but mostly the Fast
The Sister kind
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"I will walk on water
and you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright, I
know everything is alright."
-Lifehouse "storm"
Welcome to this weeks rendition of miracle minded mormons
here is my invite to ya'll
pray for a miracle every day and pray to be able to recognize it when it happens
"ask and ye shall receive"
Jesus Christ fed five thousand people with a couple of fishes and five loaves of bread.
Just imagine what He will do with your simple request for a miracle.
He took 7 items and made 5,000
so ask for a miracle and He will move mountains!
The trick is that it isn't a selfish miracle.
Whomever the fish and loaves came from did not hand them over so that the Lord would multiply it for just that person that gave up the fish and bread.
Jesus did not give that person 5,000 peoples worth of food.
He used what little that person(s) had to serve/feed others.
So when you pray for this or these miracle(s)
hoping for blessings beyond measure and miracles in return
be willing to sacrifice your will, what little you have to give, so that he can multiply and qualify you to be able to serve others. To be an instrument in His hands.
to serve His children
Miracles you'll find, are not few, far, and in between.
There are many if we just seek to be a miracle in someone else's life.
Then we end up benefiting just as much or more than the others.
Imagine the testimony of those desciples that gave up their bread and fish, the conversion that they gained from that miracle.
I am so grateful today for miracles; the big ones, the small ones, the in between ones, the ones that are immediate, the ones that require patience, obvious miracles in the background, miracles seen, and unseen miracles, and the greatest miracle of all--that Jesus Christ subjected Himself to the sins and sufferings of all mankind to redeem us and to enable us to become something much more than we were before we physically came into the world.
Monday we went to Lex's house and we read with her in the Book of Mormon. She is so stellar, she has already read 17 chapters.
We had invited her to watch The Prophet of the Restoration movie the last time we were there as a commitment before we came back, and something super cool happened when she did.
She told us she was in class, and she was bored because "the last week of 10th grade is a huge joke and a half."
No one was doing anything productive.
So she pulled her two friends together and said, "Want to watch a movie?"
They plugged in their earphones and for the next hour and 10 minutes our investigator Lex, and her two friends, watched The Prophet of the Restoration together.
How. Awesome. Is. That.
We also had a lesson with Diane on Monday.
She left for a trip to visit her daughter a few states north of us, she doesn't get home until two days before her baptism date.
Whenever I get nervous about what kind of craziness satan will throw at her while she's gone, I just have to pray and trust that she will be able to remember the Spirit she has felt and does feel when she reads the Book of Mormon and prays.
Thank ya'll for your prayers especially for her they are working and they are felt!!
Last week when we planned for this week, we decided to do something about our teaching pool. It hasn't been decreasing, but it hasn't been increasing.
We had planned to find 6 new investigators this week and made a goal to spend at least two hours everyday in a different city in our area, knocking doors, walking down the street, contacting former investigators, potential investigators, and asking everyone and their mother for referrals.
So we ended up, Tuesday, in the city of Chmuckla, Florida -one of the ten cities we work in.
...said like Chuh-muck-la
also known as, Chunky Monkey
The second door we knocked, we met such a kind OLD man.
We had a good converesation, he said he was happy where he was at (aka the Baptist religion) and we asked who he might know that could use a visit from us.
He gave us the name of someone that lives "down yonder"
We asked him "Who can we pray for that is struggling?"
He gave us his daughter, we then asked where she lives and he told us.
Then we asked again, "Is there anyone that could use joy in their life? Suffering from a recent death in the family?"
and he gave us two more neighbors as refferals.
It's important to note that just before we knocked on this cute old mans house, we were about to walk up to the trailer across the street, but felt an impression not to knock on that door.
Well after we talked to the old man, we went to the houses he reffered us to.
We met about 10 people face to face, taught 8 of them more about our beliefs, quick messages, and were able to schedule return appointments with 6 of them.
4 of them are sincerely interested and seem to be prepared to accept the gospel which is always superb.
The last group of people we met was a miracle. There were about five people on a porch, we talked to them. One of them went inside, and asked his wife to come out and ask us if we were sister wives slash if we believe in polygamy. hahaha
We answered no and that we do not practice polygamy in the church. Then we invited all of them to listen to the message of Jesus Christ's restored church, they all said no except for one man.
