Haleyville Roller Coaster Ride‏

What a wonderful Christmas it was to talk to family! What a blessing to have Christmas on your mission. I realized this was the only Christmas I'll ever have on my mission. ... Thursday was a little rough getting into the routine of things, but by Friday we were feeling great! Friday evening the Elders texted us and asked if they could borrow the car Saturday to visit all the single males on the Branch roster who live in Double Springs and Bear Creek. Sister Downs joked, "Watch. Tomorrow will be the coldest rainiest day in Haleyville." ... Jokes on us. It was! Saturday was such a fun day though! We tracted all day in the rain, up hill, both ways ;) until evening. Not much luck, but we did get to see Kelly, who's Paul's best friend. Kelly's dad died on Thanksgiving day this year. We finally found where he lives (by his southern directions) We met Kelly through Paul who hasn't been to church in a while, but Kelly is interested in the Book of Mormon. We talked about the Atonement and what that meant and shared the scripture about when Christ cried out, "Abba" meaning daddy. He really likes inspirational books and learning more about the Savior. He's in his late 20's and his son Peyton who is 6 is just the cutest thing. He kept showing us all his toys he got for Christmas. Other than seeing Kelly, we didn't get any return appointments, but we did talk to a baptist man who called Joseph Smith a quack and then tell us to take no offense to it ... It's like saying, bless your heart but I hate you. So that's when you take Sister Pates advice, to shake it off and read some scriptures. So we kept skipping and dancing along in the rain with frozen toes. By dinner time the Elders brought back the car, and we went out to see Angie and Oscar. We ended up teaching them all of the Commandments in ONE VISIT! We went through the baptismal interview questions, and committed Oscar to prepare to be baptized on January 11th. Then we went back Saturday to make sure they were coming to church, etc. ... Sunday morning we call them and they say they are coming. It's 9:00. They haven't showed up. It's now 9:30 ... they didn't show up. We have dubbed Sundays to be a roller coaster of emotions no matter what. Then later that day because we are oh so smart, we drive to Tonya's (she lived up past a dirt road). ... not thinking, it RAINED ALL DAY SATURDAY. So naturally we get the car stuck in the mud. Being prideful we wanted to try and get ourselves unstuck by shoveling the mud and pushing the car. Well we aint' pioneers, because the car was going nowhere. So we go to her neighbors to ask for help, and he says, "Y'all got stuck again?" We had gotten stuck at her house a few weeks ago. So we were actually happy we got stuck because it left us some comic relief after the Sunday morning we had had. And I'm pretty sure we went through a cycle of EVERY EMOTION this week since Christmas day. But always all in all, it was a great 'nother week in the life of a missionary! Oh the joys of being a Sister Missionary on a Haleyville Roller Coaster Ride!

Love y'all!

Sister Reyne

There's No Place Like Haleyville For The Holidays!‏

This week has been non-stop since ... Well it never started at any particular point. It's just been non-stop ever since ... This last week we had a Christmas Party with President and Sister Hanks and a few other zones. Sister Williams was there!!! Our District (Haleyville and Hamilton) did the 12 Weeks of Training. The Sister sang, and the Elders held up the signs. I have pictures, but my camera is dead and I can't find the cord ... so maybe next year y'all can see them. So sorry! Then on Thursday we had our Haleyville Branch Christmas Social that Sister Downs and I got put in charge of. We actually aren't sure how that actually happened, but thankfully it turned out fabulous! Oscar read the Nativity Story from Luke 2, Sister Downs and I were in a skit with Starr, Dayne and their friends, as well as the Elders. I'm sure President Pate posted it on Facebook. We also sang Silent Night with the Elders, there was food, Santa came, and I could not stop smiling that whole night because Angie and Oscar and their 4 kids ALL came!! 

So Sister Downs and I are sure that the Zombie Apocalypse is going to start in Haleyville. (First because everyone pretty much has the plague right now. It's hit Elder Barben too) On Saturday night we had a Tornado Warning, and then Sunday morning on the way to church we didn't see one human soul outside. .. Then later that day there was a dead cat on the side of the road (sing it Anthony). But really. There was. Speaking of animals though ... Well first here's the Southern explanation of the story. Angie and Oscar didn't come to church Sunday because of the storm and were up until 2:00 a.m. So naturally we dropped by their house after church. They were just about to leave to finish some Christmas shopping so they asked if we could come back that night. We talked for a little and Oscar made jokes at us about our bikes because he's never seen us in them. So being the cool missionaries that we are, Sister Downs and I road our bikes to their house last night. We watched Joy to the World with them because that's what they missed in Sunday school. We bore testimony of the Savior, answered some of their questions, and gave Oscar a spanish Book of Mormon, and invited him to read Alma 32, and talked about baptism again ... I just LOVE that family so much!!! So, as we are riding back, it wasn't but 1 minute later, and a pack of DOGS comes towards us out of NOWHERE! I mean, there were at least 10. So my reaction is to freeze, and I start screaming, while Sister Downs is yelling, "Peddle faster! Just peddle faster!" ... We get home to text Angie, and her response was, "Sorry about the dogs. There are a lot of them out here." Embarrassingly enough they must have heard us screaming and yelling! She told us to stick to the car. I do NOT like dogs out here! There are so many stray dogs. 

