Halloween is near

Dear Family,

 

The weather is so nice here in my favorite month of October.  I am excited about Halloween.  I'm getting into the spirit by sharing my favorite Halloween songs "Halloween Cat" and "Boo boo boo boo, I'm a ghost to scare you", but only with the people who will appreciate the treasures that those songs really are. :)    I think me and Sis Bridgewater are going to dress up like Nephites and Lamanites.  I'm not sure how much of a distinction we'll be able to make though, because a lot of people we meet think we're actual sisters.  This makes Sis B sort of mad...I'm not sure why, because we are opposite in literally every other way.  I continue to be amazed at the crazy stories she tells me, and she always has more.  Last night she was telling me about how she was a cage fighter in high school.  A cage fighter.  She learned to fight and defend herself in elementary school, while I was probably playing piano or something.  The contrast is hilarious.

 

Well, we had to go to the doctor this last week for Sis B and while I was waiting, I decided to see if I could name all 50 states.  I had actually been working on it for a few weeks, but I was missing one.  Just one, and neither of us could figure it out.  A few days later, we were at an investigator's house and asked them to look up which state we were missing.  It was Wyoming!  Sorry Mom and Dad, I don't know how I forgot that one.  Plus that's where President is from too. Whoops.  I could remember Vermont but not Wyoming.  Anyway, that doesn't really have anything to do with missionary work. 

 

I got to speak in sacrament meeting yesterday.  It went well!  The topic was Recognizing the Spirit.  I spoke about how we can better receive and recognize the Spirit when we pray in faith.  This is really important.  We learn in D&C 42:14 that if we don't pray with faith, we cannot receive the spirit and can't teach.  When we do this more frequently and sincerely, we can begin to develop Christlike attributes like humility.  This helps us overcome the natural man (Mosiah 3:19) and allows the spirit to work with us.  We begin to desire the welfare of others above our own.  I talked about how few people understand this principle better than mothers do.  I shared how touched I was to find out from Mom that I was remembered in every prayer offered in my family, and that it wasn't until then that I realized that my mom and dad hadn't just been praying for me every day of my mission, but every day of my whole life.  The spirit witnessed to me that those prayers were heard by our Heavenly Father.  What good we can do when we pray for others!  When we pray in faith, our desires begin to change, and we can better understand God's love for his children.  We will have the desire to respond to the Savior's call to serve our brothers and sisters, and we will do it becasue we love Him.

 

Last week we had a zone conference.  Somehow one of the APs found out that I sing, but what he didn't understand was that I don't sing alone.  I don't like to...I need Michelle or Sharlie or Elisa or Kynsie or Chelsea...but none of them are here.  So he asked me to sing, and I was obedient.  I ended up roping Sister Kenworthy into it (mmwhahaha) and we did a duet while I played piano. It was really fun to sing with her.  We sang "Be Thou My Vision" from that book Mom gave me.  I had a good time.

 

We are working with a wonderful lady named Stephanie.  She knows the Book of Mormon is true!  Do you know how cool that is-to find someone who will read the BOM, pray about it,  find out it's true, and then continue reading it?  Man, it's priceless.  The more I read it the more I think to myself "There is no way on earth Joseph Smith could have written this".  If it wasn't the word of God, then it wouldn't be the way by which we can receive revelation.  We really can receive personal revelation through it.  And every time we get a bunch of anti, it really helps me to read the Book of Mormon.  Sometimes it really hurts my feelings to hear the horrible things people tell me about my church.  But, its good because then I get the opportunity to teach them what is true about our church. 

 

I hope the family is well-you seem to be from what I hear.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers for me.  I really wish I could be there to watch Return to OZ with yall...but hey!  I finally found someone who actually knows what that movie is!  It's Sister Bridgewater. :)

 

I love you!!

 

love sister annalisa wilde

Missionary work is a Funny Thing!