This guy was spitting tobacco near my feet the whole conversation, he was also drinking beer and more than a little drunk.
He said that he and his wife would like to hear about the church. He explained that he lives around the corner in a trailer. He also explained that his wife was there at that moment, and that we shouldn't knock on their door at that moment because a long time ago, Jehovahs witnesses yelled at them in their front yard for drinking beer and called them out in their sin.
So his wife would not have been happy to see us not knowing we are not Jehovah's witnesses.
He made a return appointment for us to go back and teach him and his wife next week, and he is going to be able to tell his wife not to be angry at us because we are actually "nice girls with a good sense of humor"
The trailer he lives in is the one that we had felt prompted to pass just an hour before.
I don't know that we wouldn't have been able to teach them if we would have knocked on their trailer at that time, but I am grateful I listened to that prompting to skip the trailer so that we could get the referrals.
Then way down another street meet the man that lives there anyway already outside aka he couldn't hide with his wife behind the door, and we get to go back and teach him and his wife next week.
Needless to say we had to change our goal of new investigators for the week, because we met it in one day.
God is good <3
The next day we decided to contact a former investigator who we have been wanting to see for a while that stuck out to us in the potentials list.
Her name is Lily
She is the picture of your typcal, regal southern black lady.
She let us right on in, brought us out some gingerale, and scolded us for being there three months ago when we first came to the area.
hahaha
We found out the missionaries who found her only came over twice, then were transferred and that was quite a while ago
We got to know her a little bit, I asked her about her piano and she had me play Amazing Grace for her.
Then she taught us the song she was going to sing at her church on Sunday, and I figured it out on the piano and the three of us sang together while I played.
SO much fun
Her heart was softened
As we sat back down and got to talking, the thought came to my head that it is hard to convert older people especially because in the south they are very set in their church going ways.
I kind of said a prayer in my heart about being able to find some young people who are ready for the gospel and open to it.
Soon after those thoughts were thought, we heard a knock at the door and it just so happens that this sweet southern lady's friends daughter had to drop something off to her.
T***** came in and sat with us a moment or two, she can't be much older than Sister Fast and me.
A few minutes later she said,
"Ya'll can come by my house too and talk with us!"
and she gave us her address and number to come back next Monday.
SUCH a cool miracle
Lily told us that if someone gets transfered, she will cry with whoever comes back to her house.
She also asked at one point "So when will I get an invitation to come visit Utah?"
I told her "Right now! Want to come to Utah?"
So I might bring home a cute old southern black lady that can teach Utahns how to have a party in church.
Three unique things to mention
1. Hank
Hank is what we call every truck that drives around Brewton with tons of shaved trees on a trailer behind it.
-as big as a semi truck, full on long trees piled on top of it-
There are many different colors of these trucks and we usually see about 4 or 5 a day.
Where they get all them trees from I declare, I do not know!
but we decieded to name these trucks Hank and wave every time we pass one.
Another thing I love about Brewton
2. The Church Bells
Every hour of everyday we can hear the bells telling us what time it is and on special days, Sundays, and weddings, the bells play hymns for hours on end.
It's beautiful! Love it
{I do not love this about Brewton..}
3. The smell of broccoli and feces that the paper mill puts off every couple of days that covers the area
4. The giant plantation homes that are SO pretty
5. The train.
No matter where you are, you can hear the train off and on all day and all night 24/7
I don't know how I'm going to sleep without it someday
oh wait..
It definitely took me a fat minute to get used to the way the train shakes the whole house as it goes through the town and how loud it is even with ear plugs in.. but now I hardly ever notice :)
6. The cute OLD as you can imagine cemetery that we run to every morning.
7. The confederate flags everywhere #notracist #southernpride
"Hillary for prison" signs, and the fact that you cant walk up to a porch at night without someone sitting on it with a rifle in one hand and a beer in the other.
These are just a few of the reasons I love this area I serve, and why I am so happy to be STAYING
Transfers are this week and I'm staying in Brewton:)
It looks like this place will be my death bed as a missionary.
I am so glad to be staying, I am sad however because Sister Fast is not
She will be leaving me on Wednesday:(
I could write a novel about how much I have learned from this not-so-green greenie of mine.
She is one of the strongest people I know, and she fights battles with a smile on her face and sunshine in her soul!
