A New Transfer, and a New Companion

This week has been pretty great! I am now senior companion and I have now taken over the area. Talk about a lot of responsibility! I am also driving! My new companion is Sister Charlesworth. She is very nice! 

A member has been so kind and we have been using her GPS to get around this area. 

... 

Earlier last week, my filling came undone and I got it redone for free.

I have been studying humility this past week and when the dentist shortened one of my front teeth, I think this is part of humility. 

We taught Nichole and Brayden ; They are both 9. When we told Brayden that we would be teaching by the pictures, he took over and told us what he saw in them. One of his comments included him telling us that Jesus could shoot laser beams from his hands, and then he talked about Halo and how he was able to play with his brother. It was very interesting and my companion and I couldn't help laughing. 

We got fed by members last minute, and that was a tender mercy!

On Saturday we got a text that was a life-threatening message about a Tornado alert and that we needed to take shelter immediately. A member called us and told us to get off the road. We stayed in for most of the night and we worked on our Area Map and made a grid. We are now in the process of writing down the street names in box (example: A5) and we plan on tracking these areas when we can. Our goal is to tract as many streets as we can by the end of this transfer, and to let the future missionaries know where we have been so far. 

We met Arora, a Catholic lady when she was putting out her rugs on the lawn. By the time talked to her, it started to rain. We told her that we would share a short message and she let us share. We asked her if she would be baptized if she came to know for herself that what we were saying, is true, she said yes. By the time we left, it stopped raining. 

On Sunday, we saw Milinda. She is someone who is now handicapped because of a seizure, and she is paralyzed from the head down. She is very smart and she communicates with rolling her eyes up and down and with a letter number code. We just used this code yesterday and the visit with her was very exciting. We were able to teach her a lesson from the lesson plan she already put together. She wants to see us every week! We are very excited!

. . . .

A member brought over Amy's Gluten Free and Dairy Free Pizza and Macaroni and Cheese. They are very good! 

. . .

Oh! Also! Earlier this week (on the day of transfers)  I went to be with the Portsmouth Sisters. We taught a girl the Law of Chastity lesson and by the end of the lesson, she told us that she needed to hear this message because just 15 minutes before we arrived, she was going through something pertaining to this and how this message helped change how she thought about things. I feel like we just saved her from something terrible, and I am glad that I got to be apart of this miracle!  

. . .

On Sunday we taught Gospel Principles. We taught so simply that even those who were difficult learners could understand. That is a testimony to me that it is very important to teach simply - the way that Jesus Christ would teach. 

Anyways!

This is all I can say for now!

120 days until I return. 

-Sister A. Marshall 

Investigators, Transfers, Dentist, Fun

There have been many miracles this week! I can't believe it! 

We found 5 new investigators, and three of them are Catholic! Many miracles happen because of the new way that we are teaching lessons in 14 minutes or less. 

-We survived the 100 F Heat! 

- We have found a lot of potentials, and the sheet is very much updated!

This week has been a stressful one! One morning I woke up with my front tooth chipped, and I remembered how I grind my teeth at night. I had to go to the dentist and get it filled and I also got a mold to help me stop grinding my teeth. I think it's working, so far!

Oh! And transfers! I am staying, but Sister Evans is leaving, and going to Nags Head, North Carolina on Wednesday. My new companion is going to be Sister Charlesworth. I am also going to be the designated driver. I need to locate a GPS!

For my 14 month mark, I made a Pudding pie with Brownie Crust. 

I'm working harder than ever!

Miss y'all!

-Sister Marshall  

 

If You Can't Change It, Change the Way You Think About It

This week was great in many ways, but it was also difficult. 

We stayed inside on Tuesday because Sister Evans did not feel well. I, too, started to not feel well, and so we tried to do missionary work inside.

Over the next several days after that, I did not feel too good. I felt sick for most of the days and eventually, it started to go away. Today, though, I am back to feeling sick. I wonder what is going on :\. 

On Wednesday, we saw Sister Young, and we taught her more about Obedience, and the 10 Commandments. 

We went to a member's home for a great dinner. I had a mushroom burger and it was rather good. 

