I'm training Sister Downs, and we are the first Sisters to be in Haleyville!
Love y'all! Email you Monday!
Love,
Sister Reyne
Monday, October 28, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
What A Miracle
An
ABSOLUTE MIRACLE of the week! On Tuesday we had Zone Training. It was
one of the best meetings we've had yet (although they are all amazing).
We set a baptismal goal of 14 for the whole zone! We talked about
setting a goal each day of invitations to be baptized. We also are
trying a new thing - Baptismal Calendars! When an investigator commits
to a date to be baptized you make a calendar so that you can track their
lessons with them and they can SEE their goal! Sister Williams and I
were pumped! That night we had a planned to go to Dequalins game and
also use it as a way of finding. (We met Marquilla and Jay-Jay and
Marquilla's three kids - one being Dequalin - a few weeks ago and
started teaching them). About 2 hours before we asked if we could do a
short lesson after his game. We were really excited to teach the Plan of
Salvation with them using visuals for the kids. She said no lesson
because it would be too late by the time the game ended. Then not even
an hour later she sent us a text that 'she read about the Book of Mormon
and our faith and her faith were not the same, and she didn't want us
to continue teaching their family. Then it said that she didn't want us
to come to her sons game. Thanks, but not thanks.' ... Can I just say I
HATE anti-mormon literature. It's so sad! And there are even churches
out here that just straight up teach anti-mormon as their service.
But
anyway, Sister Williams and I being "smart ones" didn't have a backup
plan for Marquilla's fam so we went to the apartment to check the area
book really quick to pick out some former investigators teaching
records. I picked out 2 and Sister Williams picked a teaching record
with the name Tekiela. It said that she was very open and loved the
lessons but there was no description of her being dropped. But we took
two records that seemed to be in the same direction, got in the car and
started driving. A VERY faint impression came that we go see Tekiela. We
get there, she let us in, we teach her about the Book of Mormon, we ask
her to be baptized and set a date for October 25th! She said YES! ...
I'm STILL in awe of what happened. ... But that's not all! .. She was
taught almost 2 years ago and the missionaries stopped going by because
she couldn't commit to be baptized. She was raised by her
grandmother. Her grandma was sick, and so she said she would be baptized
if her grandmas passed away or if she herself moved out. She's 20 now,
her grandmother passed away which kind of tore her family apart, but the
Lord has SO prepared her! She has such a light in her eyes! She is
really special! I just loved her instantly! Ronald from Fayette was
baptized on Saturday, and Tekiela came. Afterwards she said, "I'm so
ready!" Everyone was SO welcoming to her! I was so proud of our ward.
The ward members make ALL the difference! I can't even say that enough.
And then Friday we had interviews with the President and then afterward
Sister Williams, Elder Thayer, and Elder Jensen (from Demopolis) and I
made baptismal calendars. We showed Tekiela after the baptism Saturday
and she was so excited!! She came to church on Sunday and next Sunday
she will go to the new YSA Branch! We are going to do team teaching with
Sister Leifson and Sister Millard (YSA Sisters) so she can be
fellowshipped into the YSA Branch.
What's
so crazy is that having a GOAL and a VISION in mind makes ALL the
difference. You have to know what you want and the Lord can make it
happen! You can't just say Lord, show me, guide me, we have to do our
part in knowing what we want to happen and He will make it happen in His
own way! I love my Heavenly Father! ... Other missionaries have shared
experiences like that, where they meet someone and 2 weeks later they
are baptized. ... Well I can now say I have experienced that! I still am
in shock! Is this really real?! And although we were so sad about
Marquilla's family, the Lord provided a miracle. This is His work! We
are just the tools and instruments and spreading it. ... Because I'm
being transferred I WILL come back for the baptism! I just pray I'm not
in a city too far away.
Sister
Williams and I had great birthdays! It didn't feel like birthday's at
all, except when we opened our presents. But Saturday morning all the
Sisters came for pancakes and cake! I'm sad I don't have pictures this
week because I forgot to bring my camera to the library, but next week
there will be lots of pics from birthday's and transfers.
It
was an incredible week! I loved what Sister Isaak said in Zone
Training, something so simple but it pierced my heart. "This work is
real!" This morning I just yelled to Sister Williams, "Everything about
this gospel just makes SENSE!" Shoot! I love how everything really
starts to connect the more I study and teach.
I love all y'all and each y'all!
Sister Reyne
It's finally FALL!
Wasn't Conference AMAZING?! People aren't joking when they say that General Conference on your mission is the greatest! ... But before I get to that, I'll get to the highlights of the week. Pday last Monday was one of the best! It was so much fun! We went to SaveCo .. wait no ... SaveMart? ... No, SafeWay? Sister Fedrizzi, Sister Layton, and Sister Williams and I could not remember the name of this ghetto grocery store! Ha It was called Save Alot! .. Does that not sound like a high quality market? And yes, that's concidered fun, going to Save Alot. So we grab our buggies and spend probably 30 min in this tiny grocery store. Y'all may not understan but it was fun! Then Monday night we went to the Footes for FHE and watched a Bible video and then played charades. I just love that family!
Tuesday was kind of interesting, but that isn't unusual for me and Sister Williams. We go out to Buhl (that just means dang far away ... long story). We tried finding someone house and ended up driving 20 miles and once we finally found their house there were two HUGE dogs outside and it was basically in the forest, so we decided "no good for no one". Wednesday we saw Roxanne with Sister Gee being a member present. It was a great lesson! The spirit is always so clearly present there in our lessons with her! Then we saw Susan and Greg! Two of my favorite people! (Everyone knows this by now) Sister Williams and I asked Greg if he wants to be baptized, and he said YES! We aren't sure when that date will be, but we can SEE and feel their faith growing! THEY are the reason I came on a mission! There is nothing like seeing light come more abunduntly into someones life. I remember very vividly an experience I had when I was going back and forth between deciding whether or not to go on a mission. It was me, mom, dad, gma & gpa, and Dallin talking after dinner one Sunday. Even though we weren't talking about anything to with me deciding to go or not, the spirit came to me very strongly and said, you are going to change someones life! But it encompassed an explanation that came all at once. I knew it wasn't ME that was going to change someones life, but it was my decision to go. The gospel that I would share on my mission would change their life! I know MY life has been changed! Already. I don't know if I will ever know exactly who that "someone" is, whether it be Susan and Greg, myself, and others I will meet throughout my mission. I just KNOW Sister Williams and I came to this area as a companionship for so many different reasons! I can't imagine growing and loving even more people, and heck I still have over a year left (that just isn't fair that it's been almost 6 months already though??!)
This weekend alone changed my life! It's incredible how on your mission you study scripture, doctrines, the lessons, history of the church etc for others, but you totally end up building upon your own testimony while doing it. If I was just studying for myself it wouldn't have the same effect. In Preach My Gospel it says that we can't convert someone beyond our own conversion. I understand that more so now, because as I have seen others faith increase, mine has grown with them. I really knew nothing of the Book of Mormon to be honest. I always had the faith and testimony that it was true, but I didn't fully appreciate and understand it. My heart is just so full today! One of my favorite words is enlightened, and that is exactly what this weekend has been. My mind has been enlightened. Conference was incredible! I wish I could just convey my thoughts and feelings more perfectly. And today to top it all off, it finally feels like Fall! It's not humid today, and the wind if cold. I can actually wear a cardigan other than just in the freezing chapel on Sundays during Sacrament Meeting. Fall makes me so happy! I'm so glad it's finally FALL! This week is gon' be great!
Roll Tide!
Peace & Blessin'
I love you all,
Sister Reyne
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