Dear Family,

 

What a week.  Missionary work is a funny thing.  It goes by way slow at the same time that it goes by way fast.  I have realized over the past week though that all the bad stuff you go through is completely worth it when something wonderful happens.  Even if it's small.  One particular day last week, we were really striking out.  Alll day we would drive, knock doors, drive, knock doors, drive...and nothing.  No one was home.  We went to the home of one of our new investigators and she had pnemonia so she couldn't let us in, but even talking to her on the porch for 5 minutes was really awesome.  We sincerely thanked her for talking with us.  I was getting down this past week because we haven't been able to set any baptismal dates...well at least we had one.  That was good.  But whenever someone in the zone sets a date, they text everyone in the zone to tell them.  And we were getting texts left and right!  We really wanted to help people progress, but things weren't going too good.  Anyway, I learned something yesterday that really humbled me.  All that time I had been feeling bad for myself last week and then this is what I hear from a ward member who had us over for dinner.  He served his mission in Greece.  I was interested- I had never heard of anyone going there.  I asked him what it was like to serve there.  He talked about how Athens was pretty yucky, but then he served in a near by country, the name of which is escaping me at the moment,and it was a gorgeous place.  He said "the food was good, the people were.....well...I could count the number of progressing investigators I had on one hand."   NO WAY.  His whole mission.  He worked his hardest every day, and no one listened.  He said he didn't get invited into anyone's home until a year into his mission.  He talked of how he came to measure success as a missionary in a new way.  Instead of baptisms, he measured it by the seemingly small things like if he got to bear his testimony that day, or if he placed a Book of Mormon or  serve someone that day.  This was a lesson to me.  I'm pretty sure I'll try really hard to never complain again.  Especially because we are working with a legit family right now.  They are coming to church and reading and we have become really close with them.  They just want to be closer to God, and there isn't anything more precious than that, I think.

 

Do you want to hear a crazy story?  So the day we were striking out, I was praying for opportunities to talk with people.  While we were at the gas station, I saw this little old man in a hawaiin shirt and a cross necklace shuffling his feet over to pay for his gas.  I thought, "I really need to go talk to him."  When Sis B got back in the car, I said, "we need to go talk to that guy getting gas".  She said, "I don't know what to say to him".  "Well, neither do I but we have to".  So we walked up-it was the most awkwaard approach ever.  We had no idea what to say.. haha.  We were like, "hey sir, how are you today?"  Then he started talking to us like he knew us or something.  He said, "fine fine, how is everybody over there, are you keeping things under control?"  I played along and said yes...he started talking about something he needed to go do, and we gave him a passalong card and left.  Pretty awkward, but I felt better.  Anyway.  Back to our striking out day.  No one was home, blah blah...then.  It's 8:15pm and the day is still not over.  I prayed in my head that Heavenly Father would help us know where to go.  Then came the thought "Lisa Eck".  We go to Lisa's house all the time and she's never home.  But I suggested it, we went, and she was home.  As we visited with her, a knock came at the door.  She opens it, and who do I see?  That same little old man with the hawaiian shirt and cross necklace!  I was so surprised!  My mouth hung open and Sis B just laughed at me.  This man is Lisa's DAD!!!  Haha how crazy.  We saw him twice in the same day.  We are hoping to be able to teach them all.  

 

We have recently begun volunteering at an assisted living home.  We go in once a week and do manicures for the ladies.  They are so fun and nice to us.  One lady I was visiting with last week was telling me about her son who had died when he was 21 and how she still missed him very badly.  I told her she would see him again.  As we talked, I just looked at her and listened.  She surprised me when she said, "You know, it's just really nice to have someone to talk to.  Your mother raised a wonderful young lady."  She talked about how she loved when people would play the piano.  I told her I would play for her sometime, and asked if she had been there the week before when I was playing.  She said, "Oh yes, you played 'In the Garden'".  I had played that song.  She told me she had remembered that all week.  She began to cry.  It was touching to me because of the reason I got to learn that song.  I learned it because Brother Bledsoe requested it for his baptism.  I always think fondly of him when I hear or play it now.  I was able to share with her that I was a missionary who taught people about Jesus Christ and that we will be able to see our loved ones again.  I told her that I got to meet a very special 90 year old man who taught me that song and I played it at his baptism.  With tears in her eyes, she said, "Oh that is wonderful".  Then she reached into her pocket and handed me a little snickers bar- her winnings from bingo that day.  How precious is that!  