We tracted a little with the Elders looking for a referral yesterday and it was a sketchy area and so Elder Thompson said, "This is the kind of area where people come out with shot guns." We told him that as Sister we try and avoid these kind of places for that reason. We were trying to find some less actives on Saturday and right as I went to knock on the door I turned to Sister Downs and she said, "Let's go!" We both had the WORST feeling! So we ran to the car and drove away. After that we felt so shaken up that we went to the Pates, and then texted the District Leader and went home because of the Tornado watch. 

There's no place like Haleyville for the Holidays! .. Right?!

Love y'all!

Sister Reyne

I Blinked And Now It's December!‏

First off, I'm so sorry I didn't write last week! I ran out of time. So this week I'm going to write the email first, so I can enjoy reading my other emails. The last two weeks have been fabulous! We met Stephanie who is 21, that the Elders tracted into, and she is AMAZING! Oh my gosh! She and Steven have a little boy named Ryland. I could just see her being best friends with Kasey. Her apartment looks so much like how Kasey decorates too! She and Steven want to be baptized! She also has a friend who is Mormon and from what she has told us about her we want to thank her unconditionally because of the example she's set for Stephanie. I just wish y'all could meet her!! Last Friday was the temple trip. I learned SO much. I love how close I am able to feel to the Savior when I'm there. And I've felt rejuvenated ever since. I love my Savior! The only way to get to our Father is through Christ. I know that with an assuredly of heart. 

On Saturday we volunteered at Christmas at the Lake. I have pictures, but I lost my cord to hook up to the computer, so until then ... Haleyville has done Christmas at the Lake for 12 years. There is a long trail of Christmas Lights, and we helped at Santa's workshop passing out hot cocoa and cookies. We met a lot of people doing that, and had so much fun. Sunday was Christmas eatin' Sunday and President & Sister Hanks spoke in Sacrament about the Savior and how we are saved by His life. Going through Matt, Mark, Luke and John we can learn so much about what Christ truly did during his life. 

Tomorrow we have our Christmas Party for all the missionaries! It's being split up for the next few days because there are like 300 of us. But our District (Hamilton and Hayville Sisters and Elders) are doing a skit called The 12 Weeks of Training. Here's how it goes ... y'all are getting a sneak peak before all the other missionaries. On the first week of training my trainer gave to me ... (And for the sake of time and space I'll just list the days)

1. Cold, empty, sad mailbox

2. Rabid dogs

3. Missing teeth

4. Waffle houses

5. Hallelujah's I'm saved!

6. Hours of tracting

7. Dinner appointments

8. Check your speeds

9. Baptist preachers

10. Dead armidillas

11. Other lessons

12. Mosquito bites

I hope no one will take offense to this, it's just SO Hamilton and Haleyville Alabama!

On Thursday our Sister Training leader did exchanges with us and we gave away Lindsay and Daniel's puppies across the street from Walmart. Lindsay make little treat bags to go with the dogs, and then we talked with the people and gave them pass along cards. No one was interested in us coming over, but we did give away all 8 puppies! So it ended up being great fellowship for Lindsay and THEY CAME TO CHURCH SUNDAY! We also had a great lesson with Angie and Oscar on Thursday! They agreed to be baptized December 28th (if they get their answer that this is what they should do) We said that we had prayed about that date for them,  and received an answer that that was the date we should set for them to work toward as a goal. Oscar said he's searched a lot of religion, and this is basically the last one. Well he's found it! I love that family so much! 

Sister Downs and I are also planning the whole Branch Christmas Social for Friday! We are stressed to our teeth, and are going to take 8:00 - 9:00 everyday to plan and decorate, make the programs, etc. But we're excited! And then NEXT WEEK IS CHRISTMAS!! We're going to the Bradberry's for brunch and then to the Pates! And we will SKYPE there! More details next Monday. 

Well that's the basics, I find it hard to write in my journal every night because so much detail happens in ONE day. And wasn't it just Halloween? I blinked, and now it's December! 

Love y'all!

Sister Analise Reyne

Three Turkey's, One Turkey Bowl, and One Alabama Game!‏

I've got 10 minutes. .. Thanksgiving was fabulous! Thanksgiving morning was the Turkey Bowl! It was so much fun! I'm awful at taking pictures, so I'm going to try and get some from Sister Bradberry. I LOVE playing football! Where has it been all my life? Then we ate with the Pates! And then a few hours later we ate at the Evans. We tracted a few people that day and .. why we didn't think of this before I don't know, but we sang! We brought our little hymn books (thanks D!) and sang as a way of tracting and finding people to teach. We got one return appointment and they know the Bradberry's! The third Thanksgiving we had was Friday with the Bradberry's! We played games and had a huge bonefire. I actually remembered to take pictures then. Go figure! And sadly Bama lost to Auburn Saturday. Maybe that's why no one wanted to see us haha But Sunday was wonderful! 

I love our members! And I love this gospel! I know that it is THE way to everlasting happiness! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ's church restored to the Earth. I'm grateful for my family! I'm grateful for the Priesthood that has been restored. Without it we couldn't be sealed together as families. I'm grateful to be a missionary in Alabama. The BEST Mission EVER! Yes ... I'm one of those missionaries. I'm grateful for Sister Downs! An awesome mission companion! I'm grateful for my Savior! And I'm grateful to be a part of His church! I love y'all!

Me & Sister Downs

Me and Brother Bradberry. I love this man! 

Less Active Finding

Love y'all!

Sister Reyne