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| Sketchy Apartment 101-Back in your companion before it gets dark |
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| Move Night-Meet the Mormons |
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| Popcorn Anyone? |
Family Home evening was incredible! We asked the Bartling family
if they would take Lori as their investigator and they agreed. They invited her
and her father Monday night and we got
to come too! President Bartling is the Stake President and Sister Bartling is
the Primary president. Their family is incredible. They have four boys between
the ages of 12 and 18. The oldest leaves on his mission next month. Lori really enjoyed family home evening and
the Bartlings were just loving her month old baby-Jaden!
We had an appointment Tuesday afternoon in one of the sketchier
apartment complexes. We were running around trying to find the apartment and we
walked past a group of people. I was nervous to talk to them and we were
running late so we continued on. Well our appointment forgot apparently. I knew
we had to go back to that group because we need to talk with everyone about the
gospel! We went back and one woman named Latricia was really intrigued by our
message. Everyone else conveniently had somewhere to go so we taught Latricia
part of the Restoration right there, she kept saying, "you learn something
every day!" Indeed you do Latricia. We also taught Cheyenne Clark-the 10
year old girl. She is doing very well and is excited to be baptized.
Wednesday morning we spent getting our oil changed and tires
rotated. Then we went to the Kirklands to teach them about the Plan of
Salvation again. That family is incredible! You would think they have been
members their whole lives!
District meeting was moved to Thursday this week. It was a really
great meeting! We learned about being a consecrated missionary. It's
interesting how the spirit can teach you things that aren't even spoken. The
whole training about being a consecrated missionary became applicable for me as
an RM in my mind.
That night we taught Latricia. We only had an opening at 8:00pm
and we were kind of scared to go into that apartment at night. It was still
light when we got there so I backed Sister Elliott into a parking spot so we
could have a quick get away without me having to back her to leave in the dark.
It ended up really not being that bad. There were still kids playing outside
and such when we left so don't worry Mom!
Latricia is incredible! She loves what we teach! She went to the same
church all her life in Brunswick and hadn't found a new church when she moved
here. After the lesson Sister Eilliott reminded me of something. Almost a month
ago a received a blessing from President Craig. In that blessing I had an
impression that here was someone prepared for the gospel that we needed to
find. There were probably many we needed to find, but Latricia is absolutely
one of them. I feel so strongly she is one we were meant to meet. She and her
fiancée will be married in July so we are hoping to set an August baptismal
date in our next appointment.
Friday we had a great weekly planning session. In the evening we
had dinner with a member and then took her out with us. There is this motel
that several members/elder's gators live in and it is like a soap opera.
Anyway, this member is obsessed with missionaries (mostly Elders) so we took
her out with us and told the Elders to go teach her boyfriend while she was
gone. She wasn't very happy to find out she had missed them.... It was a great
night though!
Saturday was crazy! We were running all over teaching and finding
and then we set up for a movie! We showed "Meet the Mormons" at the
church. About 35 people came and there where about 6 non members so it was
good. It all came together, but that night i felt completely drained! Also,
that night Lori told us she may be moving next weekend... the weekend she was
going to be baptized. We went into a classroom and talked. Gratefully the
spirit took over, because I didn't know what to say. The spirit was there, and
now we will wait and see what Lori decides to do. I love this sister so dearly.
It makes me sad to know she is struggling.
Sunday we got to go to "Great to Be 8." It was in the
Bartling home with three girls preparing to be baptized- one was Cheyenne. It
was a fun afternoon!
I have a lot of people ask me how I'm feeling about going
home. I've been studying D&C sections 6-9 lately and I think D&C
9:9 is applicable and the spirit is protecting me with a "stupor of
thought" from realizing how soon I come home. My mind knows I am going
home soon so I want to work extra hard, but it definitely hasn't hit me yet
that I am actually going to be home sometime soon. So how am I feeling? I am
excited to see my family, to be able to go to the temple as often as I want,
and to get back in school, but oh how I will miss it here. I love the
area-heat, humidity, rain and all. But mostly I love the people! I love their
love for Christ and I will miss them. But as Adam and Eve needed to leave the
Garden of Eden in order to continue to progress I know I will need to move on at
some point too. But until then I am ready to keep sharing the gospel.
When a missionary goes home it's the mission lingo that he or she
"dies." Well we have decided that I will never "die". I will simply be translated and keep working
when I am home! I like that a lot better. :)
See all y'all next week!
Love,
Sister
Murray
