wanted to visit some previously taught people and talk to people in the neighborhood. Well, the first address took us to a house that was burned and covered in vines, nice. After knocking on other doors, we drove past a couple sitting on their porch so we decided to go say hi. We parked down the street and we were walking up towards the house when a guy with a HUGE gun in his hand started walking towards the same house, so we decided we'd better turn around... We were almost to the car when we saw an old lady going up the steps to her house. We stopped her and ended up sitting on her porch and teaching some highlights about the Restoration of the Gospel. She told us her story and we gave her a Book of Mormon. She began reading it immediately and we are setting up another lesson! 

This week in during one of my personal studies I found a talk about Charity and it is so good. It is called Charity Never Faileth by Silvia H. Allred in October 2011. She says, "Speaking to the sisters, the Prophet Joseph said: “Don’t be limited in your views with regard to your neighbors’ virtues. … You must enlarge your souls toward others if you [would] do like Jesus. … As you increase in innocence and virtue, as you increase in goodness, let your hearts expand—let them be enlarged towards others—you must be longsuffering and bear with the faults and errors of mankind. How precious are the souls of men!” I love this! We are meant to love one another just like Jesus Christ did! I think that it can be sad that sometimes people mis-treat someone because of different views. Let's have Charity for everyone. We are all here on earth trying our best, we CAN have Charity for everyone, just like the Savior did! 

Charity Never Faileth by Silvia H. Allred link; 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/charity-never-faileth?lang=eng

- When maps took us to the wrong house

- a leaf I sent home!!

- Du-rags from dollar world

- GOOOOD BBQ

- a cool church building 

Last Interview with P. Needs!

What a wild week! I got to meet some of the people that the other missionaries have been teaching and they are all super awesome. There was a lady that Sister Case and I found our first day together in Atlanta and we had a lesson with her...STELLAR!!! We talked with her about the Atonement and what that really means for each of us. The whole time she was connecting dots in her head. Even though she lives in Atlanta, we are super excited to do another call with her over the phone. 

On Friday we had a combined zone conference with the missionaries located in Fayetteville zone and they even came to Macon! Which means I had my last interview with President and Sister Needs (sad days) We have our new mission president, President and Sister Farrias coming July 1st. I am excited to get to know them. They are from Brazil! 

There is a recent convert Freddie who is a sweet old man. He has been struggling a little bit though so keep him in your prayers! Funny story though, on Saturday night we made cookies to give to members on Sunday. I gave them to Freddie and he was so excited and goes, "Just so you know for next week, chocolate chip is my favorite!" Haha he is so awesome.

This week I was reading a talk given in October 2013 by Richard J. Maynes. A quote I like says, "A testimony, like your body, needs to be in shape if you want it to endure. So how do we keep our testimonies in shape? We cannot get our bodies into good basketball shape by simply watching basketball on television. Similarly, we won’t be able to get our testimonies in shape by simply watching general conference on television." I love this because our testimonies are so important. Our mission really emphasizes being truly converted disciples of the Lord. Gaining that testimony is what takes work. I know that God wants the best for us and wants us to feel joy and the way we can, is through Him and His gospel! So don't give up because I know that you will receive the most joy by Him in your life!

Below are some pictures (from last week I didn't send too)

- President and Sister Needs! (I got a hug from them both:) )

- A cathedral in Downtown Macon!

- A legal art wall with the District 

- Krystal (go there if you wanna die. It's a franchise in GA and it was an experience)

- the Sun Set from our apartment

- Macon art

- zone conference 

- we JUST got pics back from Elder Christofferson so enjoy a late photo 

SISTER CASE 06/06/22

MACON! I am in Macon GA with Sister Case! Funny enough I wrote to President Needs last transfer that I want a dramatic change in areas (wishing Auburn or Macon) and I am here! Haha Macon is a HUGE zone/Stake. It even use to be its own mission a few years back yet was closed and then combined with the Atlanta mission. Macon is pretty much in the middle of GA/no where, but it's a city with sketchy town vibes (has its really nice parts too) We just moved into a boujee apartment a few months back because our old apartment had a lot of crime and stuff going on so I'm glad to be here haha. 

I don't really know the area too well because on transfer day after transferring with Sister Case, she had someone getting baptized from her old area, Freedom Park. So we got to have a fun day in ATL and we got to do studies in Piedmont Park. We also ended up finding someone there to teach. Then on Friday we went to Peachtree GA for a big meeting that we have weekly. So I am still getting to know the area and the people but I am so excited to be here. We are also in a Spanish area but in an English ward. There are 6 other missionaries in the Macon ward so it's super fun. 

Miracle story: we were trying to visit people in the past who were taught and so we went over to a lady's home and we started talking. Her mom (the lady we went to go see was sleeping) so we started talking and standing there, and I was like this is super random and felt that we need to share the scripture John 3:16. We pull it out to read it and after, the lady we were taking with, tells us that she was reading that scripture THAT morning. The Spirit was super strong and she gave us her number and we are going to set up a lesson to continue teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Picture:

- Sister Case and I not planning on twinning on Sunday

- the district

- at the temple (the baptism was in the church building behind the temple)

- Sister Case and I at transfers

- Saying bye to Sister Rhea 

- Saying bye to the Vaughns

- Baby Cat we found knocking some houses 

 

Sister Rhea and Sister Williams! 05/23/22

This week we got to go see Khalia be baptized in Conyers! It was so cool to see. When we walked in she was excited to see us she ran up and gave us a hug. 

Sister Rhea also got baptized after church on Sunday. The Spirit was SO STRONG THE WHOLE TIME. She was nervous that none of her kids would come, but one of her daughters did come and with her kids! We were taking some pictures and she just started bawling. Kiley (one of the grand daughters that comes to church) was like oh no stop crying! She then goes on to say, "I have waited and endured up until this moment for so long and I am just so happy!" The service was really good and there was a lot of member support! At the end of the day she texted us saying that all day she has felt like angels were with her.