She is one of my very best friends I have been so lucky to be reunited with this obvious pre-mortal life friend of mine, and I know she is going to do such incredible things the rest of her mission and her life.
Of course that's a given, because look at who her trainer is, no wonder she's fantastic ;)
Sister Palmer will be my new companion!!!
I know virtually nothing about her other than she is just finishing her training so I'm excited to have the fresh spirit that I have enjoyed so much with Sister Fast!
We went over to eat with our family in Brewton, {the Crains} this week
{and every week}
Kat and Peggy are reccently returned members as of the last two months and we couldn't be more happy for them.
Kat is Peggys daughter, and she has the cutest little six year old son Adon.
This familly has been a dream.
We had planned to role play with them the Restoration~the first of the big three lessons we share with everyone.
After dinner, we asked them to put themselves in the shoes of someone that has never heard this message before and ask any questions that come to their mind.
We started the lesson, and it kept getting interupted..
Kat looked at whoever wasn't speaking in a weirdo way so we all kept busting up laughing.
We as missionaries forget sometimes that even though we role play or practice teaching everyday in studies, (so it's not weird to us anymore.)
other members don't so it can be super awkward when we role play with them
So anyway we were cracking up because.. it was exactly that: awkward:)
Finally peggy asked us if we wanted her to go grab her son across the way who has had the missionary lessons but has not moved forward to baptism. She figured we could all focus a little better on the Spirit instead of the awkwardness.
sweet
but then
maybe a couple of minutes later we heard a car drive up outside her home.
She looked out the window and what did she see?
I'll give you one hint:
not popcorn
sorry that wasn't a very good joke
but it's the best I've got ;)
She saw their super good family friend Chad who has gone to church with them a couple of times years ago.
Chad hasn't stopped by in months and he just happened to that night.
He came in and immediately without any reserve Kat said, "We are practicing sharing the gospel
so we are going to practice on you because you haven't heard these lessons, come sit down."
WHAT
the best
He sat down and looked a little uncomfortable but we started asking him questions about his religious backround and times he has felt the Spirit and taught him how to recognize the Spirit.
He warmed up to us really quick
and we shared with him the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith, the proof of that which is the Book of Mormon, and again, how he can know by reading it and praying to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet.
We invited him to investigate, he said yes. He was very receptive to the Spirit. Kat and Peggy bore their testimonies how they came to know the church was true. Very powerful.
We will be teaching him next week at their house.
The Lord Is Watching Over His People!
I am amazed to think of these blessings and miracles happening everyday to all of Gods children
near, far, Mormons or not, children, adults, elderly.
He allows us to feel His light that leads us home.
Saturday Paul and Paula came by on their way to say goodbye to sister M :(
She leaves on Wednesday, my sister in the mission
(we had the same trainer)
Paul and Paula are just the greatest. We took some pictures with them, then they took us to Brenda and Rolands house and left.
We painted Brenda and Rollands garage, it was SO fun seriously. So fun.
They made us the best corn bread I've ever had in my life and cowboy soup to eat after we painted the garage, then we read 3rd Nephi 11 with them, the chapter where Jesus Christ visits the people in the Book Of Mormon, the Spirit was very strong.
We spoke of our love for Christ, they said that they know it is very possible and even probable that He visited them like the Book of Mormon says, however they still don't believe they need to be "Mormon" because they have already been saved.
I understand.
Something I have learned to do better than ever in my life, is put myself in the shoes of another human being.
Understanding does not mean agreeing, condoning, or allowing...
it simply means you understand why they feel a certain way, you love them, and you NEVER give up trying to help them to understand the Spirit and the fact that it's not about "being Mormon"
--it's about saving ordinances done by the proper authority of God.
It's all about agency
If we choose to allow the Spirit to speak with a determination to act on what He says,
He will speak.
And we, will know.
Church was wonderful on Sunday, we were able to attend the baptism of Adisyn, a little girl in our branch. She was so excited. Her aunt was there who just moved into our area, we spoke with her and she was very cold at first but we are hoping she will continue to warm up to us.
Today we are at the Crains emailing home because the library is closed for Memorial day.
Oh how grateful I am to have this beautiful country. I am so incredibly lucky to live here, and I thank all those fallen heroes, and the heroes that have yet to fall for their service and sacrifice.
I love ya'll very much and I pray you ave a blessed day.
-Sister Saunders
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| Sister Field <3 |
