Liberty Jail Period

As you could maybe tell by my subject line, this was not a good week. When I first got here, I remember I was having a hard day, and Sister Seaman said that the first three months of your mission are referred to as the liberty jail period. It is during this period that...well...things are very trying. The advesary is trying his very hardest to get you to go home, to give up, to get sent home even, and I've definitely felt his influence this past week. Don't you worry. I'm not coming home. In fact, I think I'll just stay here in South Carolina. You cool with that mom? :) Nah, I just mean I will not leave my mission. I will see it through to the end, and that is the lesson that I believe Heavenly Father is trying to teach me this week, to endure to the end.

 

Tina is no longer an investigator and we basically have no idea where she is. You know how I told you last week that Tina has been harrassed by her ex-fiance? Well things escalated on Saturday. She rescheduled our lesson because she forgot that she had to take her kids to a birthday party. Her boyfriend followed her there and things got really awful quite quickly. So, she texted us the next day, Sunday. She said that she couldn't come to church, and that she couldn't even text us or call us, because she is going to be living in a Domestic Violence Center until the cops catch that evil evil man. Her number will be disconnected. When I read that text, my heart broke. That sounds really dramatic but that's the only way that I can think to describe it. I love her and her children SOOOOOOOOO much. Sister Seaman and I joked...well not really...we really wanted to call President, and ask him for permission for a service project (we have to do that for all planned service projects). We would say that we would require a can of hornet spray, a baseball bat, and permission to stay out past curfew...well really all night. We wanted to stake out Tina's house, to catch the evil man who's stalking her. Sister Seaman would go low, knock out his knees, and I'd go high. With the power of God on our side, would he really have a chance? I think not. :) Sounds like a good idea, no? I can see you shaking your head no...I guess it's for the best that we didn't actually do it. I wanted to see them come into the church, to find happiness and peace, and just get to spend time with her and her family, because those times have been the happiest of my entire mission. But, the advesary is ever so present, and now Tina is out of our lives. This was the trend this week. We would contact an investigator, make progress, and then BOOM! A big old brick house would fall on top of that family just like the wicked witch in wizard of oz and we never hear from them again. I was talking to Sister Seaman, and she said that she's never experienced anything like this in her mission...I guess that as a duo, we just carry so much light and goodness with us, that the advesary is trying to stop us at every turn. I know that sounds cocky, but I can't think of any other reason  why this would be happening. I'm not going to lie, it's hard. I love Tina so much, and I look forward to the day when I get to see her and her children in the Celestial Kingdom, because I know that somehow, somewhere, she will be brought to the gospel, and I will embrace her, and talk for a long long while. I'm waiting for the blessings that come from obedience, and the miracles and investigators that we'll see from our hard, and unyielding efforts.

We were talking to Elder Cook yesterday, he's our District Leader, and we were giving him our key indicators for the week. We told him about what happened to Tina, and he told us how their day had been hard as well. He told us that we have been doing an amazing job in Clemson, and that we are the only missionaries in the entire mission that could endure the challenges and hardships that this area gives us. Heavenly Father knew that, and he trusts us enough to endure and to make the best out of it. I have faith in that. I have hope for the future, and I know that Heavenly Father loves me without any reservations. I see it in the tender mercies of my companion, my hot shower, a scripture, or a skirt from a member at church (it's super cute! Black, pencil, with buttons all down the front). I am learning to endure. I'm learning to trust in the Lord's timing. All is well.

 

But, do not fear family!!! Good did happen this week as well! Brother Tracy came to church!!! He is this hilarious older man who has not come to church in ten years. He likes to talk...a lot. We went to his house with Sis. Sanderson so that we could get into his house, and he spent 2 1/2 hours showing us pictures and talking about his very confusing family tree. The first time he went he talked about his knees, and how they got burnt, because he's the only old man in the neighborhood and he's got to expose something! I laughed so hard. He loves us, and that's why he came yesterday. He looked very snappy in a suit jacket from probably the 70's. Slowly, but surely, I think he'll come back. We've just got to be persistent with the old guy. :)

 

Sister Seaman and I had dinner at a less actives house last night, the Marshalls. The Marshalls are very...backwoods in a way. We walked in, and they had a new cage set up in their house. I though it held a lizard...nope! A baby squirrel had been found on their property where they're building a barn. Yep, that's real. There are still barn-raisings in this modern day and age, and they are building a barn. So, they took the squirrel home, and the mom has basically been a mom to it. She took it out and it was so cute!!! And, being the Disney Princess that I am, I held it. That's right!!! I held a baby squirrel. I was kind of afraid that it would pee on me...but I had a Tide stick to go, and how often do you really get to hold a baby squirrel without getting rabies or attacked by the momma squirrel. It was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. We had a really fun dinner with them, in which we talked about books, and weird dialects. Southern people really shouldn't speak spanish. I wish I could call you or spell it out phonetically how it sounded, but it was so funny! We then had a really great lesson with them, in which Brother Marshall basically asked us to help him come back to church. He said that he's had a pattern of activity and inactivity in the church his whole life. He knows that the church is true, but he also doesn't like the people of the chruch. God works through imperfect people, and often times people get very offended. He asked us to keep coming, and we were like 'Yes Sir!' I really love their family. :) We talked about books forever! Way longer than we should have but it was a great destressor and we had a great time.

 

Sister Chapman came to church! She's a less active of 20 years and we'e been teaching her for about a month now. I sat down next to her before Gospel Principles (which we got assigned to teach, out of the blue, and hour before, on chastity no less...) and she said that she was so grateful for me and Sister Seaman. With tears in her eyes she thanked me for the light and the hope that I've brought into her life again. She said that it's so great to have someone to cry with. Her husband James just died in August, and she is working towards getting a temple recommend to get his work done. How cool is that!!!

 

Yes mom, Sister Seaman got her letter, thank you very much! No package yet...our mail has been very slow lately. Usually it takes 4-5 days to get to us but lately it's been taking 1-2 weeks. So I'll let you know when she gets her package and I get my package. Yeah so excited!!! :)

 

I've done two trainings in DDM and ZTM, both of which went awesomely and I had a pretty fun time doing them. I think that I just like getting up in front of people. Whether it's singing or speaking, I just think it's fun, and I'm definitely learning how to do it more effectively.

 

Next transfers are November 26th two days before Thanksgiving. By then my training will be over, so all bets are off as to whether Sister Seaman and I will still be together. I hope that we will...but I'll go wherever the Lord needs me.

 

I'm going to be a little selfish this week and ask for your prayers. Pray that Sister Seaman and I can find success for our efforts, and bring these precious souls unto Christ. We know that through God all things are possible, and we will keep pushing on because we have unyielding faith in that. I pray for you everyday and I'm glad to hear of your successes and I am so glad that you are staying strong and moving closer to God every day. I love you all so much. I love my mission, and I'm so grateful to be here. Hear from you soon!

TLLY, and in case you forgot I do to. :)

Sister Jones