The time has come, I'm about to be Aunt Kaylee!!! So excited for my sister and brother-in-law, what a great day!! I can't wait to see and meet my first nephew, congrats to the new Mommy and Daddy and the new Grandpa and Grandma, haha :) What a great day!!
There was a lot that happened this week, holy cow. Happy birthday to Jaycee last Tuesday to start off :) Hope you celebrated your birthday better than I did...haha. We got CHEWED OUT on Tuesday. Oh my goodness. We were meeting with this lady who has apparently met with missionaries before and the whole time we were there just wasn't good. She got super excited and was just yelling at us, denying everything we said, calling us liars--she told me that I have no hope in Jesus Christ because I believe that Joseph Smith existed in the first place and that he truly did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and was called as a Prophet to restore Jesus Christ's Church. Are you kidding me??! I am a servant of Jesus Christ, I wear His name on my chest and I am His representative! There was a talk given, I want to say by either Elder Holland or President Monson where they told us to defend our faith--they said to do it with kindness and courtesy, but to defend it. I think it was Elder Holland just this past conference actually, where they sister missionary was spit on and had food thrown at her. Well, I didn't yell back or punch the wall or stomp out of there so I believe that's where the courtesy part comes in, I didn't hit the lady. Haha. I was getting so mad though, she wouldn't allow me to say two words without cutting me off and yelling that I was wrong. Every horrible thing she said about Joseph Smith just made the Spirit testify to me more and more that he did see God and Jesus Christ and that he DID do so MUCH for this Church--he sacrificed everything. "None other save it be Jesus Christ himself did more for this Church than Joseph Smith." He was a humble young man called to restore Christ's Church. Not to create one, we're not the "Church of Joseph Smith", we are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! God and Jesus Christ simply worked through Joseph Smith--he was the tool in Their hands here on earth, that's it. But he did give everything in order to bring back the gospel truths that had been lost and to keep them here. He knew the importance of them and of the work and with God on his side, he could not fail.
We went on exchanges Wednesday-Thursday and I went to Grovetown with Sister Szilagyi. We had a blast! I learned so much there, things I can do better and become a better missionary. One simple thing I noticed even before Sister Szilagyi mentioned it was the power behind sitting. Yep, sitting down. During lessons, or even with members when sharing a spiritual thought or something. We had been standing with a less active member talking and we wanted to share a scripture and we asked to sit on the couches and the Spirit just flooded in--it was pretty amazing. The whole environment seemed to change. I keep learning more and more ways to invite the Spirit, a critical lesson because the Spirit truly is the Teacher. Not me, I stink at it! Haha. But it is the Spirit that testifies to people of truth, and sometimes is the one who speaks. I may say the words, but how often are they my words anyway? The Holy Ghost is so amazing, we learn in Doctrine&Covenants that "if we do not have the Spirit, we shall not teach."
I had a pretty amazing experience this week I would like to share with y'all. So in my last area there was the Warnes family. I LOVE them! Sister Warnes was so amazing, helped me out with so much. She's a convert to the Church and has an incredible testimony. Anyway, Sister Warnes's parents lived with them, and they aren't members. The first time we met her mom was when she was in the hospital and that's where Sister Turner and I started our visits. Her and her husband grew to love us, and we loved them. They became like grandparents to us. However, they were still closed off to the Church. The Warnes were very open about it, and Sister Warnes's daughter even said if her Grandma didn't get baptized they would do baptisms for the dead (in behalf of her, not baptizing her dead body for those who don't know, we're not that weird) for her so she might as well just get baptized now. All of us thought that deep down both of them knew the gospel was true. The Warnes would read scriptures as a family and Sister Warnes's mother would stay sometimes, but here father would always get up and go in another room. It was so sad to all of them, but Sister Warnes said she knew her father would come through one day. Well, I got a letter from Sister Trout who is still in Albany a couple days ago informing me that Sister Warnes's father passed away. That was like getting stabbed in the heart... it really took me back, I was not expecting to hear that any time soon. Looking back, the last time I saw him he was sick, but I never would have guessed that he was that close to passing, ever! I read that when we were home for the night and Sister Jeppson was in the other room and I went into my bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed and I just lost it. I started crying and I was having such a hard time. Then from out in our little living room I heard Sister Jeppson playing on the piano, she was playing the hymn "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." I went out and sat behind her and when she finished she turned around and I had tears streaming down my face and I asked her why she decided to play that song. She looked at me and was like "Because it doesn't have any sharps or flats.." Haha. That made me smile because I knew that wasn't the real reason why. She told me it was one of the first hymns she opened to. I told her about the news I had just received and she immediately understood as I did that it was the Spirit that had prompted her to play that song. What this experience confirmed to me is that our Heavenly Father is aware of each of us personally, and very mindful of us. He knew of the things I was going through, my thoughts and my feelings and He allowed Sister Jeppson to be an instrument in His hands to answer what I guess you would say were the pleadings of my heart. Those few minutes brought me so much comfort. God is so mindful of each and every one of us. I was looking for a scripture to give specific words I am thinking, and this is what I found:
Alma 26:37
"Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."
God is mindful of all of us. He cares for each of us personally and individually. He loves us. If something matters and is important to you, it matters and is important to Him. Trust Him, He will always do what is best for us, what makes us the most happy, even if we don't see it at the beginning.
"Write your sorrows in sand and your blessings in stone."
Have a Blessed day and week! Just a little Southern talk there ;)
Sister Applegate
Brother Elliot, our Assistant Ward Mission Leader. Isn't he the cutest old man you've ever seen??? Love him!! We were at Golden Corral with him and Sister Piazzi from our ward :)
Sister Jeppson and I won the claw game again! haha. We've got some serious skill.
My brilliant "Hansel and Grettel" idea to catch our mouse. The mouse outsmarted us, ate all the cheese leading up to the sticky trap but didn't touch the one on the trap. Won't go for the snap traps either. One day we really will catch this mouse.
Sister Jeppson and her bubbles :)
The Sisters from our zone, sorry none of us are looking at my camera.
Sister Szilagyi and I
Gina (the redhead, a less active member) and Miss Lavenia. They live in a group home/assisted living type place and they're both kind of out of it and they make us laugh SO HARD. I was in tears yesterday. The things they both say just crack us up :)
Thanks for the package!!!!! Everything in it was awesome! Mr. Bean will probably be hung up on our wall at some point, haha. Gave us a good laugh. Thank you Grandmas for the card and candy as well, y'all are the greatest!
Thanks to all my family, I love you all!
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