Sweet Home Alabama: Fear is the Opposite of Faith

I am seriously OBSESSED with being a missionary; especially here in Alabama. Goodness, everyone just needs to hear the gospel here!!! This past week was truly AMAZING!!!! Heavenly Father is so good. I have improved a lot this week and I'm so grateful for all that I am learning. I am truly trying to be more Christlike and do the things that He would do if He was physically here. I used to be so scared about being bold in my finding efforts, but something has changed in my desires and I am so happy that God has made my weaknesses into strengths!! I definitely prayed that He could do that for me.

Well, ladies and gents, I am moving to a new area with a new companion this Wednesday and Sister Gustafson is staying in Clanton!! Goodness, I would of never thought I would miss this place as much as I do!!!! It will always have a special place in my heart!!!

Like I said, this week was GRAND!!! It was full of a lot of teaching opportunities and also full of awkward disappointment. Let's start with talking about this cute girl named Toria that we met. She is in her 20's and has an ADORABLE girl. We taught her the restoration. As we were talking to her about how Christ established His church while He was on the earth, she innocently asked us, "What was His church called when He organized it?" Sister Gustafson replied saying, "We don't really know. Maybe the Church of Christ?" Then, Toria quickly replied and said, "Oh good! Thanks for telling me that. It gives me a lot of comfort to know that I am going to the right church cause my church is called that." OH MY GOODNESS. I was trying so hard not to laugh. (I know I know. It was a really rough mistake on our part to say anything like that, but OH my.) Towards the end of the lesson, we made sure to focus on how the LDS church is the ONLY true church. We invited her to be baptized and she said YES. Woot woot!!!

We went "finding" in this beauty shop named "sally". We talked to the cashier and I just had the strongest feeling to ask her if she has read the BOM. I just casually said to her, "So. Have you ever read the Book of Mormon?" She said no and we basically just gave her the first lesson while we were in the store!! She seemed really interested and told us we could come back whenever!!! In that moment, I realized how easy it truly is to bring up the gospel in a conversation. Yes, it can be SUPER awkward at times, but I just keep telling myself that if I do all that I can do, even if it means totally embarrassing myself, then I will do it because God will help "make my words so" and lift me up!!!!

We tracted into this sweet lady named Pam. We gave an awesome first discussion with her and her daughter. As we were about half way through with the lesson, the daughter leaves and runs to the back room of the house. We continue to talk to the mom and just as we are about to talk about Joseph Smith, Pam's husband walks into the room and WHOOOSH. The spirit was gone. He started to yell at us and told us to get out of his house and told us that we don't believe in the same Jesus. blah blah blah. I just smiled at him the whole time and asked him if I could just say a prayer before we left. He agreed and that was that. Pam was so embarrassed and felt really bad. Ah it broke our hearts to leave because the spirit was SO STRONG, but hey, we planted a seed!!! WAHOO!

Oh my, yesterday was a MIRACLE!!! SO MANY GRAND THINGS HAPPENED and I know that God had planned it all out. We had a dinner appointment with Nick and Rena (young couple that we had thanksgiving with. Rena is less active). We had 30 minutes before we had to go over there, so we decided to go tracting. We both felt the need to go to this one trailer. We knocked on the door, and a sweet guy let us in. There were two couples in the home and they were both always hang out with each other on Sunday night with their kids as well. There were four adorable kids all under the age of 6! The couples were in their 20's and were so sweet towards us!!! All of them started to tell us how excited they were that we were there because they were all studying the Bible together before we got there and they think it's a sign from God that we just randomly showed up at their home. The kids were pretty noisy and were crawling around everywhere. BUT GUESS WHAT??? When I started to quote the first vision, IT WAS DEAD SILENT IN THE ROOM. EVEN THE KIDS JUST STOPPED AND STARED AT ME. It was the craziest thing. We invited them all to be baptized and they said yes!!! Charles kept asking us how he could get a copy of the Book of Mormon and if he had to buy it. When we gave it to him for free, he was so so so excited to read it!! Ah. The whole lesson, they just kept saying, "Yeah. That would make sense. Yeah. totally." They told us that we could come back whenever :) Ah, I'm so grateful for the spirit and the prayers that were answered then. What is really amazing is that none of them had ever heard of the Book of Mormon. Usually, people hear about the Book of Mormon here, but they hear about it in a negative way which is so sad. This experience made me realize how there are truly people prepared everywhere we serve; we just have to find them!!!!!!

Gracie Roberts is getting baptized this Saturday!!!!!! It's such a bummer that I won't be able to be there for it, but I'm so excited for her!!! :) Her sister, Katie, wants to be baptized on the 18th of this month :) Sister Roberts gave her testimony in church yesterday and it was just beautiful. I'm so grateful for the chance that I have had to work with them. They are a GREAT FAMILY!!!!

I have learned so much from being here in Clanton. I have learned how to truly LOVE people in general. I really do try every day to look at people through God's eyes. Everything changes in your life when you do that.

God is so good!!! I can't wait to see where I will be serving!!!! Love y'all so much! The gospel is REAL. It will bless our lives and make us better!!!!!! I would like to challenge y'all this week to recognize the peace that you feel and remember the times that you have felt peace. Peace comes through Christ. Satan can imitate anything BUT peace. I feel peace when I read the scriptures, pray, and think about my blessings. When do y'all feel peace?

MYKY,

Sister Platt

P.S. Thank you to the Bluths for the HUGE food package :) y'all are the best!!!!!

P.S.S. Thank you to the ward in Arizona for the sheet full of notes of love and encouragement!!!

P.S.S.S. Thanks for all the prayers :) I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!!

"Big Money" Bill. The sweetest man I have ever met. The elders baptized him in November and he loves coming to church!!! we go over and read scriptures with him and his wife!!

Gracie and Katie, I love them!

Mama Gray, she cried when I told her I was leaving. She is so sweet.

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, Piggly Wiggly! My dream has come true!

It was REALLY windy.

Miss Daisy was having a bad day so we brought her frosties!

ROMIE!!!! obsessed with her. She loves having us over! She is not a member, but has met with misisonaries before!!! She bought us subway and we talked about Christ with her. She always tells us that we remind her of her grandkids.