 

I hope you all have a great week, and remember to do small things to help people.  

 

I love you,

 

sister annalisa wilde 

I'm going to the temple!

Dear Family,

 

I get to go to the temple today..actually in 30 minutes.  So sorry that this letter will be short.  Also today Sister Carnihan is giving us a tour of St. Jude hospital.  You know the famous one that Robin Williams talks about on TV?  Yeah, it's in Memphis and she works there and is giving us a tour for our P-day.  The members here are wonderful.  I love them.  I was so grateful to them yesterday when Sammy and Steve came to church again.  They were kind to them and they feel welcome.  It's so important to just do christian things.  I loved the Relief Society broadcast on Saturday-especially when President Eyring said that when we care for others that the Lord will continue to invite us to do so.  It will sometimes be inconvenient for us, but how much greater the blessings for both us and the people we serve.  Once Jeremy told me that he never regretted any of the times he has chosen to serve in the church.  I feel the same.  In sunday school yesterday we were talking about obedience and the scripture from Mosiah 2, I think it's verse 24, that says that when we obey the commandments, God immediately blesses us.  The teacher asked if anyone had an experience with that principle.  Steve raised his hand-(I was so proud!  Missionaries feel about investigators sorta how I think moms feel about their kids) and he said that he decided to start going to church the week before and when he did, he was able to sell a freezer they had been trying to get rid of and one of the members of the church offered him a job. The blessings really were immediate.  Now, obviously it doesn't always happen this way.  But we know that Heavenly Father keeps His promises.

 

I don't think I've ever been more excited for general conference in my life.  We are inviting everyone to it.  It's going to be great.  Also, Sister Yuen is leaving us on Wednesday.  Sad sad.  I will miss her.  I don't think my life will be complete without a Hawaiian companion.  I think I might be in Bartlett for a long time..I'm not sure.  I wish I had good stories to tell you, but I can't think of anything at the moment.  Usually I write a list throughout the week so that I don't waste any time when I'm sitting at the computer.  I didn't write one this week.  It was a normal week-exciting that Sammy and Steve are progressing. Their little girl Abbie (2 yrs) is really growing on me.  I always liked her, but yesterday I think was when I realized that I loved her.  We went to their house last night and Sammy was busy making cupcakes for Sister Yuen as a going away present.  She even had little hawaiian cupcake liners.  It was sweet.  Abbie is like a hurricane sometimes so she had been banned from helping in the kitchen.  I went in the other room to play with her.  She started dancing to music and I danced with her- and I realized what a precious little girl she is.  People don't give her enough credit cause she mostly goes around ruining things.  She really is a cute kid though.  It reminds me of Max-he's a good kid.  You just gotta be patient with him and give him a chance. :)  I miss all my nieces and nephews.  Anyway, as we were eating cupcakes, I spied a cheap guitar that looked like it was from toys r us or something.  I tuned it to the best that it would go, and then for part of our spiritual thought Sister Yuen and I sang Nearer my God to Thee while I played it.  I figured no one would really notice that the guitar was still pretty out of tune.  :)  Oh well, good enough for me.  Also I got to play the organ again yesterday because Sister McCune was sick.  I also filled in for her when the ward choir sang yesterday.  It felt just like old times of ward choir in Grandview 2nd ward.  I thought mom and dad would be proud of my participation.  It was willing participation too, just so you know.

 

Well I'm going to the temple.  I love you all and pray for you. 

 

love sister wilde

Zone Conference in Bartlett

Hey Family!

 

