Am I a Southern Story Teller Yet?‏

The reason for obedience is the way that God has to work with us in order for us to show our willingness to follow Him. Through obedience we can become like Him. Because we aren't perfectly obedient, we have the Savior, Jesus Christ. But as we strive to become like Him we show that we are comfortable enough to live with Him someday. I have looked at obedience so differently up til this point. It's so simple. God commands us to do or not do. If we love Him we keep His commandments. If we love Him we truly want to live with Him again. Sister Wilson explained it as, "Obedience is the mechanism God has to work with in order to bless us."

This past week God has truly blessed us for being obedient. So rewind back to December. Before I came to Tupelo, Sister Butterfield and Sister Hernandez were "carol tracting". They met a nice lady, but didn't set a return appointment to go back and teach. Fast forward to February. Sister Butterfield and I were at our favorite Tupe' town laundry mat. We meet a lady who has never been to our favorite little wash place. She only went there to wash a huge blanket that wouldn't fit in her washer and dryer. As we start talking to this lady Sister Butterfield realized she had met her before! We ask if we could come back in a few days to visit with her. Because of her busy schedule we were only able to meet with her once before we were both transferred, so we told Sister Wilson and Sister Stahle to go visit her.  .. Now it's April. I'm back in Tupelo. Little did I know, I would be the one teaching her with Sister Wilson. Last night we called her, and she told us to come back later that evening. 

We taught using the "timeline" of the Plan of Salvation. We opened with a prayer, and what some people do in the south is after every phrase you state in a prayer, they will say under their breath, "Thank you Jesus." "Praise the Lord." It's so funny! I love it! Delores has been baptist her whole life, but even the basics we taught about Jesus Christ, the spirit was able to teach her. She had never heard about the Pre-Earth Life and even when we taught about the resurrection of the Savior she said she had never known these things. Sister Wilson, like a BOSS pulled out the Book of Mormon, briefly explains what it is and has her read a scripture about the resurrection of the Savior. The spirit was so strong! And when we told her about the celestial kingdom she acted as though she's always known about it. She didn't say, "Oh I've never heard of this ... My preacher says this.."  I can't even explain it! It was one of the coolest lessons on my mission so far. She said she wants to go to the celestial kingdom! She loves God and Jesus Christ. She truly has a desire to follow them. She told us she wants to start reading the Book of Mormon every day. We showed her mormon.org and and she even asked us to bookmark the website. Everything I've written doesn't even do this experience justice. 

Rewind back again, but just to this last Saturday. The young women and young men had a yard sale/bake sale/car wash to raise money for camp. Of course there were going to be lots of people to meet there so us and the ZL's went! It was one of the funnest days on my mission! The Lord provided for us! I could just cry. We were out of our area on exchanges and in Birmingham for meetings from Tuesday afternoon til Friday afternoon. We should have the highest numbers in our zone being leaders. We shouldn't use the excuse of ... well our numbers are gonna stink because we aren't in our areas all the time. Well God provided! Within 3 hours we gave out a whole box of Books of Mormons, got 12 new investigators, had probably 50 contacts, AND we got to wear "regular clothes". It was so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to Sunday ... Ashley was baptized!!!! Church was amazing!!! Jessica AND Laura who are getting baptized this weekend shared such strong, simple, beautiful testimonies about their conversion of why they believe we have and need the priesthood and why we need a prophet. They were the ones in class openly giving all the comments! Jessica has come such a long way from when Sister Butterfield and I started teaching her. Nathan has changed! He has the priesthood! And next year we're coming back when they are sealed in the temple!!! I love them so much!! It's God! It's the spirit! I mean, with Ashley when I first met her 2 weeks ago, she told us for the first time that she finally felt like God was there and she could talk to Him and He answers. She never had had that before. And now 2 weeks later she's baptized?!!! She's 18. She's such a brave soul. It was heartbreaking because her mom wouldn't support her and come to her baptism, but she knew it was the choice she needed to make. God told her what was right. You can't argue with that! I KNOW the gospel is on the Earth! ALL of it! I just can't contain myself!!!! ... Sister Wilson and I always just yell in car about how true the gospel is! It's hilarious! I'm pretty sure Tiwi (our car babysitter) has cameras in it and people at Church Headquarters are just dying laughing at all the crazy conversations and crazy things missionaries do. I'd like that job! Speaking of being in the car ... funny story .... Caitlin, Liz and Kelsie got me 3 barbies. I wasn't sure why because when I got the package I didn't get a chance to read it for a few days. Well Sister Wilson decided to stick one of them out the window as I'm driving. So I told her to try and stick the head out and close the window so she could get some fresh air ... well her head and arm and leg flew out the window. Yesterday I read the letter. It was Liz. I'm sorry. 