We then got to help Pam with her Family History work, as well as another member in the ward. I am so glad that Pam got to find some more of her ancestors! Near the end of the week, Pam got her membership record number. 

... 

Most of the week, there were a lot of people who accepted a pamphlet, or a card, but we still don't have any new investigators. 

..

On Friday, we had a Zone Conference, and us missionaries were recorded while we practiced the new way of teaching with using the pictures in the pamphlets. The Mission President Recorded my companion and I so that we can see what we can improve on, and also see the things that we did well on. 

On Saturday, we were able to attend the Priesthood Meeting, and also, Stake Conference. They taught us all about missionary work and how we can do more than just bring a plate of cookies and share a message then leave for Visiting or Home Teaching. They taught us the importance of befriending the people we teach, and also getting down deep and helping them with very personal matters -- Service. Mowing the lawn, watching children, doing dishes, etc. I am very excited to do my visiting teaching when I am off the mission. 

On Sunday, Stake Conference Continued. One of the big things that happened was that Pam had to be taken away by the Paramedics because her heart was going very fast, and she didn't know why. She had to sit out in the foyer, and Sister Evans and I were by her side, along with a doctor from another ward, and our Relief Society President. Before she got taken away, though, there were men who were already sitting out in the foyer and they were ready right then and there to give her a Priesthood Blessing of Healing. Many hours later, Pam texted us and told us what the problem was, but she also said she was going to be fine. 

We also had another missionary meeting after this, and we received large maps for our areas to mark up and see which areas in our area we had tracked into. 

. . .

I will be hitting my 14 month mark (14/18) tomorrow, June 16th. Time is sure flying faster and faster!

. . .

Early this morning, a bunch of the Sisters  went to Neptune's Park / Virginia Beach and we watched the sunrise. It was a bunch of fun!

This is all I can say for now.

I hope y'all have a blessed day!

-Sister A. Marshall 

A Tough, but manageable Week

This week started out with a get together with the Sister missionaries in my Zone. It was a lot of fun! We played Frisbee, and  one of our sister Training leaders had a grand bubble machine that blew bubbles inside other bubbles. 

I cooked multiple meals this week, and stuck them in the freezer. I have meals that extend even into this week! Hooray for being prepared! 

We had dinner with the Schoppaul family this week, and it was truly wonderful. I got to try a new Indian dish!

-We visited one of our potentials this week, and she said she would come to our church this week. Unfortunately, she began to compare our religion to Catholicism and how they are very similar. She told us that no matter what, she always goes back to her Catholic roots, and he convinced herself that she would go to our church some other time. We guess that she convinced herself to go back to her Catholic religion - which was NOT the purpose of our visit... but, I guess, maybe one day she will accept the fullness of the Gospel!

- We did a lot of tracting, but not as much as last week. 

-We tried to contact most of our referrals, and many of them were more interested when the Zone Leaders stopped by, but it sounded like they had second thought by the time the sisters came around. I don't know what it is. 

-We had a Zone Meeting and they taught us the new way to teach the lessons. +20 minutes max 

+ "What do you see?" when it comes to the pictures in the pamphlet

+Not explaining much doctrine

+Going from picture to yellow box, to picture 

+When they read the pamphlet on their own time, it counts as a lesson 

Things that stood out to me this week: 

-My companion explained to me one way to distinguish the adversary: Satan doesn't call us by our first name -he calls us by our sin. 

- In district meeting, it was said like this: "Can we access the Atonement without saving ordinances? The Answer is: NO". Without Baptism being done with the proper Priesthood Authority, we cannot have access to the Atonement. Not in full, anyway. This church is so powerful - we can be completely free of sin when we hae access to the Atonement. It is only through this church can we be made free. 

- I have been studying The Questions of the Soul on page 107  in Preach My Gospel. 

 

-the world says you will get love when... 

 +You're beautiful

 + You're famous

 + You're rich

"[These people] are the most miserable [when they have truly believed in this concept and acted on this concept]". 

. . .