I can't believe that the transfer is almost over.  We found out that Sister Yuen is being transferred to Maumel AR (spelling?).  It was actually her very first area that has since been closed.  She is going to open it again!  She is excited but nervous, and we are sad to see her go.  It will be weird because we will always feel like something is missing.  We call ourselves the tri-force.  It just won't be the same without her.  We really do have a good time together.  We may or may not have been singing 'You Can Make the Pathway Bright' in our best/loudest/craziest opera voices in the car yesterday.  I'm pretty sure people could have heard us from across the street.  We were very excited yesterday though because Sammy and Steve came to church.... !!!!  Seriously, you don't even know how awesome it was.  We randomly knocked on their door (they are the ones that we helped with the yard sale) 2 weeks ago and now we will be friends forever.  Steve is probably around 6'6 and is a rugby player and Sammy is a firefighter.  They have their two little girls who also came to church.  Their 6 yr old ended up knowing one of the girls in her primary class because they are in the same class at school.  Sammy told us after church that she had never been to a church where they felt so welcome.  It has been a joy to be her friend and teach her about the gospel.  The gospel is real.  It can reach everyone and bring the power of God into their lives.  That's the cool thing.  It can reach everyone because it is for everyone.  No one is excluded from it.  You don't have to be rich or pretty or educated.  It has the power to connect us with our Father in Heaven who has a personal love for us.

 

We had a zone conference this past week, which was in the Bartlett building.  This is very convenient for us because we only have to drive about 2 minutes to get there.  We live 2 minutes from the temple.  I have been blessed in my life to always live in a town that had a temple, but I think this is the closest I've ever lived to one and who would have thought it would be on my mission.  We have ward temple night tomorrow and we get to go because we have recent converts who are going to do baptisms. I. am. stoked. Anyway, back to the zone conference.  We always have to do role plays.  I mean, we always get to do role plays.  haha.  They are...good but you have to be really serious about it or you won't get anything out of it.  So we were doing a role play with some other sisters and I was playing their investigator.  I didn't know anything about her except that she is 16 and talks a lot.  It was interesting though because when I prayed that I would be able to help those sisters learn something about their investigator, something cool happened.  They asked me if I would be baptized.  I said, "Well, I've already been baptized at my mom's church. "  After the role play they told me that the girl really had been baptized at her mom's church and that would probably be one of her concerns.  I didn't know that before and ended up saying something that was actually true.  It was pretty cool.

 

Another thing I learned at zone conference was an answer to my prayer.  President shared a talk from a general authority that included a letter from a missionary saying that he felt they were so close to becoming effective missionaries but felt that something was missing.  After talking with one of his leaders he received the advice to do a 24 hour fast from food and water. During this fast he was to make a list of all the things that "poke" at his spirit.  Afterwards, he would do a 40 day "spiritual fast".  Each day he would do his best to work on this list, whether it be to stop doing something he shouldn't be doing or start doing something he should.  At the end of the day he would go to the Lord and account for his actions that day, see where he failed, and pray for more strength the next day.  At the end of the 40 days, his desires had changed.  He had allowed the Savior to change him.  It completely changed his missionary work and he had the power of the Holy Ghost.  This is truly the power we need in missionary work.  It is the only way by which we can be successful.  If it is by any other way, it is not of God.  This challenge is what I need to do, so I'm doing it.  Wanna try it?  Doesn't it sound fun?  If you do, you should tell me and then we can do it together.  It's like spiritual boot camp. :)  

 

I pray for you.  I love you all.  Have a wonderful week.

 

 

love sister annalisa wilde

2 more weeks of this transfer!

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

Great things are happening!

Dearest Family,

 

I feel like I have a lot to tell you this week.  There are a lot of great things happening.  The work here is the same but soo different.  Once Joe told me that it was funny how the seasons don't really make you feel that different.  It's either hot missionary work or cold missionary work.  I sometimes wish that I could be more like Valerie and forget what season it is when I'm inside.  Unfortunately, I have been painfully aware of the fact that it is summer here.  But great news!  We had the most delightful day on Saturday.  It was perfect football game weather.  I got so much happiness from it.  Other random realizations from this week:  Sister Bridgewater always teases me that I messed up our chance to have BYU initials because she is sister Bridgewater and then we have sister Yuen, but my name doesn't start with U.  Then I figured out that Wilde makes a Y sound and Yuen makes a U sound, so we really can be BYU.  Then, this member pointed out to us that we each represent all the BYU towns!  I'm from Provo, Sis Yuen is from Hawaii, and Sis Bridgewater is from Idaho.  So we really are BYU!  hah.

