I'm a Disney Princess!

I am I am! I'm a Disney Princess! Mom, do we have some kind of hidden royal bloodline that we don't know about. Guess I'll have to get on that family history when I get home, because this week I swear I'm a Disney princess. There have been a variety of encounters with lizards, skunks, rabbits, dogs, groundhogs, and cats, (none of which ended badly, didn't actually get to pet the skunk even though I was very tempted...but we don't have the funds for a Sister Jones tomato juice bath, so we stayed away). My favorite encounter, was when I got to hold a bird! We came out of our sanctuary from dinner, heading off to appointments and doing the work, ya know, just being righteous and the like, and there was this little finch, I'd like to say, just chillin' in front of our car. I walked closer and expected it to move, but it stood it's ground. It was the funniest game of chicken I've ever played. I'd walk one more step, and it'd kind of eye me, and I swear it was daring me to walk closer. I took another and another until I crouched down next to the bird, and still, it stayed. Sister Seaman told me to touch it, and being the obedient trainee that I am, I did. I was afraid of being bitten, but this bird was as cool as a cucumber, totally unphased by this giant person (by human standards too) touching it. The next step, naturally, to hold the bird. I placed my hand in front of it, and swooped my hand under it, and the bird walked onto my hand!!! I picked it up and sang it a lullaby, just kidding, I was in too much awe to do much else than stare and replay what Belle did next in Beauty and the Beast. It flew away...into a car. Yah, we're pretty sure that that bird was sick...but I washed my hands afterwards and was careful not to touch my face beforehand! Don't worry mum and dad I'm remembering what you taught me. So cool though! I know that we are all princes and princesses in a way because God, the ruler of the universe is our Father, but maybe I've just been able to send out that monarchy vibe to the creatures because they've been everywhere this week. :) Another cat followed us to our apartment, the word must've been spread around that I offer "treaters!" to any cat willing to come to our front door. Heavenly Father is looking out for me. He knows that I love animals, and that leaving my pets behind was one of the harder things I had to do before I left. He knows that having these encounters strengthens me, and as silly as it sounds, I'm glad that this week I was able to be a Disney princess.

 

This week was hard. I'm not going to lie to y'all, because that would be a sin and I'm trying to live what I teach. :) Nobody was home this week! What with the Clemson game (the streets shut down when there is a Clemson game and nobody opens their doors) and, I don't know, some desire for everyone to leave town not very many people were home. Tina, unfortunately, is no longer our investigator. We stopped by her house one night, trying to see if she was ok and she wouldn't answer the door. We could hear her inside and we even called her...but no answer. We've dropped her for a couple of weeks. Hopefully we can go back in 2 or 3 weeks, and she will recognize that things are much harder when we aren't around and present in her life. Let me rephrase that, when the spirit isn't present in her life. Because that's all that we really are as missionaries, the mouthpiece of the Spirit, or at least that is what I am striving to be. But, at the same time, Sister Seaman and I worked really hard and we contacted a lot of people, and at the end of the week we were able to see the fruits of our labors and meet some wonderful people.

 

If you would, pray for Edward Reed. He is our top investigator at this point. We've have 3 lessons with him, and his family is very supportive. His wife and grandkids have all been baptized and are always present when we teach him. This last week, I invited him to be baptized. He didn't say yes, but he also didn't say no. He just wants to make really sure that he feels secure in this church before making a big decision like that which is common in a lot of investigators. His granddaughter Gracie chimed in and said that she really wanted him to be baptized. If that won't do it I don't know what will! The Spirit was really strong in that room and the love was palpable. I felt like I could cut it in the air and serve it to people on plates. No baptism date for him this week, but he came to church and is keeping commitments! We hope to put him on date when we see him again this Friday.

 

Grandma is 70! My goodness Happy Birthday!!! You certainly don't look 70, maybe I got the good anti-aging gene as well. :) That is so great that Great Grandma is home, that gal is a fighter and I know that she can overcome this trial with grace and pizazz.

 

Sister Seaman and I taught Gospel Principles yesterday and we taught a lesson on developing our talents. I think that the lesson went pretty well. I'm learning more and more that we are supposed to teach people, not lessons, and that even when they don't follow the script ( they kept jumping way ahead in the lesson) that you can still have the spirit there and learn something new. I don't know if you've ever read the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox but it is an amazing talk! When I went on exchanges Sister Williams ( one of the Sister Training leaders) had an audio recording of it. I've never heard grace explained so well and never really had it register so deeply. Christ paid for all of us to return to Heaven, no matter what we do in life. There is no meeting him half-way or a certain number of points that we have to accumulate to get to Heaven. We will all get there. That is Grace. The point of this life is to learn Heaven. To learn how to be comfortable in the presence of our Heavenly parents and Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to grow in this life, and as Brad Wilcox put it, to practice, practice, practice. I highly recommend looking that up, it is very inspiring and I learned a lot from it. Have y'all been reading anything good? How's the missionary work going back home?

Well, I'm going to sign off. 1 transfer down, I can't even believe it! And one planner down for that manner. The fellow missionaries will get that one. I've learned so much and I know that there is so much more to learn. I love you all so much and pray for you daily.

TLLY, and in case you forgot I do to.

Exodus 14:14

"The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

Love, Sister Jones