 |
| Look who I found! (This is our favorite place Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory) |
I
had the privilege this week of going on exchanges with Sister Jamison in good
ol’ Sumterville. Which aka is the middle of nowhere and actually more like what
I pictured my mission in Florida to be like. Think of a mile of fields and
trees covered in Spanish moss, spotted by trailer parks and 55+ communities.
There’s always some tan older couple riding a golf cart. Their church building
is all but one small hallway and a leveled chapel that turns into the classrooms.
First,
the sisters live on a sketchy street in a very ill lit neighborhood in a very
very old house. Sister Jamison and I woke up that morning and after exercising
we had breakfast in the kitchen, then we got ready and started Studies...and
then we walk out of the study room (only an hour and half later) and..
termites! All over the floor, covering the entire kitchen. It was like the
start to some horribly written horror movie.
We
had a great day though, we were tracting in this small town in their area, I
looked up a record of a women that a few weeks before dropped the sisters for
no apparent reason and told them never to come back. And I felt impressed we
should go she her and later Sister Jamison felt impressed we should go as well.
When
we got to this home, we were led around back by her sister to a small shack
that this lady and her husband and two kids live in. She came out and... if
looks could kill, I’d be dead. She told
us she’s no longer interested and I asked her if it was because of something
she ran into (anti-Mormon stuff, because it’s always always anti) and she
denied it but coughed up some questions that denoted that anti-Mormon information
was indeed the culprit.
After
a while of us answering her questions the best we could, her heart and her
countenance softened and she invited us to sit down. She opened up and
expressed all the pain and guilt she is experiencing and we were able to have
one of the most power lessons testifying of Jesus Christ and his atonement.
She’s still got a long way to go and I think the sisters can help her, but it
proved to me so clearly that the Savior can and will change everything - if you
let him and if you trust him.
 |
| #thetracksuitpics |
Okay
are you ready?
Sister
Naylor and I have been acting on faith this week and we have been putting lot
of people on “hold” that are not in any way progressing.
There
was a women who Sister Naylor taught before I got to the area and one of my
first weeks some things happened with her that caused us to keep some
distance.
We
went by the other day to clear things up and wish her well.
Her
life has been a little crazy, she told us she loves us very much but she is
very Bible based and she’s willing to listen and study with us as long and
whatever we teach doesn’t contradict what she believes. Which... doesn’t work.
Anyway,
that’s not the story. So she has this dog, (the day before the dog was attacked
by this other dog and her ear was ripped in half) and as we’re talking to her (she’s
not really letting us leave) her friends who went to go get medicine for the
dog show up. She shouts out the door to them “hey the Mormon girls are here!” And one of the ladies
jumps out of her golf cart marches straight up the stairs and tells us it’s
time for us to leave... gladly.
It
was very awkward and extremely uncomfortable. Our friend calls her out and
tells her not to disrespect us because we are just women preaching about Christ
and she goes off on her for a minute about disrespecting people In her home. But then she won’t stop
talking to us and we’re trying so very hard to get out the door with little
success. We get to the front porch and the other lady who was sitting in the
yard now comes storming up the porch and tells our friend that they are leaving
because she’s had enough. So we just turn and start walking to the car, and
this lady... starts screaming at the lady we were visiting “I TOLD YOU A
MILLION TIMES TO NOT LET THOSE GIRLS IN YOUR HOME, YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE FROM
A CULT.” Wowza. I mean I think everyone in the whole neighborhood heard her. It was crazy and honestly
just so sad that someone who knows nothing about us, not to mention we were
just helping her friend out. Would say such things about us and make us a hiss
and a byword. Hey, what can you do.
We
also saw our friend Danielle this week. Sometimes she just goes off about
how paper should still be trees and if we walk out of her house and there’s a
newspaper she shouts “Oh look another thing that should still be a tree.”
She
loves god and all god creatures very much, so cockroaches and bugs crawling
around her home are a given and she refuses to kill them.
One
of the cool things is we recently met her roommate Eli and he’s actually super
interested in the Book of Mormon and coming to church so we’re excited to see
him this week.
HIGHLIGHT
of the week for sure though was Jasmines baptism.
Brother
Rich and his wife drove us back out my old area. Jasmine asked me to speak at
her baptism and it was so great to see her finally take this leap of faith.
I’m
so proud and grateful to witness how her faith has grown in the time that I’ve
known her.
 |
| Jasmine's Baptism |
She’s
already such a light and so good and sharing the gospel and she’s going to do
so many amazing wonderful things.
Sister
Naylor and I have now created a rule where we will never marry anyone who
doesn’t treat us like brother rich treats his wife, two years ago she had a
stroke and now he just fully takes care of her. And he treats it as if it’s the
upmost privilege. Goals.
I’ve
learned so much here in Leesburg IM SO GRATEFUL!
 |
| Wonderful past companions |
- Sister Sorensen🌞
0 comments:
Post a Comment