 

We went to a member's house for dinner this week, the Carltons.  By the way, the members are really good about feeding us.  Every night.  It is really nice of them.  Anyway, while I was there, I felt the most wonderful spirit in her home.  The kind of spirit that cannot be imitated, but only acheived by keeping the commandments.  I commented to her about this and she then told me of how a few years ago, they watched dear friends of theirs go through a divorce.  They realized that they needed to be deliberate about FHE and having family prayer and scripture study every day.  I could tell the difference.  Simple as it may sound, there is nothing like having that spirit in your home.  I remembered a time that someone walked into our house to see Dad and the first thing she said was, "Wow, you can really feel the spirit in here".  That taught me a lesson about the importance of what my parents were doing for their kids.  As Sister Carlton talked, I felt a motivation and vision for my life in the future-that I wanted this same spirit.  I want to provide that for my family.  It comes from following the prophet and keeping the commandments.

 

I had a meaningful experience with a mormon message by President Eyring this week. The message is called "Choose This Day". In it, he teaches that we should search the scriptures daily to know what service the Lord would have us do that day-and that service brings about the change in us made possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ. We should not procrastinate rendering this service, for we do not know how long we will have on this earth to become like Christ. I think of my Grandpa, who lived a simple and service filled life. He did not procrastinate serving the Lord, and was therefore able to reap blessings and joy. The miracle of serving the Lord is that as we do so, we feel his love, which President Eyring says will draw us continually back to His service. It also allows our love for the Lord to increase, until nothing can separate us from it (Romans 8:35-39). My favorite thing that Pres. Eyring says is to pray to Heavenly Father and say "It doesn't matter how little things I am able to do, just let me know what I can do. I will obey. I know that I can with thy help". Well, something like that. That wasn't an exact quote. We shared this message with a less active lady and it touched her deeply. She was too emotional to speak. She did come to church the next day and stayed longer than she has in quite some time.

 

Get this.  We had a media referral come in a few weeks ago.  We went to contact her this week. Her name is Sheronda.  On the media referral, there is a box where the person can leave a comment about what they want to know or if they want a Book of Mormon or something.  In the comment box Sheronda wrote, "What's up with the mormons". hahahahaha.  We went over there.  At first she was apprehensive because she really wasnt expecting people to come to her door.  As we talked with her, she opened up and I could see her surprise turn to astonishment that we would go out every day and teach about Jesus and help people.  She told us that the other day she woke up and in her mind kept coming the words, "the book of jacob.  book of jacob."  She didn't know why- so she looked in the bible.  No book of jacob.  She looked online and came across lds.org.  We were able to explain to her what the Book of Mormon was and that there is indeed a book of Jacob!  How crazy!  She loved it.  I will let you know what happens with her.

 

Yesterday at church I ran into this missionary who (long story) is serving in the family history center at BYU and is here with his parents to go to st. jude for some health reason.  Anyway, I met his mom.  The son said, "She's from provo".  When she asked my last name she then said, "You wouldn't know a Diane and Jeff Wilde, would you?"  ...I can't express the feeling I had.  I thought she'd ask me about one of my aunts or a distant cousin or someone that I didn't know, I didn't expect to hear Diane and Jeff!  I felt this proud/grateful feeling as I said, "Those are my parents."  She said she knew they were because I looked like the perfect mix of my mom and dad.  how crazy!!  She went to high school with my mommy!  Anyway, her name is Deborah Robertson Sheets.  For some reason that I didn't know I started talking to her about the choir my mom sings with and how much she has loved it over the years.  I didn't realize that this lady actually lives in Provo. But when I said it she said, "You know I have really been wanting to do something like that.  What is the name of the choir?"  I thought it was cool that I didn't know why I was saying something but it ended up really helping her.  Missionary work is like that if you pay attention.  Sometimes you don't know why you are saying stuff but it really helps people.

 

Well, I gotta go.  I love you all!  Oh and congrats to Cameron for getting your mission call!  I'm telling everyone I know!

