Week 69: Hey..I just met you.. and this is crazy..Here's our number..come to church maybe?‏

Family!

 

How have yall been doing? It was yet again another great week in Flowood, MS. I know I say this every week... but I am in awe of how much the Lord really does love us. How do I know he loves us? ..because of experiences we have daily of being lead to those who he has prepared to receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Father in Heaven knows and is mindful of all of us.

My first story to tell you that illustrates this so well happened yesterday! A few weeks ago we left the Savior's peace and blessing with this sweet little old lady. We go and visit her now at least once a week. Though she is fighting many health problems she always invites us in to visit and loves to give us the names of her friends to go visit. She will say something like this when introducing us to people.." These two ladies are so great..Now they are not Jehovah Witnesses and they're not selling anything. They just want to come and pray with you and talk about Jesus." So sweet.

Yesterday when we were visiting with her she gave us the referral of her son and her daughter in-law. During our visit she called up her daughter-in-law on the phone and told her she wanted to send two ladies over to come pray with them. The daughter in law said "yeah sure send um on over!" ..and that she did. We went over to her house and this sweet woman welcomed us right in. She only had 15 minutes so we set up a return appointment for today and left her with somethings to read before we are to come back. During our few minutes with her we learned that she converted to Methodist from Baptist when she was 20years old. Also during the early years of her raising her children she wanted to look into the Latter-day saint religion, but her sister told her some weird things about us that made her just give up on wanting to learn more. We told her that understanding would come over time and that it was up to her to put forth the effort now to read and pray to find out, for herself, the truthfulness of these things. Her daughter is age 13 and also really wants to know if these things are true. A very prayerful, spiritual youth.

We are so excited to meet with her.. actually we were going to meet with her today..but she just called to reschedule so I will update yall on how the lesson goes! The best part of the whole lesson is as we were leaving we asked her who she knew that we could go visit. She started to tell us some people..then said " Let me tell ya something..here in Mississippi if you go to peoples doors they either think yall are selling something or beggin for money..so how about I do this..I will tell them to come over and you can talk with all of us here then get the exchange information from there. Then yall don't have to go to the door where they would probably turn yall away even though yall are so nice." .. ha! it was awesome. So when we go to our appointment they are going to invite their friends over..oh if only we as members could be this excited about learning and sharing the gospel with our friends.

I'll return and report about this one for sure!

 

We were able to go on exchanges with the Clinton Sisters this week... One silly experience happened. We got a referral from a family in there, that we are teaching to to see their across the street neighbor..So that we did! went to go see her and as we pulled up so did she..As we were walking to her house I said " Hi mam'! How are you doing?" She mustered a Hello back and then with her cane in hand walked in to her back door and closed the garage door. I turned to the sister I was with and said "I have never seen a little old lady with a cane walk so fast before in my LIFE!"..it was way too funny. SO..being the bold missionary that I am we knocked on her door. Figured someone needed to help her out and take her newspapers to her..so we picked them up and knocked on the door. once for God..once for Christ and once for the Holy Ghost.. ha..i love it when you knock and know they're home and they don't come..but oh well! Had to try..

 

That same night we had a lesson scheduled with our investigator who is progressing (remember the one that didn't think we celebrated birthdays?..we'll call him Cody) So Cody is loving learning more about the church..since the beginning of our meeting with him he said that he wanted to know more about these things and make sure they were good before he brought his son to learn more ( understandable)  Tuesday night we get to our appointment with Cody..and who should be there also with bible and study journal in hand, his son! We were so very excited. The lesson went amazing. Cody basically taught his son the message of the restoration. Everything from Apostasy to the story about Joseph Smith. It was one of the best lessons Ive had on my mission..had to restrain myself from dancing around the room. His son said he would be baptized when he came to know these things were true.

Cody came to church Sunday..but his son was out of town. We hope they both are able to make it this Sunday as they said they would come. It was weird again..this last Sunday we had only one hour of church again because some of the men went to go help with the clean up down on the coast again. I'll tell you what..that's one of the weirdest feelings leaving after only one hour of church.

Sunday was really busy..but a good busy..we had so many set appointments and were able to meet with so many wonderful members of the ward..active and less active.

 

The weather here has been cooling off quite a bit. I know God loves us because he blesses us with rain. It rained a little yesterday and last night. What a blessing.

 

We made dinner for the elders a couple times this transfer..so they made us breakfast and dinner the other night. It was too nice of them. This last transfer has been great and we all really got a long well and worked together well. It is sad to see some of them get transferred. I have included a picture of our district.

 

Last but not least I need to tell you about sisters Conference!

This past week all the sisters from across the mission were able to gather together at the mission home for our first annual sisters conference! It was so great. We got there Wednesday evening had dinner and watched 'The prince of Egypt'.. then signed journals for each other. In the morning after breakfast we had council from President McDonough, Sister McDonough and the Assistants. President was excited that we could come in and learn more about his wife and see her great example. Sister McDonough is a great woman and it was great to be around her. We also learned of some examples of women in the Bible, Ruth and Esther. Such courage's examples of faith, devotion, dedication, loyalty and Living what you believe. The spirit was so strong during these meetings.. I don't know how to explain it to you other then we all felt so uplifted and edified that we did not want to leave. ( would you believe that I played the piano for it..? lol) .. Sister Johnson and I both commented to each other about how strong the spirit was and how you could really tell a difference. Any questions about the sisters conference? I think i bout covered it all. It was so great to see all my sister friends and catch up with them. I know that is the last time i will get to see most of them for a long while.

 

Ooh..So that creepy picture.. Our upstairs neighbor asked us if we knew who it belonged too..of course we didn't. A few days later one of our neighbors who was moving asked if we had gotten the picture that he had left for us..bahaha..yep it was for us. So we've hung it in our apartment. Were going to tape a picture of our selves in the corner. Love and live.

 

Well that's pretty much the bulk of the stories from this week. Things are going great. I am happy, healthy and enjoying the work. I wouldst ask for a better companion or area. The Lord knows us and loves us and puts us where he knows that we will grow. I pray that my growth continues as my times gets shorter.
The Gospel has been restored to the earth and We do have a living prophet on the earth today. The book of mormon is evidence of this truth. I know it is the word of God.

I hope yall have a great week!

Love ya!

Sister Urie

 

Southernism: "I was so shy I wouldn't say boo to a ghost!" -saying we heard the other day.

Scripture: Jarom 1:11 ..if the people were taught to live as if the savior had already lived. Shouldn't we be living as if he had already come again?.. not waiting to the end to repent but repenting daily.

Tracting Tips:..nothin!