Well I feel like I just talked for an hour straight without breathing. Am I a southern story teller yet?

Back in Tupe' Town‏

This week has been one of the most incredible weeks on my mission so far!!!! AHHHHHHHH! I can't even begin to explain! We are working so hard and having so much fun! Where to START? Always a struggle. So on Saturday I knew I was being transferred out of Huntsville because President Hanks asked me to be a Sister Training Leader (like a Zone Leader, but Sister version .. and without the priesthood ha) ... Wednesday comes around. On the way to transfer meeting we are talking about who we think our companions would be. I said I would love to be Sister Wilsons companion. We get to transfer meeting. The slideshow of new companionships comes up, Sister Wildings' comes up first, so I say goodbye to her, and then I walk to the back of the chapel as we're instructed. Slowly people standing in the back of the chapel are being called to who their new companion will be, and go to sit with them. Then Sister Wilson and I are standing by each other. Our picture comes up together that we will be serving as STL's in Tupelo! WHAT? I was JUST there last transfer? 

We have been on fire!!!! We have had some AMAZING lessons! A family wants to get baptized! I met them for the first time. The Sister started teaching them almost a month ago. They already talk about wanting to be sealed in the temple! We had a lesson with them about priesthood and had Matt who was just baptized a few weeks ago come with us. His testimony was so beautiful. I asked Lewis why it's important to be baptized by the Priesthood. He said, "Well, if you're not then you're just going through the motions." The spirit was so thick when Sister Wilson then asked him if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. He just looked at her for a minute in silence with his eyes filling up with water. He said quietly, "yes." We invited him to talk with Laura his wife about a date for them both to be baptized. ... AND THEN Jessica who I taught before with Sister Butterfield is getting baptized on Easter!!!!! Nathan has been to the temple! He was baptized for his grandpa and great grandpa! We met with Ashley who's a senior in Highschool! She knows our ward mission leader who owns a cell phone covers store. So I asked, Oh how do you know him? She said, "I'm addicted to cell phone covers" Brother Hooper is awesome! He's the one that invited her to church 2 weeks ago. And then Sister Wilson and Sister Stahle who was here before me started teaching her. We saw her again yesterday and she told us she wants to be baptized! God is so good! So many miracles! Conference was amazing! My favorite was Lawrence Corbridges'. I got to watch the Saturday morning with the Nathan and Jessica. SO COOL! The change of when we first met with them to teach them about the Restoration. Now they know about conference and are watching it on Saturday?!!! Then Ashley came to the Sunday morning and we had a potluck at the church. It's so fun seeing people again! ....   

AND I got an email that my dad is going to get a donor transplant! With what they have been through with insurance, it's a miracle! So many good things happening here. And Tuesday is MLC and then we're doing exchanges til Thursday, then Friday Ashley is getting baptized! I can't believe I'm back in Tupe' Town!!!

Please pray for Elder D that he can find someone at least willing to listen. He is having a hard time in his area. I only had a hard time last transfer for 6 weeks not really finding anyone, but he's been out almost 6 months already?! .. That I can't believe. 