 

love sister annalisa wilde

Week 2 of the Trio in Bartlett

Dearest Family,

 

Week two in Bartlett.  Our trio is actually a blast.  It feels like we've been together for much longer than a week and a half.  Sister Bridgewater has us constantly laughing.  We've noticed that we are all completely different but somehow it all works out.  Also, they are the fastest girls at getting ready that I've ever met in my whole life!  I thought I was fast, but they put me to shame. :)  The morning routine runs like clock work.  No one has a hard time getting stuff done.  It's like we all had this unwritten, un-talked about mutual agreement about how everything will run, and no one ever has any problems with it.  This is nothing short of a miracle.  Blessing from Heavenly Father.  You know, I've been thinking about how the Lord says that He prepares places for us.  Like in Come Come ye Saints, they say, "We'll find the place which God for us prepared".  He promises us that the field is white, already to harvest, which means there are people prepared to receive the gospel.  From my experience in Hot Springs, I know that I was supposed to be there to meet the people I did.  God prepared that place for me.  Similarly, I have faith that God has prepared another place for me in Bartlett.  Although I don't yet see the ways in which this is true, I think I will know the longer I serve here.  Yesterday in testimony meeting, this lady got up and talked about how her and her husband felt prompted to move to Memphis, even though they had been all settled in their home where they were.  Somehow she came across that scripture in D&C where the Lord says something like "I will go before your face.  I will be on your right and on your left and will send mine angels round about you"...something like that.  They've been here a few months now, but just last week she was taking a walk with her 4 year old daughter.  She was talking about how they were blessed to have friends next door to their house.  And on the other side.  And across the street...and behind them.  And it dawned on her that the Lord had fulfilled the promise in that scripture, quite literally.  She had a sweet spiritual confirmation that He had prepared that for her.  That really touched me.  I have felt the spirit too many times to deny it.  I can and have explained it away as something else, but the fact of the matter is, I have experiences once in a great while where I feel something that I know I couldn't have made myself feel.  I couldn't have created that- God did.  He created us and because He did, He knows what we need.  Who better to give us what we need than our creator?

 

Well Bartlett is an insanely nice place.  It's like the nicest town I've ever seen.  All the neighborhoods are picture perfect.  They actually all look the same and most of the time I have no idea where I am.  The people are good.  We are over two wards.  It gets confusing because I can't always remember who is in what ward-and I don't really understand the boundaries, so I especially don't know which ward my investigators are supposed to go to.  Also, sundays are like a marathon.  We go to both church meetings.  So we have church non stop from 9-2 and then we have mission correlation meeting for 2nd ward from 2-3.  Also, it was fast sunday yesterday.  Man...it was crazy.  But how cool is it that there is a TEMPLE in the parking lot of our church?  Its on the same street that I live.  Pretty cool, except I can't even go inside.  So I guess pretty cruel.  It's great though, because the people we talk to have seen the temple, and it gives us an opportunity to talk about it with them and they can visualize what we are talking about.  It's kinda crazy to be in a new area, after I got so used to the other one.  There are things that are harder, but I think I've grown in the past two weeks.  We had some crazy weather last week though.  As you've probably heard, hurricane Isaac has done a number on New Orleans and is moving its way up Mississippi.  We had severe thunderstorms and a tornado watch on Saturday night, so Sis Yuen, Sis Bridgewater and I spent some time camping out in the bathroom cause it's the safest place.  We brought in couch cushions and watched the Testaments.  We had a good time. 

 

Brother Bledsoe is now passing the sacrament in Glenwood!  Isn't that wonderful?  He has a calling too.  He's pretty proud of it.  President Palmer named it something like assistant to the Branch President.  He arranges the hymnbooks, and every time a new person comes to the branch he is to take down their name and information and give it to President Palmer.  I'm so happy that he has a calling.  That was one of the things he was worried about before he got baptized.  I don't know if I told you that already, but he said he was worried that he wouldn't be around long enough to do a good job.  But he is gonna be around a couple more years yet if I have anything to say about it.  He and his wife are planning on being sealed in the San Diego temple next year.  You better believe that Sis Gladden and I are driving to California for it. :)  They are doing so well.

 

I hope you are all having a nice time at the cabin going 4-wheeling and watching movies and playing pool and settlers and eating mom's salsa and aunt Denises' congo bars.  Don't worry, I'm fine here. haha jk. I'm doing good.  Life is good.  I love you all!

 

love sister annonisa wilde