There was a multicultural ward activity on Saturday and it was fun. Brother Allen and another man buried and cooked a hog! People brought food items from different countries that they are from or have lived! 

This is a shorter one but I love you all and so does God!!! I hope all of you have a great week!!

Pictures:

- Sister Rheas baptism

- Khalias baptism 

Running out of Subject Lines

We went on exchanges this week and I went to Conyers with Sister Moon. She is still in her training and so we decided to do a lot of finding. On Friday night we looked at some people that were taught in the passed who aren't learning any more and visited some. One lady let us right in! She told us that she hasn't seen sisters in a long time come over. She was so nice and told us that they are 7th day Adventists members, Well Friday night is when their Sabbath starts off. She invited us to stay while they kick off the sabbath and it was pretty interesting! Her two kids came and we all prayed and then sang some songs! They taught us a sone about Jesus's love and it was pretty cool. Then lastly they had time to go around and share their testimonies from the week. She told us that she would like for us to come back over and share a message! I am not in Conyers but the other sister missionaries are planning on going back over to visit. 

This coming Sunday is Sonjas baptism and we are so excited! Our friend Khalia is also getting baptized! Recently our ward just had a change of boundaries and she is now in the Conyers ward. So we passed her off to the Conyers sisters 2 weeks ago and she is now getting baptized on Saturday! We are super excited to go and support her too! 

On Thursday we had a quarterly meeting with the stake and all of the missionaries and members that attend missionary coordination counsel in the wards. This is my third time going to one...that will tell you how long I have been in the Conyers Stake/Zone lol! We got up and talked about missionary work and social media and how we can get members more involved. Not going to lie, I liked these meetings a lot more when I just had to show up haha!

On Sunday a lady in the ward gave a talk and it was really good. She talked about how absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God besides our own agency. She told us how for work she has to drive through Atlanta and it's terrible (fun fact: GA drivers are wild), she continued to say how there are so many worldly things that go on in our lives but how she tries to make a safe bubble. Driving to work she CHOOSES to listen to talks or uplifting music because even though there is so much going around her, she knows that she still has access to the spirit and the Saviors love. I love that she shared that because we too must choose what we do. There are so many distractions in the world but we can always create a safe bubble for the spirit to be with us! We must get rid of the "clutter" or distractions and remember what is most important! 

Pictures:

- a conference had

- apt. tie dye!

Biking? 05/09/22

WHAT A WEEK!! 

On Tuesday we had exchanges with sisters in Snellville GA and funny enough they live in the same apartment I lived in at Stone Mountain!

Big blessing because it's been a little hard, and when we got to Snellville, Sister Scott told me that they are still trying to work with the Ramirez Family (they were like my family in Stone Mountain, I love them to death) their area boundaries got switched up and part of Stone Mountain is now in their area. We decided to go and visit them!!!!! I was so happy, when sister Ramirez saw me she was so excited!!!! I served there a year ago and she was so shocked! She told us that she just got a calling in the new ward and she knows the Lord knew she needed her to have one to get her there. 

It was Sister Scott's 4 month mark as a missionary so we got pizza and ice cream to celebrate! I felt like the whole time it was dejavu...but it was real hahah!

Okay we don't have many miles and we have to save them for meetings. So I convinced Sister Bettinger for us to ask for bikes...so we got some! We rode 10 miles on Thursday and it was sooooo much fun! We'll it was fun but absolutely tiring because its Georgia and there are SO MANY HILLS hahah (The real test now is seeing if I can convince her to ride again) We also almost ran over a snake (pic is below).

Sister Rhea is doing pretty good too. It was so wholesome because we sister missionaries were present with her when she called an elder in our ward and asked him to baptize her, and they were so happy! 

So on Sunday a mini family came to church with some members in our ward and they speak Spanish. We got to use our Spanish and it was so fun. They said how they feel so loved and will be back next week. This week we have been finding a lot of people to teach about the gospel of Jesus and it has been so wonderful to see God's hands in the work we are doing. 

Sister Rheas quote of the week is: 

"Once yall find me a man make sure his teeth are straighten up....I want to see his teeth in his mouth not a jar" 

We were all laughing so hard!

Pics:

- exchanges 

- the snake

A Wild Week 05/02/2022

Hey everyone! I am doing pretty good. This week was full of a lot of things!!!

We had Elder Christofferson (from the Quorum of the 12 apostles) come and visit our mission along with Elder Palmer (from the Quorum of the 70) It was really awesome! We did a Q&A and got to talk with both of them! Side note: Elder Christofferson is super funny and kind of sarcastic lol

This week our friend Sonja moved...CLOSER TO US! Men from the ward came and helped her move things and we did as well. She also told us that she wants to be baptized on the 22nd of May! She seriously is so awesome. We also have been trying to help her find a best friend in the ward and she found a really good friend! We had a lesson all together and half way through Sister Bradley and Sonja remembered an old song and then they sat next to each other and sang the song and cried together. 

I found out that a lady I taught Carla from  the Stone Mountain area (my first area) moved to Stockbridge which is like 15 minutes from me!! The Elders in that area are teaching her and helping her learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ! I was so happy to hear that she is really learning and loving it.

I love you all and have a good week! 

Pictures this week:

- A Big meeting with missionaries from other zones

- Us with Elder and Sister Arave, they are finishing their mission this week!

- Us (the sister missionaries) cooking Leafstone Dinner for all the missionaries in our apt complex! (we sometimes all eat outside together)

- A strange bottle hahaha