Sometimes you just feel so gluttonous on a mission. While part of that feeling may be from the week long birthday celebration we had for sis Hendrix and the heaps of food we've been fed. I feel more gluttonous about the many blessings the Lord has given me. This week I'm especially grateful for the Book of Mormon. I don't think we realize what we have. While I wish I could express via email how the little blue book can change your life, you really just have to read it for yourself. But something that's brought me greater joy is being able to read it with purpose. Not only a purpose to serve selfish little me, but I'm searching for answers in the BoM on how to bless, comfort and guide these amazing people I've been blessed to work with here in SC. yup, read it:)
Did I mention I love being a missionary?? here's a few shnippets from da week!
We received a referral via Mormon.org a couple weeks ago about a lady who isn’t a member that was moving soon and needed help. She was referred by her friend who IS a member, and the lady (Deborah) was moving a couple houses down from this friend. We took this as a great opportunity to show some Christ like love and serve her, hoping at the same time is would soften her heart to the missionaries in Georgia we’d hope she’d start listening to. We arranged for us to go with Laura Wareham and the elders would drive out with bro Addison. Over the phone Deborah assured us there were only a few big ticket items she needed help with loading into a U-Haul, and everything else she’d already driven over herself in her car. However I soon became a little concerned when she toured us around her home pointing out the boxes, dressers, table, chair, couches, loveseat, fridge and washer and dryer she needed us to pack into her partially filled uhaul truck. God is still a God of miracles and we were able to fit allllmost everything, but it definitely required us to exercise our faith and our Tetris mastery skills. I was a little nervous that the biggest males we’d have helping out were Elder Harris and Malcom, who are both smaller than I am. But it proved to help a lot, all of us banded together to lift, carry, and use every last inch of space in the moving truck. Elder Harris would spiderman it and crawl up and over and around the stacked furniture to guide the additional pieces back. I loved it! It was so much fun, and exciting to challenge ourselves not only physically, but also mentally, trying to solve various problems. Reminded me of the many times my Dad taught me the power of thinking through a situation before just acting, through careful planning and meticulous work we fit so much more than we ever thought we could. It truly was a miracle in my eyes.
We were finally able to make it back to Ren’s, she wasn't too interested the first time, and we thought we’d offended her, but persistence is our middle name. We rang and knocked a few times with now answer. As we were walking away we heard a shout, we flipped around and Ren was at her door shouting about not letting us go this time, and something about her bath (she was in a robe). We scurried back up to her porch and she just expressed to us how much she loved us and missed us. She was terrified that we’d gone home. A couple weeks ago we’d stopped by and left a note and she was so upset we hadn't left our number for her to call us at. She told us we HAD to take down her number so when we go home we could still call her up and if we were ever back in the area she offered her home for us to stay in! She said she had extra beds and bathrooms, and that we were basically like her daughters to her. This is coming from the woman whom we had one 90 min lesson with, and during that lesson she got on us when we told her that we probably couldn't volunteer at the animal shelter because our missionary work took priority. You just never know what impact you can have on someone, she’s a tough one but we can see her coming around.
While I’m hoping to perfect my southern accent while I’m here, I pray that I don’t pick up on the southern grammar as well. Real southerners just speak a different English…that’s a little less than correct. Like when we were asking Ladaisha if we could meet with her later today, we suggested 5, and she responded, “I don’t get home by 5”. Sis Addison told us that her brother was teaching and got a new student, on the role her name was spelled La-ah, and he asked her to to pronounce it. This little black girl responded, “it’s LaDASHa, the dash don’t be silent!” I might have to add that one to my list of future baby names I’ve discovered here, it’ll come right before sh’diamond and Jermonica.
also...
-spent mother's day weekend at the Isaksen's lakehouse (with president's permission of course) and then toured Abbeville on p-day, Abbeville is where the civil war kinda started. SC was the first state to secede from the union, and they went alphabetically to have each county vote for secession, and Abbeville was first on the list. there's yer history lesson for the day. It's also where the war kinda ended because it's where they also signed to end the civil war and get back together with the union.
-Alisha acknowledged that once she gets her answer about the BofM she'll have to bring her family along with her, and she's started praying out loud finally!
-Mike committed to quit smoking this coming Wednesday!
-had pizza at member meals 4 times this week!
love y'all!
sister smith!!:)
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