I had dinner with some members and I was fed something that I shouldn't have eaten; I thought they double-checked the food but when they gave me the box of the leftovers of this particular idem, it had different kinds of wheat in it, and added gluten. I felt bad that first night, and then terrible the next day. I felt hot and sick; luckily, I am still alive. My companion and I like to joke and say that the members are trying to kill me. But, thank goodness, I know they're not! :D Trials happen for a reason, I guess! I still went and did missionary work, regardless!

. . .

Pam, our recent convert, took us out to a Mexican restaurant. It was very good! 

  Anyways! 

This is all I can say for now.

Bye!

-Sister A. Marshall 

  

A Desolate Week, And Still Going in Faith

This was a tough week; many of our appointments cancelled, and many of them also fell through. We tracted for hours and we were only able to extend a few handfuls of invitations. Many people were not interested, and told us they have already been saved, and had a belief in Jesus Christ.

Last Monday, our recent convert, Pam, took us sisters (and the Hermanas) over to pick our own strawberries. They sold for $1.99/lb, since they are in season. I haven't picked strawberries before and I took about 2.5 lbs of strawberries from the field. After picking, Pam had us over for dinner and we had a nice, healthy dinner. She still is not smoking, and I couldn't be more proud of her :).

On Tuesday, we had quite the miracle! We saw Sister Hererra and she has said that she told us that she really wants to learn all over again, and she called this "The Restoration of Sister Hererra", based on the missionaries' first pamphlet that we usually give out, called, "The Restoration".

(Later on in the week, we had another lesson with her, and we got to help her understand some of the basics of our religion. We also taught about patriarchal blessings and how they are given from God to help us get through our life and what God wants us to do, and the blessings that come from following their council. Near the end of the lesson, though, Sister Hererra looked at me and she told me how I just had this unmistakable glow that was hard to miss. She told me that she knew God sent me (my companion, and our member) to her, but, specifically, she told me she knew that God sent me to her because I had something to say to her. I thought that was very touching, and I believe it; I hope I continue to be in tune with the holy spirit and say the things which Heavenly Father would like me to say throughout all of these visits that we may have with her. )

We also had a Roster Review with the Ward Council; since there are a lot of military families in this area, we have a lot of people on the Roster that have moved. So many, in fact, that we seriously need to update our 27 pages of our ward directory. We didn't get that far before the missionaries had to leave before 9:00 pm. Luckily we will have these meetings throughout the year so we can get this Roster up to date!

This week was also hard because I got sick to my stomach 3 times this week; the first time because I didn't know the melatonin I had recently bought had a trace of wheat in it, and I woke up with the wind completely taken out of me; another time, I was fed with something with a ton of oil in it, and I felt sick all the next day (I don't do well when something is coated with oil);. The next time, was on Friday when my companion and I split a container of Phad Thai (Thai Dish). She didn't want the vegetarian one with Tofu and so we just ordered the chicken Phad Thai instead. I took the chicken out and soon after I had finished my small portion, my stomach was hurting so bad I had to lie down and stay in for the rest of the night. I was miserable. At least we did some more Roster updating in our apartment, and we also prepared for our lesson that we would be teaching in the 11-year-olds Sunday class.

. . .

We feel like we lost Jena (Jen-eh) as an investigator. She didn't get back to us at all - we left a text, and a message on her phone.

. . .

Yesterday, we were busy on Sunday and we got to meet with our new ward mission leader and have a Coordination for the first time in 6 months (in Virginia Beach). It went fairly well, and we hope the work will continue to progress in this area as we continue to meet with him.

The Lesson with the 11 year olds went fairly well. We talked about the Prodigal's Son, the Lost coin, and the Lost Sheep, leaving the 99 to go for the 1 that went astray. We also pretended to be lost in the church, and the children found us, and their classmate. We also gave them each a Book of Mormon to write their testimonies in, for them to give to their friends.

. . .

Today I am going to color my hair, cook most of my food for the week ( I like to make meals in advance and then stick them in the freezer for an instant meal), go to a Sisters Activity with the Sisters and Sister Training leaders in the area, and I am, hopefully, write some letters.

Anyways!

I hope you all have a great rest of the week!

By the time I come back, it will only be a hot minute! Time certainly flies!

-Sister A. Marshall