I love y'all! Thank you for your prayers. I couldn't do it without prayer and without the atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Sister Reyne

We Found Waldo‏

It has been an incredible week! The best last week of a transfer on my mission so far! It has been so much fun! 6 weeks of finding and finding has paid off! It's kind of like that Where's Waldo game. It has been dang hard, but oh so good! We found another family to teach!! I can't explain how it happened. We were walking to another appointment, and I just said, "Hey let's go knock this door." It had to be the spirit, because it was so random. As we are walking up my thoughts were,"They are just going to tell us to go away." Three kids come to the door and just stare at us ... what felt like 3 minutes later their mom comes to the door. She wanted us to come back the next day when her husband would be there too! As we walk up to the door, their little girl says, "dad the Bible people are here!" My thought was, "Shoot! He's going to chew us out and tell us to never come back." But he opens the door, and is the friendliest person. He said they would have to reschedule because they had another Bible study that they spaced, but invited us in for a moment. The spirit kept telling me, you need to stay here and teach them NOW. As he left the room for a moment, Jes (the wife) tells us to sit down. Wes (husband) has a friend who's Mormon that gave him a Book of Mormon when they were in the army together. Jes said she doesn't like that the church they go to now doesn't have fellowshipping with each other (they didn't feel welcomed at first) and she wants to volunteer, but no one will do it with her. ... Of course I have to contain myself! I am smiling so big! We ended up talking more about the Book of Mormon, the restoration and set up another time to come back. Seriously, one of the greatest miracles of my mission!

 

I could go on forever!

 

Love y'all!

It's Gods Way‏

Huntsville is so different from all the other places I'm been. People weren't born and raised here. They ain't suthun. I miss my southerners! All the engineers live here close to the space and rocket museum. Transfer calls are this weekend AGAIN! How does each transfer go by faster and faster. It's not ok! On another note .. WE FOUND A FAMILY TO TEACH! We also met this lady from Nigeria. She is beautiful and so is her accent. We also tracted into the same person twice. That was embarrassing. I almost want to a third time just for fun.

Friday we went to the Temple. I've never learned so much as I have this last time. It truly gave me strength and a push and rejuvenation! I'm convinced it was because of President Hanks email to us all the Monday before. 

It's the last week of the transfer. I have a feeling I'm staying in Huntsville. I hope I don't move again! This week is going to be THE BEST! I can feel it. Why? Because we have a divine purpose to invite others to receive the restored gospel. It truly is God's way! 

PS You can see President Hanks blog by going to http://albirminghammissionhome.blogspot.com/

Like a War Eagle

I can't even begin to explain the jolt and impact of strength and clarity I've received this past week. It's been dang hard, but God knows what WE need. Of course we aren't out here to find out what WE need. We are out here to help other find what THEY need. But in return we truly find out how much God truly desires for US to find Him just as much as the people we teach. We had Zone Training this last week and I got to do some training. I LOVED it! I needed that! I am going to be honest. I have never wanted to come home from my mission until this last week. It's been HARD. And I haven't been as positive, or kind, or as grateful as I should be. I've definitely learned a lot about myself this transfer. It's cool how I learn something completely different each transfer. Last transfer my testimony was strengthened more than ever. God knew I needed that to get through this transfer. Being a missionary, a representative of Christ, this is real life! We are inviting people to the live in the presence of God eternally.

Now for some funny stories. On Saturday, Sister Wilding and I decided we really need to do service, and we were dang sick of finding all day. And it happened to be nice outside. (Speaking of, we made up a rap ... I'll tell you about that later) So we went to a random door and asked if we could do some service for him by cleaning out his gutters. He was extremely confused at the fact that we just wanted to do service. No "catch". He figured out we were Mormon and proceeded to tell us how we were wasting our lives away. He said our core beliefs are true, and we are some of the nicest people. But he said he had "been there and back", that there is a God and there is a Christ, but no Joseph Smith. Long story short, we were HIGHLY offended by his language and what he told us. But that experience just led me to an awesome personal study the next morning! I read in Doctrine & Covenants. Basically God is only going to show us what we are prepared to receive! AND this Friday we go to the Temple! It's going to be a special one. 

All in all, I'm hanging on every day. Endure right? It means to have a brightness of hope as President Hanks explains it. It may be hard in the moment, but it's worth it in the eternities. 

And for those Hot Rod fans, I feel like a war eagle. .. not like an Auburn fan, because I prefer elephants, but really I have more strength and a stronger testimony than I sometimes realize. And it's only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that that is made possible.

Love y'all,

Sister Reyne 

 

 

I'm out of control. I don't know. 

Me & Sister Wilding

 For Chad