April 7th, 2014

Well this week has been eventful! I thought that I would give you more of an update of what I do during the week.

 

--------------Transfers:

Transfers happen. Nothing changed. Sister Dougherty and I are still together and are still STL's but now we are only incharge of 5 sets of sisters instead of 10, so that is a lot easier!

 

-------------"Wen" you choose to follow Christ...

Private Jiayu Wen got baptized at Ft. Jackson!! She is so sweet. She is from California and is in her AIT training at FT. Jackson. This was her last week. We have been teaching her for many weeks now. Everyone loves her! She is friends with Guo and Xu. Guo was recently baptized and Xu (pronounced su) is a member. I sent a photo of all three of us a couple weeks ago. She is the best! Also Guo, graduated her AIT Specialized training as THE top graduate. She won every single award they had, I was so proud when I found out. They are all amazing! Xu is going to Korea for a year very soon.

 

------------Pollen Season:

So the south has a lot of pollen, when I say a lot, I mean a lot! When we walk outside in the morning, our shoes are covered in thick green dust. We have to use the windshield wippers to wipe off the pollen before we can drive. Its crazy! Welcome to the south.

Pollen=Beatutiful Trees=Allergies.

 

Well I learned something interesting this week. I already knew I was partly allergic to pollen, it gives me allergy induced asthma and other stuff, but I also learned that it causes hives. So my whole body has been covered in hives for the past week, but don't worry its not so bad. Miracle moment, the hives don't bother me as much during lessons, so that is some motivation to teach people! Doctor Rose says that is should go away soon, or become chronic and stay for months, I guess I will find out soon!

 

-----------Dumpster Diving

A couple nights ago, I was getting in bed, about to take some medicaine, when I realized that I didn't know how much mediciane to take. I then realized that I already threw out the mediciane cover the night before, thus I needed to get it from the garbage. So I headed outside in my pajamas and a blanket with a flash light, ready to dumpster dive. I got it really easily and went back inside. One moment later, we went to the door a found groceries there! Our ward mission leader had dropped them off for us. Here is the great part. I saw a car when I went dumpster diving in my pj's not realizing it was him. Haha, he most likely saw us digging in the dumpster late at night. Love it. He proably thinks that missinonaries are crazy! I am so grateful for him brining us groceries.

 

------------A Whole Lot of Ice Cream: Don't Offend your Members

Speaking of more crazy events. The Briles family offered to feed us lunch at the church between conference sessions. They also fed two sets of Elders. Well the week before, they asked what my favorite ice cream was, so they could get it. I told them and that was that. Well as they brought out the ice cream, they put a whole quart of it in a massive bowl for me and set it down at the table. They did the same for two of the Elders (They got 1.5 quarts) . Everyone else got to eat any ice cream they wanted. Apparently, when Brother Briles was on a mission, a family made him eat a whole pint of ice cream, so now he guilt trips all the new missionaries into doing it. He sat there staring at me for 35 minutes telling me to not "offend the members" and "waste their money" and eat it and what not.

 

My companion was not help what so ever because it was a right of passage and everyone else had already had that done. I DID NOT eat all of it, or even close! No way! One of the Elders at the whole thing and the other one had a melt down and his companion had to talk with him in the bathroom for like 15 minutes. He just sat their staring at the food, he has only been out a few weeks. I felt bad for him.

 

It was very kind of the members to feed us, it was a good laugh.

 

---------------Protections from the Lord

 Two cars on either side of our house, so a total of 4, may be 3 cars- were broken into, windows were cracked, things stolen. But our cars, which were nice too, where not broken into. The Lord protects his missionaries!

 

--------------"We aren't your typical mormons"

Well this week we brought a returning member of the church to a lesson with us to see our investigators. In order for them to feel more comfortable and understand her better she told them that "I'm not your typical mormon, I have tatoos, like pitbulls, ect....". Well our slightly drunken investigator turns to her with out missing a beat and say, "Were not your typical mormons either, we haven't been baptized!" He said it matter of factly, I could barley keep from laughing, I was so proud! We can help him change that last part.

 

--------------General Conference

I love General Conference. It is when our prophet and his apostles speak to the world and tell us things that we need to know to become better and they warn of us dangers. I invite all of y'all to listen to it. It is just wonderful, you can find it on "www.lds.org" then you will see "general conference." It was the best becuase we could just walk up to people contacting and say "We have a prophet today, just like God had in ancient times, and he is speaking to the world tomorrow, will you come with us and hear him?" Or "If we had a prophet today, would you be interested in hearing what he had to say?"

 

Will you share something your learned from GC with your friends?I know that as you do you will be doing missionary work, which is part of our purpose here on earth.

 

I know that Thomas S. Monson truly is a prophet of God and that leads the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today under the direction of Jesus Christ. This is Christ's church. I know that it is. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. I believe in him and want to follow him!