Dear Family,
It's crazy that there are only 2 more weeks left in this transfer.
It has gone by fast. Unfortunately I was very spoiled in Hot
Springs-we lived with members and had full car. The area is huge
though, so it wouldn't really make sense not to have full
car. We just had our walk week-my second in the mission. I am glad
that I'm not spoiled as much anymore because missions are supposed to be
for working! Work work work all the time and if I don't I feel really
guilty. I try not to feel guilty but just do
my best. It's good to be pushed though, and I feel that I have been
this transfer. I have gotten better at contacting-which is my weakest
point I think. We actually met this nice family(a couple named Samantha
and Steve and their two kids) that lives next door
to a part member family we are teaching, the Lackeys. Noah Lackey who
is 15 has been running with Steve, the 30 yr old rugby player.
haha. At first when we knocked on their door, Sam said,"Oh, we're
already Christian" and was about to shut the door. As
we talked with her more, she completely opened up and started telling
us about the yard sale she was getting ready for, and..well basically
her life story. It never ceases to amaze me how talented these
Southerners are with talkin :). We had a great conversation
with her and ened up helping her a lot with her yard sale. I found
myself getting personally invested in it, and when people would come and
look around, I would guide their attention to items I thought they
would like. I enjoyed being a little sales girl
and was really happy when people bought stuff! I think their yard sale
went pretty well. We realized yesterday that it feels like we've known
Sam and Steve forever but really we've only known them 2 days. Funny
how that happens. I think that's the way
that it should be.
A great thing that happened this week- we finally were able to
contact a referral. This woman is named Chelle, and she works with our
ward mission leader. She has been going through a rough time and is in
the process of moving. We have gone to her house
probably 3 or 4 times and she wasn't home. We felt impressed to go to
her house again yesterday and she immediately opened the door. She let
us in, and actually let us help her pack things up and move. So many
people turn down our help. I'm sure they have
their reasons, but we are just missionary girls! We don't look like
the mafia like 3 elders would standing at their door step. Anyway, she
let us in so that was really good. She expressed to us that she had low
spirits that day and felt overwhelmed about
life and moving. She had prayed earlier, explaining to Heavenly Father
her need. Then we showed up and helped her. She said "Everything happens
at the right time". I felt so happy to be able to get in touch with her
and have her be so positive to us and the
church. She told us that she has actually had a Book of Mormon for a
few years-she bought one at a yard sale once! How funny is that! She
paid for it.
I find myself singing that Paul Simon song more frequently...."I'm
talkin about Graceland, Graceland...Memphis Tennessee, I'm talkin about
Graceland". Did you know that Elvis was taking the missionary lessons
in Hawaii when he was filming a movie at the
Polynesian Cultural Center before he died? And apparently there is a
sister in the Southaven ward who works at Graceland. One day when she
was younger, she found the Book of Mormon that one of the Osmonds gave
him. She decided that if it was good enough
for Elvis, it was good enough for her. She investigated the church and
got baptized. AND, another lady that wrote a book about Elvis came to
Bartlett about a month ago. She called the sisters for a Book of Mormon
and other literature so that she could take
it to Graceland. She wanted to give it to Elvis's daughter because
apparently it was Elvis's request that his daughter find out about the
church. All these things I never knew...
We had a great day at church yesterday. In Relief Society we
talked about being on the Lord's side of the line. When we are even an
inch outside of the line, we are in the tempter's power. This stuff is
important- cause when you are keeping the commandments,
you are entitled to the Lord's blessings. When we are not, we see the
consequences. They may not be immediate, but they will come. The
closing hymn was "Be Thou Humble". This song touched me. It really
reminded me of Mom for some reason. I think it just
reminded me of the way she serves and trusts God. "Be thou humble in
thy pleading, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee, Shall bless thee
with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares". She bears her testimony
to me of this almost weekly. He does care.
People talk about "tender mercies" from the Lord all the time.
Sometimes I think, well how can you really know that was from the Lord?
But when you receive spiritual confirmation of things, you just know.
The closer you live to the spirit, the stronger
that knowledge is. The other day I was eating a nectarine, and I know
that that nectarine was a tender mercy from the Lord. Let me
explain. It had been a rough day. Sis Bridgewater got sick so we had to
stay in the apartment alllll day. I was sorta going
crazy. I just wanted to get out and work and not sit around. Well, we
had a sister who was planning to come out with us that evening. Since
Sis Bridgewater was still sick, Sis Yuen stayed with her and I went out
to see a few of our investigators with this
sister from the ward. I was kinda scared...haha. I don't know why,
I've done it before. Anyway, it was a good experience but when I got
home, I was just really happy to be back with my companions in the
apartment, having accomplished something that night.
Why eating a fruit helped me realize this, I don't know. But it was
awesome.
I hope you all have a wonderful week and please remember how blessed you are.
"As if everybody here knows exactly what I'm talkin about..."
love sister wilde
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