Well, today was a great biking week! We actually didn't have to bike a whole lot because we didn't have a lot of appointments. Many cancelled and some were so far out to where a member had to pick us up and take us.
We were on our bikes for an appointment on Monday evening and along the way we found a 13-year-old girl who was walking her dog; we got to introduce the gospel to her and she said we could come and see her family on Saturday. By the time it was Saturday, we visited her place with a member, and no one was home.
We had quite a few dinner appointments; I really appreciate the members who take time out of their day to prepare a meal.
Trish, one of our appointments, cancelled and she told us that she needed to because of something to do with her son. While my companion and I were on bikes, we saw her and her husband, taking a stroll down the street. My companion made a comment about being a flake or something. It was funny.
This whole week was pretty crazy, especially when I had to drop off my prescription at Walgreens. Since my dad switched insurances on me recently, I had to get a pre-authorization for my medication through my new insurance. They sent the pre-authorization on Monday to my Doctor's in my last area. Almost everyday I called to see if they received it. They did not submit the pre-authorization until Friday, and it had been sitting there in the office until they finally took the time to look at it. I had taken my last medication Friday morning, and they were certainly cutting it close. I was stressed all week. My companion and I had to bike to the church to print out a coupon for my medication, and then bike to Wal-greens on HWY 70. That was pretty scary. Everything got taken care of. I hope I never have to go through that waiting process again.
We had a lesson with Connie, who lives in the projects in town. We tried to teach her about the Priesthood and we tried to explain the restoration in the simplest of terms as we could, and she still was not understanding. At the time she was going through a lot, and she wasn't receptive during that time.
After I baked some pumpkin granola, I thought about a cool analogy during my personal study while the smell lingered throughout the house.
"Sometimes we do not appreciate what the church offers as much as we should. I can compare being brought up in the church to an aroma in a bakery. At first, we notice the aroma; after we dwell in the area for a long time, we do not recognize the small and we may forget about it. It isn't until we step outside do we recognize that we have left the aroma, and have stepped into a new one. We then may walk back into the building to smell that aroma again."
On Sunday, Eunice, our recent convert as of May, gave a wonderful testimony during fast and testimony meeting. It was so powerful and I realized that I haven't appreciated the gospel as much as I thought I did. I was born into the church and I didn't realize how great the gospel truly was until I began to apply the principles more fully in my life. I also realized it more as I helped teach people who had never knew anything about the church. Watching their eyes light up and recognizing the change has truly opened my perspective on the gospel, the prophets, and the plan of salvation more than I could have imagined.
I am about to go onto my 6th month as a missionary. It is going by so fast! I know a lot of people may look at me and think that I am young (well, yeah, I'm 22 years old, going on 23,) and many do not want to listen to the things that my companion and I have to say. But, I don't care. A lot of people in their early 20s would not spend their time serving a mission; a lot of youth today don't even know God personally, and many do not pray to talk with Heavenly Father. It is sad to see, but luckily the missionaries can help people gain that personal connection with Him. We are His children (Deuteronomy 14:1, Jeremiah 1:5, Bible, KJV), and he wants to have communication with us.
My teaching is improving and I am so glad that it is. I love it when I figure out how to teach a principle with an even stronger and powerful method than what I had been doing previously.
During my personal studies this morning, I remembered a good way on how to teach 'Your life on earth' as a lesson by itself, from the Plan of Salvation Pamphlet. It's good to teach it with Alma 34:32-34 and also to bring up the "Your Four Minutes" talk from the May 2014 Ensign. I like to share the paragraphs from 'Now, consider how your pathway to eternal life is similar to these athletes' 'four-minute performance'" and share that passage until it ends with, "In a sense, your four minutes have already begun. The clock is ticking', on page 84 in the Ensign. It sends a powerful message and has people contemplate on their 'four minutes' here on earth.
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Things interesting in the south:
There are quite a number of women who have thick beard and mustache hair; some women have them on their chins, on both black and white people. I don't know why, but... it seems quite common here.
They serve Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple, cinnamon and sugar sometimes. It takes pretty good and I like it.
It is still very hot and humid here, and it is October.
People in the south are big on collards, and crapes. I still haven't had a crape yet.
...
I love my mission. I love being able to teach people about the gospel and I am so grateful for this opportunity to do so.
-Sister Marshall
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