I can AT LEAST love the people

Hey y'all!!! Another fast week has gone by!!! Seriously, it all seems like a big blur to me. Ah.

I am so grateful for this gospel. I love the people her a lot a lot. Like a lot.

 

I am training!!! WAHOO. My new companion is Sister Gustafson. Yeah. Try saying that last name 3 times fast. She is such a sweet person!! I love her. She reminds me of Heidi Poppleton with her sense of humor and how she says certain things. She is so determined to find people and is very diligent!!!! It was so funny to see how she reacted to meeting certain people. She has never been to the south hahah. We have elders serving with us in Clanton now!! WAHOOo

 

WE HAVE A NEW INVESTIGATOR AND GUESS WHAT HER NAME IS??!!!?  !!!!!!!GRACIE!!!!!!! Isn't that so grand? It's meant to be. We knocked on her door and she let us right in. She didn't even ask who we were and she said, "So what lesson do you have today?" She got her pad of paper out and started to take notes. We just started to talk about the restoration and she was just amazed that there was another set of scripture. She kept saying, "now why have I never heard of this?" She also told us that she was going to share the Book of Mormon with the people she teaches in sunday school at church. Hope that one goes down well. haha we will see her again tomorrow!!!

 

Shirley is supposed to be baptized by this weekend, but I have a feeling that she won't. We taught her the Law of chastity lesson which went well, but she feels a lot of guilt. Her "fiance" James is still in the hospital with his broken hip so I don't really know what to do because she has to be married or move out before she is baptized. Ah. I just have to trust in the Lord and in His timing with things.

 

We haven't been able to get a hold of Betty in a while. Her husband called us and told us she enrolled herself in a mental hospital for some time to get over her depression. Please pray for her!!!

 

We have a baptismal date set up with Cynthia on November the 16th!!! We came to her house one night and caught her in perfect timing!!! She was sitting outside, talking to her sister on the phone. When she got off the phone, she told us, "you know what's weird? I was about to call a lady from my church and ask her when I could get baptized and then y'all showed up." yup. God works in mysterious ways. It has been so hard to get a hold of her so it's a miracle that we were able to! We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she just kept saying, "WOW! WOW. OH MY. YES JESUS. YES." hahaha SHE LOVED IT. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes!! I'm obsessed with her. She has a heart of gold.

 

So, in training meeting with President Hanks, he told us to take our new companion out tracting the first night. So, that's what sister Gustafson and I did. Pretty sure she was scared to death because as we were going to the next door, 5 cop cars started to surround us because there was a fight going on a couple doors down. They started to ask us questions and we didn't know anything!! Oh. how I love clanton. A LOT.

 

I was looking through our branch roster one night and came upon a name and thought it would be a good idea to visit her. She was a less active member and lived closeby. We went to her house and were greeted by 3 HUGE dogs who basically attacked us. So fun. She welcomed us in and then just started to talk about how awful she thinks the church is and how we are living in our own bubble and yadda yadda. I didn't want to argue so instead, I just said, "Do you mind if we say a prayer with you?" She replied quickly saying, "No! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." I just politely smiled and said okay and then she replied again saying, "I hope y'all are able to find God someday" So fun. Sister G. and I just said a prayer as soon as we got in the car because the spirit was NOT there in that home. It's so sad and I hope and pray her heart is able to soften.

 

I am so grateful for this gospel. I know that maybe I'm not the greatest missionary in the world, but I do know one thing: I LOVE the people here. I'm literally obsessed with them all!!!

I know that this church is true. I know that Heavenly Father knows what's best for us. READ MOSIAH 4:9!!!! I love King Benjamin!!!!

Missionary work is really hard, but I'm obsessed with it. There are just too many good things that outweigh the bad every time.

I know that God let's bad things happen to good people because HE LOVES US and knows what we need to go through. I know that prayer works and that He really does listen. I know that if you have a grateful heart, your life will become a little easier to deal with. I love y'all so much.

May we all try a little harder to be a little better every day!

 

P.S. Jenna and parents, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGES. They came on a day that I needed them most :) So so grateful for my family!!! AHHH