Helaman 10:4-5

Sometimes... A mission is REALLLY HARRDDD, BUT it is SO WORTH IT.

How is everyone doing??? Steph. I'M OBSESSED WITH HER ALREADY SHE IS SO CUTE CONGRATS!!! SEND ME PHYSICAL PHOTOS SOON PLEASE.

 

First things first. Some really really sad news....

 

Friday, we had district meeting. Shirley called us 5 times during our meeting and left 5 different voicemails telling us in a mad voice that she is NOT getting baptized and that she got her answer from the Bible that she doesn't need to be baptized and that she is going to another church. MY HEART BROKE. My spirits were really low at that point and I started to read from the scriptures. I came across Helaman 10:4-5 and replaced my name with Nephi's. It brought me much comfort and made me realize that hey, I planted a seed and she just isn't ready now. It can be SO unbelievably frustrating to be a missionary when things like this happens, but then I think of when Elder Holland said, "I'm convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. How could we ever believe it could be easy for us if it was never easy for him?"

 

We tracted into this couple and the husband told us he went to our church in Louisianna and didn't know there was one here in Clanton!!! Miracle!! His wife is not a member and said she was really interested!! We gave them the first lesson and it went really well. We are meeting with them tomorrow!!!

 

We haven't been able to contact Betty for a good 2 weeks :( I hope and pray that she is okay and is recovering from her depression. She is such a sweet lady and wanted to be baptized!!!

 

Sister Gustafson and I are really trying to find the "elect" people here in Clanton. Just keep praying for us!!!

 

On Saturday, our branch had a fall festival!!! GUESS WHAT. There were 10 youth that showed up and GUESS WHAT ELSE??? They all showed up at church yesterday and OH MY, you should've seen the smile on my face. I was sooooo excited!!! I don't think anyone even realized how big of a miracle it was! There are tender mercies all around us if we just look for them.

 

I'm just so grateful for this mission.

 

Last Monday, we went to an icecream place called "Deri Delite" with Sister Lutz. While we were in there, one of the workers came over to us and said, "Hey. Y'all are missionaries? I used to go to your church. I'm baptized and so are my kids!!!!!" We asked her if we could come over some time to visit and she said she would love that!!! She told us she has been meaning to go back to church for quite some time now. Then, as we were saying our goodbyes with sister Lutz outside of Deri Delite, ANOTHER worker came outside and said, "So. WHAT do Mormons actually believe?" I told him that we KNOW that Christ's true church that he established is back on the earth! We gave him a Book of Mormon and now the Elders are going to teach him :)

 

We were able to see a lot of less active members this past week which was awesome. I think if there's nothing else I can do here in Clanton, I AT LEAST want to bring less actives back into the fold. There are 140 members in Clanton with about 25 that are truly active. They are just as important as a baptism, if not more!

 

We meet with this cute couple, Rena and Nick every Sunday night!!! Rena who's 21, is inactive, but loves the church. Her parents had a rough divorce which made her make some poor mistakes and she had an ADORABLE little boy when she was in high school with Nick. THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED NOW!!! WAHOO!!! They are awesome though. We walked in the house yesterday and guess what movie they put on? "The Other Side of Heaven!!" I was dying. they are so precious and always want us to come over. They are truly a miracle!!! Nick is not a member, but we send him scriptures via text every day and he tells us that he loves getting them! We will start giving him actual lessons next Sunday. I have a vision of them entering into the temple one day. Ah they are so great!!!

 

I'm so grateful for this gospel. I'm grateful for the south. I love it here. People say the funniest things....

"I'm fixin to go to the store." ... Fixin? What?

"I reckon it's down there yonder." ...huh?

Sister Gustafson has an AMAZING voice, so we have come up with this new idea of singing hymns before every lesson with everyone!!!! It really does bring the spirit nicely!

 

I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much. He is so so good!!! Jesus Christ went through so much for us so that we could be happy. He really did. I just pray for y'alls happiness every day. Ah. I love my family so much!!!!!!!

I love Sister Gustafson!!! 

SUNDAE SUNDAY!!!! (We decided to make this tradition to only have ice cream on Sundays :)) 

We got a new car!!!!!